Starting To Look a Lot Like Christmas

Holiday decorations start in October. First it is Halloween, followed by Thanksgiving, followed by Christmas, then the Christmas goes away but the snowmen stay because it is still Winter. Following the snowmen. we have Easter decorations. All of this includes flags for the outside for each holiday. I think it was about 15 minutes after we finished Thanksgiving dinner all the Christmas decorations went up. Before Jeanne, I never even had a Christmas Tree here.

I am surprised my tractor doesn't have a wreath on it.

Thankful For The Kitchen Sink.

Thanksgiving is here again and I do have so much to be Thankful for.

I am Thankful for my friends. I know I am somebody because my friends consider me their friend.

I am Thankful for my family. We all have our own lives, but we all stay close and get together when we can. Ken,Cheri, Peg, Wllie, Dale, Lisa, Tom, Kyle, Justin, Bubbs, Rosie, Em, Mariah, Melissa, Bill. You are a very important part of my life.

I am Thankful for Jeanne, Jordan, and Tommy (The Boy).. The 3 of you changed me and changed my life. I look forward to everyday with the 3 of you. I am very thankful that I can share and enjoy the future achievements of the kids as we watch them grow. And I look forward to growing old with Jeanne. (OK growing older)

I am Thankful for the memories of my Parents. My father taught me in his silent way to make sure you plan and your family is taken care of when your gone. Thanks Pa! I am now worth more dead then alive and I noticed Jeanne made charges to Hitman Inc.

I am Thankful for my eclectic brain. It keeps me entertained..

And I am Thankful for our Kitchen sink. Four Thanksgivings ago, on our first Thanksgiving here we had no Kitchen sink or dishwasher and only some scrap plywood for counters. Jeanne did the dishes in the bathtub.

Happy Thanksgiving To All !!!

Homemade Treats

This may look like some poop in the water, but it is ground up trout. Jordan went fishing with her Uncle Perry and caught some really nice Trout. I took a whole Trout some carrots and other ingredients and dropped it in my blender and made a Trout paste that I froze in a ice cube tray. Now I have little Trout cubes for Simon and he loves them.

Special Note to Self:

"Self if you continue to post items like this, Jeanne will know what you are doing in her kitchen while she is at work"..

Spitting 101

How do you not know how to spit? When the 2 of them brush their teeth together she usually ends up spitting and hitting him. So this morning I told him to go in first and she goes in after he was done. I assume because he was not there to be her target, She ended up spitting and hitting herself. I now have a better understanding how the toothpaste gets all over the walls. This is almost as bad as, sometimes when he pees, he misses the toilet.

I never dreamed that you need to teach them to aim.

The secret of a 5 year old.

I have worked very hard over the past few years teaching Jordan boys have cooties and teaching Tommy that girls have cooties. It did work for awhile, but I was blown out of the water this morning. While I was preparing their breakfast this morning The Boy came to me, and as he stared at the ground he said, " you can't tell anyone" I looked at him thinking he flushed something of his sisters down the toilet and asked whats up? He told me again that I could not tell anyone. He quietly told me what was on his mind. "I really do have a girlfriend".

I gave him a high five and told him girlfriends are a good thing.

Grandma's Cactus

Growing up I always new this as the Christmas Cactus. It is also called,Thanksgiving Cactus, Easter Cactus, and the Holiday Cacti. I think it should also be known as Grandma's Cactus. I remember my Grandmother always had a very large specimen growing in her house, and I would bet many others have that same memory. We have a large specimen here thanks to Pat. Most are in the genus Schlumbergera. ( I wish I could pronounce that.) I can pronounce Zygocatus and that is what I choose to call them. The cool thing is, they are a epiphytes from South America and I have always had a fascination with epiphytes. When I hiked the Cloud Forest of Costa Rica I saw many epiphytes growing in the trees. The orchid is a epiphyte.

From Encyclopedia.com (epiphyte A plant that uses another plant, typically a tree, for its physical support, but which does not drawn nourishment from it. Well-known examples include Platycerium (staghorn fern) and many members of the Bromeliaceae and Orchidaceae. Epiphytes are a conspicuous feature of many kinds of tropical rain forest)

We have 5 different colors, pink, red, salmon, white, and yellow. The one hybrid they have not produced yet is blue. I believe this is one of my favorite house plants. they are extremely easy to propagate, and I have read that they could live 150 years.

The good thing is I don't get in trouble when I bring one home, like I do when I bring other things home.

Gingers Final Resting place

Friday evening we had a belated funeral for Jeanne's beloved Ginger. She died back in 1996 and Jeanne had her cremated. Not wanting to leave her friend of 11 years behind. She held onto the ashes until she knew she was permanently settled. We buried her out next to Jordan's kittens,Charlie and Cracker. And Ears the Rabbit.

Explaining this process to the boy has been interesting to say the least. How do you explain cremation. As far as he was concerned we buried Ginger's leash and collar in a pretty box. He started to ask me questions today while we worked outside. Why did we bury the box with the leash and collar? I tried to explain that sometimes when a dog dies people bury their collars and leashes so they have them in heaven. After I gave that answer I thought, what dog would want a leash and collar in heaven? He then asked if the people from heaven came and got them yet?
Then he asked if I cut down a tree with my chainsaw and it landed on him, would I bury him in the field? This shook me up a bit and I hugged him and assured him that I would never do something like that. He continued on with this type of question and I explained that when we bury something that died, it never comes back. I think this got to him and he asked me not to bury him in the field and I promised him I would not.

I did not dare tell him that Jeanne plans to roll me into the river when I go.

The Twins

A few years ago I named these two old Maples "The Twins". They are across the river and behind them are some very impressive acres of fields and woods that lead to a farm in Coventry. (I know because I spied using Google Earth) The farmer has mowed and baled the hay a couple of times a year in the past. This Fall with the leaves off the trees, we spotted 3 horses enjoying the freedom of this large open space. It is nice to look out the kitchen window and see horses running out in the open. But as sure as Spring will come, the view will be gone when the new leaves fill the branches.

And the Twins.. I hope the river doesn't take them anytime soon.

Jeanne's HERO

Yes I am Jeanne's hero, she told me so. It started last night, or I should say early Sunday morning. Jeanne woke me around 3 am. Zoe had been tracking a mouse all night and had it cornered in Tommy's room. Now this was not just any mouse. This was one of those Super Mice, Sort of the Killer Bee of the mouse world. I would equate it to the rogue Great White shark in Jaws. It had climbed up the curtain and was ready to ponce on the boy. Jeanne feared for his safety so she woke up me to do battle with this beast. Did I say this was a monstrous Mouse with RAZOR sharp teeth, large enough to reach bone if it bit down on you? I believe in some countries entire populations of people have disappeared because of this breed of Mouse. They have been known to kill cattle down in Texas.
Well at 3am my vision is really poor, but I bravely entered the battle zone and with lighting fast speed I grabbed this mouse by the tail as he perched on the curtain rod ready to attack the boy. I then skillfully wrestled him to the door and the family was safe again.

You would think I would have received breakfast in bed after saving the family.

Kopper Pond

When I bought this place back in 2002 I was told about a small pond on the edge of the field. It took about 3 years before I found it.
For the first few years, the thick overgrowth and steep banks kept it well hidden. I knew approximately where it was and I would throw a rock into the brush and wait for a splash. It was Last year, after a lot of work I finally exposed this little gem. I have cleared most of the brush and I continue to dig by hand the high steep banks down to a gentile slope. When Kopper is out in the field he can always be found in his pond. Last Winter the kids had a great time playing on the ice. It does dry up during dry spells but a little bit of rain brings it back to life and 6' deep.

It is one of our little treasures.

If You Gota Go

I am not sure yet, if teaching the boy to pee outside is a good thing. It does save trips back to the house. It is one of the advantages of being a boy. I know one day it will come back to haunt me. I will get a call that he is peeing on the playground and Uncle Steve lets him pee on a tree when he wants to.

Gardeners Black Gold

I was taught many years ago that dirt is what you find under your fingernails, otherwise you call it soil. We finally have a compost bin to produce some rich organic soil for the garden. Thirty five years ago, before compost was a household word, a man named Christy McCormack tried to teach this then 15 year boy the importance of compost. I wished I listened more to my elders.
I have never enjoyed collecting the fallen leaves like I did this year, as I chopped them into little bits, all I could think of is the Black Gold I could produce in my compost bin. This could possibly be the secret ingredient I need to produce that giant pumpkin. Mixing brown leaves and sticks provides the carbon, grass clippings chicken poop,and kitchen scraps for the nitrogen, the proper amount of water and air, the mixture heats up produces bacteria, fungi, and other micro organisms that break it all down and produce the gardeners Black Gold.(Not Texas Tea)
I made the mistake of going to the Cornell University's link they have for compost. They had dozens of equations and pages of scientific information and after attempting to read the equations and information that go into producing compost,






I think I will mix some leaves, grass, and dirt and hope for the best....

My New Temp Job..

OK, this morning thing of getting the kids up and off to school is not that hard. It starts with breakfast in bed followed making or tying pig tails for Jordan. She even told me I am better then Mom when it comes to pig tails. ( sorry honey) I think I am getting darn good at this. Never has the boy left the house without his shoes or coat. The funniest part was when Jeanne asked me to make sure their clothes match. Enough was said when I said, "Did you ever notice how I dress" Jordan and I have done a refresh of her spelling homework in the morning. ( I had to peek at the answers) . I think they brush their teeth but how they get toothpaste on all the walls is anybodies guess. Mom was the one who said they can have candy from their Halloween stash.. They told me so!. They love school so much they do not mind going in early. The Custodian does not seem to mind letting them in when he gets there in the morning. I only wish Jeanne had told me it cost $7 each kid, every day for hot lunch.

After that I come home and rest.

Being Mr Mom is the easiest job I ever had.

My Stihl

I have declared war on the invasive species known as Autumn Olive. This plant was once planted along our highways but is now banned in CT. It is said that, "Autumn Olive has the potential of becoming one of the most troublesome shrubs/ trees in the eastern United States." It is well established here and to make it more difficult it is thickly intertwined with thornbushes that have large, razor sharp thorns, and I swear they reach out and grab you as you pass by. Also thrown into this mix is the invasive Bittersweet vine. The combination of the 3 makes for a impenetrable thick wall.

The best weapon I have at this point is my trustworthy Stihl chainsaw. I wish I could spell the "grunt" that Tim The Tool Man Taylor would utter when he spots a tool he likes because that is how I feel about my Stihl. When I bought this saw I had in mind crawling and cutting my way threw the thick entanglements. In my opinion, "The Stihl is the best saw available."
I have lost a lot of blood during this battle and I am slowly gaining ground, I clear areas inch by inch and if I clear a 10 x 10 area in a day I feel successful. My plan is to plant Grass, Cedars and other Evergreens leading to the little stream that borders the north forty.

The only regret is the thickets do provide good cover for wildlife and it will be a number of years before the Evergreens mature enough to compensate for the loss. My solution is, I have been building a thick hedgerow between the street and field. Most of the brush I cut I add to the hedgerow and it is rapidly engulfed in thorns, poison ivy and other fast growing plants. This hedgerow provides great cover for the wildlife, and provides a natural fence and screen from the road.

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To my Honey Pumpkin Lover...

I wish I had one of those bulldozers...

Christmas is coming!!!!!!!!

Larry The Dragon

This is Larry, The Bearded Dragon. Larry came to us from a teacher down in the Norwich area. Because of some unfortunate new school regulations, teachers could no longer keep animals in the classroom. We do not know how old Larry is, but our understanding is he has been around for a while. He really is friendly and loves his fresh greens and crickets.

The boy can say he has a live Dragon in his bedroom!

Cricket Farming.or.Project# 627

We go threw our fair share of crickets here. We feed them to 9 Geckos, 1 Gecko at school, and Larry the Bearded Dragon that lives in Tommy's room.
The pet stores sell them for anywhere between 5 - 10 cents each. And they don't always have them in stock. The past couple of months I have ordered them online at approximately $10.00 per 1000. But the packaging and shipping tacked on for overnight delivery jacks that up to close to $30.

Because of the quality of the crickets and the prices to buy them locally,we have decided that we will become Cricket Ranchers. ( OK I decided and maybe I will tell Jeanne soon) After everything I have read, I am amazed how easy it is to breed and raise these tasty little morsels with very little start up cost.

Crickets live 2-3 months and each female will lay 50 to 100 eggs. With 10 - 20 females I have 1000 crickets. Now can you for one minute imagine, 1000 crickets laying eggs ? Some cultures consider crickets to be good luck.

All that is needed is a few 18 gal Rubbermaid totes or similar for housing the colony. Food, water, and a heat source. Small 2-3 inch deep Rubbermaid containers (2 for $1. at the Dollar store) Fill with a substrate such as moist peat and place in with the colony of crickets. After a few days the substrate will be packed with tiny little eggs. Incubation is approximately 7-10 days. To achieve more consistent results I am going to use my incubator, but most articles recommend simple solutions like a heat pad or placing the container on a warm appliance such as a VCR or TV for warmth.

I am expecting my first hatch in about 10 days. This is really exciting and I know you are all on the edge of your seats, so I will post my results in about 10 days.

Changes Happen.

Well after more than 6 years in my job, a job that I worked my way up to a District Manager for a company that provided Home Depot with 130,000 hrs per month of Merchandising services in the Northeast. I now like many others find myself unemployed. We lost our contracts, and few hundred people lost their jobs. I think the hardest part is the loss of my team. I was blessed with a great team of people that I worked with and I will miss them alot.. I also lose the daily interaction I had with some fellow DMs who will also be deeply missed. I know you always say we will stay in touch and I hope that with all the social networking on the Internet, we might. I do know I will try..

Maybe every so often a nice bonfire down by the river with these Friends will happen.

So what is in store for me... Chores, Chores and more Chores. I plan on getting so much done around here, I am really quite excited to have the time. I also have the pleasure of waking the kids up in the morning, and they really do not like my imitation of a crowing rooster. I feed them breakfast ( do you believe they don't like Tuna for breakfast? ) I drive them to school and pick them up after school. Then we do more chores until Jeanne gets home. I have plenty of time during the day to work my resume and search for a meaningful job. I really don't want to do it but if I have to, I might become a Chippendale Dancer.

And yes I will find time to fit in a nap.

Building Bridges

We have a gully between the house and the field (north forty), and it fills with water at least a couple times a year, and the trench is deep enough to make passage a pain. In the past we walk on the road to get out to the north forty. We now we have a bridge that will make the journey more convenient. At times this bridge could be completely under water, but we used enough concrete to anchor it down. Here are the hired hands finishing the last couple of blanks.

The price was right for the hired help. A Reese Peanut Butter Cup.