Your neck of the woods part 4 9/22/2013

Thanks, Happy! I was very concerned that I'd somehow caused a foundation problem by over-watering the plants by the house. I'm so glad that wasn't the case!



This message was edited Nov 4, 2013 4:53 PM

Thank you all for the good wishes and prayers. I'm hoping that the surgery will take care of my mobility problems. The Doc said 6 weeks in a brace, and 6 months till work, I should be in some kinda' shape for spring planting.It also seems the stent in my left femoral artery needs opened again, that should be an easy fix. after the back The doc said that appeared to be from an injury rather than plaque. I'm hoping to be fine by the spring swap.

Well Mr. Austin, we'll just send Ssgardener's plumber over to you instead then, to open up that valve. ;) But seriously, Heavy-Duty prayers being sent your way, Good Sir. Big time!!!

Ss, my goodness, I'm really glad you figured out what the problem was, and that it wasn't as bad as it could have been!! Water is such an amazing thing -- it is a giver of life, and yet at the same time it has such power to destroy as well.

Hope all goes very well next Monday, Ric. Spent a few weeks with my daughter's family. Her DH had back surgery. Bulging disks and ruptured cysts. Was immobile and uncomfortable for one week and then started to feel better. We'll try to think of ways to cheer you up. Maybe we should start a thread for this!!!

Good idea, Roses! Would you start one?
Them Ric can whine and complain on this thread--and we can all
encourage him on.

Think of a neat title--something cute...a bit "funny"....Gita

I'll need help with the "title". I'm not very creative the way most of you are.

I have a real headache to deal with today, a blocked septic line, I'm glad it's only grey water but still really nasty.I've already snaked it to no avail. I guess I'll try the shop vac then pressure hose. Bless the guys that have to do this for a living. Just the smell is awful.

Covered in mud and yuck, but almost done. I'm not sure I will ever feel clean again.Can you take a bath in Clorox?

Ric that is a he// of a job. Hang in there.

I don't know, but I do keep a container of it in my shower in summer because it's the only thing
that gets the dirt stained toes and feet clean. I spent a whole weekend in summer with horse, goat and rabbit manure. I was so happy because I imagined what beautiful plants would grow because of what I was doing. After 3 days and many showers, I thought I could still smell it on me!

This message was edited Nov 6, 2013 3:01 PM

My chickens supply all the manure I want, and I hope to be out of the fowl atmosphere soon.

The job is done except for extending the pipe and adding a vent valve.

You de man!

OK!! HERE'S RIC'S "ROAD TO RECOVERY" THREAD.

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1340720/

Hope we make him feel better and that he doesn't get sick of US!!

Wow Ric if you do all that while needing surgery I can only imagine the power horse you are when completely whole!

".....Necessity is the mother of all invention......"

Ric, you're a Mom!! CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!! < =D

Just thinking.... after all that work, you'd better be careful ya don't end up like this...

Rainy day, a good day to loaf on the loveseat and veg in front of the tube.I got a ton of coal picked up yesterday after the plumbing job, but I think it can stay in the trailer till one of the boys shows up.The nice thing about coal, it doesn't hurt for it to get wet. LOL

I'm with you Ric. Add in a big pot of soup and I'm all set. (oops, except for paper delivery!)

Is your coal hard or soft? As kids we would go up and down the railroad tracks at the end of our road and pick up what we called 'clinkers' for our stove. We'd usually get a full scuttle. Hardest part was getting the heavy scuttle down the rail bed, thru the brambles and up the path to our wagon at the end of our road and then home.

Do you think the coal smell neutralized the septic aroma?

Once I'm dirty, might as well do another dirty job!

Speaking of dirty jobs, I used to do percolation tests for septic systems for the County. Learned much of various soil composition and arrangements capacity to clean 'effluent'!

Hi all I am home. I had a great dive trip and while Ric was working away here at home. I was in chillaxing mode. Great diving more turtles than I have ever seen and the Groupers were as friendly as Labrador Puppies. I had one rubbing up against my fins saying pet me, pet me. No underwater pics I am sorry to say, I flooded my UW camera on the first day so it is done for. Place looks really good Ric did a good job while I was gone but I think there is still a trailer full of coal that needs unloaded and some wood to carry in. So much for the relaxing, now it is my turn to get into gear and start moving again.

wonderful picture !! it sounds fabulous! hope you have more to share when you are home this week holding Ric's hand….

Yea Holly, welcome home!
lol on the friendly fish! Aren't Groupers the size of a Lab?

Saw a little sign yesterday at a yard sale, you know, the one that goes "One is closer to God in a garden than anywhere else on earth" On this one, the "in a garden " was crossed through and penciled in its place was "at the beach".

Glad you got some cillaxing time in a beautiful garden of another kind and your home front was well tended in your absence. Will be pulling for best possible outcomes for you and dear Ric with upcoming surgery this week. How long is hospital stay or is it quick return home? Hope both of you will take advantage of the support thread Roses started.

Holly, what's a beautiful picture! So glad to hear you had a wonderful time.

Looks blissful, Holly! :-)

Holly, so glad you had a great trip. That picture looks so inviting, especially with the cold weather coming our way.

So glad you had a great trip, Holly. Funny how that grouper wanted a massage.

In case I go missing,
there is trouble on my dial up phone line again. So much noise and static on the line that it impeeds data transmission and hangs itself up! Trouble is outside and not me. Repair sched for tomorrow...2nd call in 2 weeks.

Judy

Grr -- I have the same phone problems (though I don't use a phone connection for the internet so that lightens my frustration).

wonder if the tree work knocked something loose

Investigating and found that there is still currently a way to keep my 'old school' copper wire line for phone and get fiber optic for TV/internet. In 35 trs here 'old school' copper phone service has never not worked (if you count noise on the line as working. lol) because it is not dependent on electricity which goes out fairly often now during storms and can take morethan 12 hour battery back up supplied by Verizon to have elect restored as many of us well know.

Despite blazing fast speeds and call clarity, reliability is still first on my list of features and a copper wire land line phone doesn't have to be charged by forgetful/busy me to work. And it needs no GPS to locate me in case of emergency and doesn't need upgrading every other week!
Yes, they say eventually all will have to switch because they aren't planing to maintain the old system. I say 'make new friends, but keep the old isn't the worst stategy as in if it ain't broke ...
At least advances have't made them incompatable...it's just something that is no longer supported!

From my experience (we switched to FIOS a few years ago), you should keep copper cable working absolutely as long as you can. I am very unhappy with having made the switch.

Geez---I don't even know what you two are talking about????

Judy--I have never been to your house. Do you really live in the "boondocks"
where there is NO modern computer and phone connection?

Please don't take offense---I just cannot imagine this. G.

There is nothing "un-modern" about copper wire for phones. In my opinion it is the very best and most reliable, and I miss it dearly. Phone companies are planning to switch us all over to digital service as soon as they can get approval, but there are numerous problems with digital service that they brush over: slightly distorted sound quality, loss of phone service in a power outage (once the battery backup runs out, and that doesn't take long), the GPS issues July raised, and a huge host of reliability problems. For example, my phone service has been out since Friday.

I may be spoiled----
I have the "bundle" with Comcast. Phone, Internet, and TV.

I DO have one of the older phones (land line???) in my BR.
I think--but am not sure--that it will work if the service goes out.
G.

If you do, then you probably have copper. We did too until we switched to FIOS. We tend to lose power a lot, so I know for certain that we lose our phone service when the power goes out and the battery backup dies.

Happy, I'm with you on keeping the cooper line! If the phone company installing FIOS did not remove the old cooper line to your house it may be possible to (lol for a fee) have your old cooper service 'restored'.


This consumer reports article quite thoroughly discusses the phone options available to most homes in our area. It also covers 'battery back up' for fiber optic and cable and how to prolong phone service if power goes out. A fully charged good back up battery will last on average 8 hours without power. This diminishes with each call out or incoming.

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2012/01/surprise-your-high-tech-home-phone-system-could-go-dead-in-an-emergency/index.htm

Hope none of us will be surprised by no phone service when power goes out.

new thread by Buttoneer
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1342071/

Today is our annual Thanksgiving Dinner at the HD.
Many of us "old timers" know it is acceptable to contribute a dish or two.
The "Younguns" just come and eat like pigs--never wondering where all this
food and sides and deserts came from??????

Been working on having everything ready to cook for days.
I have been chopping and dicing every evening for a week (love doing it--as I watch TV)
I am bringing my two usual dishes--my "Sweet and Savory Kale".and a huge
amount of "Sausage Stuffing"--part of which is put aside for Aina and Mark's Th.Giv. dinner.
They have long accepted that I make the best stuffing and gravy.

For the kale--I started with TWO 2lb. bags. I want to show you the cooking world's
biggest "disapearing act".....:o) It is hard to believe......

1--The pile of fresh kale I started with. This is the biggest SS bowl of the set of 3.
The pot next to it is my 21 qt. soup pot.
2--The pile a few minutes later after being put in the hot liquid in the pot...WILT!!
3--The finished product--not even a full 1/2 foil pan.

4--Still dry stuffing--same big bowl--all seasoned and ready for the Ch. broth to moisten it.
5--The finished stuffing. Smaller container for Aina.

Now--have to start the prep for making my BIG pot of Turkey soup from
2 of the carcasses of the turkeys from the HD dinner. Most veggies are already chopped.
I started doing this 3 years ago.

Sunday (when i work)--I will bring in the pot of soup (over 4 gal.) set it up in the
break room on a hot pad, and everyone can go at it...I even bring the bowls and napkins.
The pot is always empty by the end of the day...

Does my heart good to do this--and the bones are not wasted...Gita

you deserve an Honorary Mom award from the store
; ^)