Potato Barrels

We've started playing in the dirt again! Debbie has started 128 pots of seeds in the house. Steven has been buying toys to plow the fields. And we took the advice of Mother Earth News and started 2 Potato Barrels. http://www.motherearthnews.com/do-it-yourself/no-space-potato-barrel-ze0z11zkon.aspx We bought a couple plastic garbage cans at our local big box hardware store, drilled some holes in the bottom for drainage, and put down a layer of soil. Then we added seed potatoes (Yukon Gold, Red Kennebec, and something purple and exotic), and another layer of dirt. We'll let you know how this goes!

TOYS!

Steve got an unexpected bonus at work last month. Debbie said, "Go buy yourself something fun! You never spend money on yourself!"

So he did.

He went out and bought himself a KingKutter L-60-40-P-Y bush hog:



And a Woods RB60 blade:



And a John Deere 5 foot tiller of unknown model:



And now he gets to ride the tractor some more!

Bees, Redux

And then there were none. They had food in the hive which they never touched. They just...died, shortly after it started to warm up. So now, we have NO hives of bees. We are going to remove ALL the old wax, all the little bee bodies, and clean the interior of the hives. There's nothing apparently wrong with the bees in the hive, except for being dead. Again, we suspect poison. And behold! http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/technology/2012/03/honeybee-deaths-linked-to-corn-insecticides/ Honeybee Deaths Linked to Corn Insecticides What was killing all those honeybees in recent years?  New research shows a link between an increase in the death of bees and insecticides, specifically the chemicals used to coat corn seeds. The study, titled "Assessment of the Environmental Exposure of Honeybees to Particulate Matter Containing Neonicotinoid Insecticides Coming from Corn Coated Seeds," was published in the American Chemical Society's Environmental Science & Technology journal, and provides insight into colony collapse disorder. Colony collapse disorder, or the mass die-off of honeybees, has stumped researchers up to now. This new research may provide information that  could lead to even more answers. According to the new study, neonicotinoid insecticides "are among the most widely used in the world, popular because they kill insects by paralyzing nerves but have lower toxicity for other animals." Beekeepers immediately observed an increase in die-offs right around the time of corn planting using this particular kind of insecticide. Pneumatic drilling machines suck the seeds in and spray them with the insecticide to create a coating before they are planted in the ground. Researchers suspected the mass die-offs could have been caused by the particles of insecticide that were released into the air by the machines when the chemicals are sprayed. The researchers tested several methods to make the drilling machines safer for bees. However, they found that all variations that used the neonicotinoid insecticides continued to cause mass die-offs of bees. Honeybees are critical for pollinating food crops. Scientists say the disruption of pollination could dramatically affect entire ecosystems. In addition, as the researchers wrote in the study, "In view of the currently increasing crop production, and also of corn as a renewable energy source, the correct use of these insecticides within sustainable agriculture is a cause of concern."

Pets, Part 3

After 2 years of collecting, we finally loaded BAGS of aluminum cans into the car and took them for recycling. On the way home, we stopped by the local Animal Services center. We picked up forms for licensing and registering our pets (finally!), and decided to see what the available dogs looked like. BAD idea. Some of them were EXTREMELY well-behaved, sitting quietly to gain your attention and praise. Others were EXTREMELY shy, and would cower away if your hand twitched (poor things!) Some were quite loud, although on the whole it was the quietest shelter I've ever been in. Debbie fell in love with what had to be a purebred yellow Lab male. Stray and already under a contract, she wanted to bring him home. By the next day, she had already named him "Ben". But "Ben" went home with the earlier applicants. Now Debbie is looking at ALPACAS. Maybe I should have got her the dog...

Firing the Kiln!

Debbie has been throwing bowls in her spare time. She's starting to get REALLY excited about firing them!

Last Saturday we fired up the kiln for the first time. This was not to fire any pots, but to:

A) Burn off oils and water on the elements and bricks, as recommended by the manufacturer; and,
B) See how hot the room will get.

The outside of the kiln didn't start to get really warm until about 3 hours in, and the kiln interior was about 2000F. There is a vent hole in the top, and newsprint held to the vent hole would FLASH into flame. But you could touch the firebrick, which was only uncomfortably warm. Impressive stuff, that firebrick.

Of course, with the kiln as a point source of heat, unless we ventilate it the room will eventually get to the same temperature as the interior of the kiln. So we have a box fan blowing OUT the window, which will pull air through the room to keep the temperature below the trigger point for the sprinkler. It will also make the kiln room a negative pressure zone, keeping the fumes from dissipating into the house.

It still got into the mid-80s by the time we were done. I'm not completely convinced that we won't have problems with the sprinkler head. After all, we are going to be running the kiln much longer, and not much cooler (Cone 6 instead of Cone 10). That's really only about 150F difference, which ain't much stacked up against 2345F.

I'm going to insulate the sprinkler head with a small box of styrofoam peanuts for the first firing. I just don't see pumping 300 gallons of water into the room to try to put out the "fire".

Pets, Part 2

At Christmas, Debbie asked Steve to help her daughter Rachel pick out a dog. Steve replied: "Actually, the thing I'm MOST worried about is that I'LL find a dog I just HAVE to save... "But Debbie! He NEEDS me! Just look at those EYES--and he's WAGGING HIS TAIL!" NO! I will be ruthless! I will be HARD-HEARTED! My WILL shall DOMINATE these adorable little fluffs of fur--oh, look! He's smiling! AAAAGGH! I must be STRONG! NO. MORE. DOGS. Two is enough! Or maybe just one more, if it's not TOO large--maybe Sadie's size or a little bigger... AAAAGGH! You understand my dilemma? ;-)" Steven did NOT get a dog, although he wanted to save one named "Atlas". Rachel got a bull terrier named "Skuka".

Pets

In early October, Steve's dog Sadie began acting--strange. On Friday, 2 October: "Now, to top off my weekend, my dog is     A) Throwing up everything she eats;     B) Refusing food. She hasn't eaten anything successfully since Friday night. We suspect that at some point in the past week, she has eaten:     2 hot peppers from the garden, and     A blister/foil pack of 15 slow release iron tablets. That large a dose of iron may be toxic; the blister/foil pack may be causing an obstruction; the hot peppers may be disturbing her digestion. And if she doesn't keep something down tonight, I'll probably need to take her to the vet tomorrow." We tried to give her all those things she usually loves to eat: eggs, chicken, pizza bones... On Tuesday, 4 October: "Sadie still is not eating. I'm taking her to the vet." was followed by: "They are keeping Sadie for the day. They are going to Xray her stomach to look for the foil and other obstructions; they're going to test her for "exocrine pancreatic disorder"; they're going to test her for Addison's disease. And they'll give her a shot to reduce her nausea for 24 hours or so, to help keep her hydrated. $800+" But it wasn't the foil, and it wasn't the pancreas, and it wasn't Addison's. "Her blood creatine and nitrogen are so high, she probably feels really lousy. And that's a sign of kidney failure. The vet said to take her, IMMEDIATELY or ASAP, to the internist at VCA Southern MD in Waldorf. So I need to make some phone calls. And then I'll probably be leaving work for the day. And we need to be prepared that this could be fatal. There may not be any possible treatment." And later: "If this is acute kidney failure, then by flushing the kidneys we have some chance of recovering partial function. However, her kidneys have been damaged. Prognosis: 6 months to 2 years. If this is chronic kidney failure, then she won't respond to flushing. The flushing process is also stressful. If she goes into fluid overload, then the fluid could back up into her lungs. I marked the form, 'Do Not Resuscitate.' So, that's where we stand." Steve told Debbie: "You don't have to leave early, but don't dawdle on the way home. I need you. I'm WAY past worry. 'Panic' and 'Grief' are more accurate." By October 6: "Just talked to the vet. Her creatine levels have come down a point, which is good, but she's going to be there at least 2 more days. Prognosis at this time: Guarded, because we really don't know anything. Vet suggested we bring something she might like to eat. Since she's talking about BLAND foods, and Sadie's favorite is pizza, I don't think this will work..." But we DID go visit her that night. On the way, we were RAMMED by a deer. Yes, we did not run into IT, IT ran into US. Sadie didn't eat. After two more days, her kidney levels were low enough for her to come home with us. She still wasn't eating, and we had to give her subcutaneous fluids and antibiotics twice a day. She also had no energy, and walked very slowly. And we started offering her the new, kidney-friendly prescription food. Sadie didn't eat. Finally, we took a big blob of peanut butter and smeared it on the roof of her mouth. In the slurping and smacking and licking that followed, Sadie realized she was HUNGRY, and started eating again. Then began the endless round of follow-up appointments: Every week into November, then every month into January.         Creatine    BUN 10/5     5.7         86 10/6     4.4         57 10/7     3.5         39 10/8     3.0         36 10/10    3.1        34 10/17    2.4        19 10/24    1.9 11/7      1.9        12 Each time, the creatine levels came down. The blood urea nitrogen levels came down. The phosphorus levels came down. On 24 October, Steven wrote: "Creatine down to 1.9, 1.8 is "normal". We are to keep on the SubQ lube-job until we run out, and then it's just the kidney friendly diet and living with the knowledge that her kidneys have been compromised and the next time might do for her. Check up in 2 weeks." At Sadie's last vet appointment on 9 January 2012, all her kidney levels were in the NORMAL range. Her next appointment is 9 April 2012. Meanwhile, she got an impacted anal gland, requiring a trip to her regular vet, and another round of antibiotics. Then she finished off 2 loaves of bread. Then she ate a 1/4 bag of chocolate chips, requiring another emergency vet visit. Then she dug into a pot where we had planted lentils, eating dirt, and lentils, and all. Then there was the black oil sunflower seeds. And the block of suet. Yup. She's normal, again. We just need to KEEP her that way.