Been A... While

 Been a while.  Life has continued and things have been on balance more good than bad.

Can't ask for more than that.

I do plan to have more writing to work on.


Though blogging isn't what it used to be (it wasn't what it was when I was active)

Helping!

Hey I know that guy!

I still get a bit of "impostor syndrome" when someone mentions my helpfulness as a teacher...

Out in the garden...

Well I was working on a side garden pulling out a dead bush and I found a nice creeping vine with lovely tiny purple flowers was growing on it.

So I made sure to pull out the bush gently and then got a set of trellises to replace it for the vines.

I also broke down and picked up some ferns while I was at the garden center.

I'll see how they do in the shade garden near the other ferns.


I also picked up a bit more English Ivy, and plant food and some soil...  interesting how it all adds up.

It shows my current gardening style of "Use perennials and natural shade and rip out weeds" is fairly low cost.... but is often a coasting on what's there.

A bit of advice to you married folk....

If you're out with your friends for Sicilian food followed by Avengers and going out for Mexican...  and in the parking lot your wife drives up and says "Honey, I've got my mom watching the kids and I've got a hotel room;  hop in."

Don't complain that you've had a beer and feel a bit sleepy.

Spring Cleaning

Welp, it's gotten warm and time to do some work.

I think a lot of it comes from being able to pull up the blinds and open the windows.

All of a suden all this natural light and fresh air comes in.

Still gotta check a sparkplug on my mower.

Gutters....

So with spring upon us....   it's time to check your gutters,  especially if any filled with ice over winter and started to leak or pull away from the roof.

Rain.

After the nice sunny day of yesterday (where I made a great porkloin on the grill).

The grey and rain of today feels a bit muted.

But hey, I've still got meat!

Some more Framing work.

Well, when we moved offices there was a pile of old posters and such.

And one caught my eye. It was pretty damaged but I thought it could work. Course then I had to make a frame for it.

I'm okay with the job I did staining it. It wasn't as even as I liked, but it came out in a nice aged style

Squeak or Treat Prizes.

So I made out real good in the Squeak or Treat raffle to help Bonnie.

That includes a new rifle sling from Echo Slings (which I've paired with a *new* gun that's over 60 years old) and a custom windchime made by Mark of Rimfire Designs.


But today I'm talking about the other batch of prizes. Four drawings by Ezra Hinson.  Originally I was planning on getting the con-artist brothers  but Erin convinced me to pickup the whole set.


Even a basic picture frame can do work if you use a sharp scalpel to shape the border and use a bit of beeswax rub on the wood.   Just make sure you get a frame that isn't painted and is at least realish wood.

Not bad for charity work.

Blog Meet!

Had a good blogmeet yesterday hosted by RobertaX and got to see some friends that I haven't seen in a while.  Had good conversations ranging from European history (and the repetition of)  to the MSDS of decades old mystery chemicals you find in the back of the lab to the (im)proper use of radios and other equipment.

A good time was had by all,  Roberta's report can be read here.

Sorry for the slacking off on the blog posting,  I just completed the last bits of a move and am not settled in.   Though I should have more to report with a certain Land Between the Lakes event in a couple more weeks, plus some other bits 'o news.

Busy busy

Have had some meatspace stuff taking up my time.

Good news is that the end is in sight.  Bad news is that that means I've gotta move a bunch of crap.

Essay of the Day: A Girl on Friendship and being able to say: Scew 'em

Just go read A Girl and Her Gun's latest. She talks about the value of friendship and the importance of those that you can count on. She says it far better than I could.  Go Read.

And she says it about someone else you may know Erin Palette. Erin's had some bad days lately and is dealing with a birthday today.

True friends are rare, but that makes them worth it.  And the rest?  Screw 'em.

Happy Birthday Erin. And yes you are 10mm!

You've been a help with me as well.  Sure the universe may just end in heat death but that doesn't mean we can't do what we can with what we have.

And speaking of comments Tam and  Linoge might appreciate some.  Even if for the latter is to help for his veteran's fundraiser.

Do what you can.

Linoge is doing a fundraiser for Honored American Veterans Afield

Information and some great prizes can be found here.

Intermission

Started the day with a nice brunch of bacon and homemade waffles with honey (make the waffles in a batch and then freeze the leftover ones for later use)  and then watched the latest MLP:FIM

Got a new Trav game to play that I've really been looking forward too.

But before that had a little intermission:

Some George T. Stagg and a pipe with a blend of Sunrise and Jaberwoky and a good book.

Nice way to pass a bit of a cool, wet, afternoon.

And now to work on a lil' venison steak for a light dinner.

That was a nice warm day...

Not sure how many more we'll get, but it was handy while it lasted.

Used the chance to get in some running.  Much better than last year when my stamina was 50% less and I stopped in early November.

And now some Italian Sausages from the Freshmarket, cooked up in bacon fat with fresh garlic, and a red and white pearl onion, crushed bay leaf,  cumin, cayenne pepper, and black pepper.

Brown on the stovetop in the fat/oil/butter/ect.  Then put in the oven to finish cooking.   Cast iron pans help but anything with an ovensafe handle works too

Accompanied with some spinach and fresh Italian bread and Irish butter.

It's all about the portions.

Thanksgiving... ham? Sure. Ham. Ham!

As I mentioned a few days ago. I did not have any turkey on thanksgiving.

Instead I had ham.

 I started off with a concentrate that was lime juice, lime zest,  pressed garlic,  ground up fresh shallot,  black pepper, white pepper, cumin, soy sauce, cayenne pepper, and green onion.   Every twenty minutes I would cycle the broth in the pan over the ham. And that would ensure that the ham stayed moist.

He's Joe admiring the meal.  Thanksgiving was small this year, just the immediate family.

 And also a nice early Christmas gift of a walnut half-bent billiard pipe from Italy.  The wine is Uppercut which is amazingly complementary for steak.  An excellent red for red meat.

Yeah.... that feels about right.

Okay... I technically didn't have any pie today.  Or turkey.  I cooked a spiral ham for the family that was delicious. The key is to let the ham render its own broth that you can baste it in, even if it needs some help getting started.

Pictures will follow, a bit too dizzy just right now to pull off the camera.

But I'd like to wish a Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.

And speaking of the importance of Pie Dave in Texas has a mediation on our men and women in uniform and  Thanksgiving.

And on the broader subject of Ponies and Thanksgiving here's Erin's thoughts.  Erin you're good people, and your actions have a notable group on this creaky and cranky tribe that we find ourselves in.   In our own way we can all make a difference.  And even if we are going to that special kind of hell in a high speed wicker conveyance then what we do on the way still matters.

Character counts.  And on a related note the various Tam raffles and direct donations are still going on.  Some are ending today, but others are still going on.

Hope you had a Happy day and a satiating meal, and if you did have to be far from home or alone, I hope you had a moment to call back to those that love and care for you.

BlogMeet and Merch and Handgonne Vids

Had a fun blogmeet at Yats.  Topics went from what happens when a bunch of your neighbors are also into armature radio, to the importance of red beans, to where to buy blinking "science!" lights, and a bunch of various and sundry that slip my mind at the moment.

And as promised I wore my Russian Origami shirt:

If you want one it can be ordered at the above link.

I'll put up Roberta's account when it gets posted. Edit:  And here's her report.

But first, as promised,  footage of the Handgonne in action.



Here's one of it with a better fireball.   And here's a closer look while a friend shoots it.

There's just something about a gun with no moving parts.   Also it's quite fun firing shot as well.  Also at the blogmeet was discussion that while the handgonne could be used for squirrel hunting,  deer hunting, as one of the smith's friends is thinking, seems right out the window.


Update with GBC comments:

Weerd: You wearing a suit at the range, Jack?

This tickles me because in that vid (and right now) I'm wearing Woolrich conceal carry pants,  a Dickies work shirt, workboots and one of Linoge's Russian Orgiami shirts (I bought two, you should too!).  All of which is pretty far from a suit.

Both shirts have good material and long tails, which makes handy for carry options.  The pants are nice having reinforced pockets,  extra pockets (without making you look like you have cargo shorts), and seams that have extra material that make doing repairs and adjustments a snap.
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Weerd: Jack looks like you shop at the MIB store!

Hey! I  have some tan, dark blue, and brown clothes.  Even some dark green stuff!

Fall

Welp, looks like with the front moving through Fall is here.

I should have bought some cider today.   Ah well.

It's looking like I'll have to mow the lawn one more time.

Depending on the weather, I hope to fire the handgonne again, and see how others like it at the range.

Not sure I'm ready to risk the chron with it though.

Kilted to Kick Cancer: There's still time!

It's still September for a few more hours.

That means there's still time to donate.

Coincidentally, there was also a blogmeet today.

A grand time was had talking about firearms patent law,   HVAC systems,  and microphone history among other things.

And since it was still September I was kilted up.

Thanks to Brigid for taking the photo.  Brigid also took the group photo so watch her blog for the post.

She and Engineering Johnson had a gift for Roberta but unfortunately the photo I took was too blurry.

And it wouldn't be Indy if there wasn't some classic race cars.

 And it wouldn't be Broad Ripple if there wasn't dogs.

This trio of Bernese Mountain Dogs were great.

Though the 4 month old pup was so tuckered out that she stayed asleep.

Update: Brigid has a more complete tale with more photos here.