Capt Kirk's Blog at GardenStew.com

24 July, 2006

Capt Kirk — Mon, 24 Jul 2006 21:59:12 -0400

Author: Capt Kirk
Posted: Tue Jul 25, 2006 1:59 am (GMT 0)

I have been on vacation for the past 3 weeks. We went to Georgia and North Carolina. Here are some pics of our vacation.

This one is of our campsite in Cherokee N.C. This was just outside the front door of the motor home. Hard to stay awake with the noise.

This is a small waterfall just upstream from where we were parked.

We also went to Stone Mountain, Georgia. This is the carving in the side of the mountain. The mountain is a huge chunk of granit. The figures are of (left to right) Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson.

This is a huge chunk of granite cut from the mountain.

This is just part of the mountain.

I got two of the pics switched. Sorry.

15 June 2006

Capt Kirk — Thu, 15 Jun 2006 15:48:44 -0400

Author: Capt Kirk
Posted: Thu Jun 15, 2006 7:48 pm (GMT 0)

Well it's been a busy week this past week. I have been doing quite a bit of work with the American Legion post that I belong to. The county fair is the latter part of July and the Post always has the race program printed up for the 2 days of harness racing. We sell ads to the local businesses and that pays for the printing. Then we sell the the programs at the fair for $2 each and that is how we make our money. So I have been selling ad space for the past week. I also got the post's new web site up and running. I am the administrator of it. Here is the url for it if anyone would like to check it out. Please keep in mind that it is still under construction. http://www.unionpost79.org

06/06/06

Capt Kirk — Tue, 06 Jun 2006 08:42:41 -0400

Author: Capt Kirk
Posted: Tue Jun 06, 2006 12:42 pm (GMT 0)

Well it finally quit raining! We had 4 straight days of rain and got over 2 3/4 inches. But we had been getting quite dry. Then it cooled off a lot with a north wind blowing. It's just now beginning to warm up where you can be out in a T shirt.
My oldest brother turned 70 on May 20th and had some medical test's done. Found out he needed a triple heart bypass. He had it done yesterday and is doing quite well. He said if he had known all of this was going to happen, he would have as soon as stayed age 69! I told him he should have expected it. Our Mom had heart problems and diabetes, my next older brother has the same, I have heart problems and diabetes. Now He has heart problems and has had diabetes for years
So if heart disease and diabetes runs in your family, I caution you to get the tests done before it is too late. My diabetes was caught early and is diet controlled. Both of my brothers was found late and they are on medication.

29 May 2006

Capt Kirk — Mon, 29 May 2006 12:49:52 -0400

Author: Capt Kirk
Posted: Mon May 29, 2006 4:49 pm (GMT 0)

Today is Memorial Day here in the States. It is when we honor all of our war dead, from all wars. I am the Post Historian for the local American Legion post, so I was on hand to snap the pics.

First was a presentation of a Navy Wreath, which was commended to the seas, well actually Mill Creek, which flows into the Scioto River, then the Ohio River and then the Mississippi River and eventually the Gulf of Mexico 6 months from now. A Navy Captain from the town had the Honor of tossing the wreath. I had that honor 3 years ago. It is a quite moving ceremony.

A prayer was said by our Chaplian and of course the flags were present.

The Honor Guard fired a 21 gun salute to the Navy War dead.

Mean while at the cemetery, everything was in readiness for the ceremonies there.

The parade arrived exactly on time!

I am now 62 years old, if anyone is curious at to what I looked like in uniform, here is a pic of me at age 18. Oh to be able to go back in time!

24 May 2006

Capt Kirk — Wed, 24 May 2006 13:16:04 -0400

Author: Capt Kirk
Posted: Wed May 24, 2006 5:16 pm (GMT 0)

My son got a new Hewlett Packard computer last week. He got the Media Center with a 300 gig hard drive. I also found out that the Seagate Co. has come out with a 750 gig hard drive but is not in mass production yet. I inherited my son's old computer, which is a year newer than my old one, with a bigger hard drive and a lot faster. I had trouple getting my HP printer to install on it and was emailing back and forth to HP Support for 2 days. Finally got it to work. Then I went to use my HP scanner and it wouldn't work. So again I was working with support and I finally got it to work. Only took 8 hrs. for it! But HP Support was really great in helping me with both of them. They would not give up trying.

May 20,2006

Capt Kirk — Sat, 20 May 2006 09:05:59 -0400

Author: Capt Kirk
Posted: Sat May 20, 2006 1:05 pm (GMT 0)

There has been quite a bit going on since I was here last. They finished up the remodeling and I will post some more pics, once my wife figures out what color to paint the walls and they get painted.
Went for a walk in the yard this morning and snapped a few pics.

This is my climatis.

Some of our Woodland Columbine.

Regular Columbine

And our Honey Locust trees are beginning to bloom. Another few days, once the bloom is open fully the air will be really sweet smelling and will be humming with bees. Too bad they only last a couple of weeks. We have about 50 of these in the yard.

May 7 2006 (added to)

Capt Kirk — Sun, 07 May 2006 19:13:26 -0400

Author: Capt Kirk
Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 11:13 pm (GMT 0)

I have worked on my ship some more, HMS Victory. I am far enough along now where I can work on some of the detailing.

7 May 2006

Capt Kirk — Sun, 07 May 2006 05:35:25 -0400

Author: Capt Kirk
Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 9:35 am (GMT 0)

Well the shower is in and we will be able to use it tonight. When he finished on Sat, the cauling hadn't had time to dry enough to use last night. It has to dry for 24 hrs. He still needs to install the shower door yet, but we have a shower curtain that we will use until then. The ceiling vent fan is done. And he still needs to install the vanity,sink,medicene cabinet and storage cabinet after the walls are painted. Here are a couple of pics.

6 May 2006

Capt Kirk — Sat, 06 May 2006 06:06:55 -0400

Author: Capt Kirk
Posted: Sat May 06, 2006 10:06 am (GMT 0)

Haven't had much of a chnace to get in here lately. Have been busy getting our bathroom remodeled. Also we haven't had a working shower in 6 day's so I may be getting kind of ripe! Actually, we have been going into my brothers place in town and usine his shower! But they should have the new shower working by this evening. And should finish up the remodel by the end of next week.

27 April,2006

Capt Kirk — Thu, 27 Apr 2006 15:32:44 -0400

Author: Capt Kirk
Posted: Thu Apr 27, 2006 7:32 pm (GMT 0)

Not a whole lot going on here. I do have my onions and radishes planted and they are up. Isn't warm enough to plant tomato's yet. May 15th is the frost free date here. In fact we have had frost the past two mornings.
I have worked on my model of the Victory, and have gotten quite a bit done the past several days. I have started painting the hull some. Here is a recent pic of it.

April 22, 2006

Capt Kirk — Sat, 22 Apr 2006 06:17:19 -0400

Author: Capt Kirk
Posted: Sat Apr 22, 2006 10:17 am (GMT 0)

Been working on my hobby when I have a chance. I love working with wood and decided to finally use the model ship plans of the HMS Victory that I have had since the 1970's. The hull is solid wood, and it is scratch built. No bought parts on it, yet! Here is a picture of it.

This is about 8 months worth of work! The hull is solid pine and have planked the decks with thin oak strips. Since the pic was taked I have stained the decks with a light oak stain. The masts are hand made also and are a conbination of walnut and oak. She will be painted in the traditional colors.

19 April, 2006

Capt Kirk — Wed, 19 Apr 2006 10:17:00 -0400

Author: Capt Kirk
Posted: Wed Apr 19, 2006 2:17 pm (GMT 0)

Spring is finally here to stay I think! Been busy the past two weeks. Cleaning up the yard and mowing the grass a couple of times. Done some work in the garden, I have onions up and the radishes are just starting to come up. I don't plant a lot of veggies, I have what I call a "salad garden". In about 2 weeks I will be planting some tomato's. Can't wait until I can start eating home grown ones.
We are also getting ready to remodel our master bath room. The old tub and shower is coming out and being replaced with just a shower. It will be of cultured marble. A new toilet and vanity and medecine cabinet also. The sink in the vanity will be of cultured marble also to match the shower. Also a new shower door. The 1/2 bath will get a new toilet. Both will get new flooring and new vent fans. They were supposed to start on it a week from today, but had to set the date back to May 1st as the job they are on now had some depays. I do have everything here so it's just a matter of getting the people here. Will try to take some picks to post in here.

9 April 2006

Capt Kirk — Sun, 09 Apr 2006 16:12:41 -0400

Author: Capt Kirk
Posted: Sun Apr 09, 2006 8:12 pm (GMT 0)

Beautiful day today. Mid 50's and bright sun and not a cloud in the sky! I mowed the grass for the first time this season. There were tufts of grass sticking up all over, but not consistent. I use a mulching set of blades on the tractor so it chopped up the winter trash, a few leaves and twigs etc. The yard looks really nice now since it's all nice and clean.

7 April 2006

Capt Kirk — Fri, 07 Apr 2006 19:18:38 -0400

Author: Capt Kirk
Posted: Fri Apr 07, 2006 11:18 pm (GMT 0)

Well some of the flowers are up, daffodils and hyacinths. I was looking at the hyacinths this afternoon and thought I saw them moving, but there was no wind. Stooped down to get a closer look and they were covered with honey bees. My lilly's are up about 3 inchs and it looks like there will be a lot of them again this year. But along with spring comes the stormy weather. We had storms move through this afternoon and had a tornado watch up for about 4 hours. But now that is mostly over with.

April 3, 2006

Capt Kirk — Mon, 03 Apr 2006 15:15:20 -0400

Author: Capt Kirk
Posted: Mon Apr 03, 2006 7:15 pm (GMT 0)

Well Spring is well underway here and along with it is the up and down weather. At noon it was 57F and now it is only 47F. Lots of wind and I could barely stand up in it. Last night we had severe weather warnings out and the possinility of tornados. But none materialized and the storms actually calmed down before getting to us. Got about 1/10th of an inch of rain.

March 22, 2006 Spring?

Capt Kirk — Wed, 22 Mar 2006 10:17:19 -0500

Author: Capt Kirk
Posted: Wed Mar 22, 2006 3:17 pm (GMT 0)

It seems like spring is here one day and then it's gone for several days. All of the spring bulbs are up in the beds. The deer are beginning to roam and browse what they can find.

Long time not here!

Capt Kirk — Sun, 19 Mar 2006 19:46:42 -0500

Author: Capt Kirk
Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2006 12:46 am (GMT 0)

With everything going on, it's been over a month since I was in here. I had surgery on Feb. 7th to get my pacemaker replaced with a combination pace maker/ defibrilator. The big difference is that the pacer only worked on the right side of the heart. The combo unit works on both sides of the heart in tandem. This causes the heart to pump more blood out than it was. The result is that I have more energy and don't get as tired as I used to so quickly.
Today being the last day of winter I was able to work in the yard for 3 hrs. I picked up all of the dead sticks that had come down this winter. Then I hooked the yard roller onto the tractor and got most of the yard rolled. I still have about an hours worth yet to do. The yard looks a lot nicer with all the frost heaves pushed back down where they belong!

18 Feb. 2006

Capt Kirk — Sat, 18 Feb 2006 10:02:11 -0500

Author: Capt Kirk
Posted: Sat Feb 18, 2006 3:02 pm (GMT 0)

It's been a while since I made an entry in here. There really hasn't been anything going on to write about. I did go into the hospital on 7 Feb. to have my old pacemaker removed and a new combo pacer/defibrilator put in. I am glad that I did. The old pacer only paced one side of the heart and kept it from beating too slow. The new one paces bith lower chambers and has improved the heart beat. I have more energy and feel a lot better. Now I just have to wait for spring weather to get here to enjoy the added energy. We had a cold front come through last night. There is no snow on the ground but the ground is frozen, hard as a rock. It is 13 deg. F outside now. I went out to fill the bird feeder and it about took my breath away! I came in and threw another log on the fire!

Mon. 23 Jan. 2006

Capt Kirk — Mon, 30 Jan 2006 19:10:51 -0500

Author: Capt Kirk
Posted: Tue Jan 31, 2006 12:10 am (GMT 0)

Well here it is, another week gone by. We are still haveing unusually warm weather. We have had some rain but it has still been up in the high 40's and 50's F. Not bad when you consider that a normal Jan. temp. for us is about 30 F. Allof my spring bulbs are up which is about 2 months early. I thouroghly enjoy this warm weather, but in the back of my mind I still believe that we will pay for it in either Feb. or March. Today we had bright sun and 56 deg F. I had a small fire in the wood burner this morning but let it go out about 9 am. At 3 pm it was up to 77 deg. in the living room. The sun coming in through the front window was actually hot! A bit of a cool down tonight with a chance of snow flurries in the morning.

Monday Jan. 23, 2006

Capt Kirk — Mon, 23 Jan 2006 14:07:29 -0500

Author: Capt Kirk
Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2006 7:07 pm (GMT 0)

Went for a walk on some of my 3 acres of property today. It is warm, 45 deg. F and the sun was out. We have had a really warm winter since the first of the year, but it's been mostly cloudy and rainy. So I had to get out of the house for a while before I went bonkers. Took a couple of pics.

This first one is of the stream that runs through the front of my property.

This is another shot of it farther downstream.

If you look close you can see some of the wild grasses starting to come up, if they ever died off. It is really early for this to happen. It's normally the end of March or early April before they start growing. I also noticed that the wild raspberries had buds on them too.
Jan weather is usually a high of low 30's F and a low in the teens or twenties. And we have been in the 40's and 50's all month. I really enjoyed my walk.