buns

These are the meal of the night. Rolls cooked on a skillet with some butter. Other options would be broiling with asiago or parmesan as well as butter, olive oil, or various other... Hot dog, covered in a veggie stew. Carrots, squash, onion cooked, then rice cooked in and cream cheese added + avacado

The Life

So I hadn't stopped writing, about two weeks after my last post a turn of events had me move out. I switched to writing with pen and paper. Sadly most was lost in flooding of where I was staying last year. Housing in this area is fairly expensive and being in the middle of a pandemic made it hard to make ends meet. Once you don't have ways to cook or store food, the cost of living goes way up. When you don't have a safe place to store belongings the cost of replacing things that are picked up by other people goes way up. Saving for a large security deposit becomes more difficult. I was between housing for about 10 months.  I may post some of the journaling later. I've got a place now. I'm not gardening currently, my focus is on cooking recently. 

 I've worked as a cook for many years so I try to apply things I've learned at home. This post is mostly just a general update. I'm not gonna post any recipes now. I'd like to keep writing more, so maybe I'll write more on cooking in the future. Yesterday we had an 'atmospheric river' roll through the area. It rained for around 2 days, then lighten up for a day, then dumped so much water the next day. Flooding all over. It looks like the sun is out today so I'm gonna go enjoy it.  

Spring Gardening

Gardening has been going well. I've managed to get seeds to sprout in containers this year, which I've had trouble with in the past.  The main thing has been consistent watering.  Over the years the soil has improved from solid clay.  I've turned most of the beds and added more compost so there is room to plant the seedlings. For watering I have planted most things close together, near fruit trees.  Close together with companion planting. The fruit trees keep the hottest part of the day less extreme for the garden. 

The first picture is of cantaloupe sprouts.  The second picture if mostly of corn. There are some strawberries, beans, and Swiss chard pictured too.

Here is a video of planting some of the corn.

Tune up your bike!

Greetings!  So today let's learn about how to do a basic "tune-up" on a bike. Most importantly is to be safe.  Check your brakes before riding and always be cautious.  A main thing to do is clean as much you can. A towel is good, maybe a flat-head screwdriver to clean tight spots.

   Brakes; add a bit of oil. Check for any fray or heavy rust on cables. If it seems unsafe don't ride and get it checked out first. Check that the wheel can turn without the brake pad stopping it. Adjust as necessary.  Make sure, usually with an Allen wrench, that all the screws are tightened.  Keep the part of the wheel the brake makes contact with clean of dirt and oil.

 Tires; make sure there are no visible holes or tears in your tire. If there are you are likely to keep getting flat inner tubes or won't hold air if tubeless.  New tires are reasonably priced, patching is difficult and makes your tire off balance a bit. Also check the bolts and make sure the wheels are firmly secured to the frame.  Check the wheels for roundness and that the bearing are intact. Clean and oil.

  Tires/wheel size and pressure; both tires and rims should have sizes on them, ex: 26in. x 1.5 other common sizes are 700cc x 2.  First number is the diameter width of the rim.  Second is the diameter of the tube.  Check the compatibility.  Some are tubeless. On the tire for tubes it will have a min and max p.s.i. Higher psi will be less rolling resistance, so brake sooner, more likely to get flats.  Lower psi will be a smoother ride.  Be careful not to be too low where hitting bumps could damage the rim, tube and tire.. The min and max are good for proper wear on the tire.

  Gears; now clean the gears and derailleur. Wipe the chain with a towel then add bike grease or motor oil.  Get a bit of oil in the axles and clean off more.  The chain should be on snug, enough to move easily and not fall off.  The rear derailleur usually takes care of this. Some bikes don't have them.  Adding or removing links to a chain is easy with a tool designed for it.  Then turning the bike upside-down can be helpful to check the gears. Make sure all gears can be shifted through without shifting the gear off track.

 Enjoy 

Organics pt. 2

    There are a few ways chemicals get into food. Absorption from soil, is a major way. Another way is, what's sprayed on the plant. These compounds, often aimed at weeds and insects, could build up in the animals, dairy, and consumers eating these plants.  Other than those ideas, fruits and veggies, straight from the garden, is a nice addition to most meals.
    When planting a garden I like to clear all trash from the area, and be careful of what goes into compost.  A clean water source is also important. For the soil and natural waterways, as I dig in I'll take the time to remove any plastics, painted woods, cement, asphalt, etc.. For compost, I'll be sure to remove any stickers or ties. I'll then build up compost, mixing different soils knowing they are free of contaminates.
     I haven't used sprays in my smaller backyard gardening. On a larger scale pests can take out entire crops in a few days if the conditions are right. Companion planting helps a lot by providing biodiversity.  I'll try to feed with a constant source of compost so the plants don't get stressed out or more susceptible to pests.   

 Happy Gardening!