- Part 13

the Takeuchi bobcat saga (part 1)

This is a long discourse on engine repair- so if you aren't interested in this subject you should skip or you will find it incredibly boring. It began a few weeks ago. My Takeuchi TL26 track bobcat has always had an iffy battery. Even with a new alternator it often struggled to start the engine and the last few occasions I had to charge it before it would start the engine. I bit the bullet and bought a new tractor size battery from the local Tractor Supply Store. The next couple days were Read more [...]

repair of double electric wall oven

Growing my own food, harvesting rainwater, using a well are part of being self sufficient, and so too is maintaining and repairing the house, automobiles and appliances. So when, a couple weeks ago, the wall oven showed no sign of life, no beeps, no noise, no lights, nada, I began thinking why. And with me about to leave for Australia and the Thanksgiving meal fast approaching, I felt pressured. Usually there are warning signs before a shut down, but not in this case. I checked the Read more [...]

quick visit to Australia

My Mother, two brothers and their families live in Perth, Australia and now my nephews and nieces have reached the marrying age, so trips to attend weddings occur frequently. I was in Perth in January for a wedding and I just returned y'day from attending another delightful wedding. Perth is on the other side of the world from Atlanta and it takes about 34 hours to reach there door to door. There and back takes 68 hours and if you call it 72 hours then it is 3 days travel. I was gone a week Read more [...]

Muscadine grape juice

With my bobcat I excavated a level terrace along the slope of the hill, then I dug a ditch down the middle of it, filled it with logs and ran a single cable about 5 ft high on either side of the ditch. The cables are threaded through posts planted every 35ft for a total length of about 110 ft. Then I relocated my muscadine vines from the vegetable growing area to the terrace where they have thrived. The problem with muscadine vines is their roots can extend up to 50 ft so they were mining Read more [...]

sweet potato, pests, a broody hen

I had my best harvests this year. Everything did well and while the weather, rains and fewer pests all helped, mostly I think is I am getting better at growing. (I mention rains because all my irrigation is with rainwater). Last year, my first with sweet potatoes, I produced finger sized specimens. This year, tho I left it a bit late, they are big. Pest pressure has been minimal which I attribute to increased biodiversity and natural predators etc. tho this week I noticed two instances Read more [...]

the worth of a civilization

I just received the Audubon special issue: "Birds & Climate Change". I was forewarned of its depressing contents by news articles and recent podcasts. Paging through it steered my mind to a discussion last weekend with one of my running buddies. He said it was surprising how long the Sunni-Shiite divide had persisted especially considering the advances and scientific knowledge of the Islamic Golden Age. I replied this brought to mind my history studies of the tribal warfare which Read more [...]

helping a buddy – push mower repair

I have spent time with 3 organic growers in the area and hope to expand my circle when I am able to participate in the local Saturday morning markets. I visit often with one grower who, tho good at growing, is less interested in repairing equipment. His riding mower and his push mower are both out of action. Though I use a scythe in the hilly and restricted areas, I also make frequent use of a riding mower (see my posts on various repairs) so I sympathized with him. I tried starting his push Read more [...]

jujube, 3 Canadian aids, a feral bee colony

With unexpectedly cooler weather here in N Georgia in September, I am spending more time in the vegetable garden and orchards. I had planted jujube saplings a few years ago in the terraced orchard and neither irrigated nor tended them until recently I noticed small round fruit. At the time they were green and tasteless. Now they are brown or red with wrinkled skins and a delicate flavor, a bit like an apple. There are two small jujube trees - the Li Jujube provided just one fruit, the Lang Read more [...]

chaos, determinism and health

I am harvesting carrots, okra, muscadine, carrots, peppers and the occasional non insect damaged kale, collard and chard. I am hoping for a decent crop of sweet potatoes - here is my first unearthed specimen: I am also clearing the beds of tomato plants and weeds and layering on compost, and seeding for fall. Gives me time to mull on past conversations. We just returned from a West coast visit where I met an old acquaintance and we began discussing climate change. He said no one can Read more [...]

a 2nd use for old beer

In the past week I noticed my chard and toscano kale were being ravaged by slugs/snails or caterpillars, and I discovered in a cupboard, packs of beer with a January 2011 expiration date. Adopting the permaculture mantra, the problem is the solution, last evening I buried an old cup at rim level in between the victimized chard and filled it with beer. And this morning I was pleased to find a large slug: I scooped out the slug and small wasp and will visit the site again tomorrow. And Read more [...]