Monday Update

Wow, when did it start getting dark when I wake up? Not long ago it was day light, not anymore...

Despite the flooding in the basement, I had a great weekend. Ashley came to visit Friday afternoon and left Sunday morning. Friday night we had pizza at Mark and Wanda's and Saturday night we had brats and burgers. Thanks guys...

Ashley wanted to see grandpa's burial site, so Saturday we went to Cedar Memorial for a short visit to the Garden of Tranquility. I also took her for a drive to see some of the flood damaged homes on the west side of Cedar Rapids. We had lunch at Jimmy John's. Saturday afternoon was not too exciting, we did some laundry at the laundromat. It was easier than doing it at home, because of the flooding in the basement. Sunday morning Ashley had a nice visit with Doug and myself. Mao was so cute, he had to show her the feather (bird) toy that Parker gave him. It was like he was trying to say, "See what I have". She also stopped in Cedar Falls to visit Chloe. They had lunch together.

Sunday afternoon was spent clearing out some of the basement. We moved a lot of the computer stuff that was down there to the garage and there are also things that will just have to go to the trash. Still a few larger items to move out and then we will be able to a full cleaning of the basement. You have to love Mother Nature.

Sunday evening was quiet. We did not have anyone over for Supper. We had taco salad and tried to find something good to watch on TV. Nothing great on TV for Sunday night. No wonder we usually have people over instead of watching TV.

Yummy Shish-ka-stuff from last Sunday.

This is from our last batch of homemade summer sausage.

Lots of tomato varieties the year. The orange and yellow ones are from Wanda and Mark's garden.

Water in the basement earlier this week.

Water spurting from a pin hole in the basement wall.

The city was pumping water to the storm drain.

Friday Update

I'm so glad the rain has stopped. We still have a trickle of water everywhere in the basement, but no water coming up from the sewer drains. I think trickling water will stop once the ground has absorbed more of the water. We are hoping Marion will decide to do a big free trash pickup day. We have some things that got wet that will absolutely have to go.

I am a little concerned because Doug took a tumble in the basement yesterday and cut himself. I hope he doesn't get any weird infections from the nasty water in the basement.

I felt very bad for Doug yesterday, fighting the water all on his own. He said Mao alerted him to it about 9 yesterday morning. The water got rather high and our 1 sump pump just wasn't cutting it. He found the spare we have in the basement and got it going. He also went to Menard's and bought 2 more and Johnny even brought one over for him to use for a while. He had it pretty much under control when I got home. Although the water in Thomas' old room did not go down until sometime during the night. We talked with a group of neighbors that came over and we all agreed we need to go to the next City Council meeting and encourage them to do something about the sewers instead of moving 7th Ave.

Even though everything is a mess in the basement, I know we will work together to get it back in order. And this just forces us to finish the clean-out we started earlier in the summer.

I think today is going to be a very good day.

icanhascheezburger.com

Enter to Win

Green Tip of the Day

OVEN CLEANING

Since ovens caked with last month's casserole drippings cook less efficiently. Just opt for a cleaner that works without caustic ingredients and without you having to fire up the self-cleaning option, which uses a ton of energy.

On average, using the 900-degree self-cleaning function burns about 200 kilowatt hours of power (often from coal plants) per household per year, or about $25.

Nontoxic cleaning products and a little old-fashioned scrubbing get the job done right without abrasive chems such as butane (a potential carcinogen) and sodium hydroxide (a toxin to the nervous system).

Less energy use + fewer harmful chemicals = a win-win equation for the earth.

Mix 1 cup of white distilled vinegar, 2 cups of hot water, 1/2 cup of baking soda, and a few drops of lavender essential oil in a spray bottle, shake it up, and you've got yourself a cheap, easy oven cleanser though it takes a lot of elbow grease.

If you must use the self-cleaning feature, try not to use it more than a couple times a year, and fire it up after you've been cooking to make use of heat already lingering in the oven. Once it's sparkling, maintain it by pouring salt on new spills and rubbing them away while the oven's still warm.

Thursday Update

I want this rain to stop. The city had the pump in the sewer until about 8 last night. Now when I woke this morning the water was pumping out of the floor drain near our washer & dryer again. Luckily they are raised up from the main floor and out of the water. I gave the sewer department a call to come out and hook up the pump again. Of course all I could do was leave a message, I found no emergency number. Supposedly they check the messages at 7 AM, I really hope so. The drain and sump just can't keep up.

We also had our lights go out last night just before 10. It was only our house, no others on the block, this kind of worried us. Doug went to the basement to check the fuse box and found nothing there. I called Alliant to come out and check it and then I went to bed. Doug thought it was the electrical line going from the street to the house. They run it through the big pine trees out front and the wear from the trees and squirrels is quite bad. This is what it ended up being and the lights came back on just before midnight. Doug said they did a very good job. This is the second time our electricity has been interupted by this. At least we did not have to call an electrician to find out this time.

PS: They started the pump up again at 6:30 and the water went back down the drain immediately.

Dolphins mesmerize with bubble-blowing trick

This hypnotic video of dolphins creating floating air rings will leave you with a newfound appreciation for the animal's dexterity. Filmed at Sea World, Orlando.

The Dream Shall Never Die

Green Tip of the Day

Home Repairs

While many consider DIY projects to only include decorative fixes, home repairs fall under this umbrella as well. Fixing items yourself not only saves you money in parts and labor, but also helps you ensure the full life of your possessions.

The Fix it Club features information on fixing everything in your home from bicycles and espresso makers to smoke detectors and faucets, as well as diagrams and information on how everything works. Before you know it, you’ll be a regular handyman (or woman).

Wednesday Update

It rained quite heavily this morning. In fact the city had the pump in the sewer when I woke up. Water also came up through our sewer drain in the basement, not too pleasant. Looks like I have some cleanup to do. No wonder Mao was a bit disturbed. I did get up in the middle of the night and move his litter box to the landing, he does not like walking through water to get to it.

last night was a lazy night for me. Washed dishes and watched some TV. Shows on IPTV about the universe and then House Hunters. I mostly just dozed on the bouch between 9 and 10. Yea, real exciting....

Edward Kennedy, 1932-2009

Green Tip of the Day

Produce Labels

Check the number on the little label on your apple or squash. It'll help you make sure what you're buying is organic and nongenetically modified.

Genetically modified (GM) foods have been in stores only since the 1990s, so we don't know the long-term health risks, and in a recent study by the Austrian government, GM corn was found to affect fertility in mice. Mainstream scientists are concerned that GM organisms will reduce biodiversity.

Although farmers can use some naturally occurring pesticides on organic foods, they're way less harmful than the synthetic kind. Foodies everywhere agree that the range of possible flavors is greater when we just let Mother Nature do her thing.

Look for the PLU codes on the labels stuck on your fruits and veggies.

• A four-digit number means it's conventionally grown.
• A five-digit number beginning with 9 means it's organic.
• A five-digit number beginning with 8 means it's genetically modified.

1999 Toyota Camry LE

This is the car that Thomas is thinking about test driving today. I hope it works out for him.

Green Tip of the Day

Spices Can "Season" Pests to Death

Herbs and spices used to flavor food are also green alternatives to synthetic pesticides, scientists say. Oils from thyme, rosemary, mint, and other herbs and "killer spices" are gaining favor among farmers as alternatives to synthetic pesticides.

Sprayed onto crops like any garden-variety pesticide, the plant oils repel insects, similar to how chili peppers can repel elephants. Other oils kill pests outright, the study says.

Originally intended for the perfume and food-flavoring industries, the killer-spice oils are already available wholesale and may be headed to retail shelves if the new use catches on, the researchers say.

The all-natural pesticides should be inexpensive too, Isman reasons, since they're already in widespread use as wholesale perfume ingredients and flavorings for food. Companies are already working to bring the spice oils to retail shelves for farmers

Monday Update

The weekend was too short, I don't feel like working again already. I bet Thomas and Diedre are really feeling that way this morning. I think it is hard to go back after a two day weekend. It would really be hard to go back to work after a whole summer.

We finally had shih-ka-stuff yesterday. It was delicious. We put everything you could possibly want in it; beef, chicken, brats, shrimp, mushrooms, zucchini, yellow squash, cherry tomatoes, yellow tomatoes, onion, potatoes, red & green peppers and broccoli. Most of the vegetables were from either our garden or the Jordan's. We also had a little fire after dark. It was a good evening.

Yummy Shis-Ka-Stuff from last night's supper

Green Tip of the Day

Reduce the amount of packaging waste from pre-made foods by making meals at home, and turn family dinners into a chance to cook your favorite organic or fresh food recipes. And if you’re really ambitious, consider starting a family garden. No matter its size, it will encourage your kids to appreciate their food and the earth it comes from.

Sunday Update

Not much to blog today. Yesterday was pretty quite, no visit from the kids. I washed laundry and dishes in the AM and went grocery shopping in the afternoon. Doug wasn't feeling up to going out, so I shopped alone. Before supper we canned a few tomatoes and some salsa. For supper I was going to have a sandwich with our home-made summer sausage. While slicing it, I managed to slice a chunk of my finger as well. Doug helped me bandage it and when I checked it this morning, the chunk of skin is still there and seems to be working on healing. It does not hurt as much as it did last night.

Thomas and Diedre will have all the shingling finished on there roof by sometime this morning. It sounds like they were practically finish by dark last night. He said they were even doing some cleanup in the yard by the porch light.

This morning I plan to mow the yard. It is getting rather long and really needs it. I guess that is all I have for today.

Saturday Update

I'm sad, Thomas and Diedre are no longer coming for a visit today. They did not think the car would be ready, so they canceled their appointment with the church. Now we will see them on Labor Day instead. Thomas said he is kind of glad, because they are putting the new shingles on today and he prefers being home for that anyway. He caught two trout yesterday and said they were very delicious. He wants to go trout fishing with Doug yet this year. I think they should go to Patterson, French or Sny McGill.

http://icanhascheezburger.com

Friday Update

I am so glad that it is Friday, another long week. I am looking forward to seeing Thomas and Diedre tomorrow. Diedre's car has been having some issues this week, today I think it gets a new starter. Hopefully it will be finished today so they can drive down tomorrow.

This morning Thomas was getting up very early to go trout fishing at Joy Spring near Strawberry Point. I hope he catches a few. It has been a very long time since he went trout fishing.

Last night I got some more tomatoes ready for canning. I have two large bowls full of peeled and deseeded tomatoes in the frig right now. Tonight we will decide if we want to just can them, make salsa or a sauce.

Doug went to Goodwill Reboot yesterday and got parts for the PC. He now has a Linux machine partially running. However, I ended up doing my blogging from the Mac. Everytime I tried to login to my blog from the PC, all the windows I had opened would close and I had to launch a new window. After this happened three times, I gave up and went back to the Mac. At least I already had my email checked, so I did not have to struggle through that on the Mac. The PC works, it just doesn't like it when I click on sign in on blogger.

Green Tip of the Day

Use Fewer Diapers

If your child isn’t potty trained, help save the environment one diaper at a time by using fewer disposable diapers. You can do this the old-fashioned way by solely using cloth diapers, which can be washed and reused, or you can use fewer disposable diapers in general by implementing Elimination Communication (EC).

Also known as infant or baby potty training, EC involves training your baby to communicate with you when they need to go, so you can take them to the real toilet every now and then, thus reducing their dependency on disposable diapers. You’ll still use diapers – but you’ll use them less frequently.

Thursday Update

It's only Thursday, but it feels like it should be Friday. Thomas and Diedre will be starting back to work next week. It's too bad they were not really able to enjoy their last two weeks of vacation as much as I am sure they wanted to. But, at least they are getting a new roof, new siding, new windows and much more with hardly anything out of pocket. Thomas just needs to replace his car. Diedre's car needs a new starter now. I hope they can get it fixed by Saturday, they were supposed to be coming down for a short visit.

This week I won a $50 Visa gift card from a month long contest we had for selling the most units of a new product. Yeah me!

Last night we watched the two hour special of Time Team America. They were digging at James Town and they were also digging up the lawn of the Royal Palace, with permission from the Queen of course. We also watched State Fair coverage. Both shows are on IPTV and they were having issues last night, very frustrating. We missed about the first 10 minutes of Time Team and short periods during the rest of the night, the picture would either go out or the audio would be messed up.

Wartburg College Homecoming

Visit Knightline for links to the complete Homecoming 2009 schedule and online registration!

Green Tip of the Day

Water Conservation


Let it flow only when necessary. Turn off the water while you're brushing your teeth or shaving. Sounds basic, we know, but at ordinary household pressure, a running faucet can pour out 6 gallons of water in 3 minutes.

Same goes for washing the dishes. Use a basin when hand washing dishes. Wash all of the dishes and then rinse them all together.

Pass on the pre-rinse. Using your dishwashing machine when it's full can be more efficient than washing by hand, but pre-rinsing dilutes the savings. Instead, wipe dishes with a wet sponge before they go in the dishwasher.

Compost, not garbage disposal. Your kitchen sink garbage grinder requires lots of water to operate properly. Put all vegetable-based food scraps in a compost pile instead. Learn all about compost here.

Keep cool. Refrigerate a pitcher of water for cool drinks rather than letting the faucet flow until it gets cool.

Shorten your shower. The average shower lasts 8.2 minutes and the average showerhead dispenses 2.5 gallons per minute- that's about 20 gallons per shower.

Re-use and Recycle. Put a bucket in your shower to catch water while you wait for it to warm up. Use the bucket of water for houseplants or in your garden.

Bigger Bonus
Ready to make more dramatic cuts in your water use- and utility bill?
These steps will really stem the tide.

Audit your usage. If you get water from the public system, check your bill for the total water used and figure out daily use by dividing total water used by the number of days in the billing cycle. (An will help you convert from cubic meters, cubic feet, or liters to gallons.) If you draw water from a well, you'll need to check your water meter at 24 hour intervals to get your daily household water use. Do this for several days so you can get an average.

Look for leaks. Read your water meter before and after a two-hour period during which no water is used. If the meter does not read exactly the same, start searching for the leak. It's worth the effort: A faucet dripping just once per second wastes 2,700 gallons per year- the equivalent of 135 showers.

Test the toilet. Take the time to check your toilet for leaks, where they are common and not always obvious. Get dye specifically for this purpose at a hardware store- if there is a leak, color will appear in the bowl 30 minutes after you put dye in the tank. Toilets leak 1 gallon of water every 24 minutes, or 60 gallons per day.

Update the fixtures. federal legislation passed in 1992 raised efficiency standards on faucets, toilets, and showerheads. Look for low-flow toilets, faucets and showerheads, which use half (or even less) of the water needed to operate models manufactured before 1992. Dual flush toilets offer you the option of a half flush (no solids) or a full flush (solids).

Replace appliances. The EPA's labeling programs make it easy for you to identify efficient products when buying dish and clothes washing machines. The EnergyStar label has been used for years. New for 2007 is the Watersense label, for which the EPA has established even greater efficiency criteria. Water use in laundry machines is identified by the Water Factor or "WF", a measure of water used per cycle. The lower the WF rating, the higher the efficiency. New front-loading washing machines use about 40 percent less water than top-loading machines.

Save the Rain. Attach a rain barrel to your downspout to gather water to use in your garden. Go one step further and direct rainwater into a cistern for indoor use. You'll need to check building codes and at least consult with an engineer experienced with such systems. But what a difference you'll make.

Resources:

• Environmental Protection Agency, WaterSense program.
  
  
• Consortium for Energy Efficiency
  
  
• California Urban Water Conservation Council"
  
  
• U.S. Green Building Council

It feels like a new lie about health insurance reform crops up each day. Government taking over all health care? Not true. Euthanasia for seniors? Couldn't be more false. Rationing of care? Reform will stop rationing, not increase it.

These lies create fear and anger, and we're seeing the results around the country. Frightened crowds have flooded town halls, and the office of a Georgia representative was defaced with a swastika.

It's time to set the record straight -- and, more importantly, expose the special interests and partisan attack organizations behind the lies and misinformation.

As the site makes clear, these lies are no accident. They're part of a deliberate plot by the special interests who profit from the status quo to kill any reform at all. While Americans watch their paychecks dwindle, their coverage disappear, and their businesses struggle, special interests are trying to scare folks into opposing reform.

Our "Setting the Record Straight" site has all the info you need to fight back, as well as easy ways to get involved in the fight for health insurance reform. We'll be updating it often with new information debunking health care lies, so stop by regularly.

As we learned during the campaign, lies like these can spread like wildfire through viral emails and from friend to friend. The best way to stop them is to arm yourself with the facts -- and make sure your friends and family know the truth.

Check out the site, and share it with everyone you know:

http://my.barackobama.com/record

Wednesday Update

It is a cool morning, I think it is about 65. Not much to blog about this morning. Last night I washed some dishes and laundry and we watched State Fair coverage again. Doug baked the new batch of Summer Sausage, it is the best ever. Perfect color & flavor. I told him this batch could have been entered at the fair. The tomatoes are going crazy in the garden, I have also estimated that we have probably picked around 3 dozen zucchini from the garden so far and we get more every day.

Tuesday Update

Yesterday was a good day at work, although I would have preferred it had gone faster. Did not do much once I was at home. Ate supper, watched part of the first show in the new Top Gear season, washed dishes and watched State Fair coverage on IPTV at 9.

This is a cicada we found in the entry way Sunday night.
It has just shed it's shell.

Gayla playing at Breugger's Saturday afternoon.

Green Tip of the Day

REUSED AND DIGITAL TEXTBOOKS

You can rent, go for used, or buy e-textbooks, all of which save both cash and trees.

At an average of $900 per student per year, textbooks aren't cheap - these options can cut costs by up to 90%.

In 4 years of college, students use about six trees' worth of paper for textbooks. Going for used keep more trees standing.

• Zinio Textbooks - doesn't carry everything, but you can save up to 50% when you choose digital textbooks you read on your computer; and iChapters lets you buy just the chapters you're assigned.
• BookRenter and Chegg - "rent" textbooks for as little as 40% of what you'd pay to buy them; free return shipping. Enter the code 5off during checkout at BookRenter, and get $5 off any rental.
• Amazon and eCampus - get used textbooks at up to 90% off what you'd pay for new ones.
• Used Books Buyers at About.com - a list of places to sell books when class is over.
• Textbooks.com has the largest selection of used books at savings of up to 90% off; each one hand inspected
  to meet the exclusive Guaranteed Condition standards.

Monday Update

I'm glad the rain held out and we were able to eat outside yesterday. All of the food was good. I especially enjoyed the KFC chicken. I gave some of our garden tomatoes to Gayla, Sara and Amber. Amber and Sara also took a few zucchini off our hands. Towards the end of the evening, our back steps were infested with lots of little ants, including the ones with wings. Doug put down some bug killer, so I hope that has taken care of the problem.

After everyone else left we went inside with Mark and Wanda and watched highlights from past State Fairs and part of a show called Timeless Tractors. It was a good day.

The next thing I need to figure out with this Mac is how to view our digital pictures so I can post them. Still frustrated with it....

Sunday Update

I'm still a bit frustrated with this Mac, but I guess I will get use to it. The slowness is what really frustrates me.

This has been a fun weekend. Friday night was too hot to stay home and cook. We went out to eat with Wanda & Mark instead. We decided on Hamburger Mary's. The food was good, but Doug was not happy that the "blue cheese" on the Boy Blue Burger tasted like sour cream. We had the usual Mary's Handbag and Chili Cheese Fries. I had the big Kuhuna Burger. It had pineapple and bacon. Very tasty, but not as good as when Doug grills burgers and pineapple. I only ate half the sandwich and finished the rest for lunch on Saturday. Although I had a bit of a stomach issue on Saturday, not sure if it was the Chili Cheese Fries or the two hot chicken legs from the Handbag.

Saturday I slept in until 7:40. I started to check email and was going to update the blog but the Mac was iritating me and I gave up. I decide to get some house cleaning done before it got too hot in the house. A little after 11, Curtis called and said Gayle would be playing at Breugger's to check out some new equipment for the magizine. We got ready quickly and had a nice hour or so listening to Gayla play. Doug got an iced Coffee with chocolate, I got the same with no coffee. It was very good. It sounds like the Paul's will be stopping for supper today.

We watched a movie called The Slaughter Rules. I did not care for it much. It was about a football couch who was a molester. It took place in Montana, where they play six on six. He started his own football team because he was actually no longer allowed to coach anywhere. He befriended one boy who soon found out what he wanted to do with him. Through out the entire movie people were either dying, getting beat up or just plan crazy. I hope the next movie we watch is either a comedy or more up beat.

Today we plan to grill brats and make ratatouille (without eggplant). I am also planning to make potato salad, as I have some potatoes that need to be used. Wanda is making cole slaw. And for dessert we have strawberry shortcake.

Squirrel is surprise star of holiday photo

Photo: Melissa Brandts

The couple had set the timer on their camera while posing at a lakeside in a national park in Canada.

Just as they were about to be captured on camera the cheeky squirrel popped up in the foreground and stole the show.

The picture was taken at the side of the stunning Lake Minnewanka in Banff National Park, Canada.

Mrs Brandts said: "We had our camera set up on some rocks and were getting ready to take the picture when this curious little ground squirrel appeared, became intrigued with the sound of the focusing camera and popped right into our shot."

The picture was submitted to the website of America's National Geographic magazine.

'It was a once in a lifetime moment - we were laughing about this little guy for days!' said Mrs Brandts.

Green Tip of the Day

Pillow Care

Clean pillows to save cash and the unnecessary production of new pillows. Prolonging pillow life means ultimately needing fewer resources to make new ones, and less landfill space stuffed with the old. and the unnecessary production of new pillows.

Cleaning

• Feathers and down: Make sure there are no rips in their covers (if there are, those feathers will fly), then wash on the delicate cycle. Press out excess water and tumble dry with dryer balls.
• Foam: Wash them by hand or in the washing machine, then air-dry them.
• Kapok: Machine wash and tumble dry with dryer balls, or take them to an eco-friendly dry cleaner.
• Polyester: Wash them by hand or in the washing machine, then put them in the dryer, opening up the dryer to hand-fluff them every few minutes.
• Wool: Eco dry clean them (avoid having to clean them often by tossing them in a dryer set to no heat/air fluff or airing them out seasonally).
• To zap dust mites, tuck any pillow into a bag and stuff it in the freezer for a few hours.

Replacing

• If it's time to buy new ones, check out this sustainable pillow tip.
• Animal shelters and vet clinics often accept gently used pillows for use as bedding (just always call ahead to confirm).

Friday Update

Okay I am frustrated with the Mac again. I copied something earlier for the blog and now when I tried to copy and past something else, it refuses to give me the option to paste, only to copy. I need training on using this thing. I guess I will finish the dishes from last night instead.

Please Send Cookies

You can get an exclusive 10-inch, dishwasher safe collector's plate free!

Thursday Update

Woke up not feeling well this morning; headache, stomach ache and achey shoulder. I think they are all related. Not much sleep after 3 AM.....

The PC is down, not sure if the heat in the house is stressing it or what. Hopefully Doug can figure it out. I really do not like the Mac, so much slower.

Last night we started the first process for Bread & Mustard Pickles. Peeling, slicing, mixing with peppers & onions and putting on ice in the frig. Tonight we will add the rest of the ingredients and can them. I looks like we might get 5 quarts.

Top 10 funniest eco-bumper stickers

Click on the bumper sticker to see more.

The Perseid Meteor shower will begin on the night of August 11th and continue on to August 12th and 13th for viewers in North America - and may bring hundreds of meteors to the skies between 12 am and 5 am.

Wednesday Update

Not much to report today. Thomas and Diedre are still waiting for the insurance adjuster. But I'm sure all of the insurance companies are busy in Eldora this week. Diedre's car had to go in the shop yesterday, but the fix was quick and relatively inexpensive. Thomas' car will no longer start. They did get cable back and were able to post pictures and a video.

Last night Doug made two kinds of salsa; roasted garlic and a standard salsa. They are both very good!

Tuesday Update

Yesterday Thomas & Diedre spent a few hours at the school helping to clean up. They then decided they had plenty that needed cleaning up at their house. The school football team ended up at there house to clean up leaves and debris from thier yard. Small town togetherness is nice. They are now being approach by contractors. I just hope they are not too trusting, there will be lots of sharks out there looking to cheat people. I did see an ad for Angie's List for reviews on contractors, handy-men, health care professionals and more. It looks like there might be a fee to use it though.

Last night I blanch a big bowl full of tomatoes. Doug is going to make salsa. We have not decided whether we will can it or just leave it in the frig to eat. It looks like will will be getting another big round of tomatoes in a few days as well.

Monday Update

I sit here this morning and wish I could go give Thomas and Diedre a big hug. I am glad the storm was not any worse than what it was. They have lots of property damage, but at least no one was hurt. Although they are getting small cuts from glass. At least Home Depot and others came to town to help people get their properties boarded up safely.

I guess the elementary school has quite a few windows broken out. Thomas said they will see if they can spend part of today helping out at the school. He likes living in a small town because everyone pitches in to help everyone. The only bad part is they are prone to this type of storm.

We had a bit of a storm here last night. This morning at about 6:15, I thought I heard a chain saw. When I took the trash out a few minutes later, I saw 'Lawnboy' from across the street sawing his tree that is closest to the street side. He was clearing some of the tree that was hanging over the fence. It appears the tree may have been split in two or it may have multiple trunks and one was blown over. It is hard to see because of the fence.

The Iowa Connection blog now has video of the storm that hit Eldora yesterday.

Here is another blog showing crop damage and they mention the Marshall Law and another blog. (These two know one another.) These are the rest of the pictures the second blogger took.

Once we get pictures from Thomas & Diedre I will post some as I'm sure he will do once he gets a chance.

Sunday Update

Hot and humid again this morning. My palms are quite clammy. Yesterday was spent shopping for new shirts for Doug and grocery shopping. I also took Thumper outside for a walk. He really wasn't much in a walking mood. He mostly just sat and looked around. I took some pictures while we were outside.


Enjoying the soft grass. (Notice the ant checking out his shell.)

Thumper was not sure what to think about the tomato.

The sidewalk did not make him want to walk either.

Still refusing to walk.

Shatner Reads Palin's Tweets

Green Tip of the Day

Recycling Compact Fluorescent Bulbs

Compact Fluorescents have come a long way—they last longer, burn brighter, and look more like regular incandescent bulbs than ever before. There's just one little problem—they contain mercury. So when your CFLs burn out, you'll need to dispose of them properly.

To ensure that even the smallest traces of mercury don't end up in our landfills and water supplies, some companies that sell or manufacture compact fluorescent bulbs are coming up with their own recycling programs. Some WalMart locations host occasional CFL collections.

For information on CFL recycling programs in your area, go to lamprecycling.org.

Saturday Update

We had a little bit of a storm last night. We have a little water in the basement, but I have seen more down there earlier in the year.

Last night was a busy night for me. We had the Wanchai Ferry - Sweet & Spicy Shrimp and some stir fry vegetables for supper. After supper I went to the store to get a few thing so I could make Zucchini Spice Muffins. The recipe made 3 dozen so it took a while to bake them all. They have a cream cheese frosting. Very delicious. While the muffins baked I washed dishes and laundry. I got to bed rather late, I think it was after 11:30.

Odosketch

Odosketch - the very fun, and very easy, free flash drawing application that allows you to create sketches on a digital canvas with just a few clicks of your mouse. There’s also a playback feature that re-creates one’s work from blank page to complete drawing, showing the artist’s every brushstroke (including erases and do-overs).

Green Tip of the Day

According to the Eco-Dentistry Association, running the tap while you brush your teeth wastes around 90 glasses of water per day. Save thousands of gallons of water each year by taking a moment to turn off the water faucet each time you brush. Teach your kids this rule early and they'll be water-savers for life.

National Dog Day has two goals: to honor dogs, and to rescue dogs from homelessness and abuse. It's an opportunity for us to recognize and appreciate the value and importance of dogs in our lives.

This day is intended to honor dogs for all that they do for us. In addition to giving love and companionship, dogs help us out in countless ways. They are watchdogs for our safety. They lead the blind. Dogs aid in search and rescue, and they seek out bombs and drugs.

The second goal of National Dog Day is to rescue dogs in need. On occasion, dogs need us to save them from homelesness and abuse. The goal of the National Dog Day foundation is to rescue 10,000 dogs a year. Lend a hand to help a dog in need today, or any day.

Friday Update

I hope it does rain today, I did not get a chance to water my garden yesterday.

We had fun last night. Wanda and Mark came over for supper. We had BLT's (using fresh tomatoes from our garden), broccoli & tomato salad (broccoli from Wanda's & tomatoes from our garden), kahlorabi slices (Wanda) and sweet corn (provided by Johnny). It was all very yummy. We talked for a while after supper and then Jamie called to say he was stopping by, he had something to tell us. It turns out he is moving to Madison. It looks like we will get custody of his TiVo for a while. I'm pretty sure Doug is excited about that.

Fancy Fast Food

Fancy Fast Food takes our favorite fast food orders and whips them into dishes any aspiring foodie might be proud to serve - all without adding a single ingredient.

The Colonel’s Chicken Corn Chowder (Fancy KFC)

by Erik Fancy Fast Food

Green Tip of the Day

Golf Courses

Americans toss enough golf balls each year to stretch from Phoenix to London; recycled and biodegradable gear works great with less waste.

U.S. golf courses soak up more than 476 billion gallons of water annually, spray tons of pesticides, and pollute via golf carts, so support clubs that are making a greener effort, with low-water shrubs, nontoxic pesticides, electric carts, and more.

Check out Greenopia's list of seven golf courses that're doing things like using eco-friendlier pesticides and low-water irrigation techniques.

If it's not already on the list, talk with your course superintendent about greening things up.

Walk the course, instead of renting a cart. You'll burn a few calories, save a few bucks, and pollute less.

Try recycled or recyclable golf balls. Wilson Eco-Cores comply with all U.S. Golf Association regs, but they're made from recycled car tires ($15/15); or Dixon Golf has fully recyclable balls and a program that pays you to return them ($28/12).

Use biodegradable tees. Tees from Eco Golf biodegrade in about 60 days when exposed to the elements - conventional wood tees are stained with a nongreen finish, and plastic tees never biodegrade ($3/30).

Thursday Update

Not much to report today. It has been pretty busy at work this week.For supper we had KFC like chicken nuggets, biscuits with honey and corn on the cob. Yummy and the chicken was really almost like KFC. Doug has the recipe for the 11 herbs & spices. I watched Time Team America on PBS and then spent the rest of the evening washing laundry and dishes.

MoveOn: The Movie is a feature-length documentary focusing on the revolutionary history of the biggest progressive grass-roots movement seen in the United States since the 1960s.
This film stands as a vivid testimony to times of radical social change in our nation and to the power of people banding together for change.

Green Tip of the Day

Sunscreen

Use a nontoxic sunscreen. Conventional sunscreens can contain toxins such as oxybenzone (a probable carcinogen that can damage DNA) - these can seep into your skin, and wash off into the sea or lakes where they impact marine life. Luckily, there are mineral-based and organic sunscreens that block rays just as well without the nasty chemicals - so you can get on with playing your eco-part.

Stat: Researchers estimate that about 4,000 to 6,000 metric tons (a little more than a U.S. ton) of sunscreen wash off swimmers annually into oceans worldwide and that sunscreen-induced bleaching threatens up to 10% of coral reefs.

Wednesday Update

This week is going by quicker than last week. I'm grateful for that. I think it might be because we have been busy after work. Monday night was dumpster diving and picking sweet corn, last night was freezing corn. I cleaned the "silk" off the ears while Doug cut the corn off the cobs. When he was done with the cutting I got the corn ready for blanching. Then Doug did the blanching while I cleaned up the mess we left in the dining room. I filled the freezer bags with the corn and Doug sealed the bags. The bag sealer kept getting clogged so it took longer than it should have. We ended up with about 51/2 bags for the freezer. We also left out about a dozen ears for eating this week. I had some with our delicious Zucchini Lasagna last night.

Thomas and Diedre were in town visiting the parents. They had come down to pick up some things from Diedre's Grandma in Williamsburg and to pick up things for their garage sale from her parents. Thomas stopped by for a few hours to visit us, while Diedre visited with her family. Wanda also stopped by to take a look at the Stampin' Up catalog and place an order. Wanda ate some Zucchini Lasagna with us. We also sent some home for Mark to try.


A few of the bags we put in the freezer.

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Tuesday Update

I must have been tired last night. I forgot to set my alarm, which usually doesn't matter, because I still wake on time. This morning I did not and thanks to Mao, I only over slept a little bit.

It must have been the fresh country air last night. We went with Mark and Wanda to the Jordan farm to pick sweet corn. Before stopping there we went dumpster diving in the dumpster where Mark works. We found golf clubs (for Matt), baseball bats, a scooter (Doug took it to Nick & Ana) and quite a few plant pots, including two nice ceramic ones. I don't know haw many dozen ears of corn were picked. It was quite a few though. Tonight we will be busy getting it ready to freeze.

Doug took some good pictures which I do not have time to post today, I will probably post some tomorrow.

Ninja squirrel!!

Green Tip of the Day

Reusing Tennis Balls

Here’s how to use tennis balls without ever hitting the court.

1. Erase scuff marks. With a utility knife, cut an X in a tennis ball and slip it over the end of an old broom handle. Rub the ball over scuff marks on your wood floors; they’ll come right off.

2. Protect a padlock. Cut a slit in a tennis ball with a utility knife and slip it over an outdoor padlock to prevent water from getting into it and freezing.

3. Remove a broken lightbulb. The bulb broke off in the socket? No problem. Carefully clear away any shards of broken glass, then gently push a tennis ball against the light socket and twist it to remove the bulb’s embedded stem.

4. Cushion the blow. Cut an X in a tennis ball and slip it over the head of a hammer so you don’t ding up walls, wood, or other fragile materials while you’re pounding away.

5. Install a parking guide. Hang a tennis ball from a string from the ceiling of your garage so that the ball touches the top left corner of the windshield when your car is properly parked. Now you’ll know how far to pull in each time you come home.

6. Open a jar. Cut a tennis ball in half. Use the open end to grip and unscrew tight lids.

7. Make a hitch cover. Make a long slit in a tennis ball with a utility knife. Slide the ball over the hitch of your trailer to keep it from scratching other cars (and protect it from getting damaged).

8. Collect change for tolls. Cut a slit in a tennis ball and stash spare change inside. Keep the ball in your car so you don’t have to grope for your wallet when you’re at the tollbooth.

9. Keep a door open. Who needs a doorstop? Wedge a tennis ball between the door and the doorjamb in­stead.

10. Get a better grip. Hold a tennis ball in each hand. Squeeze and release repeatedly to strengthen your hands and arms for using tools.

Monday Update

It is very windy this morning. The computer actually shut down twice already, although none of the lights went out, they just flickered. I thought it might rain earlier, but it just sprinkled. The street got a little damp is all.

Yesterday was a pretty good day. We had succotash,grilled pepper and onion strips, pork steaks, hot dogs and smoked sausage. Also had potato salad, fresh garden tomatoes and chips. For dessert we had chocolate cookies with peanut butter chips and lemonade bomb pops. Everyone left fairly early. After everyone was gone we went to the living room where we found Wanda & Mark had left us a box of Smoky Mountain Taffy Logs. They are yummy and chewy. Thanks a bunch!!

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Green Tip of the Day

Hiking

Next time you hit the trails, lower your impact. Just follow a few simple principles for the good of the planet and your future outdoor excursions.

Even if you visit a place only once, leaving things as you found them ensures that others can enjoy it as much as you did. Try to bring food (or repack it) that doesn't have a lot of packaging - you'll have less of a chance of leaving litter behind.

Only 10% of American prairies are still around, and 90% of old-growth forests have been lost to logging. Little things like packing out litter help keep what's left pristine.

Getting outside's great for your sanity, hiking burns calories, and a trip to the state park's way cheaper than most vacations.

"Take only pictures, leave only footprints."

Leave what you find. That means rocks, flowers, anything you see (though feel free to pack out trash you find)…and try not to introduce any nonnative species (even stuff like apple seeds) on your hike.

Sunday Update

Yesterday was a good day. It did not rain, so I got the yard mowed. While I was mowing, Doug trimmed the two bushes outside of Chloe's bedroom. The bird nest is still in the large bush, minus any baby birds of course. Doug took some pictures of the garden while I cleaned up the cut branches. Then Doug asked if I would like to take some pictures. I'm not real good at taking pictures, so some of mine turned out blurry and had to be deleted.


Empty nest, but a beautiful nest.

The zucs are going crazy this year.

Nice rose picture.

Petunias

I picked this one last night.

This is a type of carnation that is growing in the front yard.

The green peppers are also doing very well.

Fly on a flower.

Nice cucumber.

Baby cuc.

The bird feeder that I won playing Bingo at the Jordan family reunion on July 4th.

Pumpkin blossom.