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Rotten Day with my boat, still better than a day at work!
So, I'm a believer now that the worst day with my boat is still better than
my best day at work. It's the last day of summer before school starts, so I took my daughter and a few of her friends to the lake. The first thing I did was drag my skeg in my driveway; oh, you're supposed to raise the prop before trailering? The second thing I did was get whacked in the face with a bungee cord that my daughter let fly. Blood everywhere, a knot on my cheek and a black eye, broken sunglasses, and worst of all my daughter still feels rotten no matter how many times I tell her it's ok. Third, you know those trees I asked about in another thread, well, I ran into one (no damage and I'm not even going to try to explain). Then, remember that anchor I didn't want to lose to the trees, well, in a treeless area I lost my brand new anchor. It just fell off the chain. I dropped anchor in a treeless part of the lake so the kids could swim. We kept drifting so I pulled the anchor up, actually just the rode and chain. Well, that explained the lack of weight at the other end. And still, I can't wait to go out again with the kids; darn this interfering school stuff! 90 degrees or more with refreshing water temps and four 11 year old girls having a great time at the lake. Saw some wildlife (woodpecker, squirrel) and top-feeding bass; the girls loved it. This boating thing is addictive! The worst day is better than a day at work. |
Sorry about the head injury, those bungee cords FREAKING HURT.
"Bryan" wrote in message m... So, I'm a believer now that the worst day with my boat is still better than my best day at work. It's the last day of summer before school starts, so I took my daughter and a few of her friends to the lake. The first thing I did was drag my skeg in my driveway; oh, you're supposed to raise the prop before trailering? The second thing I did was get whacked in the face with a bungee cord that my daughter let fly. Blood everywhere, a knot on my cheek and a black eye, broken sunglasses, and worst of all my daughter still feels rotten no matter how many times I tell her it's ok. Third, you know those trees I asked about in another thread, well, I ran into one (no damage and I'm not even going to try to explain). Then, remember that anchor I didn't want to lose to the trees, well, in a treeless area I lost my brand new anchor. It just fell off the chain. I dropped anchor in a treeless part of the lake so the kids could swim. We kept drifting so I pulled the anchor up, actually just the rode and chain. Well, that explained the lack of weight at the other end. And still, I can't wait to go out again with the kids; darn this interfering school stuff! 90 degrees or more with refreshing water temps and four 11 year old girls having a great time at the lake. Saw some wildlife (woodpecker, squirrel) and top-feeding bass; the girls loved it. This boating thing is addictive! The worst day is better than a day at work. |
And now you know to tie the anchor rode shackle pins with a piece of wire.
(I first learned that in a boating course, so didn't have to make the error myself ... or at least, haven't made it yet!) Charles ==== Charles T. Low www.boatdocking.com ==== "Bryan" wrote in message m... So, I'm a believer now that the worst day with my boat is still better than my best day at work. It's the last day of summer before school starts, so I took my daughter and a few of her friends to the lake. The first thing I did was drag my skeg in my driveway; oh, you're supposed to raise the prop before trailering? The second thing I did was get whacked in the face with a bungee cord that my daughter let fly. Blood everywhere, a knot on my cheek and a black eye, broken sunglasses, and worst of all my daughter still feels rotten no matter how many times I tell her it's ok. Third, you know those trees I asked about in another thread, well, I ran into one (no damage and I'm not even going to try to explain). Then, remember that anchor I didn't want to lose to the trees, well, in a treeless area I lost my brand new anchor. It just fell off the chain. I dropped anchor in a treeless part of the lake so the kids could swim. We kept drifting so I pulled the anchor up, actually just the rode and chain. Well, that explained the lack of weight at the other end. And still, I can't wait to go out again with the kids; darn this interfering school stuff! 90 degrees or more with refreshing water temps and four 11 year old girls having a great time at the lake. Saw some wildlife (woodpecker, squirrel) and top-feeding bass; the girls loved it. This boating thing is addictive! The worst day is better than a day at work. |
No squirrels at home???
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Thanks. Makes me want to use buckle/strap tie downs from now on!
"seeray28" wrote in message ... Sorry about the head injury, those bungee cords FREAKING HURT. "Bryan" wrote in message m... So, I'm a believer now that the worst day with my boat is still better than my best day at work. It's the last day of summer before school starts, so I took my daughter and a few of her friends to the lake. The first thing I did was drag my skeg in my driveway; oh, you're supposed to raise the prop before trailering? The second thing I did was get whacked in the face with a bungee cord that my daughter let fly. Blood everywhere, a knot on my cheek and a black eye, broken sunglasses, and worst of all my daughter still feels rotten no matter how many times I tell her it's ok. Third, you know those trees I asked about in another thread, well, I ran into one (no damage and I'm not even going to try to explain). Then, remember that anchor I didn't want to lose to the trees, well, in a treeless area I lost my brand new anchor. It just fell off the chain. I dropped anchor in a treeless part of the lake so the kids could swim. We kept drifting so I pulled the anchor up, actually just the rode and chain. Well, that explained the lack of weight at the other end. And still, I can't wait to go out again with the kids; darn this interfering school stuff! 90 degrees or more with refreshing water temps and four 11 year old girls having a great time at the lake. Saw some wildlife (woodpecker, squirrel) and top-feeding bass; the girls loved it. This boating thing is addictive! The worst day is better than a day at work. |
I've had boating courses. That's one point that never got covered! Lesson
learned. The hard way! Oh well, lesson learned. Thanks for the tip. "Charles T. Low" [withoutUN] wrote in message wsgroups.com... And now you know to tie the anchor rode shackle pins with a piece of wire. (I first learned that in a boating course, so didn't have to make the error myself ... or at least, haven't made it yet!) Charles ==== Charles T. Low www.boatdocking.com ==== "Bryan" wrote in message m... So, I'm a believer now that the worst day with my boat is still better than my best day at work. It's the last day of summer before school starts, so I took my daughter and a few of her friends to the lake. The first thing I did was drag my skeg in my driveway; oh, you're supposed to raise the prop before trailering? The second thing I did was get whacked in the face with a bungee cord that my daughter let fly. Blood everywhere, a knot on my cheek and a black eye, broken sunglasses, and worst of all my daughter still feels rotten no matter how many times I tell her it's ok. Third, you know those trees I asked about in another thread, well, I ran into one (no damage and I'm not even going to try to explain). Then, remember that anchor I didn't want to lose to the trees, well, in a treeless area I lost my brand new anchor. It just fell off the chain. I dropped anchor in a treeless part of the lake so the kids could swim. We kept drifting so I pulled the anchor up, actually just the rode and chain. Well, that explained the lack of weight at the other end. And still, I can't wait to go out again with the kids; darn this interfering school stuff! 90 degrees or more with refreshing water temps and four 11 year old girls having a great time at the lake. Saw some wildlife (woodpecker, squirrel) and top-feeding bass; the girls loved it. This boating thing is addictive! The worst day is better than a day at work. |
"Doug Kanter" wrote in message ... No squirrels at home??? Rats. Mice. Opossum. Skunk. Crow. Geese. Pigeon. Dove. Egret. That's our suburban backyard. Some call it wildlife. Some call it suburban wildlife. With the exception of the egrets, I just call it pests. The lake is a wilderness area compared to our suburban life, so the kids aren't used to seeing animals in their natural habitat. Oh yeah, and I haven't seen a squirrel in the 10 years I've lived here. |
"Bryan" wrote in message . .. "Doug Kanter" wrote in message ... No squirrels at home??? Rats. Mice. Opossum. Skunk. Crow. Geese. Pigeon. Dove. Egret. That's our suburban backyard. Some call it wildlife. Some call it suburban wildlife. With the exception of the egrets, I just call it pests. The lake is a wilderness area compared to our suburban life, so the kids aren't used to seeing animals in their natural habitat. Oh yeah, and I haven't seen a squirrel in the 10 years I've lived here. Where's "here"? |
"Charles T. Low" [withoutUN] wrote in message wsgroups.com... And now you know to tie the anchor rode shackle pins with a piece of wire. (I first learned that in a boating course, so didn't have to make the error myself ... or at least, haven't made it yet!) Charles |
"Charles T. Low" [withoutUN] wrote in message wsgroups.com... And now you know to tie the anchor rode shackle pins with a piece of wire. (I first learned that in a boating course, so didn't have to make the error myself ... or at least, haven't made it yet!) Charles Or instead of wire a zip tie works well and doesn't rust. |
Sorry to hear about the problems but it looks like you have taken them in
stride and handled them well. I am sure things will go flawlessly next time out. "Bryan" wrote in message m... So, I'm a believer now that the worst day with my boat is still better than my best day at work. It's the last day of summer before school starts, so I took my daughter and a few of her friends to the lake. The first thing I did was drag my skeg in my driveway; oh, you're supposed to raise the prop before trailering? The second thing I did was get whacked in the face with a bungee cord that my daughter let fly. Blood everywhere, a knot on my cheek and a black eye, broken sunglasses, and worst of all my daughter still feels rotten no matter how many times I tell her it's ok. Third, you know those trees I asked about in another thread, well, I ran into one (no damage and I'm not even going to try to explain). Then, remember that anchor I didn't want to lose to the trees, well, in a treeless area I lost my brand new anchor. It just fell off the chain. I dropped anchor in a treeless part of the lake so the kids could swim. We kept drifting so I pulled the anchor up, actually just the rode and chain. Well, that explained the lack of weight at the other end. And still, I can't wait to go out again with the kids; darn this interfering school stuff! 90 degrees or more with refreshing water temps and four 11 year old girls having a great time at the lake. Saw some wildlife (woodpecker, squirrel) and top-feeding bass; the girls loved it. This boating thing is addictive! The worst day is better than a day at work. |
"Doug Kanter" wrote in message ... "Bryan" wrote in message . .. "Doug Kanter" wrote in message ... No squirrels at home??? Rats. Mice. Opossum. Skunk. Crow. Geese. Pigeon. Dove. Egret. That's our suburban backyard. Some call it wildlife. Some call it suburban wildlife. With the exception of the egrets, I just call it pests. The lake is a wilderness area compared to our suburban life, so the kids aren't used to seeing animals in their natural habitat. Oh yeah, and I haven't seen a squirrel in the 10 years I've lived here. Where's "here"? Sonoma County near Santa Rosa. |
Hmm. An optimist, eh? Yeah, it will be better. Really, it will.
Thanks "*JimH*" wrote in message ... Sorry to hear about the problems but it looks like you have taken them in stride and handled them well. I am sure things will go flawlessly next time out. "Bryan" wrote in message m... So, I'm a believer now that the worst day with my boat is still better than my best day at work. It's the last day of summer before school starts, so I took my daughter and a few of her friends to the lake. The first thing I did was drag my skeg in my driveway; oh, you're supposed to raise the prop before trailering? The second thing I did was get whacked in the face with a bungee cord that my daughter let fly. Blood everywhere, a knot on my cheek and a black eye, broken sunglasses, and worst of all my daughter still feels rotten no matter how many times I tell her it's ok. Third, you know those trees I asked about in another thread, well, I ran into one (no damage and I'm not even going to try to explain). Then, remember that anchor I didn't want to lose to the trees, well, in a treeless area I lost my brand new anchor. It just fell off the chain. I dropped anchor in a treeless part of the lake so the kids could swim. We kept drifting so I pulled the anchor up, actually just the rode and chain. Well, that explained the lack of weight at the other end. And still, I can't wait to go out again with the kids; darn this interfering school stuff! 90 degrees or more with refreshing water temps and four 11 year old girls having a great time at the lake. Saw some wildlife (woodpecker, squirrel) and top-feeding bass; the girls loved it. This boating thing is addictive! The worst day is better than a day at work. |
"Bryan" wrote in message m... "Doug Kanter" wrote in message ... "Bryan" wrote in message . .. "Doug Kanter" wrote in message ... No squirrels at home??? Rats. Mice. Opossum. Skunk. Crow. Geese. Pigeon. Dove. Egret. That's our suburban backyard. Some call it wildlife. Some call it suburban wildlife. With the exception of the egrets, I just call it pests. The lake is a wilderness area compared to our suburban life, so the kids aren't used to seeing animals in their natural habitat. Oh yeah, and I haven't seen a squirrel in the 10 years I've lived here. Where's "here"? Sonoma County near Santa Rosa. I could package up a few dozen squirrels for you, if you're interested. That would leave me with a few thousand. :) |
"Harry Krause" wrote in message ... Doug Kanter wrote: "Bryan" wrote in message m... "Doug Kanter" wrote in message ... "Bryan" wrote in message . .. "Doug Kanter" wrote in message ... No squirrels at home??? Rats. Mice. Opossum. Skunk. Crow. Geese. Pigeon. Dove. Egret. That's our suburban backyard. Some call it wildlife. Some call it suburban wildlife. With the exception of the egrets, I just call it pests. The lake is a wilderness area compared to our suburban life, so the kids aren't used to seeing animals in their natural habitat. Oh yeah, and I haven't seen a squirrel in the 10 years I've lived here. Where's "here"? Sonoma County near Santa Rosa. I could package up a few dozen squirrels for you, if you're interested. That would leave me with a few thousand. :) My wife feeds the squirrels. Not close to the house, thankfully, but she does put out their favorite seeds. She feeds all the other critters, too. We have a couple of foxes that stop by for dinner at dusk. They really are beautiful animals. One of our near neighbors has a pair of llamas, but they are not roaming the forest. Many gardeners would take your wife for a one-way boat ride. :-) Squirrels can wreak havoc with seed beds. I like them, but there's no need to attract them, and *definitely* no need to feed them. I've got my entire garden caged, just so they won't dig around the various seedlings which are sprouting all season long. Without cages, I'd never see lettuce, carrots, or anything else. |
"Harry Krause" wrote in message ... Doug Kanter wrote: "Harry Krause" wrote in message ... Doug Kanter wrote: "Bryan" wrote in message m... "Doug Kanter" wrote in message ... "Bryan" wrote in message . .. "Doug Kanter" wrote in message ... No squirrels at home??? Rats. Mice. Opossum. Skunk. Crow. Geese. Pigeon. Dove. Egret. That's our suburban backyard. Some call it wildlife. Some call it suburban wildlife. With the exception of the egrets, I just call it pests. The lake is a wilderness area compared to our suburban life, so the kids aren't used to seeing animals in their natural habitat. Oh yeah, and I haven't seen a squirrel in the 10 years I've lived here. Where's "here"? Sonoma County near Santa Rosa. I could package up a few dozen squirrels for you, if you're interested. That would leave me with a few thousand. :) My wife feeds the squirrels. Not close to the house, thankfully, but she does put out their favorite seeds. She feeds all the other critters, too. We have a couple of foxes that stop by for dinner at dusk. They really are beautiful animals. One of our near neighbors has a pair of llamas, but they are not roaming the forest. Many gardeners would take your wife for a one-way boat ride. :-) Squirrels can wreak havoc with seed beds. I like them, but there's no need to attract them, and *definitely* no need to feed them. I've got my entire garden caged, just so they won't dig around the various seedlings which are sprouting all season long. Without cages, I'd never see lettuce, carrots, or anything else. She feeds "her" critters at the edge of our woods, so so far they haven't come looking for anything other than her offerings. Some of those offerings ain't too shabby. I left some fishheads out one evening, and one of the foxes carried them off, one at a time, and then came back for the tinfoil pie plate. We grow some container tomatoes and peppers, that's about it. All the other produce we get from local farmers. I do that for some stuff. But, at least a couple of time each summer, I have to have Silver Queen corn, from plant to plate in less than 5 minutes. Amazing. |
It is detremental to wild animals to teach them to use humans as their
source of food. People have told Harry that this is not healthy for wildlife, but he is not interested in what is best for wildlife, only what is good for Harry. Only a self centered idiot would feed wild animals. from: http://www.nps.gov/brca/feeding_wildlife.html Feeding wildlife is actually a form of animal cruelty. Animals that are fed by humans learn to frequent roadsides and parking lots, dramatically increasing their chances of being run-over by a careless motorist. Most animals have very specific natural diets and therefore specific kinds of digestive bacteria. Being fed human food causes the wrong type of bacteria to become dominant in the stomachs. Soon these animals are no longer able to digest their natural foods. They end up starving to death with stomachs full of what they should have been eating all along. What could be more cruel? http://www.wildlifecareofventura.org...0Why%20Not.htm Eight reasons why you should not feed wild animals: Eight Good Reasons ....why you shouldn't feed wildlife By Anne Muraski reprinted from the "Quarterly Release," Friends of Monterey County Wildlife's newsletter Wildlife Care of Ventura County volunteers see the ill effects of feeding wild animals every day. Experts agree that this misplaced kindness is a major threat to wildlife. Here are a few reasons why you should not feed wild animals: 1.. Providing an artificial food source causes adults to produce large families which the natural food supply can't support. Overpopulation leads to starvation and epidemics of disease. Many of these diseases are dangerous to humans: bubonic plague, salmonella, psittacosis, and rabies, to name a few. Feeding caused the overpopulation of Norway rats that colonized in Pacific Grove's Lover's Point Park in recent years. The rats were attracted and sustained by the abundant snacks left for ground squirrels by tourists. The potential public health hazard prompted the county environmental health director to order that the city actively enforce its non-feeding ordinance. 2.. It is illegal to feed wildlife. Ventura County animal control ordinance prohibits feeding wild animals except for the use of bird feeders. The Marine Mammal Protection Act imposes hefty fines for persons who harass, disturb or interfere with the natural behaviors of marine mammals such as whales, sea lions, harbor seals, pelicans, etc. - this would include providing food to attract the animals or encourage domesticity. It is also illegal to possess any native wildlife without a permit: if you find an injured animal, you should call a licensed rehabilitator in your area immediately. 3.. Wild animals have specialized diets and can die from the wrong foods. Many people feed wildlife as a form of entertainment; but bread, popcorn, French fries and picnic leftovers can cause disease, death, mouth injuries and throat obstructions in animals adapted to eat other foods. Feeding the wrong diet to a baby animal even for a day or two can permanently damage developing muscles, bones and tissues, making survival impossible. Even feeding supposedly "healthy" food is harmful because it alters the animal's foraging patterns and can cause overpopulation which ultimately leads to starvation. 4.. Feeding causes wildlife to lose their natural fear of humans. These animals become easy targets for people who do not respect wildlife and would hurt them intentionally. Also, there are many people who are afraid of wildlife and may injure an animal in an attempt to defend themselves against a mistaken "attack." 5.. You always risk injury when you do not keep a respectful distance from wild animals who may misinterpret your actions. Wild animals defend themselves with teeth, beaks, claws, talons, spines, venom, and toxins to name a few adaptions. There is no guarantee that a wild animal knows where the food stops and your fingers begin. Sadly, it is usually the animal which loses when the person feeding complains of being "attacked." For some reason, many people who would never consider petting a stray dog will readily approach a wild animal. 6.. Providing food in residential areas often leads to property damage and unwelcome wild "houseguests." Wildlife Care of Ventura County receives hundreds of calls each year from people complaining of damage and disruption to their homes and landscaping from deer, raccoons and other wildlife. Often this is because someone is attracting the animal with food either on purpose or inadvertently by leaving out pet food or not securing garbage. 7.. Feeding changes behavior patterns, sometimes with catastrophic results. Such was the case in 1988 when vendors in Monterey were selling fish to feed to the brown pelicans and sea lions. As a result, many of the birds did not migrate and the reduced winter food supply couldn't support them. The Monterey Wildlife Center received hundreds of pelicans sick from erysphelatrix, a disease the birds contracted from eating the spoiled fish they learned to scavenge from the wharf garbage bins. The starving pelicans also were snatching at people's food with their sharp beaks. 8.. Feeding causes injuries and harmful interactions between wildlife species. For instance, when fishing operations discard leftover offal into the ocean after fish cleaning, it forces confrontations between species who otherwise would not interact. Suddenly, pelicans, who dive for fish near the surface of the water, and harbor seals, who forage for food in the water column and near the ocean floor, are forced to compete for food in the same area, causing injuries which otherwise would not occur. Also, while many marine mammals and birds eat whole fish, the skin and bones of fish by itself is not easily digestible, has little caloric value, and can cause choking and injuries. Fish bones can be very sharp, and Wildlife Care volunteers have had to remove many fish skeletons from the delicate pouches and throats of pelicans whose mouths are adapted to swallow whole fish, not crunch bones. Punctures and lacerations are easily infected, causing a slow death when animals cannot forage or swallow. Remember: when people and wildlife interact, wildlife often ends up losing. Always enjoy wildlife from a distance! http://www.wildlifecareofventura.org...0Why%20Not.htm "Harry Krause" wrote in message ... Doug Kanter wrote: "Harry Krause" wrote in message ... Doug Kanter wrote: "Bryan" wrote in message m... "Doug Kanter" wrote in message ... "Bryan" wrote in message . .. "Doug Kanter" wrote in message ... No squirrels at home??? Rats. Mice. Opossum. Skunk. Crow. Geese. Pigeon. Dove. Egret. That's our suburban backyard. Some call it wildlife. Some call it suburban wildlife. With the exception of the egrets, I just call it pests. The lake is a wilderness area compared to our suburban life, so the kids aren't used to seeing animals in their natural habitat. Oh yeah, and I haven't seen a squirrel in the 10 years I've lived here. Where's "here"? Sonoma County near Santa Rosa. I could package up a few dozen squirrels for you, if you're interested. That would leave me with a few thousand. :) My wife feeds the squirrels. Not close to the house, thankfully, but she does put out their favorite seeds. She feeds all the other critters, too. We have a couple of foxes that stop by for dinner at dusk. They really are beautiful animals. One of our near neighbors has a pair of llamas, but they are not roaming the forest. Many gardeners would take your wife for a one-way boat ride. :-) Squirrels can wreak havoc with seed beds. I like them, but there's no need to attract them, and *definitely* no need to feed them. I've got my entire garden caged, just so they won't dig around the various seedlings which are sprouting all season long. Without cages, I'd never see lettuce, carrots, or anything else. She feeds "her" critters at the edge of our woods, so so far they haven't come looking for anything other than her offerings. Some of those offerings ain't too shabby. I left some fishheads out one evening, and one of the foxes carried them off, one at a time, and then came back for the tinfoil pie plate. We grow some container tomatoes and peppers, that's about it. All the other produce we get from local farmers. |
"Shortwave Sportfishing" wrote in message ... On Tue, 30 Aug 2005 14:11:40 GMT, "Doug Kanter" wrote: Many gardeners would take your wife for a one-way boat ride. :-) Squirrels can wreak havoc with seed beds. I like them, but there's no need to attract them, and *definitely* no need to feed them. I've got my entire garden caged, just so they won't dig around the various seedlings which are sprouting all season long. Without cages, I'd never see lettuce, carrots, or anything else. I'm not a farmer type, although I have been known to have a vegetable garden once or twice. I just don't have the patience. I don't either, but after 30 years, I have it down to a science. Other than the initial creation of the garden, which is a bitch (because I don't like rototillers), it's pretty easy, if you have the right tools. This week, I've got mustard greens, baby-size, that were grown under some shade cloth so they wouldn't get bitter. Holy smokes...delicious with a slightly sweet dressing like raspberry vinaigrette. Next week, fresh arugula, collards, swiss chard. I got eggplant like crazy, enough tomatoes to supply the whole neighborhood, tarragon, oregano, parsley, sage, basil (pesto twice a week!), corn, 3 kinds of lettuce, 4 kinds of peppers, lima beans, green beans. Coming soon: Snow peas, pak choy, escarole, regular peas. Next year, I'm gonna double the size. Gotta save up money for the fence, though. Too many deer and woodchucks. Acquired a new kitten this weekend. She's being trained to deal with the rabbits. Going to the mall to get a very realistic stuffed bunny. I'm gonna open it up, add a few tablespoons of catnip, sew it back up, and teach kitty that this is the reason for her existence. :) |
"Shortwave Sportfishing" wrote in message ... On Tue, 30 Aug 2005 16:00:56 GMT, "Doug Kanter" wrote: Next week, fresh arugula, ~~ snicker ~~ Doug said arugula. Sorry...were the grandkids looking over your shoulder? |
"Harry Krause" wrote in message
... A Bully of Bunnies! What's your problem with rototillers? They make gardening much easier. You can rent a commercial grade tiller down here for about $35 for a day, and that's enough time to turn over the dirt for really large garden. For a number of reasons. 1) You're not supposed to turn over the soil. The soil exists in definite layers. The layer at the top BELONGS at the top, not buried or mixed with the layer that's a foot deeper. It contains more of the microorganisms that make organic gardening work so well. If you screw it up, it can take 2-3 seasons to recover, and there's NO way to speed up the process using soil amendments. 2) If you're making new beds where there's now some lawn, the goal is to remove the turf, not chop it into a million pieces and bury some of it like a rototiller does. Otherwise, the grass will be popping up all over the place a month later. You have to slice the turf into manageable pieces, slide under it with a fork, and shake off the soil. It's easy if you get the right spade & fork, like a Smith & Hawken or something like that. Sounds like a lot of work, but you're gonna end up doing it anyway if you rototill. At least with hand tools, you know you've gotten 99% of the grass because it never gets hidden under the surface. Once the garden's been prepared, it NEVER gets turned over - just loosened slightly with a fork in the spring. I injured my shoulder back in March, but I was able to do this job one-handed because the soil was perfect. |
"Harry Krause" wrote in message ... Doug Kanter wrote: "Harry Krause" wrote in message ... A Bully of Bunnies! What's your problem with rototillers? They make gardening much easier. You can rent a commercial grade tiller down here for about $35 for a day, and that's enough time to turn over the dirt for really large garden. For a number of reasons. 1) You're not supposed to turn over the soil. The soil exists in definite layers. The layer at the top BELONGS at the top, not buried or mixed with the layer that's a foot deeper. It contains more of the microorganisms that make organic gardening work so well. If you screw it up, it can take 2-3 seasons to recover, and there's NO way to speed up the process using soil amendments. 2) If you're making new beds where there's now some lawn, the goal is to remove the turf, not chop it into a million pieces and bury some of it like a rototiller does. Otherwise, the grass will be popping up all over the place a month later. You have to slice the turf into manageable pieces, slide under it with a fork, and shake off the soil. It's easy if you get the right spade & fork, like a Smith & Hawken or something like that. Sounds like a lot of work, but you're gonna end up doing it anyway if you rototill. At least with hand tools, you know you've gotten 99% of the grass because it never gets hidden under the surface. Once the garden's been prepared, it NEVER gets turned over - just loosened slightly with a fork in the spring. I injured my shoulder back in March, but I was able to do this job one-handed because the soil was perfect. Ah, I used to till for a garden. Never seemed to hurt the crops. You tilled every year? How would you know there wasn't a better way if you weren't aware of it? |
On Tue, 30 Aug 2005 17:15:08 GMT, "Doug Kanter"
wrote: "Harry Krause" wrote in message ... A Bully of Bunnies! What's your problem with rototillers? They make gardening much easier. You can rent a commercial grade tiller down here for about $35 for a day, and that's enough time to turn over the dirt for really large garden. For a number of reasons. 1) You're not supposed to turn over the soil. The soil exists in definite layers. The layer at the top BELONGS at the top, not buried or mixed with the layer that's a foot deeper. It contains more of the microorganisms that make organic gardening work so well. If you screw it up, it can take 2-3 seasons to recover, and there's NO way to speed up the process using soil amendments. 2) If you're making new beds where there's now some lawn, the goal is to remove the turf, not chop it into a million pieces and bury some of it like a rototiller does. Otherwise, the grass will be popping up all over the place a month later. You have to slice the turf into manageable pieces, slide under it with a fork, and shake off the soil. It's easy if you get the right spade & fork, like a Smith & Hawken or something like that. Sounds like a lot of work, but you're gonna end up doing it anyway if you rototill. At least with hand tools, you know you've gotten 99% of the grass because it never gets hidden under the surface. Once the garden's been prepared, it NEVER gets turned over - just loosened slightly with a fork in the spring. I injured my shoulder back in March, but I was able to do this job one-handed because the soil was perfect. You mean all that time I spent plowing the cut corn stalks under the ground (about 9" deep) was *wrong*. You could make a lot of farmers happy if you could convince them that plowing was a waste of time! -- John H "All decisions are the result of binary thinking." |
"PocoLoco" wrote in message ... On Tue, 30 Aug 2005 17:15:08 GMT, "Doug Kanter" wrote: "Harry Krause" wrote in message ... A Bully of Bunnies! What's your problem with rototillers? They make gardening much easier. You can rent a commercial grade tiller down here for about $35 for a day, and that's enough time to turn over the dirt for really large garden. For a number of reasons. 1) You're not supposed to turn over the soil. The soil exists in definite layers. The layer at the top BELONGS at the top, not buried or mixed with the layer that's a foot deeper. It contains more of the microorganisms that make organic gardening work so well. If you screw it up, it can take 2-3 seasons to recover, and there's NO way to speed up the process using soil amendments. 2) If you're making new beds where there's now some lawn, the goal is to remove the turf, not chop it into a million pieces and bury some of it like a rototiller does. Otherwise, the grass will be popping up all over the place a month later. You have to slice the turf into manageable pieces, slide under it with a fork, and shake off the soil. It's easy if you get the right spade & fork, like a Smith & Hawken or something like that. Sounds like a lot of work, but you're gonna end up doing it anyway if you rototill. At least with hand tools, you know you've gotten 99% of the grass because it never gets hidden under the surface. Once the garden's been prepared, it NEVER gets turned over - just loosened slightly with a fork in the spring. I injured my shoulder back in March, but I was able to do this job one-handed because the soil was perfect. You mean all that time I spent plowing the cut corn stalks under the ground (about 9" deep) was *wrong*. You could make a lot of farmers happy if you could convince them that plowing was a waste of time! -- John H Sometimes they have no choice, due to the scale of their operations. And, some of them don't plow as deeply as they did 50 or 75 years ago. Farmers are infinitely adaptable. They've learned to use some organic techniques, especially when the new ways cost them nothing but a minor adjustment. |
On Tue, 30 Aug 2005 19:37:47 GMT, "Doug Kanter"
wrote: "PocoLoco" wrote in message .. . On Tue, 30 Aug 2005 17:15:08 GMT, "Doug Kanter" wrote: "Harry Krause" wrote in message ... A Bully of Bunnies! What's your problem with rototillers? They make gardening much easier. You can rent a commercial grade tiller down here for about $35 for a day, and that's enough time to turn over the dirt for really large garden. For a number of reasons. 1) You're not supposed to turn over the soil. The soil exists in definite layers. The layer at the top BELONGS at the top, not buried or mixed with the layer that's a foot deeper. It contains more of the microorganisms that make organic gardening work so well. If you screw it up, it can take 2-3 seasons to recover, and there's NO way to speed up the process using soil amendments. 2) If you're making new beds where there's now some lawn, the goal is to remove the turf, not chop it into a million pieces and bury some of it like a rototiller does. Otherwise, the grass will be popping up all over the place a month later. You have to slice the turf into manageable pieces, slide under it with a fork, and shake off the soil. It's easy if you get the right spade & fork, like a Smith & Hawken or something like that. Sounds like a lot of work, but you're gonna end up doing it anyway if you rototill. At least with hand tools, you know you've gotten 99% of the grass because it never gets hidden under the surface. Once the garden's been prepared, it NEVER gets turned over - just loosened slightly with a fork in the spring. I injured my shoulder back in March, but I was able to do this job one-handed because the soil was perfect. You mean all that time I spent plowing the cut corn stalks under the ground (about 9" deep) was *wrong*. You could make a lot of farmers happy if you could convince them that plowing was a waste of time! -- John H Sometimes they have no choice, due to the scale of their operations. And, some of them don't plow as deeply as they did 50 or 75 years ago. Farmers are infinitely adaptable. They've learned to use some organic techniques, especially when the new ways cost them nothing but a minor adjustment. Farmers will grow clover and just plow it under. They did this to help fertilize the soil. Farmers today still plow their fields, turning the earth and putting the top about 9" underground. -- John H "All decisions are the result of binary thinking." |
On Tue, 30 Aug 2005 20:44:54 GMT, Shortwave Sportfishing
wrote: On Tue, 30 Aug 2005 15:25:37 -0400, PocoLoco wrote: You mean all that time I spent plowing the cut corn stalks under the ground (about 9" deep) was *wrong*. You could make a lot of farmers happy if you could convince them that plowing was a waste of time! They already do that in New England and I would imagine in most of the US. In the spring, it's just a disc and harrow, then rest the field for two/three days, then plant. Doug is right about the gardening thing. Even when they turn a corn field to a hay field for "resting" for a few years, it's strictly a disc and harrow, then plant. In the corn/hay fields I hire out, even five years or so, it's turned into a hay field and the hay fields are turned into corn fields. Every ten years or so, a bean crop is planted and just quickly turned over (disc and harrow) in the Spring. That's about 125 acres of each turned over every five years on average. I still see a lot of plowed fields, but maybe that's just because corn stalks would be hard to turn over with a disc and harrow. I left the farm many years ago, so techniques have probably changed somewhat. -- John H "All decisions are the result of binary thinking." |
Doug Kanter wrote:
Acquired a new kitten this weekend. She's being trained to deal with the rabbits. Going to the mall to get a very realistic stuffed bunny. I'm gonna open it up, add a few tablespoons of catnip, sew it back up, and teach kitty that this is the reason for her existence. :) Had a cat in Tennessee that would bring in the occasional rabbit, in pieces, but that was just something he decided to do. I din't teach him nothin'. -Raf -- Misifus- Rafael Seibert http://www.ralphandsue.com |
On Tue, 30 Aug 2005 22:17:41 GMT, Shortwave Sportfishing
wrote: On Tue, 30 Aug 2005 17:19:05 -0400, PocoLoco wrote: On Tue, 30 Aug 2005 20:44:54 GMT, Shortwave Sportfishing wrote: On Tue, 30 Aug 2005 15:25:37 -0400, PocoLoco wrote: You mean all that time I spent plowing the cut corn stalks under the ground (about 9" deep) was *wrong*. You could make a lot of farmers happy if you could convince them that plowing was a waste of time! They already do that in New England and I would imagine in most of the US. In the spring, it's just a disc and harrow, then rest the field for two/three days, then plant. Doug is right about the gardening thing. Even when they turn a corn field to a hay field for "resting" for a few years, it's strictly a disc and harrow, then plant. In the corn/hay fields I hire out, even five years or so, it's turned into a hay field and the hay fields are turned into corn fields. Every ten years or so, a bean crop is planted and just quickly turned over (disc and harrow) in the Spring. That's about 125 acres of each turned over every five years on average. I still see a lot of plowed fields, but maybe that's just because corn stalks would be hard to turn over with a disc and harrow. I left the farm many years ago, so techniques have probably changed somewhat. It's amazing what they can do with some of this new equipment. The farmer that hires out my fields has this monster disc/harrow deal with opposing discs (at roughly 20º to each other) that just chops stuff up and harrows at the same time. Looks like this, only three times the size. http://www.caseih.com/products/serie...id=105&RL=ENNA I was thinking of these. http://www.deere.com/servlet/com.dee...FR&pNbr=3710XN -- John H "All decisions are the result of binary thinking." |
"Doug Kanter" wrote in message ... "Bryan" wrote in message m... "Doug Kanter" wrote in message ... "Bryan" wrote in message . .. "Doug Kanter" wrote in message ... No squirrels at home??? Rats. Mice. Opossum. Skunk. Crow. Geese. Pigeon. Dove. Egret. That's our suburban backyard. Some call it wildlife. Some call it suburban wildlife. With the exception of the egrets, I just call it pests. The lake is a wilderness area compared to our suburban life, so the kids aren't used to seeing animals in their natural habitat. Oh yeah, and I haven't seen a squirrel in the 10 years I've lived here. Where's "here"? Sonoma County near Santa Rosa. I could package up a few dozen squirrels for you, if you're interested. That would leave me with a few thousand. :) No thanks, Doug. I shot my share of squirrel when I was a kid living on my walnut ranch in Southern California. I'll stick to my memories. |
"Doug Kanter" wrote in message ... 1) You're not supposed to turn over the soil. The soil exists in definite layers. The layer at the top BELONGS at the top, not buried or mixed with the layer that's a foot deeper. It contains more of the microorganisms that make organic gardening work so well. If you screw it up, it can take 2-3 seasons to recover, and there's NO way to speed up the process using soil amendments. I didn't know that! I never thought of that! Hey! How about that! I've got a yard full of clay. The kind of adobe that sticks to a shovel like some kind of tenacious creature from another planet. I was going to rototill amendments into the top six inches or so of an area that I want to turn into a garden. I guess I can still do that. I'll just have to remember to leave the top alone once I get things rolling. |
"PocoLoco" wrote in message ... On Tue, 30 Aug 2005 19:37:47 GMT, "Doug Kanter" wrote: "PocoLoco" wrote in message . .. On Tue, 30 Aug 2005 17:15:08 GMT, "Doug Kanter" wrote: "Harry Krause" wrote in message ... A Bully of Bunnies! What's your problem with rototillers? They make gardening much easier. You can rent a commercial grade tiller down here for about $35 for a day, and that's enough time to turn over the dirt for really large garden. For a number of reasons. 1) You're not supposed to turn over the soil. The soil exists in definite layers. The layer at the top BELONGS at the top, not buried or mixed with the layer that's a foot deeper. It contains more of the microorganisms that make organic gardening work so well. If you screw it up, it can take 2-3 seasons to recover, and there's NO way to speed up the process using soil amendments. 2) If you're making new beds where there's now some lawn, the goal is to remove the turf, not chop it into a million pieces and bury some of it like a rototiller does. Otherwise, the grass will be popping up all over the place a month later. You have to slice the turf into manageable pieces, slide under it with a fork, and shake off the soil. It's easy if you get the right spade & fork, like a Smith & Hawken or something like that. Sounds like a lot of work, but you're gonna end up doing it anyway if you rototill. At least with hand tools, you know you've gotten 99% of the grass because it never gets hidden under the surface. Once the garden's been prepared, it NEVER gets turned over - just loosened slightly with a fork in the spring. I injured my shoulder back in March, but I was able to do this job one-handed because the soil was perfect. You mean all that time I spent plowing the cut corn stalks under the ground (about 9" deep) was *wrong*. You could make a lot of farmers happy if you could convince them that plowing was a waste of time! -- John H Sometimes they have no choice, due to the scale of their operations. And, some of them don't plow as deeply as they did 50 or 75 years ago. Farmers are infinitely adaptable. They've learned to use some organic techniques, especially when the new ways cost them nothing but a minor adjustment. Farmers will grow clover and just plow it under. They did this to help fertilize the soil. Farmers today still plow their fields, turning the earth and putting the top about 9" underground. -- John H We're using "plowing" as a generic term for "working the soil" between plantings. The point I'm making is that they've learned to not plow as deeply as they used to, unless they're preparing a totally new field that's badly compacted, or laden with too much clay. For the latter condition, it's an effort to open up pathways for rain and organic wastes to penetrate. In colder climates, repeated freezing and thawing can help break up hard soils. But, once a field reaches a certain level of tilth, they do not cultivate deeply. |
"PocoLoco" wrote in message ... On Tue, 30 Aug 2005 20:44:54 GMT, Shortwave Sportfishing wrote: On Tue, 30 Aug 2005 15:25:37 -0400, PocoLoco wrote: You mean all that time I spent plowing the cut corn stalks under the ground (about 9" deep) was *wrong*. You could make a lot of farmers happy if you could convince them that plowing was a waste of time! They already do that in New England and I would imagine in most of the US. In the spring, it's just a disc and harrow, then rest the field for two/three days, then plant. Doug is right about the gardening thing. Even when they turn a corn field to a hay field for "resting" for a few years, it's strictly a disc and harrow, then plant. In the corn/hay fields I hire out, even five years or so, it's turned into a hay field and the hay fields are turned into corn fields. Every ten years or so, a bean crop is planted and just quickly turned over (disc and harrow) in the Spring. That's about 125 acres of each turned over every five years on average. I still see a lot of plowed fields, but maybe that's just because corn stalks would be hard to turn over with a disc and harrow. I left the farm many years ago, so techniques have probably changed somewhat. Take a closer look at what they're doing. Or, ask. |
"Shortwave Sportfishing" wrote in message ... On Tue, 30 Aug 2005 17:19:05 -0400, PocoLoco wrote: On Tue, 30 Aug 2005 20:44:54 GMT, Shortwave Sportfishing wrote: On Tue, 30 Aug 2005 15:25:37 -0400, PocoLoco wrote: You mean all that time I spent plowing the cut corn stalks under the ground (about 9" deep) was *wrong*. You could make a lot of farmers happy if you could convince them that plowing was a waste of time! They already do that in New England and I would imagine in most of the US. In the spring, it's just a disc and harrow, then rest the field for two/three days, then plant. Doug is right about the gardening thing. Even when they turn a corn field to a hay field for "resting" for a few years, it's strictly a disc and harrow, then plant. In the corn/hay fields I hire out, even five years or so, it's turned into a hay field and the hay fields are turned into corn fields. Every ten years or so, a bean crop is planted and just quickly turned over (disc and harrow) in the Spring. That's about 125 acres of each turned over every five years on average. I still see a lot of plowed fields, but maybe that's just because corn stalks would be hard to turn over with a disc and harrow. I left the farm many years ago, so techniques have probably changed somewhat. It's amazing what they can do with some of this new equipment. The farmer that hires out my fields has this monster disc/harrow deal with opposing discs (at roughly 20º to each other) that just chops stuff up and harrows at the same time. Looks like this, only three times the size. http://www.caseih.com/products/serie...id=105&RL=ENNA I want one. :-) No more lawn. :-) |
"Bryan" wrote in message . .. "Doug Kanter" wrote in message ... 1) You're not supposed to turn over the soil. The soil exists in definite layers. The layer at the top BELONGS at the top, not buried or mixed with the layer that's a foot deeper. It contains more of the microorganisms that make organic gardening work so well. If you screw it up, it can take 2-3 seasons to recover, and there's NO way to speed up the process using soil amendments. I didn't know that! I never thought of that! Hey! How about that! I've got a yard full of clay. The kind of adobe that sticks to a shovel like some kind of tenacious creature from another planet. I was going to rototill amendments into the top six inches or so of an area that I want to turn into a garden. I guess I can still do that. I'll just have to remember to leave the top alone once I get things rolling. Bryan, search in the rec.gardens newsgroup for the words "clay soil" in the subject line, in a thread begun by me. I've got a friend whose soil is suitable for making pottery, and I was looking for suggestions to assist her. I got some good ideas from a few people. The best one was almost effortless. Assuming you're in a climate where the ground freezes, puncture with a pitch fork, to the depth of the fork. Don't try to actually move big clumps of clay - just make a series of holes. Cover with a LOT of leaves. If it's a small plot, it may be economical to cover the leaves with chicken wire to keep them in place. Or, hose them down just enough to give them some weight. They should mat down and stay put after a few days. You should see some improvement in the spring, although it'll probably require repetition the following autumn. Do NOT add peat moss. Clay already holds plenty of water, as you know. And, a few people recommended adding gypsum of some sort. A real garden center will know where to get it. But, the guy I consulted here said to try the leaves first. |
Just remembered....you said California. Maybe no falling leaves in the
autumn? According to my massive library of hippie organic blather, dried seaweed is supposed to be a great substitute for leaves. |
"Shortwave Sportfishing" wrote in message ... On Wed, 31 Aug 2005 13:09:25 GMT, "Doug Kanter" wrote: Just remembered....you said California. Maybe no falling leaves in the autumn? According to my massive library of hippie organic blather, dried seaweed is supposed to be a great substitute for leaves. Doug the Gardner - who 'da thunk it? Now you understand why certain animals are on my Sopranos-style hit list. |
"Doug Kanter" wrote in message ... "Bryan" wrote in message . .. "Doug Kanter" wrote in message ... 1) You're not supposed to turn over the soil. The soil exists in definite layers. The layer at the top BELONGS at the top, not buried or mixed with the layer that's a foot deeper. It contains more of the microorganisms that make organic gardening work so well. If you screw it up, it can take 2-3 seasons to recover, and there's NO way to speed up the process using soil amendments. I didn't know that! I never thought of that! Hey! How about that! I've got a yard full of clay. The kind of adobe that sticks to a shovel like some kind of tenacious creature from another planet. I was going to rototill amendments into the top six inches or so of an area that I want to turn into a garden. I guess I can still do that. I'll just have to remember to leave the top alone once I get things rolling. Bryan, search in the rec.gardens newsgroup for the words "clay soil" in the subject line, in a thread begun by me. I've got a friend whose soil is suitable for making pottery, and I was looking for suggestions to assist her. I got some good ideas from a few people. The best one was almost effortless. Assuming you're in a climate where the ground freezes, puncture with a pitch fork, to the depth of the fork. Don't try to actually move big clumps of clay - just make a series of holes. Cover with a LOT of leaves. If it's a small plot, it may be economical to cover the leaves with chicken wire to keep them in place. Or, hose them down just enough to give them some weight. They should mat down and stay put after a few days. You should see some improvement in the spring, although it'll probably require repetition the following autumn. Do NOT add peat moss. Clay already holds plenty of water, as you know. And, a few people recommended adding gypsum of some sort. A real garden center will know where to get it. But, the guy I consulted here said to try the leaves first. Someone told me to mix sand with the clay, but something tells me that would be a good way to make bricks. |
"Doug Kanter" wrote in message ... Just remembered....you said California. Maybe no falling leaves in the autumn? According to my massive library of hippie organic blather, dried seaweed is supposed to be a great substitute for leaves. LOL. Kelp is plentiful. Maybe I should try that. You non-californian's have such amusing views on California. I married a jersey girl and I still get a smile whenever her parents ask if we're ok because of something that might have happened in LA (over 600 miles away). My deciduous photosynthetic unit in my backyard showed it's first color change last week (during our 90 degree weather!). Go figure. |
"Bryan" wrote in message ... "Doug Kanter" wrote in message ... "Bryan" wrote in message . .. "Doug Kanter" wrote in message ... 1) You're not supposed to turn over the soil. The soil exists in definite layers. The layer at the top BELONGS at the top, not buried or mixed with the layer that's a foot deeper. It contains more of the microorganisms that make organic gardening work so well. If you screw it up, it can take 2-3 seasons to recover, and there's NO way to speed up the process using soil amendments. I didn't know that! I never thought of that! Hey! How about that! I've got a yard full of clay. The kind of adobe that sticks to a shovel like some kind of tenacious creature from another planet. I was going to rototill amendments into the top six inches or so of an area that I want to turn into a garden. I guess I can still do that. I'll just have to remember to leave the top alone once I get things rolling. Bryan, search in the rec.gardens newsgroup for the words "clay soil" in the subject line, in a thread begun by me. I've got a friend whose soil is suitable for making pottery, and I was looking for suggestions to assist her. I got some good ideas from a few people. The best one was almost effortless. Assuming you're in a climate where the ground freezes, puncture with a pitch fork, to the depth of the fork. Don't try to actually move big clumps of clay - just make a series of holes. Cover with a LOT of leaves. If it's a small plot, it may be economical to cover the leaves with chicken wire to keep them in place. Or, hose them down just enough to give them some weight. They should mat down and stay put after a few days. You should see some improvement in the spring, although it'll probably require repetition the following autumn. Do NOT add peat moss. Clay already holds plenty of water, as you know. And, a few people recommended adding gypsum of some sort. A real garden center will know where to get it. But, the guy I consulted here said to try the leaves first. Someone told me to mix sand with the clay, but something tells me that would be a good way to make bricks. Yeah...that sounds wrong to me, too. What it needs is organic fluff. Once that's there, worms and other union members will begin to help more. |
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