Posts

Solving a Rubik's Cube - January 2023

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I'm not exactly sure WHY I started to try to learn how to solve - after all these years - a Rubik's Cube, but over the past three-plus weeks, I've been working on scrambling and solving whenever I'm sitting on the couch and have a little time to waste.  Thanks to YouTube - and the fact that you can slow videos down playback speed-wise - I have gotten pretty good at solving a lot of the cube by memory.  I still don't have the last few steps memorized, but I'm continuing to work on it. The video that I used was this one that features WIRED's Robbie Gonzalez showing the steps he learned.   What solves and algorithms do I have down? Bottom white face.  Done. Bottom two rows.  Done. Yellow top face.  Done. What algorithms don't I have committed to memory (just yet)? Setting the corners.  Sometimes this just happens naturally, so I skip it.   And doing the final solve.

Snow-Covered Tree Limbs In Our Snowy Backyard - January 2023

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This week, we woke up to a white-out in our backyard with fresh snow on the ground and clinging to every branch and limb in the yard.  Made for a pretty view.  Until I had to go out and shovel.  Multiple times.   While it feels awfully far away from gardening season, it sure seems like I have to start sorting my priorities in the next few weeks as late Winter/early Spring tasks will soon be upon us. 

Why Winter Rose Poinsettias Are All I'll Buy Now - January 2023

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In early December, I p icked up a 6" Winter Rose Poinsettia for $9 at the orange big box store and brought it home for the season .  We have - typically - bought a Christmas poinsettia, but when we came across the Winter Rose, I did a quick Web search to learn a little bit about this specific variety. By now - late January - our typical Christmas Poinsettia is usually looking pretty ratty.  Leaf-drop, leggy stems, etc.    The Winter Rose promised a longer shelf life and that's turned out to be true for us - in a big way.  See below for the Winter Rose Poinsettia that is sitting on our kitchen table today: I'd call this plant being in 'full bloom' - but I know it isn't blooming.  Those are leaves, not flower petals. But...still....look at it.  It is thriving.   What's not to love about this pop of color well-past Christmas?  January and February are hard, hard months for growing, so seeing this thing do so well has really affirmed - for me - that the choice

Firewood Consumption Check-in - Late January 2023

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The last time that I ran a [ firewood consumption ] check-in for this season was seven weeks ago on December 1st .  At that time - which was 60 days into the burning season - we had emptied the smaller sideyard rack (and replaced it with Norway Maple) and had burned about 1/3rd of the larger one.  The two inside racks were - at that time - mostly full. I consider the burning season to be 5 months long - about 150 days.  October, Nov Dec = 90 days.  Jan, Feb = 60 days.  Total of 150 ending on March 1st.   Where are we today?  115 days out of 150 = 76% thru the season. The most-recent comparison is from this past February when I had quite a bit of wood left.  See this post .  At that point, the two inside racks were full (just like now), the stoop rack was full and there was a pile inside the garage.   Let's look at the racks as they stand today.  First...the two inside racks are, indeed full.  No photos of those.  But, the stoop rack - looks like last February and is 'mostly'

Growing A Shield Frond On Staghorn Fern - January 2023

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My Staghorn Fern journey started back in March of 2021 with the purchase of a small, potted Staghorn Fern from the orange Big Box store.  As I learned a little bit (or...'got to know') Staghorns, I decided to just leave this one in the plastic container that it came in, but modified to provide for A TON of drainage/airflow with holes all over it. That first Summer, I put it outside and it seemed to thrive .  I brought it inside as the weather turned and put that Fern - along with other houseplants - under a grow light during the Winter.  Two years ago tomorrow (Jan 24, 2022), I posted some photos showing the first real 'Antler-shaped fronds' that the fern had grown .  This was a real milestone as the fern started to *look* like a real Staghorn Fern.  That small series of successes lead me to take on even more with Staghorns. I bought more, mounted some of them.  And...didn't really get the results I wanted.  But, I also gave away a pair of the mounted Ferns to folk

Made for Trader Vic's Pottery - Tiki Rum Bowl - January 2023

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Nat and I don't exchange a ton of Christmas gifts during the gifting season.  But, we *do* exchange some gifts.  I typically will give her a vintage book, a Wash U shirt and starting last year...a Tiki Bar item.  When we finished our basement, we talked about putting in a Tiki Bar down there.  We did all the rough-in's for a bar - light openings in the ceiling, water and plumbing in the wall, counter-height outlets for a bar and under-counter fridges.  But, we didn't put in said Tiki Bar.  Just left the space open for the kids to use as part of the rumpus room.   But, that doesn't mean that she isn't still dreaming of that - in the future - Tiki Bar.  I even went ahead and gave this dreamed-up Tiki Bar a name:  Natalie's Hideaway.  Last year, I commissioned Tiki Tony the artist to create a sign for the place, too.   So, when I came across 1 a big tiki bar-themed bowl with ladies in bikinis, palm trees, hula dancers and a big rum barrel on it, I thought it would

Leather Drivers-Style Buck Skin Gardening Gloves - January 2023

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It took close to ten years, but I finally am the owner of a pair of gloves that I've been wanting to use in the garden.  All the way back in September of 2013, Neil Steinberg posted a love-letter to a pair of Chicago-manufactured gloves and I have wanted them ever-since.  At that time, the gloves were made by a a company called J. Edwards who sold the gloves only to distributors.  But, at some point, they were either acquired or merged with the Kunz Glove Company who (as of 2022) ran an ecommerce storefront or sold them to folks who sell one pair at a time like here .  You're probably thinking:  dude...just go buy some gloves from the orange Big Box store.  I'm sure they'd be fine, but if you go back and read the post from Neil Steinberg , you might come to the same conclusion that I have:  these are special.   So, these gloves are now mine- my Christmas gift from Nat.  And, I can't wait to use them in the garden.  See below for the Buck Skin garden gloves that are