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Today is the biannual celebration of control our overlords wield over details of our lives. They remind us twice a year that even little things are within their power.
For absolutely NO GOOD REASON, they send us scurrying around our houses, shops and vehicles resetting every clock and timer therein. It is just a little jab, not like they are starving or poisoning us … with that poke anyway.
I am approaching the mark where half of my life will have been spent self-employed. When you do not report for work at a time fixed by others, the […]
Now THAT’s COLD.
At Sunrise (8:17), I threw on a wool coat, insulated gloves and boots for a one-minute outdoor job of opening the chicken door so my flock could get out to their heated water reservoir and food supply.
Whoops. My young back-saving helper yesterday did not close the double gate into / out of the chicken yard after blowing a foot of snow off their scratching yard.
So I did that while I was out there – to keep them in and predators out.
By the time I was back inside, my legs were […]
I used Tom’s of Maine for many years until the business was sold and went mainstream. The current corporation and its recipes deserve no support. So I went shopping … for my own recipe.
Having tripped over the value of essential oils, they are integral to this. I will make no claims for any of the ingredients, choosing instead to send you off to your own research to discover what led me to these, or to decide for yourself that some other combination works for you.
My essential oil source is Eden’s Garden, but I am not recommending […]
Through the spring, summer, fall, I was prioritizing having our homestead prepared for the snow management season. Strangely, I was simultaneously putting off all those interesting, rewarding projects “that could be done indoors during winter”.
We are there. I am there. Meanwhile, that quality time in my wood-heated, well-outfitted cozy shop keeps getting kicked to the curb by mandatory snow management around the castle.
The university of hard knocks taught me that snow sheets and drifts allowed to set into glaciers and sheet ice are quite unpleasant around the farm. Some things absolutely MUST be done on their […]
One of the real treats in my life is a heated shop. I have a lovely collection of tools and workspaces enabling me to putter with woodwork, metalwork and a bit of mechanical maintenance. I am not great at any of it, but pretty darn good at solving the little challenges and opportunities life sends my way. I have spent some time turning my Jack-of-all-Trades persona into a way to make an honest living, but only at the wrong place at the wrong time. The Fixer business did not blossom, but my website The Fixer.biz is still kicking around […]
I have no love for meat bees. They invariably figure out that I am meat.
I can share my spaces with honey bees of all stripes and persuasions. If I don’t attack them, they don’t attack me. That is the essence of Libertarian relationships.
I have employed various tools to minimize the meat bee populations in my area of operation, including baited traps and hired killers.
With the leaves gone from our local trees the very large hornet population around here was explained by a mongo nest high in a tree above the corner of our house.
[…]
For the last few days, the wildfire smoke around here has been rated “UNHEALTHY”. I use the site AirNow to verify. Click the link to see any city. The Montana Department of Environmental Quality and relatives offer this advice: People with heart or lung disease, older adults, children and teens – take any of these steps to reduce your exposure: Avoid strenuous outdoor activities. Keep outdoor activities short. Consider moving physical activities indoors or rescheduling them.
Everyone else – take any of these steps to reduce your exposure: Choose less strenuous activities (like walking instead of running) so […]
We have muck boots for ourselves, family, friends and guests – anyone who happens by to work or play in our chicken yard, creek, snow or mud. Mostly the collection has been standing in the alley between our house and garage.
One such friend recently discovered a mouse nest in one of the boots we were loaning out. Turns out more than one boot was thusly violated. Fortunately this particular guest is an earthy guy who was not put off by this violation, but the ICK-factor was something we could not tolerate.
My wife sent me links to […]
You would have expected us to be smarter than that, or have our politicians under better control by now.
Nope.
A Tulsa publisher looks at it:
‘Spring forward’ has lots of haters, so why has daylight saving time been so hard to change?
Bitterroot Bugle looks at it: My post three years ago.
daylight savings
Sure is a shame about the hour I am losing this weekend.
It was the one I intended to spend worshiping our government.
While there is even a .gov website describing circadian rhythms, other than the governments of Arizona and Hawaii, […]
One attribute of mine appreciated greatly by my spousal unit she nicknamed “The Shelf Meister”. I never build any two alike. Everything is a prototype, custom for the situation, location and application.
It is a constant game for me to move things off the flat working surfaces and her to bring more gadgets and gizmos out that then occupy the space thus cleared. Rinse. Repeat.
My newest creation is from flat-bar steel and rods cut and heat-bent. The copper paint amuses me and fits the decor. I get a kick out of people puzzling over why magnets stick […]
Today is the biannual celebration of control our overlords wield over details of our lives. They remind us twice a year that even little things are within their power.
For absolutely NO GOOD REASON, they send us scurrying around our houses, shops and vehicles resetting every clock and timer therein. It is just a little jab, not like they are starving or poisoning us … with that poke anyway.
I am approaching the mark where half of my life will have been spent self-employed. When you do not report for work at a time fixed by others, the […]
I have made several versions of this. My new one is based on heavy-gauge steel hog panels, also known as livestock panels. I had, have some scraps kicking around that needed repurposing.
The photographs are actually celebrating my moving the tool rack from the “Tool Port” to the adjacent “Car Port”. Since my diminutive Honda CRX is occupying a full-sized parking space, there is plenty of room for the tools which were contributing to the overcrowding in my tool shed.
Last year I repurposed a plastic strip door, but snow blew in and made a hash of […]
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