lou'slifelines

James Island SC

2012-01-26T10:18:00.000-08:00

We just returned from James Island SC, where we stayed in the Campground in the RV. Brahm was in Charlotte for some work related training, and he stayed over a couple of days. It is a very nice camping area with a lot of hiking and other activities to enjoy. They have full hookups, and easy access. We took a shuttle into Charleston and spent the day. We have been in Charleston quite a few times, and have never been to Fort Sumter. So that is what we did this time. We left on Monday and stopped off at Drayton Hall. We have been there before, but wanted to take Brahm. Here is a link to their web tour. It was built in 1738 and was never modernized. No indoor electrical or plumbing. I have added som pictures of the campsite, Ft Sumter, Drayton Hall, and Shiloh waiting for us on the dashboard of the RV.

http://www.spinatour.com/draytonhall4/tour.html

100/% Silicone Calking--NOT

2012-01-11T07:04:00.000-08:00

Last weekend we took the motor home out to get it cleaned up for the upcoming weekend at James Island. Brahm is coming for a work related two days, and is going to stay the weekend with us. We booked a couple of nights at an RV park in James Island South Carolina. I thought we should clean it up. The cost of re-winterizing it will be about $20 for 5 gallons of antifreeze. While cleaning the RV, I ran into a big problem with silicone caulking. The previous owner used silicone to seal and patch some areas on the sides and around where the top meets the side. I do not recommend using silicone on the outside of any RV. The problem is that it will mold from the bottom out. Further there are not an easy way to remove it once it has cured. Just as a silicone caulked bath tub or shower will turn black so will the RV seam. Now I will have to start removing it a little at a time, and replacing it with a non silicone caulking. Silicone can not be painted and it is very hard to remove all the residue for an acceptable looking repair. Anyway this repair will not happen quickly. I will work at it a little at a time. Every time I wash it it will be a reminder of the botched job by someone. I also left the plug out of the hot water tank and drove it home and it sucked the mineral deposits out and sprayed the side where I had just cleaned. All is well now, but here are some pics to remember the long warm weekend by. Great weather though. Be Safe everyone.

Driveway Incident

2011-12-30T09:27:00.000-08:00

I recently put my motorhome in my driveway at home. I thought it would be the easiest to just back it up the driveway, and put it on the grass next to the driveway. I was a little concerned that the back end would drag on the concrete, and it did. However; it was just the bottom of the hitch, and it made a little scrape mark on the driveway. So I decided to attach a couple of heavy duty casters to the bottom of the hitch, with the idea of them lifting the back end up just a little on the suspension. The casters were rated at 600lbs each. So last Sunday, I thought I would try it to see if it would work without scraping. It didn't. I pulled down the driveway, and started the turn out the driveway, when Alex motioned me to stop. I got out and the hitch was resting on the concrete. At the bottom of the driveway there were ball barrings everywhere. I looked under at the casters and they were both broken. I got back in and attempted to back up, but the wheels on the right side began spinning. I tried to go forward and they again spun. The front of the motorhome was blocking the entire street, and the neighbors were having to go around the block. Drew, the neighbor across the street came over to lend a hand. We decided to jack up the right side and put a 2x10 under that tire to give it some traction. I used the right rear leveling jack to pick up the wheel. However; the tire on the left side then started spinning. I attempted to used the left leveling jack and when I tried to pick up the left rear wheel, the jack missed the concrete and sunk into the mud on the left side of the driveway. I had already started turning out of the driveway when I stopped. When I went to lift the jack to put a 2x10 under that side, the jack would not retract. It was stuck in the mud under the motorhome. It was time for some shovel work. After we got the jack up and put the 2x10 under it the jack went down and broke the 2x10. Drew volunteered to get a piece of 2x12 white oak, which also broke. After digging the lumber out we stacked several pieces on top of one another and finely was able to get it to pick up the left side. we then put 2x10s under the left side and was able to get the motorhome out of the driveway. All in all there was no damage to the motorhome and no injuries, so all is well that ends well. I owe Drew a piece of oak and maybe a bottle for being a good neighbor. And as I like to say, "If there are no pictures, it didn't happen".

Blue Light Treatment

2011-12-17T09:59:00.000-08:00

I have not posted in a while, so thought I would try to catch up a little. I went in for the second treatment on my skin yesterday, and I still have one more to go. This treatment is to be effective at preventing squamous cell carcinoma that I have been more regularly lately. My Dermatologist said that about 10% of the Actinic Keratosis ( age spots) turn to squamous cell carcinoma in light skinned people like me. As I posted earlier, I have to stay indoors, out of the light, for the first 48 hours. There is another similar treatment called 5 Fluorouracil, or 5 FU. With a name like "5-FU" I didn't think that could be good, but the doctor said that both options were equally effective. This treatment is called ""Photodynamic, therapy for actinic keratosis".
Anyway, in the meantime, we have had several house showings, and one very low bid offer. We don't have $40K to bring to closing, and even if we did, we are not. We have had very good responses form all the showings, so we are keeping our hopes up. We have been looking at the things that we will need to live full-time in the RV, and only have a few things to buy. One thing is a tow hitch and brake buddy to tow our car behind the RV. I would like also to have another slide out tray on the outside in the bay that has the TV and Phone jack, and a 110vac receptacle, to build a stereo and TV into it to view from the outside, under the awning. Well that is all I can think of for now.

So, be safe and enjoy your friends and family.

Devil's Fork State Park

2011-11-28T11:58:00.000-08:00

Devil's Fork with Lake Jocassee in the background

On Friday, November 18, I had the first treatment for my skin cancer. It went very well, and I have another on Dec 16th. Saturday we took the RV to Devil's Fork State Park in South Carolina. It is about 150 miles from our house. We stayed there till Yesterday. I had to stay out of the sun light or keep my head covered for the first 48 hours. Anyway, the RV had no problems, and everything operated great. It has an old antenna on the roof that you crank up. The TV's are analog, and so before we left, I stopped at Best Buy and bought a converter box. The antenna was able to pick up about a dozen more channels than you can watch at once. Some friends from our congregation also came for the weekend and watched the football games on Thursday. In all there were lots of kids and lots of activity all around the campground.

Left to right-Sammie, Lilian, Eric, and Quintan Blando

11/11/11

2011-11-11T09:39:00.000-08:00

Yes, today is 111111. I have not posted in a while. I have not dropped off the edge of the earth, although it seems like I have been around it twice. I've been trying to keep things afloat. I went to Little Rock, AK, for a work project. We were visiting Little Rock because they have a street car line that uses the same Gomaco, reproduction street cars that we have in Charlotte. It is common practice that agencies will share lessons learned with other agencies. In the cooperate world you would never admit mistakes to a competitor, but we are not competitors. Little Rock is a tourist town and their street car has a slightly different purpose than we have in Charlotte. Little Rock street cars set the stage for their historic city tourism. Charlotte will have a dual purpose of tourism and transportation. The future street cars will be modern cars like the Kinkisharyos that I posted in January of this year. Charlotte has 3 replica Gomaco cars that are the same as Little Rock, as you can see from one of the pictures. These will eventually be phased out in favor of new technology. Next week I will need to go to the dermotologist on some more skin issues. I think after that we will take the Bus on a little R&R for a few days before I winterize it. And as you can see parking and overhead powerlines can be an issue.

Break from the brakes.

2011-10-18T05:35:00.000-07:00

Saturday, Alex told me that the brakes on the car were making noise. So I drove the car around and they seemed OK, but were making a little noise in the rear. I jacked it up and put stands under the back and took the wheel off the right side. When I pulled the drum off, pieces of broken springs fell out. The brake adjusting lever was bent and the piece that separates the shoes was also bent. The drum was scratched and shoes were also chewed up. I went to the auto parts store and bought a brake hardware kit and shoes and a new drum. However; the separator piece was a dealer item. So, I went to the GMC dealer across the street and ordered the piece. I won't get it till Tuesday. So, the car is on vacation till then. We finished the day by going to our friend David and Carol's house for a fish fry. Very good time and a welcome break from the brakes.

iSad

2011-10-06T03:54:00.000-07:00

Last night Steve Jobs laid down with his ancestors in death. Death is not natural, because man was created to live. He will stay their till the creator of all things says it is time to bring those sleeping in death back. I like a lot of people, learned of it on my iPhone. He has changed almost everyone’s way of life. Even his competitors try to imitate his vision. He will be missed, till he returns.

This last weekend Alex and I went on our first weekender in the Bus. We went to Myrtle Beach Travel Park, where I stumbled through figuring out all the different systems on the bus. Learning the gas, sewer, fresh water, the inverter and even how to operate the stereo.

Everything seems good, and here are some pictures that we took.

Registration for the Bus

2011-09-30T06:17:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a little stressful for me. To explain, I will start by saying that, like most things, we bring it on ourselves. When we went to financing our bus, we found a very low interest rate. That is the other side of not being able to sell our house. We got the loan in my wife and my name. Then I purchased insurance for it from Nationwide insurance. All was good so far. Then a friend told me about a company in Montana that will set you up with an LLC, and you can register your vehicles to your company, and just drive a company vehicle. The company that sets up your company, will go to the DMV and register all your vehicles and send you the plates. So, I ask, "Why"?

The State of Montana has no state sales tax, and any vehicle over 10 years old will be issued a permanent plate. The cost of this service is about a thousand dollars, and they provide a permanent address for your LLC business. After it is complete you pay a fee of about $150 per year for the permanent company address. You only need to file income tax, on an LLC if you make a profit.

My personal integrity, will not allow me to be dishonest in any way, which includes paying taxes. However; this is legal for those who do the necessary research and follow the law as written. We all know that the intent is to flees as much money from working people as possible. I have no problem with avoiding unnecessary taxes if it is done legally.

This brings me to why I paid North Carolina $1470.00 for the license plates on the bus, yesterday. I learned of the Montana laws after I got financed and purchased insurance in my wife and my name, and this would require us to refinance and buy insurance in Montana under the company name. All said, this is just food for thought, and may help someone else. My plates will expire on 9-30-2012, and will require a safety inspection to renew.

Autumnal Equinox

2011-09-25T19:41:00.000-07:00

The march of the seasons—winter, spring, summer, and fall—stems from the "clearly definable" position of the sun. The solstices are very accurately measured as the northernmost point that the sun rises along the horizon in June and the southernmost point along the horizon in December. However, the autumnal equinox and vernal—or spring—equinox aren't exactly midway between the solstices "because the Earth's orbit is not a true circle, but close.

Anyway, Friday was the Autumnal Equinox, and I use these times of the year to reflect on the past season and to do a couple of chores, like changing oil in the vehicles. This summer went very well for Alex and me. We did not have any tragedies or other problems in our immediate families. We enjoyed good health and a little time off. We got to spend time with our children and grandchildren. I witnessed my youngest daughter dedicate her life to Jehovah God by getting baptised, which is very heart warming to me. We put our house on the market, although it has not sold yet. We also purchased our motor home in preparation for retirement. In all, we have much to be thankful for and nothing to regret. I hope that the summer was as good for all of you who are reading this short blog today.
In the coming season we all need to slow down and reflect the important things. Work and play safely, and offer a helping hand when we can. And remember to treat our loved ones like they are loved ones.

9-11-2011

2011-09-13T07:46:00.000-07:00

This is just a quick update on the last couple of weeks. The purchase of the Bus, came quickly and as with everything poor timing. I have been looking for a good deal on a Class A motor home, for the last year or so. I found this great deal on a bank repo, and just couldn't let it pass. But, the timing was not great, as Brahm and Dagmar, has asked us to go to Puerto Vallarta, for a week with them to spend time on the beach. As you can imagine, with me being in rail-transit safety and security, we did a lot of security preparation for the prevention of a repeat attack of the 2001 attack. We flew home on Saturday, and I was at work on Sunday. We can be thankful that all was quiet around the country.

My daughter Tammy, Mont, and Malana, are coming to visit this weekend and part of next week, and we will be going to the beach again. I think we will go to Folly Beach in SC, just south of Charleston. I do not like Myrtle Beach, and it is only 40 or so miles closer. So for me, Charleston has great restaurants and the beaches are close, that’s my choice.

Sunday evening Forest and Erica came by and we went to dinner in their 64 GTO. -Perfect end to the weekend-

Backyard Camping in the Bus

2011-08-29T07:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we went to Patrick's house, where he so graciously lets us keep our Bus (Motor Home), and grilled some lunch, drank a couple of beers and tried to get more acquainted with my Bus. Richard and wife Dawn, live next door and are great friends, that let us plug to his 30 amp receptacle. We also need to stock his cooler back up.

2001 Holiday Rambler Endeavor

2011-08-23T12:22:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, Alex and I purchased a used motor home. I think that we got a good deal on it. I have been looking for the past 6 months or so. I don't know if we will sell our house or not. If it doesn't sell by the end of the contract with the realtor, we will just try to rent it out. The way the banking has went the last 3 or 4 years, the banks have no problem throwing families out of a $100K home, and turning around and selling it for $50K to someone else. But to the family that were thrown out, they wouldn't even talk about so much as lowering the interest rate or reducing the debt for them. Families have had to have 2 incomes to afford a home. If one were to loose their job, it's out the door they go. That family now can't get a loan without perfect credit, and 20% down. That is why renting is now at an all time high, and home sales are low, except foreclosures . After witnessing this, I don't think I would want to finance a home from a bank again. We hope to build as we go and live in the motor home. Any way maybe we can find some one in need that will live there paying rent forever. I will also attach a couple of pictures of the bus.

Living in a Realestate House

2011-08-12T06:28:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted in a while, due to the fact that I have not done anything worth printing. It is difficult to live in a house that is on the market. You must have it look like no one lives there. You must leave at an hour’s notice. I wipe the sink each time I turn on the water, and so forth. I hope this doesn’t last long. I think that if it doesn’t sell by the time the realtor commitment expires, we will try to rent it out. Although I don’t like the idea, it might be the only alternative. We did go to Isle of Palms and Charleston this last weekend, and looked for a place to stay when Tammy comes to visit, next month. We love the old south feel in Charleston, and Isle of Palms has some beautiful beaches. It is about 15 minutes from Charleston, so you can have both. David, my youngest son called last night and we visited for about an hour. David likes old cars and is trying to resurrect a 1950 Chevrolet. It is a very cool car. It’s a 2 door fastback. He said that he is in the process of prepping it for paint. We will see how that goes. Those cars use to be $100 dollar cars, but, I guess I’m telling my age. My first car was a 1953 Chevy Bellaire, that I paid a whapping $160.00 for in 1966. Two years later I was into muscle cars, and now I would prefer the “Stove Bolt’’ Chevy. They are comfortable, economical, and easy to work on and very reliable. I better stop. If I type 2 more lines, I will be looking for one myself. Thanks for dropping by, and take extra time today to work or play safely.

Tomato Worms

2011-07-30T04:58:00.000-07:00

Friday morning I went out to the back patio and I noticed that the tomato vine looked skimpy. It was still dark, but I went and investigated. I pulled off a 3" long tomato worm. I put him on the patio brick and took his picture, and ended his career. Then I left for work. When I got home the rest of the tomato vine was almost completely stripped. I found 2 more. I wonder if they taste like tomatoes. That is all they could be made of. Anyway I feel violated :-).

Tammy's Comming to Charlotte

2011-07-20T10:14:00.000-07:00

My oldest daughter Tammy called on Monday evening. She, Milana, and her husband Mont is going to come and visit for a few days on September 15th, or 16th. After my last blog post, that could prove to be interesting. We will rent a place on the beach and go to the coast. Milana has never been to the beach or coast. That will be the weekend after we return from Mexico. We have a week booked in Puerto Vallarta with Brahm and Dagmar for Sept 3 to the 10th. Tammy is a Physician's Assistant (PA) and has a limited window that she can get away from her office. She wants the weather to be warm so they can get some beach time.

Yesterday afternoon Alex called me to ask if we had an additional cartridge for our carbonator. We like to drink seltzer water and have a carbonatorto do our own. However; the cartridge costs $30 plus shipping to refill, so I bought a 20lb bottle of CO2 to do it myself. I also had to purchase an adaptor to connect the 2. So, when I got home I refilled the cartridge for the first time. The 20lb tank cost $17.50 to refill and should be able to refill it over 22 times. The cartridge is 14.5 oz. With a little spillage, I should get maybe 20 refills. The refill went very well last night, but I didn't have batteries for my scale, so I don't know how much CO2 transferred. But for $0.87 per refill it won't take long to pay for the adaptor and CO2 bottle.

House on Hackamore Dr

2011-07-17T04:06:00.000-07:00

We have been busy working on getting the house on the market. I hope that we can get an offer soon. It is very hard on Alex to have to prepare for a showing and get Shiloh and leave in one hour. That is how much notice the realitors give when there is a showing. We will see.

http://www.northandsouthcarolinahomes.com/Listing/VirtualTour.ashx?listingid=41413721
http://www.northandsouthcarolinahomes.com/Matthews/North_Carolina/Homes/35/Windrow_II/Agent/Listing_41413721.html
RES - One Page Cust Full

Denny's Recovering From Dog Bite

2011-07-05T07:01:00.000-07:00

My grandson Denny is recovering from a dog bite. This is the second time that he has been bitten by that dog. He may have been agitating the dog, but the dog is pretty aggressive anyway. Becky took him to the ER and he has 4 stitches. The dog now has to be euthanized (Colorado state law). I was pretty upset when Becky called and told me about it. Then she Text me a picture, and that made me feel better, because she told me that it was close to his eye. The dog belongs to Denny’s grandmother (my ex). I’m sorry that this has happened, but I also feel that, like people, if they are a threat to the safety and security of others, something must be done. If you cannot train them to conform, then there is no choice.

Becky's Baptism

2011-06-22T06:42:00.000-07:00

Becky is 4th row with a braid and black dress

My youngest daughter got baptised on June 11, 2011, in Loveland Colorado. I flew to Colorado for that event in Alex stayed home. Becky lives with my ex, and I stayed with my oldest son Louis Jr. Louis and I went to my property in Southern Colorado on Friday and when I opened the door, there was a rattlesnake guarding the door. The fact that we wanted to get past without any issues, was to his demise. The picture is just after we removed his head with a .22. I found that the outside hydrant was not working and that the water came through an overflow. I will have to repair or replace it the next time I go. On the road leaving I took a picture of a few Pronghorn that were grazing what was available. It has been very dry in the southern part of the state. Part of the southwestern drought I guess. In Loveland, about 200 miles north it was very green. Brahm and Daggs took me to a special event that was at Centennial Airport, where they were displaying a B-17 bomber. They had a dance, served spam sandwiches, wine and beer. People were dressed in 40's attire, and it was great fun.

Charleston

2011-06-03T06:10:00.000-07:00

Firefly Sweet Tea

Alex and Shiloh in the courtyard of the Indigo

Me taking a picture of Brahm taking a picture of me.

Charleston buggy tour

Tea Garden tour

Cutting tea

Original Growth Live Oak

Alex and her oldest son, Brahm

Differant old mature Live Oak

We also spent a couple of days in Charleston, SC. We stayed at the Indigo Inn. They allow dogs. Great court yard with wine and cheese from 5-6:30pm every day. We definitely took advantage of that. We went to The Charleston Tea Garden and then to the Firefly distillery. They buy tea from the Tea Garden and make great Ice Tea Vodkas. We ended up bringing back 8 bottles.

Coca-Cola 600 Pictures

2011-06-03T05:28:00.000-07:00

Great Seats

B-1 Fly By

Brahm

Dagmar

I don't know why it doubled the scenes on the last post, but here is some more still pictures. B-1, Brahm and Dagmar.

2011 Coca Cola 600

2011-06-03T05:22:00.000-07:00

The kids flew in for the weekend with tickets to the Coca Cola 600. We tailgated and had a great time. Thanks Brahm and Dagmar! At the beginning there was a Fly By of a B-1 bomber. The first one that I have actually seen. I have no favorite driver, but the fans clearly favored Earnhardt Jr. He was in the lead the last 10 or so laps, and on turn 4 of the last lap, with a 5 car lead, he ran out of fuel. Made for a great finish. He finished about 8th. I guess I was secretly hopping for Kyle Bush. He got a speeding ticket a week or so ago in the Charlotte area for 128mph in a 45. It would have helped with his fine.

No Problems With Barrelponics

2011-06-03T04:26:00.000-07:00

My barrelponics have been running trouble free for several weeks now. I have added a couple of gallons of water to it, and I feed the fish every day (except for a couple of days we were in Charleston, SC). So I think that it proves to be the most effective and waterwise way to grow veggies. I also think that you could make manure tea with cow, horse or other animal waste. This tea could be soaked in water and the water pumped directly into a grow bed the same way. This may not be as water wise as the fish. Perhaps that when the tea was diluted to a point that the it needed to be replaced, it would go to the landscape or regular garden as a soil builder. Anyway it is something to think about. I use these large tweesers to pick bugs off the plants. They are fish food suppliments.

Is the West--Best

2011-05-19T07:10:00.000-07:00

I grew up in the west, as in Colorado. All my life I felt like it would be wonderful to live where it is green all the time. Someplace that got a lot of rain. Then the opportunity came to move to North Carolina, so we moved . We found this great home on a little more that an acre of land. We bought it and moved in on December 15, 2005. The first year we lived in the house, I saw more rain than I had seen in the past decade. Alex mows the lawn twice a week, except in the winter. Winter is December and January. Then, in August of 2008 we went back to Colorado to visit the kids and grand kids, and realized how much we miss the west. Alex always feels closed in and claustrophobic with all the trees. Now we want to sell and move west. We have our property in Southern Colorado, and a little piece in Terlingua, Tx. Winters can be harsh in Colorado, so we thought we could spend the cold months in the desert of west Texas. We have a old Airstream trailer, and have considered buying a motor home. With diesel fuel at over $4 a gallon, there are some good deals on motor homes. Anyway, selling the house is next on the list. That might be a problem, but we will see!

Friends on Sunday

2011-05-17T18:19:00.000-07:00

Our friends Forest and Erica came by on Sunday and we worked on a project making a frame to support the barrelponic plants. We cut and painted some 1" PVC to go over the barrel. I will suspend parachute line from the top, for the tomato vine support. We enjoyed a couple shots of Lunazul Tequila. Erica brought us a set of Tequila glasses and we had a great time with our best friends. Forest painted the support frame, and I supervised. My tomatoes and eggplant are in bloom. I will assist with the pollination, to help assure fruit. Alex was cleaning up some weeds around the yard and started breaking out. I went out and looked at where she was working and sure enough-Poison Ivy. I hope she doesn't get it too bad. She is very sensitive to poison ivy. It has not bothered me at all, yet, so I will finish what she started tomorrow when I get home. I took a picture of it. I am also posting a picture of one of the talopia being a pig.

Signs of growth

2011-05-04T03:58:00.000-07:00

Just a quick update on Barrelponics. The plants are starting to grow more rapidly, and the goldfish are doing well. I have added more plants, and they took right off. I think that this is a sign that the bacteria in the grow bed is changing the ammonia in the fish waste into nitrates that the plants can use. Now we will see if the goldfish do as well as the plants seem to be doing. I added some yellow squash, a couple of eggplants, and several sweet basil plants.

2011-04-29T09:03:00.000-07:00

I am confident that I am on the right track to solving the issues with the barrelponics. The tomato leaves have responded every well to the addition of iron. Also; with the subtraction of the tilapia and a little time, the plants have began to grow more rapidly. I think that I can add a few small fish to the tank and work on the balance of fish to plants. Attached are pictures of the same tomato leaves that were posted on the last post...

More trouble with barrelponics

2011-04-27T08:20:00.000-07:00

I lost a couple of tilopia the other day. and no, they didn't escape from the barrel. I threw the other 2 in the other pond. I will have to ask my good friend Sam at Queen City Hydroponics for any suggestions. The plants may not have large enough roots to clean the ammonia out of the water. The bacteria in the system may not have had time to develop into nitrates for the plants. The leaves on the tomato plant are not doing well. I will take these pictures to Sam and see if he can tell me. Right now there are no fish in the system, however; the siphon is working great. That is good news, because all I have to do now is get the fish to plant balance right. Sam gave me some iron cloride to put in the water, because the plants need iron and the fish and plastic barrel do not provide any.

Back in Operation

2011-04-25T10:11:00.000-07:00

I ended up using a piece of cardboard with a piece of sheet metal taped to it to shove into the clay balls for the gluing of the outer sleeve of the bell siphon. I just unplugged the pump and drained the water, shoved the cardboard, with sheet metal taped to it for strength, down into the clay balls and dug the balls out. I then dried the bottom of the bed and used silicone to glue the sleeve down. I let it dry for a few hours and poured the clay balls back in and removed the cardboard.

Problem with Barrelponics

2011-04-21T07:39:00.000-07:00

I have been having a small problem with the bell syphon. The outside sleeve 3"PVC pipe that separates the bell from the grow medium (clay balls), should have been glued to the bottom. The clay balls that range in size from pea size to 3/4" seem to work their way under the sleeve, and clog the drain pipe. The smaller ones flow down to the fish tank and block the water intake of the pump. I have been dinking with it, trying to solve this problem without drastic measures. The drastic measure is to take out the plants, shut off the pump, scoop out the clay balls, and glue the sleeve down. I'll do that tomorrow, because I do not have to work. The water in the fish tank is now very clean, and the fish are smiling. I'll fix them.

Surgery Again

2011-04-18T11:09:00.000-07:00

I went to the dermatologist on Thursday, thinking it would be a small deal. Wrong! After about 4 hours and 30+ stitches I went home. Two, not so small, spots removed on my head and left ear. I guess that 30 or so years driving will take its toll on the left side of your (my) skin. I always try to ware a hat, but that is kind of like closing the gate after the cows are gone. The poperotzy, (paparazzi),(wife) was there and took pictures, but I will spare the readers. I attended the memorial of Christs Death last evening and didn't scare anyone away. We had in attendance about 250. Our usual attendance is about 110. Nice to see so many visitors. I will attach pictures of the fish in the barrelponics experiment. The water is clearing a little more each day, and the plants are still growing.

More pictures Barrelponics

2011-04-12T17:51:00.000-07:00

I moved the barrelponics from against the house to the edge of the patio by the exterior electrical outlet.

This is where it will stay for a while.

I put some vegetables in to start the cycle. I planted a lot of different seeds with the thought that the ones I stuck in would work on the water till the new ones started.

This is a picture of the drain pipe draining the water in the drain cycle. I pumped the water from the fish pond on the patio, because the goldfish were doing fine in it. It has a lot of algae growing in it, so I will see if the roots will clean the water.

This is a picture of the bell siphon with the bell part removed. you can see the water level at the bottom of the grow bed. In the top right you can see the water being pumped into the bed.

This shows the water flowing over the top of the drain pipe and the bell lying on the edge. You can see a notch cut in the bottom end of the bell to allow the water to flow into the bell and up the pipe and into the drain. This flushing action starts as soon as I place the bell over the drain pipe. The small 1" piece of 1/2" pipe glued to the top of the bell is just so I can get hold of it when it is in the sleeve. The sleeve is 3" PVC with holes in the side of it for the water to flow through without the clay balls getting in and clogging the bell siphon. I will be interested in seeing how reliable it is.

This blurry picture is of the drain pipe after the flush. You hear it burp when it sucks air back up to the bell and brakes the flow.

The last picture is the water at the top and overflowing into the drain. It shows that at the full level the water is almost to the top of the grow bed. When it flushes, it draws oxygen into the grow bed as the water is siphoned off. This prevents the plants form developing any rot. It takes about 4 minutes for a complete cycle.

Barrel Aquaponics Pictures

2011-04-11T20:00:00.000-07:00

I cut out the shapes before I cut the top part of the barrel to maintain frigidity. I decided not to cut out the X's because I was concerned about the weight of the grow medium, collapsing the barrel.

After setting the top upside down on the bottom, I cut holes in the flange of the top and the edge of the bottom and tied them together in about four spots.

Tieing them together with lawn trimmer string just wasn't going to work.

So I fastened them together with zip ties. This worked great! But I think that the whole thing needs to match our other patio furnature, so green it is.

At least on the outside. I thought that the zip ties would not hold up to the UV from the sun, and the paint should also protect them. The white part is the bell syphen that drains the water back down, each time it gets full. The water is pumped up to about a 1/2 inch from the top of the grow medium and then the syphen drains it drawing oxygen to the roots of the plants keeping them from rotting.

Then the cycle starts over and the water is pumped back up. The pump is a 20 watt aquarium pump. This could be designed so that one pump could do several large tanks. and it could run on a solar panel.

I forgot to take pictures after I put my tomato plant and onions and garlic in. I did that on Sunday, and they were just fine today. No dead talopia either.

Barrel Aquaponics complete

2011-04-11T06:49:00.000-07:00

I have been working, inviting people to the memorial on April 17th. This has been very enjoyable work, and a privilege to share in it. I hope a few come to it. It has been warm here and the pollen has been high, causing me a little sinus issues. I have completed the barrel project on aquaponics. I even bought a few talapia to put in it. I planted a few vegetables and transplanted a few from what I have in the yard and a tomato plant that I bought. It seems a little strange to wash off all the potting soil from the roots of the plants and stick the bare roots into these round clay balls that are about a 1/2" in size. I'll post some pictures when I get home.

Campaign Kick Off

2011-04-02T05:49:00.000-07:00

We, Jehovah's Witnesses are starting a campaign to invite everyone to the memorial of Christ’s death, held at the Kingdom Halls around the world. It is for April 17, and is held after sundown on the first full moon after the spring equinox. This corresponds to the Jewish Passover of Nissan 15^th. I hope you get yours! There is never a charge or collection taken.

Rainy Day Sundays Always Get a Project

2011-03-28T06:18:00.000-07:00

These pictures are from yesterdays 'No Picture Post'

Circle of Life

2011-03-27T11:53:00.000-07:00

I thought that I would try an experiment with aquaponics. It is the most efficient use of water to grow food. If you use organic fish food, i.e., bugs, worms and duckweed and others, it is a completely organic process. You get fresh fish, like tilapia, and fresh vegetables, like lettuce, beans, tomatoes, peppers, and anything else that you like to grow in your conventional garden. I got on craigslist and bought a blue plastic barrel. The blue ones are used for non poison materials. Stay away from the black onesL. I started by cutting out some paper stencils to use for holes in the side. Then I transferred them to the side of the barrel. I marked line where I will cut the top off of it. I will then cut the stencil pictures out. The pictures are suppose to read “WATER + FISH + PLANTS” When you add this up it should equal balance. This should work. The fish eat and create waste. The water becomes high in ammonia, which will eventually pollute the water and kill the fish. If you pump the water into a grow bed of approximately the same volume, bacteria will convert the ammonia to nitrites, and in turn, different bacteria will convert the nitrites to nitrates which the plants love. This efficiently cleans the water and it can be returned to the fish tank. This is a complete cycle and the only water consumed is from evaporation or that stays in the plants such as tomatoes. Here is some pictures that I took of what I did on this rainy Sunday afternoon.

Wisteria in Bloom

2011-03-23T19:52:00.000-07:00

Spring is near

2011-03-08T20:08:00.000-08:00

This last Sunday it rained most of the day, and I thought I would take some pictures. These are of the front of the house, with the plumb tree in full bloom. I think that the lawn is going to green up just fine. I am planning to try to sell our home soon. We have lived here since November 2005. It would have been nice if we could have raised our children in this home, because it is the perfect family home. It is large enough inside and plenty of room outside in the yard. It is even zoned and large enough for horses. There are several horses in the neighborhood. The neighbors are great with a mix of young families and older ones too. The traffic is light and it is convenient to get anywhere. It is about 18 to 20 minutes to uptown Charlotte from here. There are both elementary and secondary schools very close. It is only 3 or 4 minutes to the grocery store, and 6 or 7 minutes to Costco, Lowe's or Home Depot. There is Target, Sam's, Pet Smart, Movie Theater, Wal Mart, Auto Zone, and Pep Boy's . Texas Roadhouse, and Starbucks, you get the idea, are all within that shopping area. It is close enough to get to fast, and far enough to not give us any of the traffic. The Hospital and Doctor offices about 10 minutes from here. The only thing that is a long way from here is our children and grand children. They are about 1800 miles and about a 27 hours drive. All said, it is time for us to think about a new adventure. Alex and I will miss our new friends, and that will be difficult. Old ones and new ones are ahead of us though.

Water Management and trees

2011-03-03T06:44:00.000-08:00

I few years ago, before we moved to North Carolina, Alex and Stephanie worked to plant about 25 trees on our land in Colorado. We tried to water them and help get them started. We failed, they all died. The idea was to get trees started before we had to leave for NC, so that they would be well established. The other day I came across this article on a design for catching condensation from the air to assist in providing for newly planted grapes in Northern California. Each day the dew would form on the lid of the container and drain into the reservoir. The reservoir has a wick on the bottom that would supply the newly planted grape vine with the necessary moisture. I will try to design something that uses a tote box from Wal-Mart, and use the wicking idea. I remember my grandfather would always plant a tree, and put a bale of hay on the south side of it. He would pour water on the bale of hay, and it would keep the ground wet for a week or so. That presents a problem when the cattle in the area eat the hay. To be successful with trees in climates with little rainfall, I have learned from the friends in the desert, it's all about water management.

Finished both doors

2011-02-13T18:04:00.000-08:00

I finished the side and the back door today. Thresholds and weather stripping. Even a little paint!

Threshold

2011-02-11T12:03:00.000-08:00

The weather is finally warming up. It is 49 F. now and suppose to reach 60 by Sunday. I was able to start working on the thresholds on the doors. The new floor is about 1/2" higher than the old tile. This will require a little work to make it look right, and keep out the cold. I hope to get them finished this weekend. Here are some pictures of the snow we had a week or so ago, and the threshold going out the side door. There is another couple of the threshold.

Kinkishayo has left

2011-01-25T16:34:00.000-08:00

Elvis has left the building. The train has left. It has left for Washington DC. It will be featured there for Jim Dougherty. He is the General Manager of Safety and Security in DC. Then it will go to other cities. Charlotte, NC was the Show Case City, now on to others.

Kinkisharyo

2011-01-19T07:47:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted in a while, due to work, snow, ice, sleep, and you can imagine what else. Kinkisharyo is a Japanese company that builds trains. They have a prototype electric Streetcar that they will unveil here in Charlotte at the end of this week. So I thought I would post some pictures of it in advance (kind of a no no). It can charge under overhead power lines, for a mile or so, then operate without overhead lines on battery power for 4-5 miles. This will allow it to travel through the business part of a city without the unsightly overhead lines, then charge in the outer terminal ends.

Start Another Year

2011-01-03T15:43:00.000-08:00

Another year starts. Hopefully, this one will see me leave NC and start a new adventure. I haven't posted in a while only due to nothing going on. When I went into my office this morning, my Geranium was in bloom, so I took a picture. You can see better pictures in a book, but it surprised me. You had to have been there:) I also took a picture of Shiloh on the counter, and posted the one taken in August.

Daytona Beach FL

2010-12-21T13:25:00.000-08:00

Our 19th wedding anniversary was the 6th of December, and we decided to book a few days in Daytona Beach FL. I wasn't able to get away from work until the Wednesday the 15th. We drove to the beach and it had been very cold anyway. On the 16th it started to warm up, and we got some time on the beach. On the 17th, we went to the lighthouse at Ponce Inlet. Then we spent the rest of the day at the beach reading books and maybe a little RUM. I love the fact that you can drive right on the beach. Tailgating at the beach is great! The weather called for rain on Saturday, so we decided to go to Orlando to the Epcot center. Neither of us had ever been there. The best part for me was the hydroponic greenhouse. They farm beneficial insects to use in the greenhouse.There was 150lb pumpkins, and a tomato plant that gave over a 1000 lbs of tomatoes. That is from one plant. I have attached a few pictures.

Flooring

2010-11-29T06:08:00.000-08:00

We started Thursday off putting down the Hardy-Board underlayment. I just glued it down with thin set, right over the old tile. I ended up 2 pieces short, with nothing open on the Holiday. I finished up with the underlayment on Friday and started laying tile. We got the dinning area laid by Friday evening. Saturday we went to the Kingdom Hall in the morning, and continued with laying tile Saturday afternoon. We got the kitchen area and pantry, with the exception of the area under the refrigerator, laid. Sunday we completed the tile and most of the grouting done. We had the refrigerator pulled out and grouted behind it. We now only have the area in the kitchen by the sink and stove left to grout . I will have to get new thresholds, and shoe board and we will be finished. On Saturday evening, Jerry Bragg passed away peacefully at his home with his family by his side.

Floor Tile

2010-11-24T06:47:00.001-08:00

I bought the tile for the kitchen and breakfast nook after work. It is still in the back of my PU. I will try to get as much done as possible over the 4 day weekend. We will see!!

Steve's Remady

2010-11-13T11:33:00.000-08:00

I talked to my brother on the phone a little while ago. I guess he will get to retire before me. Darn! He thinks it will be in June. I will probably go till July. See my July 7th post. This post is of Steve when we were in Colorado in July.

Old Chain Saw Sold

2010-11-10T18:33:00.000-08:00

I put my old Chain Saw on Craig's list, a couple of weeks ago. I didn't get any calls for over 2 weeks. Then on Tuesday, on my way home I got a call from a guy that lives in Mount Pleasant. He asked if I still had it. I said yes and he asked if it ran, and it does. He said he wanted to come and get it, and he did. DONE!

Expired Plates

2010-11-08T06:32:00.000-08:00

Last week I got a call from Alex. She was in the car with some friends when a policeman pulled her over. He told her that the registration on the car was expired. He took her license and went back to his car. That is when she called me. I had recently got an inspection on my truck and put on a new sticker. My truck expired in September. I didn't think to look at her car, or maybe she wasn't there when the thought passed by. Anyway the pictures tell the rest of the story. She asked me to go to court with her on December 10, 2010. Since it was my responsibility, I will. It cost $25 for the inspection and $28 for the registration, we will see what local financial support I will be making. When I got home I asked Shiloh if she had been told that she was a criminal. I got no laughs from my girls.

2010-11-02T09:26:00.000-07:00

Worked on the yard this last weekend. I wanted to start on the floor, but Alex thought we should over seed and fertilize before the weather got cold. She is right, so that is what we did. 10 bags of lime, 10 bags of 10-10-10 and 75 lbs of grass seed. I was a little stiff on Monday. Hope we get some rain now.

Floor damage

2010-10-27T09:26:00.000-07:00

My friend Leonard thinks dogs are a liability. Our dog Shiloh helped ripe the old tile off the floor, because she knew that we wanted new flooring. See Leonard, they can help.

Rain

2010-10-25T11:56:00.000-07:00

First we have had in a while.

Culvert Fixed

2010-10-22T11:35:00.000-07:00

The roofing company came by and fixed the culvert to my satisfaction. It wasn't great before they bent it. I released the final check from the insurance to pay for the roof.

TexasTaxes

2010-10-15T06:37:00.000-07:00

Hi Louis ,
We have received your 2010 Property Taxes for Terlingua Ranch Tract:XXXX– A & XXXX-B and have paid them for you. Please submit with your next payment $25.61 to cover those taxes, and if you have any questions please give us a call.

Thank you,

Lori Murphy
Classic Country Land
1420 West Exchange Parkway, Suite 120-A
Allen, Tx 75013
Ph:972-649-6200 x101
Fax:972-534-1085
lori@classiccountryland.com

2010-10-15T06:26:00.000-07:00

After the roofers left, I noticed that they had backed their trailer off the edge of the driveway and bent the culvert that goes under my driveway. I called and they came out and looked and took pictures. I have not herd anymore form them. DA! GONE!

New Roof

2010-10-05T10:25:00.000-07:00

The roofers came on Sunday to install the new roofing. We got some wind damage and the insurance company bought off on the whole roof. We are going to list the house in the spring, so I hope this helps to sell the house. The only thing left to do before that time is flooring in the kitchen and dinning room. That will cost about $1000, I'm estimating. The pictures are of the completed roof and the roofers working on the roof. They worked all day Sunday and it took them 12 hours. By the time they finished and cleaned up, It was dark. I will post a completed picture later.

Long dry time

2010-09-30T17:11:00.000-07:00

It took a lot longer for the papercrete blocks to dry than I thought. This just isn't the WEST! I put about 2 lbs of paper in the first form and doubled the paper in the second one. As it worked out one is about 2" thick and the other one is about 4" thick. The overall outside dimensions didn't change as much as the thickness. I will try adding something more, maybe vermiculite or something. I really don't want to add sand, because of the insulation loss. Insulation is the whole point for me. I like the feel of the blocks, and I will try a couple more. They are very light and firm. When I get several, I will mix some more of the same mix to use as mortar and connect them together, stacked. I'm not sure of the dry time in southern Colorado. I don't want to commit to using something that will delay me too much needlessly.

Papercrete trial blocks

2010-09-20T10:24:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking of using Papercrete to build with. I learned about it on the internet. I have been very empressed with it for dry climates with a large temperature swing. Namely the Southwest. I decided to try a few blocks to get my feet wet, so to say. I took a bag of shreaded paper home from work to try. I mixed it in a bucket, and only used paper and portland cement. 1 5 galon bucket of schreaded paper and 2 lbs. of cement. added water and mixed. It will be a few days before its dry.

Last Day of Vacation 2010

2010-09-14T19:23:00.000-07:00

Top: Denny and Becky

Center: Brahm, Louis, Jamie, Alex, Maria, Dagmar, Owen, Amy, Linda and Rugger in Front center.

Bottom: Colten, Amy, Savannah, Linda, Donna, Steve, Jessie, Mark, and Jack's hand.

Kitchen Trash Can Repair

2010-09-13T05:04:00.000-07:00

The rod that connects to the foot pedal on the lid of our kitchen trash can broke. The solution, repair or replace it. I chose to repair it. Friday on my way home I stopped by the Big Box and got a 1/4" X 3' steel rod. $2.49 + .21 tax = $2. 70. It took me about 2 hours on Saturday afternoon to complete the job. Time and a half for my time (Saturday) $90. Total cost of the repair $92.70. The cost of the can new, $42.00 or so. Good as new, MAYBE, MAYBE NOT.

Gary and Lynn's

2010-09-11T11:46:00.001-07:00

On Wednesday the 19th, we went to Gary and Lynn's and had a great time. They are our very good friends. We will remember these times as the best of times with friends.

Lou's Land

2010-09-07T17:00:00.000-07:00

Brahm, Louis Jr and I dropped off my PU at Car Toys and went out to see Lou's Land. He has owned it for a couple of years, but this was the first time that I have seen it. It is about an hour east of his home in Parker. It is a very beautiful piece of property that makes you feel like you are in the mountains. He will probably build a weekend cabin there. He may eventually use it as retirement property. Brahm was walking and heard something in the grass, a squeak. When he looked down, it was a mouse being eaten by a snake. I think it is a Bull Snake (non-poisonous). He said it was like the mouse was saying "Hay Buddy, could you help me out on this one. I took a couple of pictures, but it is hard to see. If you look, you can see the mouses eyes. One less mouse, one well fed good snake. Bull snakes eat young Rattle Snakes.

A day with JR

2010-09-05T12:41:00.000-07:00

On Thursday I went to Lou's house in Parker and he is in the process of finishing his basement. He is making a Beauty Salon for Jamie, who does hair for friends and family. He is also putting in a theater room with a projection TV. These pictures are of the basement project. Brahm came over and we took my PU to Car Toy's and left it there to have my satalite radio installed that I bought off eBay. We had lunch and went out to see Lou's land in eastern CO. I had not seen it yet. He has owned it for a couple of years and I will post some pictures soon.

Sunday August 15, 2010

2010-09-03T03:20:00.000-07:00

Sold Water Container

2010-08-31T07:58:00.000-07:00

I sold the last water container for $80 yesterday. I know that within the next 2 years that I will buy another one, and pay about 3 times that amount, but they were in the way and I will need them on the other side of the country.

New Kingdom Hall

2010-08-30T07:11:00.000-07:00

On Monday, 8-16-10, we stayed in a Hotel in Pueblo. We got up and drove to Colorado City to find the Kingdom Hall. They have built a new one a couple of years ago, and we wanted to see far and how long a drive it is from our future home. We went to the post office to ask. The Post Master told us how to get there, and said it is a beautiful building and an asset to the community. She said that one day it was there and a couple of days later "Poof there it was with people going in and out". I took a couple pictures and we drove directly to our gate, and it took 25 minutes and was 13 miles.

The Old Hatchet Ranch and Barn

2010-08-28T21:08:00.000-07:00

The Old Ranch and Barn is said to have been built by Charlie Goodnight. He is the same one that the Goodnight Loving trail is named after. It is along I-25 just north of Colorado City. Our ranch is behind this on the original land that was the Hatchet Ranch. The Colorado Cattle Company sold about 20,000 acres to the developer that devided it into lots of between 40 and 250 acres. The land went from France to Spain to Texas to the US.

We took the road into the Ranch and crossed the Green River. In some research that I did a few years ago, I learned that the book and movie Lonesome Dove was written off a tail of two Texas Rangers who, in later years moved cattle from Texas to Montana, when one of them was shot by Indians, and asked the other to take his body back and bury him where two creeks met. The book and movie was changed from the real story a little. But the real story was of Charlie Goodnight, and the creeks were the Greenhorn River and Muddy creek. The meet about a 1/4 mile north of this picture. Anyway, I think this is a nice picture of the Greenhorn.

Colorado August 13, 2010

2010-08-26T19:52:00.000-07:00

We left NC at about 6:00 pm on Friday the 13th. We traveled to Knoxville TN, and stopped for the night. It took us 4 1/2 hours to get there. There was a traffic delay on I-40 due to a rock slide about a year ago that knocked out the highway. They now have one land open. It would have been a 90 mile detour if it were still closed. That being said the delay was only about 45 minutes. On Saturday we drove to Oklahoma City, and stopped about 8:30 pm. On Sunday we drove the rest of the way to Pueblo, Colorado. These are a few of the pics along the way.

Solar Experiment with a Fernell lens

2010-08-10T12:04:00.000-07:00

We went to Forest and Erica's on Sunday. Forest has a large Fernell lens that he focused on a black pot turned upside down with a smaller pot/bowl inside. The Idea is to pump cold water between the two bowls and heat the water with the Sun. We started with 16 gallons of water at 86 degrees F. He had a fountain pump that pumped the water through and back to the tank (Picnic cooler). In two hours, five minutes, from 3:15 to 5:20 pm we got a 39 degree F. rise to 125 F. It has potential for pre-heating water.

Another Old Building Bites the Dust

2010-08-06T10:09:00.000-07:00

I went to a design meeting this morning, with a developer who wants to knock a building down next to the track and built another glass fortress. It will go up 38 feet and then cantilever over the track. The other photo is of a track grinder that will start on Sunday morning profiling our track. This should have been done three years ago at about 1/3 the cost. The track and the tires of the trains are cut to minimize the drag, for the most efficient operation.

Sold

2010-07-31T18:44:00.000-07:00

Today I sold one of the water containers. Thanks Mat. I sold the garden tractor the first day. I'm impressed with how easy and efficient it is to sell on Graig's List. I will be using it more.

Vacation Postponed One Week

2010-07-28T11:00:00.001-07:00

We decided to drive. We will leave a week later than planned. August 14th is the new leave day. I posted a couple of items on Craig's list. The one I thought would not have interest sold inside of an hour. A Sears 1970's garden tractor with a plow and a bad motor. I called it a POS. I also placed one for a 275 gallon water tank. $100 each. Hope to sell it also.

To drive or fly

2010-07-25T04:12:00.000-07:00

I am getting ready to take a 10 day vacation from work. I want to go to Colorado, but don't know whether of not to just drive or to fly. To drive would cost about $100 or so more than to fly. However; to drive with Shiloh might me easier for her. I should make the decision today, due to the fact that tickets will go up if I wait till the last minute. I need to mow the grass around the barn, or just plow it. It can be a fire issue later in the year when it dries out and is right up to the building. Grass fires aren't out of the question. With the steel roof and block construction, I think I'm pretty safe. I do have some wooden doors, that could burn. Anyway it would just be good to be there and look it over. I am looking forward to leaving here and being there permanently next year. So to spend a week or so there is what I look most forward to. These pictures are late in the year when the grass is dry.

1953 Chevrolet 2 Ton

2010-07-18T16:56:00.000-07:00

I was looking at some of my picture files, after downloading my camera, and came across these. This is my 1953 Chevrolet 2 ton with a grain box on the back. It is an end dump. The grain trucks came with either an end dump or a side dump. When I bought the truck in eastern Colorado, the back window was boarded up to keep the rain out. When I went to clean it out, there was about a bushel of corn under the seat. The seat smelled like mouse pee. It was the old cotton and horse hair, covered in vinyl. I bought some foam and an upolstry kit and after replacing the window, restored the interior. Machaniclly it was in pretty good shape. I did have to replace the radiator a year or so after I bought it. It is great fun to drive. I have to put on my costume to go anywhere in it though. That consists of bib overalls, a long sleeve plad shirt, and my John Deere cap. I could ware a straw hat in the hot sun. It is parked on my ranch in Colorado now. I will probably have to clean the carborator and put fresh gas in it when I get home next year.

Wild Woman

2010-07-14T05:11:00.001-07:00

Another evening indoors due to more rain.

Our new life with a wild woman keeps us smiling.

We also got a sympathy card in the mail from Indian Trail Animal Hospital. It was signed by all three Doctors and all the staff. When we took Shiloh in for her first exam, the staff was almost in tears thinking of Rion. This card came just 3 days later. He was just a dog, but a special one.

A much needed rain

2010-07-13T01:58:00.000-07:00

On Sunday afternoon Becky sent me a text to let me know that she was at the convention in Longmont CO. I asked how Dinny was doing and she said he was being good.

On Monday we got a very much needed rain. When I got home, we had left overs and played with Shiloh.

Puppy Energy

2010-07-11T03:24:00.000-07:00

Play! Play! Play!
Only one of us with
any energy by the
end of the day.

40th Year has Begun

2010-07-08T10:11:00.000-07:00

May 26th I posted "Name that Date" July 7, 2011. On that day I will have completed 40 years in transit. I had just dropped out of my Senior year of college, due to finances and one child. Hard to believe he's 40 now. Got a temporary job driving a city bus. I left there 33 years later with a full retirement, less any medical. To stay there after age 55 and 30 years, would not have increased my retirement any. Moved to Charlotte NC and started work on their new Light rail line. They needed an experienced person in Safety, and I needed medical insurance. The attached picture, is the one that was taken when I finished training on July 8, 1971. I was 21. It looks just like me, only younger. My current picture looks just like me only older. I'm somewhere in between.

A glass lens can only print what it sees!

In 1971 I dropped out of my senior year of college, due to $0 and a child. My first wife and I moved to Denver and I got a job at a furniture store. I was unloading box cars and assembling furniture. I didn't see a future in that business. I saw an ad for a truck driver at a local brick yard. I called in sick and went to apply. The address took me to an area that had a driveway with a building and a lot of bricks stacked behind. The bricks were across a RR track and I missed the driveway that went across the tracks. I went into the building that was up front. It was the wrong place. I walked down the hall and saw a door that said "Personnel". I walked in and a man at a desk asked me "Can I help you?"
I replied that I was wanting to apply for a job.
He said, "As a driver?"
I said yes.
He replied, "They would kick my ass right out of here if I'd hire a guy like you".
I asked why.
He said, "Look in that mirror".
I said that if he was talking about my hair, I could cut it.
He said,"What is your name".
I told him and he replied, " Hear fill this out, get your hair cut, and come back tomorrow." As I was filling out the application, I noticed that there was a symbol of a tire with wings in one corner and a streetcar in the other. No bricks.
He said that it paid $3.77 per hour after training, but that training was paid at $8 per day for 4 weeks. He also said that I would have to buy a watch.
I told him that I had a watch.
He said, "It has to be a special watch".
When I left, it was about 8:30 am, and the morning rush hour buses were coming in. I then realized that I had applied for the wrong job. However; it seemed that he might be interested and the advertised pay for the brick yard was $1.75 per hour.
I went directly to the barber shop and asked for white walls around my ears.
I left the barber shop and went directly back to the bus administration building and returned to Personnel.
When I walked in he said to me, "May I help you"?
I replied that I had gotten a hair cut.
He said, "What is your name." When I responded he said, "The hell it is, sit down".
About a week later I started training. I completed training on July 7, 1971.
July 8, 1971 was my official first day.
At that company, then Denver Tramway, Now the Regional Transportation District (RTD), your anniversary date is the only guaranteed holiday. I never worked on July 8th until I got to Charlotte.
Come to think of it, I should have taken the day off.
I will not make that mistake again.
I turn 62 on July 27, 2011, and I don't want to be working in transit after that. Enough is enough!
So form what I can see now I think that July 7, 2011 is my last day in transit.

Eat Light and Stay Hydrated

2010-07-07T06:10:00.000-07:00

Hot in the east. Hot in the south. Hot in southwest Texas. Must be July! I predict a cooling trend over the next 6 months.

At the end of the work day today I completed 39 years in transit. Tomarrow I start year 40.

985121004698544

2010-07-05T09:15:00.000-07:00

Shiloh has been CHIPPED. We took Shiloh to the vet today. She got a clean bill of health. We also got a computer chip placed under her skin between her shoulder blades. I hope an owl doesn't get her. The chip wouldn't do much for that. I'm the alpha male and I'll protect her! That makes 2 women in my life. One of them weighs 4lbs 2oz. The other doesn't want the numbers in print.

Welcome Shiloh

2010-07-04T09:24:00.000-07:00

We went to Charlotte Douglas International Airport to pick up Shiloh. She is 8 weeks old and will be living with us now. She is a world class traveler, and has been to places like Stark KS, where she was born and raised. Then she traveled by car to Kansas City Airport, traveled to Chicago IL, then to her new home in Matthews, NC.

To Stump or not to Stump

2010-07-02T19:36:00.000-07:00

When we move to North Carolina almost 5 years ago, some friends told us that they had a argument in their family as to whether or not you should Stump your Crap Myrtle trees. Doug said you should to keep the wind from breaking them. Tracy, Doug's daughter, said you should leave them. Last evening we had some heavy rain, no wind, just heavy rain, and the weight of the water on the heavily blooming tree broke it. The only one in the area that broke was in my yard. Go figure.

Texas Motorcycle Seat

2010-06-30T06:08:00.000-07:00

A work colleague sent me this picture labeled Texas Motorcycle Seat. I love it, especially after the Supreme Court decision on Monday. I don't currently own a hand gun, but in the future I probably will. You can get snake shot for 45s. A single action revolver is the safest on horseback. You never know how your horse is going to react, and you only want to hear one bang. I'm all about gun safety. Oh, I don't own a motorcycle either! Too dangerous.

**ExerciseExerciseExercise

2010-06-28T07:02:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we put on a practice drill on the Light Rail line that simulated a terrorist attack. It is not a good idea for me to put any details in print, and published on the internet. However; it included the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Federal Transit Administration(FTA), Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and local first responders. All went well. The idea was to identify any deficiencies, and we did. I don't like to have to work on Sundays, but this was important. I have been in the business a long time, and looking forward to moving to my land in Colorado. July 7, 2010 will complete 39 years in transit. Did I say, “I’m not working out”?
I have been learning a lot about self sustainability from all my friends in west Texas and other places around the country. I have not started to build my home on my land, but have made some plan changes from what I’ve learned. Welcome Frann, and thanks for the comments and smile.

Rion Feb 14, 2000 to June 21, 2010

2010-06-26T05:02:00.000-07:00

We returned home last Saturday from the convention to find that Rion had been lying in his bed on his blanked all day and had not gotten up. In the past few weeks he has had difficulty with his bladder. He had uren his stomach, where he had been lying. He had not drank any water all day. He was diabetic for about a year, and was not processing his food very well either. He was just bones. He usually had been drinking a bowl of water in the day and one at night. Clearly this was his worst day yet. After he was diagnosed with diabetes, we were giving him shots after his morning meal, Vetsulin. About 3 months ago, the company that makes Vetsulin discontinued making it. We had to switch to a more human type insulin. That is when he started downhill. His organs were slowly failing. He was having good days and bad.
So Sunday evening we had a pizza party, and took him to the vet on Monday morning. It brought both of us to tears. It has been a hard week. Our friends said to get another one ASAP. We just bought another puppy yesterday. We will not get her for about a week. She will be 6 weeks on July 3. At this point, it doesn't mean much. I thank Jehovah for 10 years with Rion.

2010 Convention

2010-06-23T15:04:00.000-07:00

We went to the 2010 District Convention of Jehovah's Witnesses this weekend. It is always very upbuilding and faith strengthening.

Glenn W. Cripps

2010-06-17T16:25:00.000-07:00

1920 to 1997

Just thinking about my Dad. He lived through the depression. When he was 12, he came home from school (8th grade), and there was a note nailed to the table. It read, "Moved to Montrose". Montrose, CO is about 350 miles from Denver, on US Hiway 50. It was written by his mother. She and her husband had left. My father and his brother, age 14, had just came home from their last day of school. They spent the winter of 1932 in Denver alone. He never talked about it. My mother told us about it after they were divorced. He would go to a tight curve in the Railroad track in Globeville. When the coal train would slow for the curve, he would jump on and throw lumps of coal off. To earn money, he would take his guitar up Curtis Street, where the old movie houses were, and play and sing during intermission. People would give his brother and him a few cents. Later in life, he took care of his mother, bought her a house and cared for her till she died. When Pearl Harbor was bombed, he and his brother both joined the Navy within a few days. This is his picture, when he was a sailor. I Cherish it. My mother moved to San Francisco to work and be on the west coast. I will post a picture of them both walking on the street in San Francisco

Long Monday

2010-06-14T21:30:00.000-07:00

I worked 11 hours today. I started at 7 and finished at a little after 6 this evening. I'm just not working out in this job. I went to Cary this weekend to volenteer at the Kingdom Hall build again. It was great, and it is comming along on schedule. I was there on the first weekend of the build and again this weekend. It was very hot and I used a lot of SPF 50. Here is the latest picture.

Biltmore on Monday

2010-06-04T11:15:00.000-07:00

On Monday we took the family to Asheville, NC, to the Biltmore. We toured and did the wine tasting, then we drove a while on the Blue Ridge Parkway. It rained most of the day and we stopped and took some pictures at the sign that marked the divide of the east. The picture is of Brahm and Dagmar.

Cocoa Cola 600

2010-05-31T04:56:00.000-07:00

We got home from Charlotte Motor Speedway at about 11:45 last night. We had great seats just about 100 yrds past the Finish line. We were 5 rows up from the fence. We also all had ear plugs. Don't leave home without them. 7 yellows, with no injuries. Fun with family, what more is needed.

Bowman Gray Stadium

2010-05-30T04:49:00.000-07:00

Brahm, Daggs, and Stephanie came to visit for a few days. We went to Bowman Gray Stadium last night in Winston-Salem, NC. The kids watch it on the cable network and wanted to go. Today we are going to the Coca Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. I haven't been to the races in years, and now 2 in a week. I had a good time though.

New Title SOS

2010-05-28T04:33:00.000-07:00

I got a new job title on Wednesday at 4:21 PM. The e-mail was sent to all city employees, plus all CATS contractors. It read:

"I am pleased to announce that Louis Cripps has been promoted to Manager-Rail Safety, effective Monday, May 24, 2010.
Louis has worked in CATS Safety and Security for over 4 years, including serving as the interim Rail Safety Manager for the last year. Prior to that Louis worked fro the Denver, Colorado Regional Transportation District for over 33 years in various capacities.
Please join me in congratulating Louis."

That's nice.

Name That Date

2010-05-26T08:32:00.000-07:00

July 7, 2011

First Day at Cary

2010-05-24T01:31:00.000-07:00

I spent the weekend in Cary, NC helping with the Double Kingdom Hall build. They had the concrete work finished before today and started framing this morning. I arrived at about 12:30 and will leave tomorrow at about 2:00 pm.This will take about 6 weeks to complete. It is an all volenteer project. I will be spending about three weekends helping. It is fun to be a part.

Deck Finished and Stained

2010-05-21T07:29:00.000-07:00

This is a done deal.

Another Working Saturday

2010-05-18T05:40:00.000-07:00

Did I mention that I'm not working out in my job. I had a staff meeting on Thursday, and the GM pressured me to volunteer to work on Friday and Saturday form 2-10pm to just be visible for the NRA conference in Charlotte. My job title is Manager of Safety-Rail for the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS). He is the General Manager of Safety and Security for CATS. He wanted me to stand around and reassure folks. Needless worry. The folks that come to the NRA convention are people who promote the responsible use and ownership of firearms. The convention was quiet and orderly. Wasted of my weekend. By the time we did the chores for the week. It was Monday.

Patio project and deck railing.

2010-05-13T17:29:00.000-07:00

When I got home yesterday, Alex was painting the deck railing. She was touching up a few spots on the house, too. We will need to paint the house before we put it on the market next spring. When we bought it, we thought we would be able to make a little money by living in it for the 5 years that we planned to be in the Charlotte area. Now we are hoping not to loose any money. We have put in the patio, that is the whole length of the back of the house. We put a flower planter with a water feather/pond in it. In the picture of the painted deck railing you can see part of it as it is today. The other pictures is of the building that we did 3 years ago.

Back deck railing

2010-05-10T20:41:00.000-07:00

Kevin came by today and finished putting the railing up on the back deck on Hackamore. I just need to build a step and it will be ready to paint. I will post a picture soon. On Sunday, I plowed my garden with the pulling tractor and plow. It is an old Sears Garden tractor. It has a couple of attachments such as, plow, cultivator, and blade. I need to rake it and prepare to plant. I dug up about 15 haritage tomato plants that grew from last year. I will replant them in a couple of weeks when I prepare the bed. I wish I had more time, but with working full time it's not easy to find. I went to the congregation bible book study tonight and read. Maybe tomorrow I will get one of these two at least started. Here is another picture of the ranch/barn from Brahm's plane.