Scott & Cat's New Adventure

Does this work?.....Google Fusion....Sure does!

2011-10-13T22:43:00.005-04:00

I was tinkering with different ways to visualize some spatial data and ran across Google Fusion. I can't even remember what site clued me into it.

Regardless, here is a simple spatial data set that I imported and Google is now hosting. I have embedded it here for your viewing pleasure. Go ahead and click on a red parcel to get some unimportant info.

METRA in Chicago.

2011-05-22T18:53:00.001-04:00

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Field Museum in Chitown.

2011-05-22T18:39:00.001-04:00

Didn't arrive in time.:-(

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Chicago skyline.

2011-05-17T16:31:00.001-04:00

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Madness, Times Square.

2011-05-14T19:38:00.001-04:00

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Olmstead's Emerald Mecklace in Boston

2011-04-10T07:12:00.001-04:00

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Balls @ MM

2011-03-20T22:41:00.001-04:00

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Mass MOCA.....yes please.

2011-03-20T22:37:00.001-04:00

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F.L. Church 's Olana.

2011-03-20T22:36:00.001-04:00

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View from Windham Area

2011-01-31T07:41:00.001-05:00

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Cape Cod House

2011-01-06T20:12:00.001-05:00

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Providencetown Lobster Tree

2011-01-06T20:10:00.001-05:00

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Happy Misfire

2011-01-06T19:35:00.001-05:00

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Subjugated Automobiles in Boston

2011-01-06T19:32:00.001-05:00

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John Harvards Brewery in Boston

2011-01-06T19:30:00.001-05:00

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Wonky Boston Architecture.

2011-01-06T19:29:00.001-05:00

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Cambridge brewing Co.

2011-01-06T19:27:00.001-05:00

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Celebratory Feast in Cape Cod

2011-01-06T19:19:00.001-05:00

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Walkable Providencetown Mass.

2011-01-06T19:16:00.001-05:00

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Acela

2011-01-06T19:06:00.001-05:00

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Happy misfire.

2011-01-06T19:03:00.001-05:00

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Corbusier in Boston?

2011-01-06T19:02:00.001-05:00

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Boston.....

2011-01-06T18:57:00.001-05:00

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Boston Red Line

2011-01-05T11:25:00.001-05:00

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Beach Houses on Cape Cod.

2011-01-04T16:42:00.002-05:00

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Cape Cod Views.

2011-01-04T16:41:00.001-05:00

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Cape Cod Mass. near Wellfleet.

2011-01-04T16:40:00.001-05:00

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Tango on Cape Cod.

2011-01-04T16:15:00.002-05:00

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Cape Cod Nat. Seashore Bike Path

2011-01-04T12:17:00.001-05:00

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Road Trip

2011-01-03T14:55:00.001-05:00

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Greenhouse. Colby College.

2011-01-02T20:52:00.001-05:00

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2011-01-02T20:48:00.001-05:00

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Maine Statehouse.

2011-01-02T20:47:00.001-05:00

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Maine Veterans Memorial, Red Bow

2011-01-02T20:41:00.001-05:00

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On the beach in Maine, Jan. 1, 2011

2011-01-01T16:51:00.001-05:00

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Tivoli Bay with Amtrak Train in Background...

2010-12-31T13:37:00.002-05:00

If you look closely you can see a train running right above the grass about midway through the picture.

NYC Skyline from Central Park

2010-12-31T13:31:00.001-05:00

Trees of Tivoli Bay

2010-12-31T13:09:00.001-05:00

Shadow Self Portrait

2010-12-31T13:08:00.001-05:00

Carolina Dog Loves the Snow

2010-12-31T13:07:00.001-05:00

Tivoli Bay, More Frozen!

2010-12-31T13:06:00.001-05:00

Winston & Roosevelt

2010-12-31T13:01:00.001-05:00

Central Park, Snowman

2010-12-31T12:57:00.001-05:00

NYC Looking North from Top O' the Rock, Central Park.

2010-12-31T12:55:00.001-05:00

Cat Looking Out on NYC From the Top of the Rock!

2010-12-31T12:54:00.001-05:00

Happy Accident Photos.....Love Em....

2010-12-31T12:48:00.000-05:00

Wait for it! Wait for it!......Gracie & the vertical pounce!

2010-12-27T13:56:00.002-05:00

Snow dogs.

2010-12-27T08:56:00.001-05:00

Tango and her friend Ivory playing in the snow.

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Norman's Kill. NY.

2010-12-26T10:30:00.001-05:00

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NYS Senate Chamber.

2010-12-26T10:21:00.001-05:00

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Tivoli Bay. Frozen.

2010-12-26T10:17:00.001-05:00

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Tivoli Bay in Early November

2010-11-06T11:36:00.001-04:00

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Red Oak in Yard

2010-10-27T21:46:00.001-04:00

Striking color

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More beautiful color in NY....

2010-10-27T21:31:00.001-04:00

Sunsets here are amazing. Must be the pollution.

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Fall Color is Everywhere in NY

2010-10-17T21:10:00.001-04:00

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New York Buffalo...not Buffalo, NY

2010-10-16T18:01:00.003-04:00

Seen while riding today. Odd.

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Red Barn, NY, Germantown

2010-10-11T16:58:00.001-04:00

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Only go to schools with Carillons?

2010-10-07T18:39:00.001-04:00

SUNY, Albany, New York

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New York Sunset @ SUNY

2010-10-07T18:37:00.002-04:00

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Infinity...?

2010-10-07T14:29:00.001-04:00

Big SUNY Hallways...

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The Egg Has Landed

2010-10-04T09:00:00.002-04:00

As seen in Albany

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Mountaintop anniversary #2 - Catskills, Indian Head Mtn.

2010-10-03T18:57:00.002-04:00

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Dog bed?

2010-10-03T18:54:00.001-04:00

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Super Tango

2010-10-02T16:33:00.001-04:00

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Rally to Restore Sanity/March to Keep Fear Alive - Stewart and Colbert - Oct. 30, 2010

2010-09-18T17:36:00.001-04:00

The Colbert Report

Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

March to Keep Fear Alive

www.colbertnation.com

Colbert Report Full Episodes

2010 Election

Fox News

Kayaking Tivoli Bay

2010-08-22T11:44:00.001-04:00

One week into our New York experience and we have been Kayaking. We like it here!

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Meet Tango....aka TANG

2010-06-06T19:10:00.002-04:00

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Wild Night for the Bachelor

2010-06-06T13:34:00.005-04:00

Just glad we brought him home alive.

Gingerbread 2009

2009-12-14T19:44:00.005-05:00

Every year Cat hosts a gingerbread extravaganza and this year, despite our new locale, was no exception. We did have unexpected problems with the humidity, but gingerbreading did happen regardless! Here are the photos.

Corridor Project Gingerbread.

Ginger Bread House to Scale.

Ginger Crew

Only Don Quixote is missing from this one.

Ginger madness....

Gwen & Cat's Gingerbread House!

Once again, full photo album can be found here: http://picasaweb.google.com/scottieie/Gingerbread2009?authkey=Gv1sRgCJ_fg8O6zcXADA&feat=directlink

The Henderson Preserve in Aiken, SC

2009-11-22T22:41:00.001-05:00

Cat and I briefly went to the Henderson Preserve near Aiken, SC. The site is a beautiful pine forest that wasn't farmed or developed due to rapidly eroding sandy soils. Our trip was brief due to the rain, but I believe we found a beautiful hiking spot that is 10 minutes from the house.

Sour Dough Bread Results

2009-11-20T08:36:00.000-05:00

The results of the bread experiment turned out really well.The loaf is somewhat dense with a nice crumb structure to it. When I baked the bread, I kept a pan of water on the lower shelf of the oven to generate steam, leading to a crispier crust, which we like, but is optional. Ended up with 4 loaves from the doubled recipe, 3 of which went to the freezer.

With Thanksgiving coming up, I will try this recipe again maybe with some rye flour in place of the whole wheat. Also want to make another crispy crust recipe to take to family for the holiday.

Experiments in Bread Baking, Sour Dough Bread

2009-11-18T10:11:00.002-05:00

To establish a baseline for making bread, I have pillaged the web for what looks like a good recipe that is simple and seemingly elegant.

Ingredients for two loaves:
1/4 cup starter *
1 cup Whole wheat flour
5 1/2 cups White bread flour
2 1/2 cups water
2 tsp Salt

Since I like to go for the gusto I am going to double the recipe to maximize my time and efforts.

1/2 cup starter *
2 cups whole wheat flour
11 cups white bread flour
5 cups water
4 tsp salt

The instructions verbatim from here are as follows:

Start by measuring the starter you'll need. Whisk the starter before measuring it, so you'll be measuring starter, not bubbles. Then whisk in the water, the whole wheat flour, and then the salt. Set aside the whisk, and get a wooden spoon. Add the white bread flour a cup at a time, stirring as you go. After a while, the dough will become too stiff to stir. At that point, pour it out onto your kneading surface. Make sure you have floured your work surface before you turn the bread out, and flour your hands before you start kneading. Knead the dough 15 to 20 minutes, or until it is resilient, springy, and passes the windowpane test.
Once the bread is kneaded, let it rest for 30 minutes. Then form the bread into baguettes, boules, or pan loaves. Cover the loaves and let them rise at room temperature until doubled in size, probably about 12 to 15 hours.
Once the loaves have doubled in size, it's time to preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Once the oven is at the right temperature - I use a thermometer to be SURE the oven is at the right temperature - slash the loaves with a razor blade, slide them into the oven, and put some water into a pan at the bottom of the oven. Allow to bake 45 minutes, or until the inside of the bread reaches 190 F. (Note - my kitchen is at 7,703 feet above sea level, which changes how bread bakes. At sea level, you may want to shoot for 205 F or so.)
Remove from oven, and let cool on wire racks before slicing - if your family will let you. I often vary this recipe by letting the bread rise once in a mixing bowl, punching it down, kneading it some more, and then forming loaves. The second rise takes about 1/2 as long as the first rise, and also adds to the flavor.

I am going to follow these instructions to the letter pretty much. I usually just look at recipes and then do whatever I want, but to establish a baseline I am going to follow the directions.

* The starter is a home made starter that I have been cultivating for a month or so now.
It was made by adding 1 tsp. of Yeast, 2 tbsp of sugar, 2 cups H2O, 2 Cups of white bread flour and 1/2 cup of Rye Flour to a jar. It was left out in the kitchen for 1 week, each day stirring in bit of flour and water. I left it covered with a paper towel and a rubber band to hold it on. The idea was that the original yeast would make up part of the culture and native yeast and lactobacteria (which gives that sour flavor) would slowly accumulate in the mix. What I ended up with was a nice slightly funky starter that has been pretty good all in all. Inspiration for the starter comes from this book: The Bread Book: A Baker's Almanac.

Congaree National Park & Columbia, SC

2009-11-16T08:37:00.003-05:00

Cat and I went to the Congaree National Park just southeast of Columbia, SC, today. The Congaree is a river that flows through Columbia and on to the east coast through Charleston.

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After a couple days of heavy rains, we arrived to a flooded flood plain unable to hike many of the miles available in the park.

The park was beautiful with champion trees throughout, due to inaccessibility to loggers. Since it wasn't accessible to us either, we couldn't get to many of the champion trees, but because we were so captivated by the beauty, we will definitely be back during a dryer time. Or we will bring a canoe or kayak.

We also spent the afternoon in Columbia, SC and went to the Art Museum for an Ansel Adams Masterwork Show. The town of Columbia is nice and looks like it is in the midst of a revitalization. I found this old building interesting.

The corner lot was adorned with new landscaping, contrasting against the crumbling brick wall.

Making Kraut

2009-11-14T12:03:00.001-05:00

Canned Kraut ready for the shelf.

Our local farmers market has a great selection of fruits and veggies and one of the veggies they have in great supply and for cheap is cabbage. I decided that since I really liked sauerkraut, I would give it a try. Inspiration came from a couple sources, Slice of Organic Life and from an About dot com article.

Here is what you need for the kraut:

- cabbages (2 per fermentation jar)
- salt 3 tablespoons per fermentation jar
- large pickle jar
- something to cover the cabbage small plate, plastic bag, etc.
- compacting device like a potato masher

Instructions:
- wash cabbage
- peel off outer green leaves & use elsewhere
- slice up finely
- layer cabbage in the jar sprinkling salt on each layer compacting as you go
- compact cabbage with potato masher or other object in jar
- place a saucer with a full glass on the cabbage ensuring the cabbage is below the juice
- add a bit of brine water if necessary
- let sit for about a month, checking every few days

You will notice a characteristic kraut smell. This is a good thing, it should be ready in about a month or so.

To can, bring cabbage to a boil in a kettle or large pot. Boil for a few minutes. Fill jars with cabbage, compacting as you go. Cover with juice. Leave 1/2 inch head space. Boil water bath for 10 min. for pints, 15 mins. for quarts.

It's Alive: Undulating Mass of Flour & Water - Sour Dough Starter

2009-11-10T10:25:00.003-05:00

So I wanted to make sourdough bread, but I didn't have a starter.

Here is what I did:

It was made by adding:

1 tsp. of Yeast
2 tbsp of sugar
2 1/2 cups H2O
2 Cups of white bread flour
1/2 cup of Rye Flour

to a jar. It was left out in the kitchen for 1 week on top of the fridge for warmth, each day stirring in bit of flour and water. I left it covered with a paper towel and a rubber band to hold it on. The idea was that the original yeast would make up part of the culture and native yeast and lactobacteria (which gives the sour flavor) would slowly accumulate in the mix. What I ended up with was a nice slightly funky starter that has been pretty good all in all. Inspiration for the starter comes from this book: The Bread Book: A Baker's Almanac.

Walking Through Hitchcock Woods in Aiken Today - Fall Color

2009-11-09T23:18:00.001-05:00

Went on a walk in Hitchcock Woods today and there were a few hints of fall color in our predominantly evergreen pine forest.

Aiken Bike Routes - Aiken to SRS to New Ellington to Aiken

2009-11-08T15:42:00.001-05:00

Using Gmaps Pedometer, here is another link to a pretty good route. I am pretty sure I won't ever take Whiskey Rd. back to Aiken ever again, but Beryl Rd. is nice and 278 is downright beautiful.

Last Supper in Lawrence - Finally Online

2009-11-08T15:31:00.006-05:00

I have been meaning to get this one online for some time, so here it finally is....the last supper in Lawrence.

Bruce and Callie played the part to a T. I am out the door to Aiken, SC (definitely not heaven). We are starving for some pulled pork! Amen!

Aiken Bike Routes - Aiken to N. Augusta via Dibble Rd. & 421

2009-11-08T15:17:00.003-05:00

Using Gmaps-Pedometer, I have been keeping track of bike routes that I have taken in the area. Here is the link to today's ride.

The ride was beautiful with very little traffic. Total mileage was about 23 miles and very little elevation gain or loss.

Here are a couple random shots from the ride of things I found to be interesting.

Fig Propagation

2009-11-08T10:54:00.004-05:00

I was looking for a way to propagate figs and came across this post from the Heart of Dixie Gardener:

Question: I have a wonderful fig tree in my yard that I want to take with me when I move but it is much too large to move – any suggestions?

Answer: Figs are easy to propagate because they root very easily. There are several ways to propagate them. The most common method is to root cuttings taken in late winter or early spring so now is a great time.

Take cuttings about 6 inches long and pencil to finger thick. If the weather is still unsettled and frost is likely, store the cuttings in a sealed zippered bag in the produce bin in your refrigerator. However, if the weather is warm and likely to stay warm, pot your cuttings. Place a half sheet of newspaper tightly into the bottom of a 4 or 6 inch-deep plastic pot. Put a little sand or a good-quality potting mix in the bottom of the pot, then stand one to four cuttings upright in the pot, and fill the pot the rest of the way with more sand or potting mix.

Water the pot thoroughly, and set it in a very bright but not a direct sun location. It should be warm--at least 70 degrees F. If you cannot keep the air temperature above 70, provide bottom heat to bring the soil temperature up. Cover the pot with an empty 2- or 3-liter soft drink bottle with the lid on and the bottom cut out. Do not water the cuttings again until they are very dry. Lift the pot occasionally to test for dryness. If the pot is very light, set it in a pan of water, and let it soak. When you see vigorous growth, it is time to harden off the new plants. Remove the bottle cap, and see how the plants do. If the plants look to be thriving after a few days, remove the bottle. If the plants begin to wilt, cover them again with the bottle.

After a few days, it will be time to pot up the new plants. Don't do this just because you see leaves growing. Sometimes there will be four or five leaves and few if any roots. Wait until you see vigorous growth. Pot the plants in individual plastic pots (1 gallon size), and apply a light application of liquid fertilizer. In 4 to 6 weeks, depending on the vigor of the variety and the weather, the plants will be ready either for a larger pot or for in-ground planting. When you plant them in the ground keep them well watered until they have rooted in very well. This usually takes one summer of careful attention. A 2 or 3 inch layer of mulch will help the new plants conserve moisture, keep the new roots cooler and provide cold protection in the winter.

Figs are a fun and easy fruit plant to grow in our area. They are cold sensitive to temperatures in the teens or below but will usually come back from the root if well established. They are interesting fruit because they do not require pollination at all to produce their delicious fruit. One plant is likely all you will need unless you want to make a winters supply of fig preserves. Because they produce fruit parthenocarpically (without pollination) they tend to fall off easily under stress. In our area the stress is usually a drought during fruit enlargement. You may want to place a soaker hose around the plant and give it a weekly soaking while the fruit are maturing.

For more information visit the following web sites: www.aces.edu/pubs/docs/A/ANR-1145/ or http://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheets/HGIC1353.htm

Found Here: http://hodgardener.blogspot.com/2008/03/fig-propagation.html

Smaller Yard = Greener Planet

2009-11-02T14:41:00.002-05:00

Somewhat selfishly I have been reducing the size of our yard. Seems as if the front yard is/was massive and the back yard even more so. In Aiken, SC, we have an abundance of pine straw and so every little bit is being used to create a natural forest floor in big chunks of our yard.

Benefits to this:
- Reduced need to water.*
- Reduced need to mow.
- Reduced need to rake straw.
- Reduced need to fertilize.*

The benefits would reduce the drain on city water supplies, reduce CO2 emissions from mowers (we use a reel mower however), reduce the amount of fertilizer needed that ultimate runs off into aforementioned water supplies and reduce the amount of time spent mowing a green postage stamp each day.

I consider this an attempt at using locally available materials (pine straw obtained from neighbors yard waste piles) and creating a xerescaped landscape. Now if Cat and I could just plant some native plants in the areas that are mulched with the straw, it would only look that much better and make some sort of small contribution to preserving the areas biological diversity/ecology.

I think I am going to try and propagate some fig trees this winter (more on that soon) and will plant them in the yard this spring in the mulched areas. They should grow well there and as an added bonus, provide some fruit at some point in the near future.

Pics to come of the yard project, when time permits.

* Not that I did that anyways.

Appalachian Trail Notes: Mice are the Enemy

2009-11-01T22:02:00.000-05:00

You will notice that my food bag is adorned with duct tape everywhere. This is because when I got on the AT I was green. The first 2 nights were all it took for them to eat 100% of my GORP and make a general mess of other things in the bag as well.

Real quick you learn the solution to these little problems. Mine was to take an empty chicken can and turn it up side down, poke a hole in the top and run rope (parachute cord) through it, and tie your food bag to it.

This prevents those pesky mice from invading your grub, crapping in your food and making a mess of everything. Oh, you still have to hang it up to keep the bears out too!

Speaking of Bread - Hilltop Farms Has Bread

2009-10-25T16:52:00.004-04:00

Wow, just worked on the Hilltop Farms Web Page yesterday and set up some images of bread on the site. This is a buttermilk bread and would like to have the recipe. Maybe I will have to ask? Check out the pics. of the bread on the site. Pretty nice!

Crispy No-Knead Bread Recipe

2009-10-25T15:02:00.012-04:00

Every town worth it's salt seems to have a good bakery making crispy crust bread. Lawrence had Wheatfield's Bakery, North Augusta has a great little bakery, Aiken I am sure has a good bakery somewhere, but what all good bakeries share in is that they are freakin' expensive.

A friend of Cat and I's sent us a recipe that ultimately came from the New York Times I believe.

If you like crispy bread that is easy to make, give it a whirl! It is a pretty nice loaf of bread with that crispy crust you get at a good bakery. I can claim none of the credit for the recipe other than passing it on to anyone intersted.

Ingredients:
4 Cups Flour (unbleached*)
2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour (although I am on a Rye flour kick)
1/2 teaspoon yeast (I have been using about 1/2 cup of my sour dough starter)
2-3 teaspoons salt (calls for 3, I like 2-2.5 tsps.)
3 cups warm water (but remove about 1/2 cup due to the sour dough starter)

Instructions:
Dissolve Yeast in Warm H2O. Add flour and salt and stir it up. Cover and let rest for 12-18 hours.

Dough is ready when it is bubbly on top. Flour a surface and place dough on it. Sprinkle with flour and fold it over itself a couple times. Cover and let it rest for 10-15 minutes.

Divide dough in half and shape into 2 balls on the flour surface. Coat a pan with corn meal or flour. Put dough seam side down on the pan and sprinkle the top with corn mean. Cover them up with a towel and let them rise for 2 more hours.

From album Bread.

This is the dough after dividing into two and they are now proofing before baking!

About 1/2 hour before the dough is done, heat the oven to 450 and place 2 dutch ovens or ceramic crocks in the oven to heat. When the dough is ready, flip the dough into the hot crocks, put lids on them and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lids and bake another 15 to 25 minutes.

The bread turns out beautifully!

* Who would bleach flour anyways? I don't get it!

Web Dev. http://www.hilltopfarmskansas.com

2009-10-13T11:35:00.007-04:00

Been working on a project of late for a small sustainable farm in Perry, KS. Jeff and Dena, who I have been friends with for some time are starting a small family farm on 50 acres, wishing to concentrate on chicken, eggs, beef and some bread and produce. I fit into this because I am helping them get their web site up and running, along with their blog.

Here are the links:

Hilltop Farms Kansas Site
Hilltop Farms Kansas Blog

If you live in Lawrence, you can get their meat at HyVee on 6th, find it at great eating establishments such as Local Burger and the Free State Brewery as well as order it directly from them. Check out the web for details!

Hire me as a web developer if you need be work done.

Finally, Appalachian Trail Photos Are Here!

2009-10-11T21:31:00.002-04:00

Took me a while to get these online and I apologize. Here is a link to the full AT Photo Album.

Waylayed in Franklin, NC With the Boil

2009-09-01T22:18:00.003-04:00

While way layed with the boil, met 2 guys from the Mass. Motorcycle Assn. who were on a jeep road tour riding enduro(sp.) bikes across the US. Wow, cool trip they were on.

Back on the Trail Tomorrow

2009-09-01T21:45:00.004-04:00

Tomorrow, heading to Siler Bald or Wayah shelter. First day back since the boil, so I will keep you'll posted.

Mi. 106

Hops along the Franklin Greenway.

Bridge in Franklin, NC.

Boil Blues

2009-09-01T21:38:00.003-04:00

More on the boil. I have bacon fat taped to my lower back, suggested by Ronnie Haven, proprieter of the hotel I am staying at. More on if

Boil Strikes

2009-09-01T21:24:00.002-04:00

Hello everyone. I have been slacking on my blog duties, but things went well the first 11 days or so, until a boil sent me back to Franklin, NC.

From Springer Mountain

2009-08-19T16:08:00.002-04:00

Old School Deforestation

2009-08-18T08:02:00.005-04:00

In order to build the C&S track and heat the homes of the railway workers, local logs were used. After 100 yrs. the effects are still seen in the high country.

Colorado Southern Boxcar

2009-08-18T07:58:00.002-04:00

Cat and I recently went to Colorado for a  family visit. We usually end up in S. Park at her mom's cabin. On a hike in nearby Boreas Pass, Co. sits a boxcar. part of an engineering feat taking a train from Denver to the Como/Jeff. city area south of Summit County.

Beer Powered Lawn Mower!

2009-08-16T23:19:00.005-04:00

They finally invented a beer powered lawn mower! Just add home brew!

From Folks_in_town_09

Terra Preta Again?

2009-08-16T22:59:00.002-04:00

Since the soils are so poor here in Aiken, SC, I keep going back to the idea of turning partially charred wood into a storage vessel for nutrients in our garden. To boot we both wanted an outdoor fireplace to enjoy the 40 degree evenings this winter, if and when it actually dips that low. At any rate, I found this at an estate sale. Now I can make terra preta, Cat and I can be warm on those chilly winter nights and enjoy a fire.

What I intend to do is to still work on a technique of partially burning the wood and metering it and nutrients into the garden. Hope it works!

From Folks_in_town_09

Fig Jam Follow Up

2009-08-04T19:01:00.003-04:00

Just a quick note about fig jam/preserves and some of the things I have learned. When using an apple to provide the pectin, my jam/preserves are not very clear. Quite cloudy actually. When I use Sure Jell, it ends up with a clear liquid surrounding the fruit. I don't know what they put in Sure Jell, but it looks good when you make jam.

Anyone have any idea?

Making Terra Preta

2009-08-04T18:49:00.002-04:00

So my Terra Preta making experience had some high points and some low points. I discovered that using a chimney (like those used to start grills) made the task really easy to do. In an hour I went through a large Rubbermaid tub of pine cones, sticks and yard rubbish, burning it until it was just charred on the outside, but not reduced to a cinder. What I didn't expect was to have yellow hands after doing this from all of the pine tree residue that was smoking away as I was making soil additives. At any rate, I ended up with 3 buckets of charred material and added it to the garden.

Bicycling In Aiken, South Carolina

2009-08-03T19:51:00.004-04:00

Being an avid cyclist, I was a bit worried that I might not find a good venue for bicycling in South Carolina. Well my fears have been allayed and I think this town is ripe for a cycling revolution. With my trusty Surly between my legs (sounds way kinkier than it really is) I pedaled off today to take a trip through Aiken. The motorists seem shocked that someone was riding around on the streets and gave me as much leeway as I could ask for. I found a good route that took me through quiet neighborhoods and through "horse country" here in town.

For those non horse folks they have a bicycle polo bike shop, just to give you an idea of the towns priorities.

At any rate, the town feels relatively bike friendly once you get past a treacherous hill into downtown. It really isn't that bad if you just put your bike into granny gear and go.

Also of note, I stopped by the only real bike shop in Aiken to pick up some spacer rings for Cat's bike and got a couple maps of some bike routes and some info on bicycling in Aiken. I am stoked!

Garden Pics

2009-08-01T19:47:00.003-04:00

As promised, I have pics of the garden.

From Garden Pics

Here are some other pics of the garden thus far:

Garden Pics

Gardening in South Carolina

2009-08-01T14:55:00.002-04:00

Gardening in South Carolina couldn't be that difficult. Aiken has an amazing Farmers Market, so veggies must grow here. When we first arrived in mid May, two days into our journey, I dug a 8x10 garden bed, supplemented it with blood and bone meal and a couple bags of composted manuer, went to the nursery, got some seeds (okra and zucchini), tomato and pepper starts and put them in the ground. Cat took great care of them while I was back in Kansas finishing up things there. Wen I got back, I found huge tomato plants, hot peppers and bug ridden zukes and a spindly okra plant.

The soil (un-soil actually) leaves a lot to be desired. It is primarily composed of sand and pine needles. Many of our neighbors leave their grass clippings out by the road. Strangely, they just leave them in piles by the road for someone to magically whisk away. Not wanting to let organic matter go to waste, I have dutifully collected some of my neighbors grass clippings in an effort to introduce organic matter into the garden.

Realizing that it takes an initial nitrogen supplement to get the compost process going, I am going to introduce the clippings to the new addition to the garden bed along with some blood meal. This should give the micro-biota something to feed on as they begin the process of making compost out of the clippings.

I am also working on getting some Terra Preta introduced to the soil to provide a nutrient sink. Terra Preta is what is known as bio-char and can be described as partially combusted biological material. The combustion is supposed to be partial in that you want to make charcoal, not wanting to burn the material all the way.

Because the soil here is so un-soil, I am giving nutrients a substance or medium to bind with. As it stands now, nutrients (NPK) quickly leach out of the soil and drain into ground water. The carbon in the bio-char quickly joins with nutrients and after it is saturated, it begins to slowly break down releasing the nutrients and makes them available to the plants. All of this is pretty much an experiment, so there is no telling what the turn around time is before the plants see a benefit. Since I am not replicating the experiment with plots that don't have bio-char, we really don't have an experiment at all, just a crazy idea that I am going to do.

At any rate, I hope to plant the second phase of the garden this week. I am going to put in some collard greens, swiss chard, pole beans, yellow squash, beets, lettuce and spinach.

Photos to come soon!