Gardening
The garden experiments have been quite interesting this fall. I found some open pollinated heirloom sweet corn seeds at Ace Hardware a few months ago. The corn grew quickly and quite large, about 7+ feet high.
I only planted a small patch with a very high density. The chicken manure has been quite a blessing I believe as the corn took off. As the corn is open pollinated I am saving the first few ears that grew for seed. The first eating ears were picked yesterday. The corn has excellent fill, and the one ear that was picked at the right time was quite sweet. I am quite pleased with this corn, and perhaps with some experience picking the corn at the proper time we will get some excellent eating corn.
Also, the beds I planted for intensive gardening are doing quite well. Spinach, Swiss Chard, different Lettuce types, Beets, Brussels Sprouts, and Broccoli are all doing quite well. My one problem crop is Cabbage. I can’t seem to get it to come up.
On Monday I was able to get the seeds started indoors under lights for my spring garden. All open pollinated varieties so far. I have been quite interested in native, heirloom and open pollinated seeds, that way I only have to buy the seed once and it will provide in perpetuity. Including some Celery seeds I collected from the Celery that “accidentally” grew in the mulch bin and was transplanted to the garden. Who knew celery will grow from the cut off bottom? I found it out the hard way. I am not a big fan of celery anywhere except in stew, however I do enjoy the seeds and dried leaves as flavoring agents. I am hoping that the seeds will start and I may get some more leaves and seeds.
Perhaps the best reason to use open-pollinated seed is that even if the seeds are not organic, I can grow the plants organically and then the seed I harvest is organic seed and I can grow it as such in the future. My seed source of choice lately has been nativeseeds.org, a seed bank type organization that seeks to protect the native seeds used by the Native Americans in the southwest. All of their seed is open pollinated, and all of the varieties are cataloged as to where they grow best. The varieties that grow well in the low desert have been very productive. I got over 2 lbs from the black-eyed peas I grew over the summer, on 3 plants. I was also able to harvest quite a bit off the panic grass (a type of millet), and amaranth. Perhaps next year I will venture into the world of true grains, but this year I am quite happy just growing my own fruit/vegetables and saving the seeds. I will start planting my saved seeds with the summer planting season once it gets hot again. May that day not come for a long time!
New Years Nature Walk
I took the kids to the Gilbert riparian preserve at Greenfield and Guadalupe today. It was fun, the trails are short enough that when they were tired we could go right back to the car. Our walk through the preserve ended up being about 1.6 miles. Not much but plenty for short little legs.
They enjoyed seeing some cranes, sandpipers, ducks, and for Charlotte, dogs. The other two don’t care for them much but Charlotte gets very excited to see dogs. She didn’t even notice the huge Canadian goose about 10 feet away from here because someone had a Schnauzer.
They also enjoyed the flowers and the cool seed pods that different plants produced; like the “star pods” they found.
By far their favorite part was the Dinosaur Dig in the area right next to the parking lot. Had I not gone mostly for the walk we would have just stayed right by the parking lot and they could have dug out the entire “dinosaur.”
LD18? What to do?
I’m sorry Russell Pierce but after what you said about being endorsed by the “Mormon Church” I don’t think I can believe a word you say, much less vote for you. Either you believe and live your religion or you don’t. You can’t say you believe one thing, do the opposite, and then expect people to believe you. The voters in LD18 are not stupid. The ones who are LDS will vote for Jerry Lewis who lives his beliefs and believes the same as they do. I realize that the news media can make you look like you say things differently than you actually do, but when you come out and say multiple times that you believe something that is in direct conflict with what you have done either you need to make up your mind or go away! Please watch this video from 12 news http://www.azcentral.com/video/1215608827001
I am Brian Amos and I support Jerry Lewis. (and I am a Mormon).
QOTD
A sense of humor keen enough to show a man his own absurdities will keep him from the commission of all sins, or nearly all, save those that are worth committing.
— Samuel Butler
Happy Birthday Linux
Today you are 20 years old. We have become good friends since I met you 12 years ago. You have grown quite a bit and are quite capable now, and I have grown to understand you quite well. You have been a much better friend than Microsoft as you don’t hide things from me, and you serve me just how I need you to. You let me tell you what I need you to do and you do it. Microsoft asks me what what to do but doesn’t do it how I request. So I left him behind in favor of better company. You keep me safe from the malevolent youths of our era, and keep viruses and spies away from my family. You even keep my wife’s friend Microsoft safe, safe from himself sometimes. I’m not too fond of him but she is, so I tolerate him to the best of my ability, thank you for working with him even when he doesn’t want to work with you. So you know I do have to give him the boot every day, or he becomes unable to function, I’d rather not do it, he is slow to go down and slow to get back up and I feel like it is a daily waste of time. If I don’t monitor him while he gets back up sometimes he falters and is still down when I come calling. Perhaps being slow and stupid is part of his upbringing. I don’t think I have ever had to give you the boot except when I have had to move you, and you always have come back quickly. For your kind and faithful service I thank you.
Your Friend,
Server Admin
