Monkeyfister

Real Life is forcing me to do Work-Related Research and Data-Accumulating activities.

I'll post up something when I can. Otherwise, you know the good places to go from here in the Sidebar



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Labels: My Life As It Is

This is the home of the Ford Family, and a county that is 58% African-American. The turnout in favor of Republicans this election is jaw-droppingly unprecedented.

Results at the link, below:

via Memphis Commercial Appeal

Lots and lots of Electronic Voting Machine irregularities prevented over 5,000 people County-wide from voting. "Somehow," some of last election's voter tallies "accidentally" ended up being downloaded onto the Machines poll-books, causing them to show a "You have already voted" error and preventing voters from exercising their rights. Fancy that the vast majority were in strongly Democratic Precincts.

One more reason why I rarely, if ever post about Memphis-area politics-- it is just mind-boggling embarrassing to even look there. My own County is as red as can be, I have no representation. Frankly, I don't even know why I bother to vote. Just to be a spoiler, I suppose.

I wish there was even one tiny reason to be proud of where I am forced to live, but sadly, there is none. I despise it down here. I fucking hate the South.



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Labels: Life in the Armpit of America, My Life As It Is, Southern Politics

My internet connection is up, and down, and won't be properly fixed until tomorrow afternoon.

Light posting as long as BubbaNet allows me access.

Sorry.

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Labels: Meta, My Life As It Is

I'm getting away, finally. Going up to "Land Between The Lakes" for camping, hiking, and fishing. I need some R & R.

I'll be back posting on Monday.


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Labels: My Life As It Is

Put up another three quarts of Peppers, today.






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Labels: Gardening, My Life As It Is, Pickled Peppers

I have some of the finest, most articulate, generous, and honest Commenters I have ever had the pleasure to get to know in all of the Blogosphere.

Thank you all for the input, insight, and information... the occasional Reality-Check.

And thank you to all of you who have come by recently, and stayed. Welcome, and BE welcome.



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Labels: My Life As It Is, The Blogohood

How fun. BTW-- it's also an LNG facility. not fun, actually.

I did NOT schedule death by toxic fumes into my work day, dammit!

Area is being evacuated, while my workplace is under guard-enforced lockdown.

via WMCTV

MEMPHIS, TN (WMC-TV) - Shelby County sheriff's deputies are evacuating an area near Fite Road and Highway 51 after a possible leak of hazardous materials.

Officials tell Action News 5 there appears to be a leak of sulfur trioxide at the Lucite plant on Fite Road.

Deputies have shut down traffic on Highway 51 and there have been evacuations in response to the leak. Additionally, all planes have been grounded at Charles Baker airport in Millington.

Officials are asking people to avoid the area.

UPDATE 11:08 CDT-- All-Clear. Whew!


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Labels: Corporate Values, My Life As It Is

Worse than I thought.

My place of employment was pretty seriously flooded. Looks like Monday will be a paid day off, while they assess damage, and restore power...

via My Eyewitness News.com

MILLINGTON, TN - The Tennessee town of Millington, population 10,433, is quickly becoming an island. Emergency officials say water is "compartmentalizing", closing in on all sides of the city after several levee breaks on Saturday, May 1, 2010.

As the water continues to rise, and hundreds are forced out of their flooded homes, a dusk-to-dawn curfew has been put into effect.

Shelby County Emergency Management Director Bob Nations tells myEyewitnessNews.com that city and county leaders are focusing their efforts in Millington. He describes the situation as "precarious".

There were 146 citizens rescued from the Navy base. One homeowner tells us they were evacuated moments before the levee broke and that everything they own, including both cars, was destroyed by the flood waters.

A Medical Clinic, located at 2251 Highway 51, is open and staffed with medical personnel to assist citizens with medical problems. The SWAT Team has transported the last 150 inmates out of the flooded Millington Federal Prison.

Shelters have been set up for the displaced at the Baker Community Center and at United Methodist Church. The Red Cross is onsite to provide help to the evacuees.

Millington Police Chief Ray Douglas tells myEyewitnessNews.com that neighboring rescue crews have been instrumental in helping his town survive this crisis. Extra boats were brought in to get people out of flooded neighborhoods. Shelby County emergency personnel were even moved from the Beale Street Music Festival to Millington to handle the chaos.

Life in the Mid-South!

I'm sure as hell glad that I live along the top of a ridge! It's not a high ridge, but it's high enough!

UPDATE: Personnel are directed here: http://www.facebook.com/NSAMidSouth?v=wall



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Labels: Mid-South Flooding, Mid-South Storms, My Life As It Is

We worked our asses off to save him, but, we weren't able to save him. He seemed to have died in his sleep, shortly after we tended to his wounds. Sad day. For such a rural area, it's sad to not have an Avian Vet anywhere in the County.

Much thanks to the wonderful people at Backyard Chickens Forum, who gave such excellent advice. His wound was just too much. I couldn't get time off "for a chicken." None of my neighbors were able to take him indoors, because of indoor cats and dogs. The brave fella fought valiantly for a full week.









Broody Mama will soon become the Senior Hen of a young flock that Andy has been raising from Peeper Chickies. For the next week, however, she is going to have to suffer being Zeta Hen of a flock of four older girls, who's Alpha Hen is an aggressive Plymouth Rock 5 year-old. Nasty fuckin' biddy, she is. Broody Mama has enjoyed Alpha Orphington Hen Status all of her life, so this phase is quite obviously galling to the poor girl. But, she'll die happy, of old-age in Andy's wonderful, wide-range, Free-Run SUPERMAX set-up. I gave him everything, so now, he even has electric fencing.

Animal Control asked me to leave the pens out. They put game cameras up, and have been coming by every day to check for the return of the canine. Nothing yet. They have a baited trap up. Haven't caught anything, and my cats are getting pissed about having to stay inside in this glorious warm weather.

We're going to cut away the coops from the tractors, and Andy will use them for his chooks. I'll make compost bins out of the rest. Better than burning them. Everything will be properly used.

I'll get chickens again, for sure. But, I need to design and build a proper SUPERMAX pen/run/tractor system first, and THEN move the chooks in. I failed these chickens, and my friend, Chris. It's going to take a lot to get rid of this black spot on my soul. I've written a long list of "If I'd only"'s there.

Lots of work to do.


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Labels: My Life As It Is

Doing my best to focus on bringing life into my yard. Tomorrow morning, I'll attach some pics to this post, showing what I've been doing the past several weeks. Lots and lots of new, and refreshed garden beds. My back yard is looking really nice.

Even better will be the incredible harvests to come this year. Two of the beds are for my neighbors in hard times.

Chicken Update: Ol' Poppy, the proud Brahma Rooster is still hanging in there, and resting. He was walking around, eating and drinking, today. I wish him well. Broody Mama has taken well to her new digs, next door. She laid two eggs, today.

This morning, I checked on him again. He's clearly more alert, and the wound is dry, and doesn't smell. Good!

Here are some pics of the gardens.












Time for breakfast, and out to assemble the one 4' x 8' bed, get it filled, and gridded, and planted!



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Labels: Chickens, Gardening, My Life As It Is

Sometime between 7am and 9am today, while I was at work, a canine attacked and killed nearly all of my chickens. Ol' Poppy has a wound on his back, but, I think he might live, with some care, and antibiotics. Broody Mama, the Buff Orphington hen also lived, totally unscathed, but in obvious shock. I had to put down a Brahma hen, as she was too wounded to survive. I am terribly torn-up with the horror of it all. The scene was one of terrible carnage.

Not a good day.

I gave the two survivors to Andy, the Neighbor Kid, who called me at work to tell me, and he helped me bury the carcasses of the others.

My new policy is any loose canine on my property will be shot dead. Sad and unpleasant, but necessary.

The chooks were happy, and healthy before I left-- I gave them their morning scratch, and enjoyed their happy, contented clucking sounds. The call at 10am from Andy was not what I was expecting.

UPDATE: What ever made this track:



and this scrape:



Is what attacked, and killed my chickens, this morning. It was a very big canine. 4-1/2" paw. I think it was a Coyote, or a pack of them.

I'm filing a police report, tomorrow. I wasn't ready to deal with that part of it all, today.

I called the Vet. Since the wound on Ol' Poppy's back didn't break through, I was told to put some neosporin around the wound, but, let the inner wound dry on it's own, and I put some antibiotics in his water, which he recco'd I get from the Co-Op. All that is done, and I'll check on him in the morning. He's in good, new, super secure digs, along with Broody Mama. I provided a nice new, nesting pen for her, and Andy's hens seem to be taking to her just fine. I will check on him and her tomorrow morning. I want him to pull through so badly.


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Labels: Chickens, My Life As It Is

Well--

Spring is thoroughly on us here, in W. Tennessee. This week will see highs in the 70s/80s, and lows in the 50s. As my Tomato starters are all at least 6" tall, now (started in January), I decided that tonight was the time to top off the box, and start planting them in. Fool for punishment that I am.

I asked Tommy to go with me to my local organic Angus Rancher's farm to pick up some over-wintered, composted stall bedding, and good, old, poop (yes, beside me, Local, Organic Food Producers exist in W. Tennessee).

We shoveled it all into the bed at a mad pace, laid in a light layer of calcium and lime (to ward of Blossom-End Rot), topped it off with eight bags (3" layer) of Organic "Metromix" for seedlings, to provide Peat and Vermiculite.

I planted in two of my four varieties of Tomatoes, each along the two 16' long rails of the bed-- My compact, 16 family heirloom Romas on the East rail, and 16 Pantano Romanesco (an heirloom BIG fruit type from Baker Creek Seeds) on the West rail, and watered them in. Tomorrow, it will be 80-degrees. They have been hardened-off, and I think they'll be happy... IF they make it through the 50-degree night. My thought is that the taller Romanesco's will not be shaded by the squat Roma's, and companion plants planted between, and under will get plenty of light.

Tomorrow, I'm going to set up the drip irrigation system, lay in the hemp-twine Sq. Ft. grid, and plant in Onions, Carrots, Garlic, and Basil, perhaps some Marigolds and Nasturtiums, take some pictures, and call it done.

I wanted to maximize the Tomato production this year, and figured the best thing to do with the 2' strip down the center of the long bed, was to plant single-harvest, long-season companion plants that will benefit from the protection of the Tomato plants, and ward off some Tomato pests.

I still have the family heirloom Mortgage Lifters, and [i]MY[/i] Monkeyfister's Marvels to put in, but that is another bed-- one of the SUPER-deep beds, and that operation will have to wait for Saturday.

Big experiment with today's bed!

Right now, I'm freaking exhausted, having done all that-- plus cleaned the Chickens and the Tractors; moved them to a nice, shady patch of Clover; fed and watered them, and collected and washed the eggs... Oh- I also transplanted the over-wintered Cilantro and Parsley; harvested the last of the Leeks, and cleaned them for sale at work, tomorrow... after nine hours of REAL work at job! Only 2-acres, and I feel as tired as I did as a kid, helping tend to my Great-Grandma's 40 acres... But, I did all this in ~2-1/2 hours. Good pre-planning, and staging of some of the stuff, but still-- I am going to sleep well, tonight!

The hens gave me six eggs, today! I gave them to Tommy for the help transporting, and throwing the poop.

You GO girls!

Broody Mama continues to move the other girls' eggs to her nest, and try to hatch the one I marked for her. I wish her all the luck in the world!

Neither of the breeds have taken to the nesting boxes in the least. So, I took them out to give them space, and will just keep replacing their hay-- save for Broody Mama's place, which she keeps very clean.

Damn. 8pm, and I still need to think about dinner!



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Labels: Chickens, Gardening, My Life As It Is, Organic Gardening, Square Foot Gardening

I've got a LOT to do. I need to provide more security for the chickens, I need to rebuild parts of their tractors, and I need to get all of the garden beds ready to grow, including the first two that have been fallow, and need to be re-built, and doubled in depth.

I just found out that my next-door neighbor, S., a brilliant Interior Designer, just lost her job of 15 years. The 65-year old Interior Design firm that she worked at in Memphis was forced to file Chapter 7. Everyone was put out of the building, and their jobs, immediately. She's crushed. Sign of the times, as Option ARMs and Commercial Real Estate start tumbling over in earnest.

So, I am going to build another full bed, and grow her favorite veggies for her. The harvests should start rolling in just when she's going to need them. I'm not going to tell her just now. It will make her happy, later, at just the right time.

Since Tommy is going to help me with all of this, We've agreed that one of the two fallow beds will be his to garden, and I am cool with that. I only have plans for one right now, anyway. He and I laid out a plan, and he's getting his seeds started today. For what he wants to grow, he's got time.

I like my neighbors.

Brig. General, United States Feline Marine Corps, Tactical Division, Murray just went out for Night-Ops Patrol. I don't have enough cats for an NCO /enlisted cadre... He and Rear Admiral (Upper Half), United States Feline Navy, Strategic Division, Mountain Girl came up through teh ranks!


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Labels: Being A Neighbor, Chickens and Cats, My Life As It Is

And not just Homebrews.

I don't drink in excess-- maximum of three pints over a weekend evening.

I've been getting very adverse reactions when I have even a half-bottle of commercial beers.

No new meds. No change in routine. I am getting (non-drunk) dizzy after a single bottle, and other adverse (lower intestinal) effects follow.

I am not a big drinker of distilled spirits, but I have found that I do not have the same problems from drinking them.

I am pretty sure that I have ruled out any other dietary changes-- nothing new.

I really enjoy beer of all sorts. I'll be really unhappy if I have to stop drinking it.

Anyway. I spent the day getting the garden beds ready to plant. This week should mark final frost for my part of Tennessee. Time to order lumber and get my dirt ingredients together to improve the last of the boxes that I covered and left fallow last year.


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Labels: Beer, My Life As It Is

When I went to bed last night, they were calling for a sprinkle of flurries. When I woke up, there was three inches on the ground, and, it turns out, we're now expecting much more-- up to eight inches.

Well, the Mid-South has no means of snow removal, so everything is shut down.

Snow day!


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Labels: My Life As It Is

Shitty timing. Had a seizure last night, and feeling punky today. Called in sick to just rest and be safe. As it's not a particularly good idea to go to a concert after a seizure, for all the sensory overload. I'm going to miss the show tonight.

I have a ticket to see The Residents for someone in the Memphis area, if one is interested. Free. First comment of interest gets it.

Here's a clip from the show "Six More Miles"(to the graveyard):



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Labels: My Life As It Is

I'm feeling kinda Scrooge-like this year. I have some sort of stomach bug and fever, it hurts to read. It is dead, brown and grey outside, with a nasty, sideways, bitter cold rain. Bah humbug, and a half-hearted MEH!

I'm spending a lot of time working at the Food Bank. Money trickles in, and we get more done on the meat processing side. Our visibility campaign is doing well, and sadly, demand is rising.

Pierogi making went really well last weekend. My Southern friends had a good time making them, and really liked eating them. As unofficial Ambassador for Foreign Foods to my part of Tennessee, I couldn't really get upset when Randy reached for the hot sauce for his pierogis. We ended up freezing 12 dozen-- 50/50 potato/cheese and kraut/mushroom-- between six of us. The guy who talked me into doing the work and planning the day of assembly (Candy's dad) canceled when we called him (he was already two-hours late)... I had made enough of everything to make sure he and his girlfriend had three or four dozen when done, plus some strawberry dessert pierogies, and his whole portion got thrown away due to starting late, and we didn't have the energy to do any dessert 'rogies. Blew hunting that night, too. I was pretty pissed. Christmas Eve dinner is at his house this year, so I am sorta glad that I am flu-ish today. I am about to cook a goose, flu be damned, and plan on siding with some of these tasty gems, some green beans from the Summer garden, and a mixed greens salad with carrots and leeks from the Winter garden. I'll either eat it today, or through the weekend.

Demeur-- the fresh mushrooms, and reconstituted dried mushrooms really had all the liquid needed. I rinsed and squeezed the hell out of the kraut, too. No need for extra chicken stock, just a LOT of butter to keep everything firm and held together once chilled. Cooking everything on LOW and COVERED was the key.

Hunting has been a total drag this year. The hunters around us are total assholes. I probably won't bother going out again this year because of them. That same hunter from opening day, who field-dressed his deer in our hunting lane? He did it AGAIN last weekend. We shouted at him to take his deer and get the hell out, but he persisted, AND left the guts-- AGAIN. He waved at us! I was tempted very, very seriously to give him a warning shot. That's not good hunting mentality on my part. It's so frustrating. Best to just call it a season, and enjoy this year's memories of sunrises and sunsets, and watching the deer, turkey, geese, foxes and bobcats all doing their thing.

I won't be posting much of anything for a while. Time to clean my messy house, brew a lot of beer, hunker down, and plan this year's garden.

Oh! On the garden planning subject: Keep in mind that Bonnie's should still be considered infected with late blight-- it is a fungus, and quite likely to still be present on their Deep South lands. It was quite wet here this year, and that particular fungus is difficult to eliminate. As a basic rule, because of the extremes in weather across the country, drought in the West, and rain and disease in the South and Northeast, along with higher demand, seed stock is is going to be in even shorter supply, and more expensive this year. The few catalogs I am looking at show 25-75 cents more per pack of seeds this year over last.

If you plan on gardening, buy your seeds NOW, and get seedlings going early. With ol' tried and true Bonnie's on the suspect list, and the bad news coming out of Monsantoland, it's best to plan ahead. YOU DO NOT WANT LATE BLIGHT FUNGUS IN YOUR SOIL. I have links to good seed suppliers in my sidebar. One of my spider-hole projects is to clean the sidebar up, and bring links up to date, add more, and clean-up and add more categories. Seriously-- buy your seeds right now.


Christmas meh this year for me. But, I wish you and yours a wonderful, safe and happy Christmas.

U2 covering Greg Lake's "I Believe In Father Christmas":




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Labels: Christmas, My Life As It Is

I'm going to my friends' house to teach them how to make pierogies. I brought back some incredible kielbasa and fresh Polish sausage from Philly to round out what should be a fine dinner of potato and artisan Amish extra-sharp cheddar perogies, and kraut and fresh mushrooms pierogies, including shiitake and oyster mushrooms I harvested yesterday. We're also making some strawberry and creme cheese pierogies for dessert.

YUM!

After that, it's hunting, and then some more hunting.

I am on vacation for the rest of the year, and happy, happy, happy.



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Labels: My Life As It Is

Everyone who needed to be impressed by our efforts in organizing Navy's presence at THE BIG GAME were, indeed, impressed.

Next up-- X-Games. wheeee!

For those who didn't watch it, Navy won, 17-3 in a very impressive second half. I s'pose that that helped with the good reviews, somehow.

It's great to be back in the saddle again.



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Labels: My Life As It Is

Wow!

Busy work week. The Army-Navy game is assured to be a game to watch this weekend. It's been exhausting, but a lot of fun.

It's been an excellent experience planning an event at this level. Refreshing!

The President is going to be there, so that is what added the extra frenzy this week.

That's a lot of extra planning and Secret Service, but everything is done.

Philly is going to be a lot of fun this weekend. I hope that Philadelphia area readers will drop by the Stadium Complex and review some of the toys I have to play with.

I am trying to pack light in order to bring back lots of good foods from Reading Terminal Market.

It is always best to bust ass and get the work done early on. It makes all that last-minute bullshit a breeze. My job is basically done, and double-checked. Friday, I'll call and triple-check all the arrangements. Inspect the toys, and hope the Big Boys don't need attending. Everything is set. Day of Event, my job is going to be to have have fun in the Nation's First Capitol, during the BIG GAME.

Smart money is on tradition, and the Bookies will tell you Go Navy by a long spread. The big side bet is whether Navy will be merciful this year. I'm sure there is some potentially good contrarian book in there, somewhere.


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Labels: America's Navy, My Life As It Is