Author: Richard

new gable fan for coop – problems and savings

With temperature in north Georgia back in the 80's it was time to summerize the coop.  On the south and west facing sides I atttached the pre-cut tarp pieces from prior years, silver side facing the sun to reflect heat away from the building.  Then I plugged in the cord to the gable fan - and there was no response.  I examined the cord from the power socket to the thermostat and noticed that the white (neutral) line had been chewed by rats (now why didn't they chew on the positive line?).   Read more [...]

spring activity and some lessons learned

The garden is beginning to respond to spring.  Interestingly my diary (postings on this website) indicate activity is about 2 weeks behind where it was in 2012 - see my post on March 26, 2012 where growing was further advanced.  Attributable of course to the unusually cold periods in February and March. Last year I cultivated a strip between my apple trees for corn.  Not very successful but in the fall I seeded with turnip and clover and winter pea and it is thriving now. I am learning Read more [...]

the Takeuchi bobcat saga (part 3)

Caution - this is a long tale and will only be of interest to those who have similarly suffered from malfunctioning engines! In my November 25 post I described how I replaced the starter and that the bobcat started fine but then would not switch off.  Sporadically during the subsequent months I tried diagnosing the problem but it was only with the return of spring and serious bobcat chores awaiting, that I focused on the issue.   The immediate bobcat task was turning and consolidating  my Read more [...]

ferry service and spring seeding

Past week I have operated a ferry service for the ladybugs/ladybirds which hibernate each winter in the northeast bathroom.  Each day about 20 new ones appear and since the windows are screened it is easier for me to collect them in a small glass jar and carry them to the raised beds area where I release them.  It is easiest to catch them when they are on the ceiling - simply hold the jar below them and nudge them with paper and they topple into the jar where they may momentarily play dead before Read more [...]

installation of 2 packages of bees

9am March 8, Sunday, was the big day.  The #2 packages would be available and I had ordered two (cost $78 each).   A package is a small wooden box which contains a lot of bees, a mated queen bee in a small cage, and a tin of sugar syrup. The syrup can has small holes in the removable top through which the contents are delivered to the supping bees. Sunday was a lovely day although 9am new daylight savings time meant an early start to be at the pickup point.  BJ our local professional Read more [...]

cold weather returns

I won't complain about the cold, not when I know what is going down in the north east, I will just comment on conditions and how I am responding.  We had freezing rain 2 days ago and the result was more aggravated where my farm is 50 miles north of Atlanta, than Atlanta itself.  The trees off the highway look normal as you head north on the 515 from Atlanta until you pass Canton and then you notice a silvery, icy sheen on the branches.  Georgia has lots of pine trees and the pine needles are adapt Read more [...]

old house & appliance repairs

Past month I have been fixing electrical things in the Atlanta house which >35 years old.  The garage opener went dead so I replaced the whole caboodle (quaint word lodged in the past) - motor, track, chain plus the new required sensors to prevent the door closing on an infant.  Took a good few hours to figure out the components and how they fitted together and to come to the conclusion that the sensors have to be used and there is no override.  The new opener operates very smoothly and before Read more [...]

mystery of the trees

Last night I attended the premiere of the 1 hour documentary Mystery of the Trees which is about so-called "bent", "thong" or "marker trees" left behind by the Cherokee indians in north Georgia.   Young trees were bent horizontal by thongs before being allowed to resume vertical growth and many examples still abound in the area. I had noticed a horizontal shaped tree in the adjoining woods but assumed it was from natural causes, just like the tulip poplars I have previously posted which also Read more [...]

long hibernation ending

My last post was November 25.  As we moved into winter my growing activities were largely shelved. In November/December I cleared and weeded some beds and planted out, closely spaced, several 100 garlic cloves.  They are all descended from 3 varieties of garlic I purchased from California 4 years ago.  After harvesting last year I strung them together and hung them from joists in the carport.  Fewer rotted compared with previous years where I had stored them in laundry bags hung in the basement.  Read more [...]

the Takeuchi bobcat saga (part 2)

I agreed a $75 fee with the towing company and next day, probably because it was early morning and they were not yet busy (or because bobcats are fun) a big tow truck and a couple guys in a pickup came out. They winched the bobcat onto the back of the truck using ingenious pulleys located at varying places on the bed to bring it in at an angle. Getting it off was more difficult - they raised the bed up and jiggled it and the bobcat slowly slipped down, but slowly is the word. So they hooked Read more [...]