The end of Summer

As Summer draws to a close, there is change in the air..The leaves are starting to turn colors, the nights are getting colder (down to 48 the other night) the evenings are getting darker quicker and the garden is ending.

This has been an interesting gardening year.  The raised beds are almost done for next year.  I have 3 more to go which means another trip for pallets. We will finish those up, get the dirt into them and wait til spring to see how well they work.  I notice that the animals even sense the change in the seasons, it seems that they are full of more energy.

No I did not run her over, she came outside and that is where she laid...dumb dog.  I also saw this the other night.

As you can see the tree in the background has started to turn yellow already.  I know that I HATE winter but this is to early for summer to end.  On a positive note I think my Summer squash plant is finally done, and ready for the compost bin!!!!  I have been picking pumpkins for a couple of weeks, and I still have some nice large green ones that should be ready for Halloween!!!

I have been building some tables, trying different avenues to build and stain them.  My goal is to do a bunch of different things, then next year go to a couple of the Arts and Crafts things and see if there is interest.  I am also going to try some planters over the winter.  If I don't try something, I will go nuts.

As we start into September, this will be a month of change for all of us.  My parents are moving to Texas full time.  I will be moving their stuff at the end of the month.  By the time I get back it will be time to put the bikes away for the winter.  I so hate winter, it is a time where I miss the outdoors, the ability to go out without a jacket and enjoy things.  Sure Christmas is nice, but there is a long haul from Christmas to Memorial Day.

Well I hope that all of you have a great Labor Day weekend, and are able to do things with those that you care about.  As Java says, be safe and have fun.  Talk to y'all in September.

   Something to remind you of Summer ;)

Times are changing

This is the time of year that is nice, but I really do not care for...Fall.  While working around the house yesterday I heard that familiar sound...I looked towards the heavens and saw it...geese flying in formation.  This coupled with the fact my leaves are changing, the nights are getting colder all point towards the end of summer.

Unlike some of my friends, I love the warm temps, the long days, the ability to go outside and do things without jackets and gloves.  I do like seeing all four seasons, however there is something to be said about summer.  While working in the garden, my Rottie even seemed sad to see the change coming.

Trying to fight mother nature is a loosing battle, but someday I know I will live somewhere that will allow me to enjoy nice weather year round.

An average Sunday

So what to do on a nice Sunday in August.  I was looking at the table that I needed to finish, and figured heck it would only take about an hour, let's do it.  So I loaded the girls up and went to the local lumber yard and picked up a couple of 4x4's that I could use as legs.  I get them home and measure them up, cut them and after I assemble them I noticed that I wanted to add a little support.

No problem, I have some scrap 1x1 I will measure them up, use an 'L' bracket, all set.  Heck, I can put a little shelf in it and it would look cute.  So I carefully cut my lumber, and find three pieces of slats to use as a shelf.  I sand them down, make them look real good.  After I put the support on I then realized that I had cut the shelf to short..oh well guess a shelf wont be put in.  Of course I forgot to cut a support for the other side, so now I had to measure that side, cut and sand the support for it.  Now I get my brackets ( DO NOT buy Stanley 'L' brackets)  These things are made in China, and of course the damn holes that were punched in the bracket were to big for the screws.  Now I have to spend 10 minutes looking for screws that I can use.  After finding it, I go to put the screw in, and of course I drop it...better find it before the dog steps on it.  So I am searching everywhere for the screw.  After 20 minutes I figure I will find it when I clean up.  So now I am using the damn China made bracket, hooking the legs together, the dogs are playing tag all around me.  I drop the drill gun.  After picking it up and I start to put the screw in the little dog grabs some sandpaper and feels that it is time to play chase.

I get the sandpaper, the legs are secured I get cleaned up from the job (which now has taken 3 hours) and I still can not find the damn screw.  Oh well, at least the table is together.  You know, looking at it, it does need stained, that should only take about an hour.....

Karma-

I belive in what goes around, comes around, and I have been lucky lately.  I was able to buy a really nice trailer at a cheap price, I may have the ability to go to school and finish up a degree that I could not finish years ago and my surgery results were good.  I hope to launch this no little business, setting up compost bins and small raised Garden Bed's.  I also have started building furniture out of reclaimed pallets.  It is amazing what these companies throw away.  The pallets are in great shape, with a little work amd patience they clean up really well.

I can do anything from coffee tables to work benches with very few motifications.  Some of the pallets are made from nice hardwood, pine, just about any type of wood.  People love reclaimed and reused products, hopefully I can put some stuff together that will work.  We will see.

Have a great weekend!!!

The verdict-

Well I went and saw my surgeon today, and he told me that the biopsy came back negative, there was no malignency noted.  While this is great news, it still does not explain the weight loss and other issues, so I guess my PMD will be busy.

I launched a new service today, with people wanting to go green and recycle I am offering compost bins.  We will see what the local market has to say about the idea.  Many people are trying to recycle, reuse and Green.  I am offering an alternative to buying top soil made from China reduce the amount of stuff in the landfill.

I am preparing for the trip to Texsas, while it will be fun, it sure is a long way down.  I know my parents are paying for gas but I know my Silverado loves to suck it down.  If I get 15mpg, thats going to be about 250 gallons of gas, I just hope it is cheaper down south.

Be good to one another, thats all we got in the end.

Good day for the Average guy-

As I stated in the beginning, I was going to chronical the good, and not so good days, well today was a great day.  I lost my job about a month ago, and being a middle aged guy, that's pretty scary.  Being a Vet, I was blessed with a retraining program that will allow me to go to school full time, and then help get me a job.  My wife is supportive, there will be some income to help pay the bills and I can focus on getting my degree.  Tomorrow is going to be a huge day, I am going to meet with my vet representative, go to the doctor's and find out if th mass that was removed is going to cause major problems, then I am going to an interview for a part time Limo driving job.  I hope that all of this good news carries through to tomorrow, and I can open a new chapter in my life.

Going to school scares the hell out of me.  I do well in everything but math...I hate math, and it hates me, all those x's and y's I don't get it.  But that will be my full time job for about a year.  Why do things happen the way they do, I don't know but they  do and we have no control over it.

Here is hoping things are going well for you, and remember to be good to someone you don't know, because someday you will need the kindness of a stranger, and support in something you are doing.Honey-Can-Do 8-Pc. Back-To-School Home Storage Kit (Google Affiliate Ad)

The garden saga continues- The Compost Bins-

"we put all of our garbage, except meat, oily stuff, glossy news paper blah blah and we get great material for the garden, by the truck loads."  I am a guy, really? I can find the garbage can about 70% of the time, but now I have trash, wet compost (veggies), dry compost (news paper) and don't forget the recycables, but not tin cans (that's a whole different blog).  O.K. I will try to save money, and am willing to try anything once.  Now we have been using an idea that was found on Pintrest, with some major modifications.  As posted earlier, with the raised garden beds we are constructing boxes which are about 30" high, and 50" long.  The compost bins are about 60" wide, 50"high and 30"deep. Now what I know about compost piles is very limited but once again the Internet is a great teacher.

The First thing you need to do is construct the box.  Not including leveling the ground, this step should take about 10 minutes (really I am not kidding).  After finding a fairly level spot, and with the assistance of someone one, stand your side and back panel up.  Using either 90 degree corner plates or straight board menders (or even a combination of the two) connect the pallets.  Experience has shown that pre drilling the holes help a lot, because the pallets can be constructed of any wood, or combination of woods.  Once the first corner is done it becomes easier. Take your second pallet that will be used on the back and attach it to the first using 2 board menders.  Don't worry if it is not 100% flush, or perfect, remember it is holding materials for compost.  Now comes a little trickey thing.  We wanted to divide this bin into two seperate bins so we took two pallets and put them back to back and attached them to the back wall.  The goal is to keep this project inexpensive, so I did not use any extra lumber, we basically split the difference and moved along.  Now we placed the other pallet on the outside wall and attached it using board menders  The next step was the moment of truth, we took two pallets (one in each bin) and for a reason still unknown to me they fit.  This step according to my wife is very important, it allows for air flow underneath the 'stuff'.  Because these will be in contact with the 'product' securing them seemed silly because they will need to be replaced. The engineer changed the specs at the last minute, and instead of putting hinges on the door we 'lashed' them shut, allows for greater access to all this compost we will be getting.

My wife read about a way to turn stuff into compost in 21-28 days, and the key is air.  So now comes a little expense, We went to our local home center and bought 8 10ft pieces of 1" PVC pipe.  Have stress at this point? Now is the time you get to release it, using a large drill bit make lots of holes, for air movement.  I created a guide, just to give me a more stable working surface.  Try to remember, this is about function and fun, exact measurments are not important as long as there are lots of holes.  After drilling holes I took my battery operated 'saws all' to the 'site' and cut the PVC to fit inside the boxes.  These Pipes make a checker board and will compress as the stuff turns into 'dirt'.  The last picture shows how they are set in.  Karen now has the job of 'filling the bins.  I will keep you updated on how this stuff works, it will either work great, OR I will be inviting my friends over for a hell of a bon fire.

If folks want specifications, or easy to follow directions please feel free to e-mail me, and unless I have been buried by the truck loads of compost, I will get them to you.

The Kidz-

I have the honor of being the proud 'parent' of three great dogs.  One of the great things that I do is ensure that my girlz (the rottie and the pit mix) are well trained and socialized.  These guys travel with me no matter where I go. I bring them into stores, let them socialize with people, yet it amazes me how people are scared of the dog just because of what they look like.  My dogs have never done anything (except kill some woodchucks). Yet people (especially insurance companies) discriminate based on the breed.  For my dog friends State Farm is one of the insurance companies that does not care what breed you have.

My dogs all go to obidence training, CGC/TDI will they bite, sure, if you attack me or they are attacked, however they will not just go out and bite someone.  Our Rottie (Zahra) is a special dog.  My wife and I got her after a disasterous experience with a Welch Corgi.  In all fairnes that poor dog had serious issues.  We turned it over to the rescue where we got it from and they had to destroy him because of his issues.  The day after we got rid of the Corgi I found Z, she was in a shelter in Rochester, her picture should how smart she was and I knew right away I wanted her.  She just 'fit', I can not explain it but she is special and she is well loved.

My wife found the little Pit Mix, she was in our local shelter, she was abused, and neglected. She had been locked in an apartment for over three months, she weighed about 15 lbs.  She had been forced to deficate, urinate, sleep in the same area.  I was scared about all kinds of issues but I took a chance, because Karen wanted her.  Well she just fit right in.  Her big sister plays with her, she loves to ride, and there have been no real issues.

Our third kid, MacDuff was Karen's first dog.  He is now 10 years old.  Duffer is a lover, but has his quirks.  He is the one dog that I cannot take out as much.  Duffer does not like people as much.  Now he will ride til the end of time, but he is not one that I can take into the store with people.

These are my kidz, sure they do not grow up and go to college, but they make us proud all the same.  The girls are great ambassadors of the breed.

So that's the story of our kidz, they keep us busy and happy.Majestic Dog Bed Crate Mat - Sherpa - Pet Beds (Google Affiliate Ad)

Aging-

So here I am, 48 years old...this past week I had a biopsy done on an enlarged Lymph node.  The surgeon told my wife that it was very large, and the nurse was recommending that I may want to look for a onocological urologist, now if that is not a wake up call.

As a paramedic, I speant many years trying to help people, and there were times that I was not able to help the patient. I realize that death is a part of life, and that really does not scare me but what does scare me is illness.  The thought of being ill and loosing certain abilities terrifies me.  While I know that as of this writing everything is premature, I have no clue what the test results are just the thought of traveling that road is scary.  I have a wonderful life, sure it has it's ups and downs, who doesn't however the thought of leaving is not a happy thought.

This is my special little girl, Zarah a 6 year old Rottie.  Over the past several weeks she has been very "clingy" not wanting to let me go outside without her, or she wants to ride with me.  Her job is not done, and I need to be here to help her.

The second picture is our newest addition, Java a little Pit Bull mix that was so neglected she was less than 15lbs.  She was nursed back to health, and now is the picture of love and devotion, she is the ultimate in cuteness, love and the fact dogs don't live in the past.  The other day she rode about 240 miles with me, while we were out I stopped to give her water and let her strech.  A truck driver who was next to us started to talk to her and she was happy and so friendly.  Her mission in life is just starting and I need to be there to help her.

The possibility of cancer scares the hell out of me, my dogs, my wife and my family do not deserve this, but if it is my plight so be it.  I know that what will be will be and we are all just along for the ride.  I will attempt to stay positive as things unfold, but I also know that someday I will pass on to the next plain of life, and I am at peace with that.

Be good to one another, because when all is said and done, that's all we really have...one another.

T

The Garden-

This year, thanks to Pintrest, we have found a way to create new and improved raised garden beds to help keep critters out, and increase the amount of growing space around our garden.  These are made from pallets that we get for free.  the pallets are 50"x30" and is put together with screws and plates.  The cost of materials is about $3.00 each and they take about 10 minutes per box.

This gives us the ability to grow lettuce and other "desirable" plants away from those pesky rabbits.  The pallets should last about 5-7 years, and will be easy to change.  As you can see we add a floor to the box, this way we do not have to fill it with dirt, the one completed box took almost a yard of dirt/compost mix to fill, so if you multiple that by 12-15 boxes, that's a lot of dirt.

This is the "holding bin" or the first of three compost bins that we will be putting together.  Right now it is full of horse manure, which we got for....you guessed it FREE.  It was well seasoned, and will break down really nice for next spring.  Right now, including gas we have about $60.00 in to the whole project, which is not bad considering that it will increase the output of the garden by about 200% when done.  It is amazing the ideas that you can get from that stupid web site Pintrest.  But it is easy to put together and looks really nice when looking from the house.  When everything is done, it will also provide a fence to help keep the dogs, rabbits, deer etc from helping themselves.

If you are interested in more technical information, just email me, and I would be happy to give it to you.
It is amazing what you can do with just a couple of bucks a little sweat, and some imagination.

Be good to one another because in reality that's all we got.

What a Difference just a week can make-

Wow what  a week it has been.  I have been undergoing some test by doctors, now there is a new exercise in patience, to determine why I have been losing weight, and generally feeling like crap.  Well the preliminaries are in, and I need to undergo very minor surgery on Wednesday so that they can biopsy some atypical lymph nodes.  Of course that means more waiting and patience.  But I guess that is what this whole thing called life is.

On a happier note, I have made great progress on the raised garden beds this week.  Using all of the pallets that were the same size.  For those of you that have room, and heck if you don't it is a way to increase your planting area and minimize the amount of critters getting the good stuff.  What I am doing is taking three pallets, all the same size (30"x50") and creating a box, with the bottom being about 13" off the ground.  Then the box will be lined with a light gauge chicken wire and landscape fabric.  Fill the box with dirt, compost, and peat moss and there is a raised bed.  All you need to do then is add veggies (or flowers) and let nature do it's thing.  If you get fancy with it you could stain the outside and make it a nice addition to your home landscape.

I have also been playing around with making a table out of a pallet that was to small to use in the garden.  This will be finished hopefully this week, while I am 'resting' after surgery.  I will get pictures posted real soon  of both projects along with a detail on how to do them.

I have been trying to stay positive with all of the change that has taken place over the past month and continue to remain that way.  One thing that I have been doing is riding with the Patriot Guard Riders, and doing some funerals, escorting both veterans and those who were killed in action to their final resting place.  No matter what your politics are, we as a nation do owe that much to our veterans, the respect and honor of escorting their remains.  The one funeral that I did last week was really hard.  It was that of a 23 year old who was KIA in Afghanistan.  What I believe made this really hard was the fact that I watched as he young bride (21-23) sat next to his casket and wept.  They were only married 4 months before his death.  I can only imagine what was going through her mind, the fact that they had their whole life in front of them, and now he is gone.  I will get on my political soap box and just say that it is time that we get our troops home and not to worry about what happens.  If Afghanistan was to fall to pieces and end up in Civil War so be it, as long as our troops are back home and safe.

The one nice thing about the Patriot Guard is that they do not care about anything except that you must have honor and respect for our Veterans.  You do not need a bike, we have many members who drive their cars and trucks (cages).  I will guarantee in January and February my bike will not be on the road but the missions continue.  We also welcome troops home, and one of the best things we do is welcome the WWII vets back at the airport when they do an honor flight.  It is a great feeling.

Well I hope everyone has a great week, and I will try to continue the updates...Be good to one another.

Just the Average guy.

The Beginning

Well here we go, I guess trying this blog thing won't be a bad thing, just different.

A little bit about myself, I live in the upstate NY area where we get SNOW (God I hate snow).  How did I get here?  Well back in 1991 after getting out of the military (USAF) my now ex-wife wanted to move back to the area where I grew up.  So we left California and moved here...then of course as I implied, she decided to move on with her life and left.  So in 2000 I decided that I needed to re-evaluate life and I did.  I found that God was the corner stone of life and that I should try to live more by His word.  At the time I was a Paramedic for a small company and I owe much of what I now believe in to one man, Mr. Ken Kelly.  Ken was not only my instructor as a paramedic, but a mentor in life.  Ken is now facing his biggest battle he is fighting cancer.  He knows that this will end his life, but instead of sitting around waiting to die, Ken is fighting, and he is still teaching.  Ken post many of his thoughts on a blog, which has been very inspirational to myself.  If there is one thing that he has taught me it is to be kind to everyone, and embrace all that is good in people.  I know that some day soon I will loose the ability to talk to Ken, however his words and actions will be forever engraved into my being.

After several years of soul searching and working really hard to clean up my life I met a lovely lady, Karen, and we began dating.  After about a year I asked her to merry me and she did.  Since 2005 we began this roller coaster we call life.  Karen's mother became very ill and almost died in 2006.  We got her back, and she was on the road to recovery when she was diagnosed with cancer, she passed away in 2009.  Since then Karen's father moved in with us, and he is into his 80's and wheel chair bound.  This has proven to be very stressful on the both of us.  To make matters worse, in 2011 to keep her job, Karen had to commute to Albany NY which is about 200 miles away.  So she would go to Albany for 5 days then come home.  This was not what I would call a great year. Thankfully on Thanksgiving Day 2011 she was transferred back to the Canandaigua office and now we have returned to normal.  Life was going on pretty normal until this past July when I lost my job.  So we now keep moving forward.

As a Paramedic, I learned many lessons, and one of the most important was to take things as they come and try not to worry about things I could not change.  I know that things happen for a reason, and I just need to figure out the reason.

So to keep busy, I was told to start a blog, one that would address life as an average citizen.  I will share experiences, answer questions.  Kind of like how to survive when things change.  I know that I am keeping busy with new hobbies (wood working) and the wife has me busy building boxes.  ( I will show you how to build a raised garden bed for less than $7.00 each).  So hopefully I can get this blog out and give some folks a little hope, and maybe get some more ideas on how to make life a little better.

Remember, be kind to one another and yourself.