What Did You Do Today?

[PaulN/KS]

The wife canned salsa this weekend and also froze a couple gallons of tomatoes. I'll be sending a baker's dozen in a bag along to share with some folks today and, after picking this morning, we still have a countertop full. 
Glad I only planted six plants...   
Some of the excess goes to the Farmer's market on Saturdays along with any extra peppers as well.

[Eric Krewson]

I knock myself out planting corn and putting newspapers and grass clippings between the rows to keep the weeds down. It is a lot of work for an old guy collecting and spreading a dump truck load of grass clippings.

My girlfriend had bought a lot of produce from the local Amish community yesterday. There were several bags of corn, the cost, $2.50 for a dozen ears, I have grown my last corn crop, their corn looked better than mine. I could put up the same amount of corn as I grew for $25 and not have all the aggravation of planting it.

[PaulN/KS]

I knock myself out planting corn and putting newspapers and grass clippings between the rows to keep the weeds down. It is a lot of work for an old guy collecting and spreading a dump truck load of grass clippings.

My girlfriend had bought a lot of produce from the local Amish community yesterday. There were several bags of corn, the cost, $2.50 for a dozen ears, I have grown my last corn crop, their corn looked better than mine. I could put up the same amount of corn as I grew for $25 and not have all the aggravation of planting it.

I hear ya Eric. Between the coons, weather and general PITA I quit planting corn a couple years ago. Being in Kansas there is no shortage of fresh sweet corn available. Especially this year...   

[Deerhunter21]

So. one of our youth activity leaders found out that i hada bow i made and she called me last night and asked if i would do a short presentation. i feel like the least qualified person to talk about making bows but she had no one else. i said yes and this morning i presented it. i showed them my bow and talked about how i made it. i talked about how i tillered the bow and about my time at the marshalls. It was fun and everyone seemed to like it! i also showed them how arrows need to be spined correctly. anyways i had a great time!

[Eric Krewson]

I used to do the same while teaching hunter safety, I was surprised how few of my students even knew there was traditional archery, all they had ever seen were wheels.

[bjrogg]

That's great Russell. It'll be even more fun when you get a bigger collection of stuff. Of course it'll be more to haul around. You don't have to be a expert though. Usually I keep it fairly simple. Once in awhile though use the old, "If you can't dazzle em with brilliance, baffle em with Bull Sh17" just kidding. It is nice to have a interested crowd.
Bjrogg
My schedule is starting to get a bit busy. I have another presentation tomorrow. Don't mind the presentation, but the packing everything up and unloading it twice everytime gets old.

[PEARL DRUMS]

BJ, that's one of the biggest reasons I left the band. Got tired of unloading and loading a trailer full of equipment. I miss the camaraderie though. Nothing better than friends making music together, its a great feeling when its just right.

[bjrogg]

BJ, that's one of the biggest reasons I left the band. Got tired of unloading and loading a trailer full of equipment. I miss the camaraderie though. Nothing better than friends making music together, its a great feeling when its just right.

I hear you Pearl. I have several cousins that play instruments. They have all been in bands in the past and done the packing and unpacking bit. Now they play together and just have all their stuff set up at my Aunts big shed. It's out in the country without a neighbor closer than a mile. A lot of good times there and now the next generation is going to be even better than this one. They could easily get paying jobs but like you said. They like the playing together and don't feel the hassle is worth it. I guess when you make it big somebody else does all that.
Bjrogg
PS honestly some of my favorite times are with the acoustic guitar and a five gallon bucket for a drum around the campfire.

[Deerhunter21]

BJ, that's one of the biggest reasons I left the band. Got tired of unloading and loading a trailer full of equipment. I miss the camaraderie though. Nothing better than friends making music together, its a great feeling when its just right.

I hear you Pearl. I have several cousins that play instruments. They have all been in bands in the past and done the packing and unpacking bit. Now they play together and just have all their stuff set up at my Aunts big shed. It's out in the country without a neighbor closer than a mile. A lot of good times there and now the next generation is going to be even better than this one. They could easily get paying jobs but like you said. They like the playing together and don't feel the hassle is worth it. I guess when you make it big somebody else does all that.
Bjrogg
PS honestly some of my favorite times are with the acoustic guitar and a five gallon bucket for a drum around the campfire.

im going to try to enjoy having band at school now before it becomes a big hassle   

[Pat B]

Good for you for doing the presentation, Russell and good for your teacher for seeing the value in it and not seeing it as a threat.  Archery used to be part of the daily activities in schools teaching patience, concentration, hand/eye coordination, and respect.

[bjrogg]

I was asked to do a display at the Huron Nature Center yesterday. It was very well attended. They had their three sisters day. I'm not exactly sure what significance of the three sisters was, but this appears to be their big event. I would have liked to get pictures but I was swamped with people of all ages who were very interested in gaining a more hands on understanding of the items  I made and brought there. I've done several presentations before at several different locations and events. I've even done one here previously. I always enjoy doing them. I have to say that this one was my favorite. It was so well attended and everyone there was genuinely interested. They all asked so many good questions. Many had a pretty good basic knowledge. Many had even attempted to knap or make a bow and failed, but from their questions and seeing and holding the real working model understood some of the reasons for their unsuccessful attempts.
   I wish I could have walked around a bit and seen some of the other displays. There was a group of Native Americans who dressed in traditional clothing. I didn't get a chance to meet with them while they were in their dress but close to the end they changed into their street clothes and came over to my display. It was interesting talking with them and they were very interested in the items I brought along. It was nice to be able to help them understand a little bit of the knowledge that they had lost and they truly appreciated the information and knowing that someone was still using this knowledge and hunting with it. It was a long day. I got there at 9:45am. It was close to an hour drive and I had to load everything and set it all up beside. It was supposed to be over at 4:00pm but I still had people swarming around me at 4:45pm. The Nature Center was very grateful for me setting up my display and I'm sure they will ask me to come again. I'm pretty sure I will.
Bjrogg
PS one of the things that everyone really seemed to enjoy was that I had my target there and I would string my bows and shoot them. From their reactions I'm quite sure most had never seen a selfbow shot before and were very surprised at its speed and accuracy.

[EdwardS]

The three sisters are corn, beans and squash.  They are planted together in one hill and they grow very well together.  I forget the reason why (has to do with nitrogen fixing as I remember) but it's pretty easy to find on the net.  Most Eastern Woodlands groups grew food this way, Northern and Southern.

[bjrogg]

Thanks Edward.
Now that you mention it I seem to remember hearing that somewhere before. That makes sense. Beans are a legume and do afix nitrogen. I've also heard many times that people like to plant squash with their corn to keep raccoons from getting it. I totally forgot about this and was thinking to literally. That the three sisters were founders or something. Thanks for sharing that with me. It was bugging me that I didn't know but I didn't take the opportunity to ask.
Bjrogg

[Eric Krewson]

I just hunt around my place now, the management area roads are gated off with deep hollows and tough deer recovery. My latest back fusion ended my deer dragging and hauling, old age is a factor as well.

I decided to sell my Cabela's Mag hauler, I seldom used it and it had been under my deck for years.

They sell new for $145 so I posted it at the giveaway price of $35 on the Facebook Marketplace. Posting of craigslist or Marketplace is an adventure and an insight into just how irresponsible john Q public is.

I had a lot of people contact me, none of the people who said they were coming to get it showed up. One guy looked up my address, dropped by, offered me $30 and left when I declined his offer.

The thing looked a little rough with rusted wheels  when I posted it. Yesterday I wire brushed the rims and repainted them with rustoleum as well as pulling the axle and lubing all the bearings and sleeves. Here is the before and after picture.

[Pat B]

Today I bought a new Husqvarna 17.5 riding mower and spent 2 hours trying it out on our lower area that hasn't been mowed since last summer. I gave it a good test and it passed with flying colors(orange).