Category: Self reliance

building a bookshelf

how I built a large bookshelf My logcabin has a large basement and I have many books in piles around the living areas - time for a large bookshelf.  The Atlanta house we bought 20 years ago had a built in bookshelf in a couple of rooms (that's what attracted us) and in the attic was surplus wood shelves of varied lengths - 36", 33" and 32". Preparation I cleared a wall and corner in the basement, polyfilled the holes in the sheetrock, painted the wall with the color I will use for the rest Read more [...]

bluetooth & my basic truck

I have a base model Toyota Tacoma 2005 pickup (base means manual shift, windup windows and small but efficient engine) which came with a simple radio and CD player.  The challenge for me has always been playing podcasts (especially during the NPR fundraising season - 4 weeks a year).  I have downloaded my podcasts via my computer to MP3 players and then connected them to a  speaker which I have jammed between my shoulder and ear as I drove along.  Pretty basic, distracting and difficult to adjust Read more [...]

new camera old lens (continued)

In my previous post I mentioned the challenges of crisp focusing, the flatness produced by the flash directly above the camera (it should be to the side), camera shake and the need for a tripod.  I discovered among our possessions an old tripod (a Velbon VE-3, >30 years old) and today I returned to the field.  When using a macro lens the slightest jarring of the body blurs the image.  One answer could be to increase the speed of the shutter.  But then less light reaches the sensor.  So I Read more [...]

new camera and old lens

I have taken photographs since I was a kid.  Initially with a box camera, then my Dad's Zeiss Ikon f2.8 bellows camera, then a single lens reflex and then most recently for this website a Canon PowerShot SD1100.  The PowerShot has been fine but it has limitations for good close up pictures.  I recently found a boxed assortment of Pentax lenses, one of which is an Asahi SMC Macro Takumar f4 100mm, which is about 40 years old.  This lens should be great for close ups I thought, so why not pair Read more [...]

my new hand sickle

The winter rye is tall and surrounds and shades my berry plants. Now it is summer the winter rye is drying out and will soon drop its seed.  I like the wilderness of this luscious growth and see no point in cutting it down, except where it dwarfs my plantings.  It is shallow rooted and after a rain comes easily out of the ground, but that leaves an open spot quickly invaded by weeds and Bermuda grass.  For clearing the rye away from my plantings my large scythe is ill suited since it requires Read more [...]

locating a buried 4″ drainage pipe

About 20 years ago I dug a 100 ft trench for a 4" drain pipe, which led from a concave area of the yard where the rainwater gathered, to a nearby creek.  Over the years I planted many trees and shrubs in this area.  The pipe worked well until the past few months when it completely ceased functioning.  With downpours seemingly more intense than ever, I decided I had to fix the problem. I have a 50 ft plumber's snake and I inserted it in the hole and it moved along easily for 45 ft and then hit Read more [...]

raised beds for growing vegetables

One of my takeaways from the recent GO conference (see two previous posts) is that a raised bed can be constructed from untreated pine and will last a number of years.  I have previously constructed my raised beds from composite decking planks. On the first day of the conference we visited local farms and the small farm I visited was on 2.5 acres of mainly granite and therefore made extensive use of raised beds.  The composite decking planks I used for my raised beds cost $21.97 for 1.25"x6"x12' Read more [...]

a black powder event

Now for something different! The Remington Model 1858 was a 6 shot revolver patented in 1858.  My buddy Mike has an Italian made replica with an 8" barrel in .44 caliber and he, and I, were keen to try it out on my range in the valley of the woods. The firearm is called a revolver because it has a cylinder, which is removable, and contains 6 chambers. The procedure is you fill the 6 chambers with powder from the powder flask.  The flask has a manual valve which you open, place you finger Read more [...]

truck maintenance – changing the spark plugs

I have a  base model, no frills, manual transmission wind up window 2005 Toyota Tacoma pickup purchased new in 2005 for approximately $14k.  It now has 160k miles and, apart from replacing the tires, I have done all the maintenance work.  Which has been minimal - such as oil and filter (I always include a qt of fully synthetic oil), new battery, windshield wipers.  Because the miles are highway miles, the brakes have been rarely tapped and therefore have not required replacement.  And, these Read more [...]

when it rains incessantly – then build a bat house

Rain has been unrelenting in the Atlanta area.  I have captured all I can in my storage tanks and contour ditches and I hope most of the surplus is recharging the underground reservoirs and not running for the Gulf.  So, with little to do outside, I decided to build a bat house. I am increasingly relying on natural predators to combat pests.  Because the weather has been unusually warm, a number of pest families are happily populating themselves on my lettuce in my cold frames.  So I was pleased Read more [...]