January .....technology

 This is my idea of the "Smart Home" 

But we live in the age of technology and it feels like I am still beating my clothes on a rock. 

My trusty old computer; Sparky, was gasping.  Noooooo!!  Sparky was dying a slow and lingering death, it just got slower and slower.  It was such a pain I stopped using it, except for emergencies like printing recipes or Facetime-ing the kids or looking at old pictures or printing out decals for pottery. 

I was so tempted to just walk away as I am very content keeping myself busy without a computer. 

The New Year came and went and I decided I really did need a computer so I dug in and did my homework and decided on a Mac mini M4 instead of an entire unit.  The classic; MBFYB or more bang for your buck, or so I thought. 

I am trying to re-invent my life path at 70 years old and have decided to revisit my YouTube channel I started so many years ago.  As Sparky slowed down I abandoned that ship as loading one video was taking 15-18 hours!  A new system should fly at lightening speed, I hoped!  Besides it's January in Ohio and what better time to tackle this?  Put those waders on and plunge into the deep end! 

On a snowy Saturday I drove down to Microsoft and plunked down a months worth of social security, coming home with little box and a cord.  No mouse, monitor or keyboard.  Spent the major part of the day trying to sync it with the new fiber optic WIFI.... I had a monitor, keyboard and mouse.  Drilled all the appropriate holes in the NEW desktop 😭, ran a new surge protector and dropped our ATT fiber optics down to 300 MBPS from 1000MBPS on the ATT APP, at my kitchen table.

 Big surprise, everything works better and we get coverage in a long dead upstairs bedroom!  Back to syncing the new computer to fiber optics!  I tried everything; watched endless YouTubes, rebooted the computer, unplugged, waited and  fired back up again; no WIFI signal.  In a stroke of complete frustration and putting myself in a time out, to do a bit of birdwatching on the Bird Buddy (the feeder with built in camera, more technology). 

 "💡"  What if I ran the ethernet cord from the modem to the computer?  Dug through a big box of wires and found an abandoned ethernet cord.  It worked!  However I did not want to run wires and drill more holes in the new bookcases!  I opened my ATT app (not customer service!) and rebooted the modem.  That took awhile so I ate a cookie and did some deep breathing. Finally, the modem had the green light. Severed the umbilical cord and prayed to motherboard above!  And it worked!! 6 hours of my life I will never get back.  

So excited that my tenacious self had worked through all this I jumped on and thought it would be fun to Facetime the kids with this new system.  Was it faster, was the picture clearer, sound?  And it occurred to me the monitor did not have a camera!  just kill me........ I ordered a logitech brio camera for $37.  No Facetime this weekend!  

A few days later I had to file my Ohio State Sales Tax online.  I always have a box of Kleenex sitting close by because I can never get through that system.  However they had upgraded to a new two part verification and as I logged on I was fully prepared to terminate my vendors license as I am not doing shows anymore.  To my amazement I walked myself through, did not shed one tear and still have a vendors license.  Press, print out receipt and nothing...... I went back to plugging and unplugging, googling what little I had left of a brain only to find out Hewlett Packard no longer makes a compatible driver for my printer and new Mac Mini.  Long verbal expletives flowed from my mouth!  

Poked around for a new printer but absolutely none are able to print out ceramic decals.  Clean out the upstairs bedroom of all Christmas stuff and put old wool blankets in the new refinished cedar chest.  I swear it's like dominos around here, never a straight path to anything!  Finally set Sparky on a table, in an upstairs bedroom with the old printer, wiped out everything except my file for images.  Thankfully I had a very old plug in keyboard that worked but no mouse and needed to purchase a new mouse; back to logitech!  I am waiting for that delivery.  Meanwhile I am off to purchase a new printer for $119 from Best Buy.  

After all this I still need to install a keyboard drawer under the new desktop.  Maybe I should give up chickens and gardening and become a gamer.  This has been completely uncharted water and happy I did get through some pretty choppy water.  Yes, I could have called somebody to do all this buy now I know how everything is connected or not connected.  Learned a lot (new curse words) and  lost a few precious brain cells.

All that said; I start winter pruning next week and starting seeds this week.  I will attempt to make short videos on each of those topics and post to YouTube.  

BUT!  First I need to clean out the studio. It looks like an abandoned woodworkers shop. Turn it back into a garden center and pottery studio.  No straight paths anywhere around here! 

And so 2025 begins..........

 Baby it's cold outside!

We are in the midst of a good old Ohio winter, it's been three years since we have experienced a good long winter!  Cold and blustery!  This week we are in the teens, windchills make it single digits.  I walk out the door and want to retreat to the fireplace.  

What better time to start indoor projects?! 

Dec. 6th I ripped the old office apart and went through 40 years of papers, birthday cards and life's detritus.  Drawers filled with rubble; old belt buckles, brass gun casings, the shell casing from catching my first halibut in Homer, Alaska, kids baby bracelets, kids baby teeth, cloth patches ment to be sewn on backpacks from trips around the world.   So many old sketchbooks and pencils no bigger than a nub but worthy of keeping....... why? 

 

The pens & pencils I couldn't part with, stuffed in my Grandma's old salt box and keys to her back door and garage.

I bought Billy bookcases from IKEA and decided to give them a built in appearance with trim and base board moulding.  They went together pretty easily and I did beef them up to hold loads of books and pottery.  

Used a plank of pine for my desk and ran new wires for my computer, printer, chargers and camera equipment.  The point that I got off my knees and surveyed the progress I realized the rats nest of wires were not going away!  This makes me crazy!  Maybe it's that weaving thing I do; creating order out of chaos but this was not going to fly!  So I ordered more shelves and had to wait two weeks.  

Spent half a day untangling, tethering, zip tying and labeling the spaghetti of wires.  Yes, we still have a landline....  two days later I discovered at 6:30 am my bitter half had decided to convert our entire house to fiber optics with another company!  They knocked on the door at 8 am and launched rapid fire questions at me about passwords and what did this line go to and how many tv's and computers we had, and and and..... we have one TV and one computer....... but Butch decided we needed 1000 mbps!  The technician asked who in our house was a gamer because we had enough mbps to play the fastest games on the internet!  I told him I have a bird buddy and that was the best game in town!  A bird feeder that takes pictures of birds and then alerts me to the bird at my feeder or squirrel.

Of course he had no idea what that was....... I took him outside and showed him.  Nope didn't need many MBPS for that.  

The downside of running 1000mbps,  my phone no longer worked on our wifi and I needed to go to an upstairs bedroom to get service on my iphone.  My computer refused to connect unless hooked with an ethernet to the modem and on it went.  There is no tech service, only an APP with AI that wants to help you, kill me...... by December 15th I was so over fiber optics and people telling me how great this new technology would be; I called bull shit!  I finally threw my hands up in the air and got back to building bookcases without WIFI or internet or youtube.  

Finished up December 19th!  The storage gained is amazing and much needed! 

Then I broke out the label maker!  Whoo Ha! 

and I rolled to the pantry...... installed puck lights and labels!

Be still my heart and why didn't I do this 40 years ago!  Oh ya, I had little kids and was on every corner in Cleveland selling pots! 

After all that Christmas arrived on schedule.  Took time for beach walks and snow and holiday cheer. 

and now it's 2025 and we are organized!  Still projects, new knee pads and more adventures (hoping not on my knees)!  

Happy New Year! 

but for now ..........

It's the end of the year and how did that happen?

 

This is my feeble attempt to write a blog....... I don't know where the time goes, I really don't. The older I get time seems to flit by faster than a rat in a drainpipe and somebody just flushed twice.  Then again so much has gone on since August 2nd, it's been hard to keep track of everything. 

Even after "Critter Siege 2024" the tomatoes and peppers rolled in.  The tops of the carrots were gone but underground carrots remained.  What is it about digging carrots out of the ground after a good snow and freezing temps.  All those carbs converting to sugar making them candy sweet.  We have had oven baked carrots every week since the snow and vowed to plant more next year, they are that good.  For the first time I did not need to buy tomatoes from the guy up the road; there were enough to fill the basement and then some.  Heirloom varieties took a hit in the heat and drought of 2024 and I learned not to ever just plant one variety of anything.  There were so many garden lessons learned in 2024; I am grateful to still be learning.  

The storms rolled through about once a month, or we would have had no rain at all.... 

Maybe this winter I can catch up on all the garden chaos of 2024, maybe not (I have projects planned). 

As storms intensified we got serious about taking the giant spruce down that threatened to topple each storm.  I cried and my heart hurt as it protected the house from harsh winds in the winter and cooled us in the summer.  It hosted so many families of birds and raccoons.  It was our very first Christmas Tree when we moved into this place over 40 years ago.  I planted a new tree, a serviceberry for the birds. 

Then the Miller reunion..... our album cover for 2024.  

After another Miller whirlwind visit, it was back to work

and now it's the holiday season........

I just landed back home from a quick trip out to the grocery store.  I am NOT in the holiday spirit this year.  I've not baked and have no intention of baking.  I have not done one show this year and not missed it.  There are no decorations tossed about the house. It's just different this year.  Am I blaming it on global warming, democracy going down in flames, the food supply in peril; all the above?  Retail is so depressing this year. 

BUT I thought I'd stop at a retail establishment that is usually decked out to the doors and beyond to get my jingle going.  Parking lots were filled, I parked across the street and walked across a four lane street to get there..... the first grumble begins.  Made it to the store in a stiff wind and it was absolutely packed but the explosion and sense assaulting atmosphere called Christmas was present in its full glory.  The check out line snaked to the back of the store and not one smile was to be seen. Two women working the registers scanned like mad and never looked up; stick a fork in them, they're done.   After my 180 degree scan, I moonwalked out the door and scurried back across the four lane highway, it was too much.  Waving the happy Fuck you to the guy who blew his horn as I stayed in the crosswalk.  He should be grateful I didn't launch myself onto the hood of his car like the rabid raccoon I am deep down inside.  I could easily peel those wipers right off his car!  Phew, back to my van and take a deep breath.  Rummaging through the grocery bag as I wait to vault into brake lights, horn blowing and cursing, my hand found the giant bar of dark chocolate at the bottom of the bag; intended for cookies in my dreams.  I ripped the wrapper off with my teeth and cracked off a square and another and another.  I had two squares left by the time I hit the driveway and I am not going back out.  But I have greens in the hoop house, and bourbon in the cupboard.  That will fill those Christmas stockings.   Or remember getting an orange and you were thrilled?  

Am I getting old or just over capitalism?  I am so happy to be watching birds at the feeder and walking to the hoop house.  I put twinkle lights on the hoop house and may just slap a bow on that for the holidays; it makes me happier than anything you could stick in my stocking!  

So Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and do whatever it is you need to celebrate.  

Peace and well being to all🎄

Under attack.........

 

2024 the year of the great battle to get one tomato!  Never in the years of gardening have we been invaded in such numbers or vehemence.   We have grown a crop of robust, vigorous, critters who will take the hit on the electric fence and keep raiding.  I think they come from old Viking stock and wear helmets.  

First the chipmunks arrived.  Agricultural fabric was draped over everything and thought my worries were over.  Can you hear the chipmunks laughing?   Holes chewed everywhere!   I clipped the holes shut with clothespins and they just chewed another hole.  At the moment the insect cloth has more clothespins than an Amish clothesline on Monday morning. 

Bring on the neighborhood cats.......... Rufus, will work for belly rubs.

The deer wiped out row after row of carrots, so at night the covers went on.  It worked on the carrots but just bumped them over to the hoop covers; poking their heads through the covers to chomp down broccoli and tender kale shoots.  

Installed heavier rocks and clamps to hold the netting down and so far so good.  

 

Ran over to the neighbors to celebrate the 4th of July with a potluck dinner.  I was gone a maximum, two hours.  Walked across the backyard and found this......

Brussel Sprouts and Eggplant gone......... break out the traps for the band of evil groundhogs.  

Yes, I hate them!  And one pooped in the freedom bus on his way to paradise; I will never get that smell out of the van but it does entertain the dog when we go for car rides.  He can't figure out where the groundhog is hiding in the van and why are the windows are open all the time. 

Planted two rows of carrots and found these..... asian jumping worms, invasive AF.

Put them in a plastic container and tossed in the freezer.  Dead! 

Sifted through the dirt and compost looking for every single one I could find and planted two rows of carrots. 

The skunks came in two nights in a row and excavated for even more worms!  Carrot crop decimated in the process.  Tossed my trowel in the air and walked in the house. 

My winning streak and apathy lasted 48 hours.  As bad as things get there are always tomatoes and peppers.  It's been like that forever around here.  I could live with the slugs, snails, birds, groundhogs, deer, skunks, japanese beetles, squash vine borers and on and on because you were at least going to get tomatoes! 

Not this year! 

Thought it was skunks, nope fat bastard raccoons who apparently sent postcards out to their nearest, dearest and distant cousins.  Count the eyeballs!  I've trapped 6 raccoons and there is no end in sight so I'm trying to live with them because I will never trap them all! 

I installed the electric fence again and every night I would soak down the area with water from the rain barrels; when their grimy little paws hit the fence they'd get a double charged zap!  They took the hit to get to the tomatoes.  They must be wearing rubber underpants!   They're every where..... even the chicken coop!  

Hello..... 

The birds cleaned out the blueberries and blackberries.  And again the deer!  They ate the blackberry shoots down to the ground.  

On a good note the japanese beetles weren't too bad this year.  

I am one click away from ordering a pair of coyotes off Amazon or building a Lego Rocket launcher.

The heat and humidity have been off the charts.  I always order compost in the Spring.   This year I opted for 8 yards instead of the customary 18 yards.  Hoping to use wood chips in the way back garden.  

and three loads of wood chips, 8 yards each. 

Yes, my little wheelbarrow and I have moved 32 cubic yards of stuff.  

Started a hoop house but waiting for cooler weather to finish. 

Built new tomato trellis systems to keep tomatoes off the ground.   Soon to be wrapped in electrified barbed wire and moat. 

Trenched in heavy duty screening to keep the groundhogs from burrowing under the shed.

Lost two of my three chickens to bird flu ...... 

sometimes just no words to say how hard sustainability on a half acre can be.

It's hard because everything counts and everything has a job to do.  They were buried under in way way back very deep and covered with 6" of wood chips.  

Fern is the only chicken left and I am reluctant to pick up more birds until next year.  The cats come to visit a couple times a day and she appears to be doing well as now she gets all the treats.  She loves frozen corn on these hot 90 degree plus days.  And she is still gifting an eggs a couple times a week.  

The girls are free ranging over the rainbow bridge and eating all the treats..... no fences anymore! 

Godspeed girls see you on the other side. 

And through all this the garden still gave so much.  

and for that I am grateful ....... and yes I will keep pedaling.