I started the morning about 4:00 am - couldn't get back to sleep. After a variety of attempts I gave up and got up. That is a sure recipe for grumpy old Doug. The mania might have started from last night's Kung Pao shrimp with Deb and the neighbors. I like spicy and hot. These peppers might as well have been red cardboard. In an attempt to get some sensation I ground the peppers in my teeth and choked their tasteless selves down. Nothing! The conversation was equally frustrating as it turned to health insurance. I learned beyond a shadow of a doubt I better die before Deb because I am clueless. I took Cooper to the vet the other day and was able to handle that just fine. Call set an appointment, arrive doc does his thing, walk to front pay with a credit card, go home. My health care, I know I pay some insurance company that I've never heard of $12,000/yr to cover us, major medical only. (Back 20 years ago I paid about $400/yr for the same thing for myself.) That $12,000 by the way is in addition to some government welfare subsidy that I have no idea why we get or how to apply for. If I actually hurt myself and need to go to a doctor, again no clue. Do I go to the emergency room or urgent care or call some doctor in network out of network. I was frustrated and stupidly lashed out at Deb on the way home. Deb who is not the cause of my frustration and in fact has done all the yeoman's work on trying to get us in compliance with the law. This is not political I swear this is just frustration and real fear. The vet I understood.
Coffee and a walk with the dogs changed the frustration to a manic need to accomplish everything I've ever thought about as a possible good idea and do it absolutely perfectly while hopping on one foot. I've seen this mood before in me and I know it's usually best to avoid power tools. Power tools offer the manic mind the illusion that you could get 'there' faster. History and reality have shown me they just allow you to screw things up faster and risk your ownership of fingers and thumbs. I've decided tapping on a keyboard is probably safer.
The music is Irish this morning. The logic of going Irish is twofold. First my silly need to empty out the bag of finds from the Friends of the Library sale which contained a stack of Irish music. (If there is a category of CDs you can always find in their sales it's Irish perhaps only eclipsed by classical and followed closely by Celine Dion. I'll leave you all to speculate with me why that's so?!) Second, my manic mind sought the fast pace with an undercurrent of rage groups like the Real McKenzies offer. But I've started with Sinead O'Connor https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yaS3vaNUYgs . When she was the new thing I never listened to her as I thought she was a pretentious ass. That said I started liking her music - go figure.
The garden needs a good going through. Which was one of the thousand thoughts that woke me this morning. It being August in Colorado I need to switch my mind to winding things down in the garden. I know that sounds odd with most things just getting started but the first frost could be next month. I've lived in Colorado long enough to know it might also wait till December, or any variation in-between. Thus I have to make a guess on what will produce between now and that unknown end of the season.
I've tried in the past to extend the season with a variety of covers. Crop covers make eminent sense in Colorado as the variable length of the growing season is a big one. I recall eating lettuce and spinach from under plastic in my garden till February one year. Eminent sense but it's a bit of a hassle. Anything temporary requires a ton of effort with a limited reward. Anything permanent requires you use more expensive material and construction and has the additional hassle of 'where do you put it' when it's summer and it's just in the way. No doubt if I keep walking this earth I'll edge back to some sort of season extension system. Just no room left in the manic mind today.
The other piece of the garden puzzle thwacking my mind is I try to companion plant and intensively plant. Note the word try in there. At times trying to make sure that the tomatoes and the rest of the nightshade family get rotated, so as to not get every disease and blight known, is tough. Add that to trying to mix in companions, a bit of garlic and basil with the tomatoes but onions don't like peas, and I've got to get out the paper. Ah but superadd trying to take small plots and maximize use. The garlic's goes in in the fall and out by the middle of July so what should take it's place? Lettuce is a light feeder but I need to let some go to seed so will the young corn be shaded too much? It's all doable in a small garden like mine if you're not distracted and the variables like weather don't get too extreme. That is the rare year.
The music has moved over to The Dubliners https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65DclJTIjIk and I'll take a jump also.
It was on the walk this morning that I thought of the common thread between my garden and why government doesn't work. Harry Browne wrote a much more thoughtful book that explored and carried that title much better than I can, but bear with me. Heck the dogs had to deal with me hurrying home to tap this keyboard give me a minute. 'Give me a minute' is kinda the heart of it.
We all share a lot of similarities but like snowflakes no two of us are exactly the same. There's got to be what - a million people just in this country. No two with the same idea of perfect government. When I served on my local Council there was a thin but steady stream of contacts from constituents with an idea, suggestion, pet peeve, or demand that they wanted me to deal with. Some were poignant like the Mother who wanted the City to get her condo's homeowners association to shovel the sidewalk so her wheelchair bound daughter could catch the bus to school. Others were unhappy with neighbors for a variety of sins from bathtubs on the front lawn used as planters ("In a nice neighborhood!") To the neighbor that parks in 'their spot', "ALL THE TIME!" The list was/is endless. The old guy who was pissed that we couldn't do something to stop the weekly free paper from being thrown on his lawn. The city "needs" a BMX bike track near my house. The off leash dog park is too close to my house and stinks. Why can't the City have more buses I'm too old to drive. Why can't the City clean up graffiti instead of giving me a ticket to clean it up? I bought my house for the view how can that developer build 3 stories high. Why can't the City require all the trash trucks to come on the same day or just allow one company "it would protect our streets". I tell you I could go on all day.
Inevitably the person pointed out that it would require very little time or money to make our little burg much better not perfect but much better. I recall the interview with the general (Or maybe it was a Colonel. They get all the shitty jobs!) charged with the civil administration in Baghdad when the US hacked their government. He said every morning he was faced with a crowd of civilians who inevitably would just want a moment of his time for just one thing and raise one finger to emphasize the smallness of the request. Being military he had his mission and gently folded the person's finger down and said I don't have time for your one thing.
In a small town with generally similar views on life a good leader can marshal the people with a vision of who we are and where we're going. The rarer leader can offer a common vision at the County, State, and National level. The difficulty is that the common vision is usually an additive affair. Rare is the politician that wants to say no to a request especially if it simply means spending just a little more. The City I live in is relatively well off we can do a lot but we can't do everything. Chicago tried, Chicago's broke!
Ah but it's worse than that. Years of being told yes to each of our little additions have left us with a vision so all inclusive that it's no longer a single vision. The little burg I live in is currently fighting over density. "We are a suburb I don't want to live in a city!" "We voted for lite rail so we could get away from cars destroying the beauty of the land!" " My kids can't afford to live near me we need cheap apartments". Each little snowflake see hows if things were just bent ever so slightly in there way life would obviously be better. They always bury the cost to others under their own benefit. The apartment developer wants cheap land next to the subsidized (by others) lite rail. The Tomatoes think the basil should be moved - oh wait wrong part of the metaphor.
Just to prove I visit this century - every now and then. Mumford & Sons https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvG6UrRMFnk will perhaps pull me back from the edge.
Sunflowers grow like a weed in my garden. Rarely the nice big ones. I somehow have gotten the small half of some hybrid from the winter bird feeders. They're quite pretty so I tolerate them with the occasional jihad to rid them from this bed or that one. Most don't produce a seed big enough for more than a goldfinch (which I love to see in the garden) and I'm not a big sunflower seed person so I'm OK with that. Short of a few bouquets for the house and an enticement for bumble bees they don't add much to the purpose of the garden. Ah but wait! I'm wandering the depths of Youtube last night and came across a brief video that said the buds can be used as a replacement for artichoke hearts. I won't offer a link as there was little more than that tidbit and cooking instructions. (blanch 3 minutes, cook as artichoke.) I hope to try 'em this week I let you know where it stands on the tasty to spit it out spectrum.
One short aside on bumblebees before I go. Last year I happened out quite early one morning and had a nice large sunflower from seed my brother Daryl had sent out. On admiring it I realized there were two bumblebees sleeping on it. I swear sleeping. They didn't move for quite some time finally they kinda got going and eventually flew off. I knew squash bees will often sleep in the blossoms but didn't know this was something bumblebees did!? Perhaps they just had too much pollen and had to sleep it off.
I'll leave you all with about the saddest song ever. The Irish diaspora sent a good share to Australia and between raucous tunes the Irish seem to have sent the ability to write a truly sad one. And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda by The Dubliners. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wq0fF6oY6I4
Coffee and a walk with the dogs changed the frustration to a manic need to accomplish everything I've ever thought about as a possible good idea and do it absolutely perfectly while hopping on one foot. I've seen this mood before in me and I know it's usually best to avoid power tools. Power tools offer the manic mind the illusion that you could get 'there' faster. History and reality have shown me they just allow you to screw things up faster and risk your ownership of fingers and thumbs. I've decided tapping on a keyboard is probably safer.
The music is Irish this morning. The logic of going Irish is twofold. First my silly need to empty out the bag of finds from the Friends of the Library sale which contained a stack of Irish music. (If there is a category of CDs you can always find in their sales it's Irish perhaps only eclipsed by classical and followed closely by Celine Dion. I'll leave you all to speculate with me why that's so?!) Second, my manic mind sought the fast pace with an undercurrent of rage groups like the Real McKenzies offer. But I've started with Sinead O'Connor https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yaS3vaNUYgs . When she was the new thing I never listened to her as I thought she was a pretentious ass. That said I started liking her music - go figure.
The garden needs a good going through. Which was one of the thousand thoughts that woke me this morning. It being August in Colorado I need to switch my mind to winding things down in the garden. I know that sounds odd with most things just getting started but the first frost could be next month. I've lived in Colorado long enough to know it might also wait till December, or any variation in-between. Thus I have to make a guess on what will produce between now and that unknown end of the season.
I've tried in the past to extend the season with a variety of covers. Crop covers make eminent sense in Colorado as the variable length of the growing season is a big one. I recall eating lettuce and spinach from under plastic in my garden till February one year. Eminent sense but it's a bit of a hassle. Anything temporary requires a ton of effort with a limited reward. Anything permanent requires you use more expensive material and construction and has the additional hassle of 'where do you put it' when it's summer and it's just in the way. No doubt if I keep walking this earth I'll edge back to some sort of season extension system. Just no room left in the manic mind today.
The other piece of the garden puzzle thwacking my mind is I try to companion plant and intensively plant. Note the word try in there. At times trying to make sure that the tomatoes and the rest of the nightshade family get rotated, so as to not get every disease and blight known, is tough. Add that to trying to mix in companions, a bit of garlic and basil with the tomatoes but onions don't like peas, and I've got to get out the paper. Ah but superadd trying to take small plots and maximize use. The garlic's goes in in the fall and out by the middle of July so what should take it's place? Lettuce is a light feeder but I need to let some go to seed so will the young corn be shaded too much? It's all doable in a small garden like mine if you're not distracted and the variables like weather don't get too extreme. That is the rare year.
The music has moved over to The Dubliners https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65DclJTIjIk and I'll take a jump also.
It was on the walk this morning that I thought of the common thread between my garden and why government doesn't work. Harry Browne wrote a much more thoughtful book that explored and carried that title much better than I can, but bear with me. Heck the dogs had to deal with me hurrying home to tap this keyboard give me a minute. 'Give me a minute' is kinda the heart of it.
We all share a lot of similarities but like snowflakes no two of us are exactly the same. There's got to be what - a million people just in this country. No two with the same idea of perfect government. When I served on my local Council there was a thin but steady stream of contacts from constituents with an idea, suggestion, pet peeve, or demand that they wanted me to deal with. Some were poignant like the Mother who wanted the City to get her condo's homeowners association to shovel the sidewalk so her wheelchair bound daughter could catch the bus to school. Others were unhappy with neighbors for a variety of sins from bathtubs on the front lawn used as planters ("In a nice neighborhood!") To the neighbor that parks in 'their spot', "ALL THE TIME!" The list was/is endless. The old guy who was pissed that we couldn't do something to stop the weekly free paper from being thrown on his lawn. The city "needs" a BMX bike track near my house. The off leash dog park is too close to my house and stinks. Why can't the City have more buses I'm too old to drive. Why can't the City clean up graffiti instead of giving me a ticket to clean it up? I bought my house for the view how can that developer build 3 stories high. Why can't the City require all the trash trucks to come on the same day or just allow one company "it would protect our streets". I tell you I could go on all day.
Inevitably the person pointed out that it would require very little time or money to make our little burg much better not perfect but much better. I recall the interview with the general (Or maybe it was a Colonel. They get all the shitty jobs!) charged with the civil administration in Baghdad when the US hacked their government. He said every morning he was faced with a crowd of civilians who inevitably would just want a moment of his time for just one thing and raise one finger to emphasize the smallness of the request. Being military he had his mission and gently folded the person's finger down and said I don't have time for your one thing.
In a small town with generally similar views on life a good leader can marshal the people with a vision of who we are and where we're going. The rarer leader can offer a common vision at the County, State, and National level. The difficulty is that the common vision is usually an additive affair. Rare is the politician that wants to say no to a request especially if it simply means spending just a little more. The City I live in is relatively well off we can do a lot but we can't do everything. Chicago tried, Chicago's broke!
Ah but it's worse than that. Years of being told yes to each of our little additions have left us with a vision so all inclusive that it's no longer a single vision. The little burg I live in is currently fighting over density. "We are a suburb I don't want to live in a city!" "We voted for lite rail so we could get away from cars destroying the beauty of the land!" " My kids can't afford to live near me we need cheap apartments". Each little snowflake see hows if things were just bent ever so slightly in there way life would obviously be better. They always bury the cost to others under their own benefit. The apartment developer wants cheap land next to the subsidized (by others) lite rail. The Tomatoes think the basil should be moved - oh wait wrong part of the metaphor.
Just to prove I visit this century - every now and then. Mumford & Sons https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvG6UrRMFnk will perhaps pull me back from the edge.
Sunflowers grow like a weed in my garden. Rarely the nice big ones. I somehow have gotten the small half of some hybrid from the winter bird feeders. They're quite pretty so I tolerate them with the occasional jihad to rid them from this bed or that one. Most don't produce a seed big enough for more than a goldfinch (which I love to see in the garden) and I'm not a big sunflower seed person so I'm OK with that. Short of a few bouquets for the house and an enticement for bumble bees they don't add much to the purpose of the garden. Ah but wait! I'm wandering the depths of Youtube last night and came across a brief video that said the buds can be used as a replacement for artichoke hearts. I won't offer a link as there was little more than that tidbit and cooking instructions. (blanch 3 minutes, cook as artichoke.) I hope to try 'em this week I let you know where it stands on the tasty to spit it out spectrum.
One short aside on bumblebees before I go. Last year I happened out quite early one morning and had a nice large sunflower from seed my brother Daryl had sent out. On admiring it I realized there were two bumblebees sleeping on it. I swear sleeping. They didn't move for quite some time finally they kinda got going and eventually flew off. I knew squash bees will often sleep in the blossoms but didn't know this was something bumblebees did!? Perhaps they just had too much pollen and had to sleep it off.
I'll leave you all with about the saddest song ever. The Irish diaspora sent a good share to Australia and between raucous tunes the Irish seem to have sent the ability to write a truly sad one. And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda by The Dubliners. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wq0fF6oY6I4
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