July 2014 hops

I desperately need to get out there and pull my first harvest of hops.

they are just begging to be brewed.

freshly dried hops thrown into the final 5 of a boil can NOT be compared!

the difference is undeniably there.

Chronodex week 28 more cut and fold

Another week of cut and folding the chronodex. 

on friday, i found another purpose for an incomplete deck of cards.

making a collage sort of chronodex keeps the making process new.

now i find myself in constant look out for unique patterns and images i can use for future chronodex.

chronodex 7.14.2014

chronodex 7.15.2014

chronodex 7.16.2014

chronodex 7.17.2014

 queen chronodex 7.18.2014

jack chronodex 7.20.2014

Tomatoes in a bucket

When the tomatoes turn red our summer becomes a bit more purposeful:

proof our gardening abilities are boastful

and 

the additional freshness to our food is pretty damn amazing.

we grow our tomatoes in buckets to excellent success:

this method allows us to amend to the soil more exactly,

keep the tomato soil more isolated from pests,

allow for earlier plantings,

and creates different layers of growth so we can plant companion vegetables between the tomato plants.

we have a quantity of buckets half buried in the garden and another quantity that are sitting on pavement in unoccupied spots of the back landing.

the only other note is that we do leave room for mulch on the top and a few inches below the rim. this way i can have the boys water them with the hose till the mulch floats to the rim and then stop. that amount of water seems to work well for us.

we grow a number of varieties for different recipes. these cherry tomatoes are just for us to eat on the spot while we garden. the key is to plant enough that the oldest boy doesn't eat them all before my me.

Chronodex week 27 cut and folding chronodex

Keeping a dedicated obsession fresh means continually changing up the themes.
introducing the new themes enhances the creative process
and
inflates our visual coffers.

the chronodex is an fairly quick build that offers a "moment" to realistically set my free time blocks in relationship to my work (or other) obligations. on the more demanding weeks, i do not always have a chance to make a chronodex. these days are usually a creative wash anyway so no need to put it on paper.

the week started out with a design that needed something more, a new element. i have greater appreciation when the chronodex has a more three dimensional feel. so i have ventured into cutting and folding. unfortunately i did not have time that morn (5a start) to develop it, but i was able to start the theme on thursday.

chronodex 7.9.2014

starting the folding and cutting. simple and still fits my chronodex making time frame.

cut and fold chronodex 7.10.2014

 the 3d element has been rewarding visually and physically. the field notes is beginning to turn into a mini pop up book.

fanning chronodex 7.11.2014

3 ring chronodex 7.13.2014

this bank of themes can be accessed as a one time deposit or constantly invested into.

Fiskars X27

I am a firm believer in vintage strikers that have proven themselves through history. also being able to hang your own helves gives the user a custom fit that one cant get with a synthetic option.

however

with that said, i do have one non-traditional splitter that really does do a damn good job.

The fiskars X27 with integrated handle is a unique experience.

although the handle is neither hickory nor ash it still has a decent feel. the handles diameter is not too wide and the hook at the end is very welcomed after swinging for a longer period of time. i was also pleased in the limited shock transfer from target strike to grip. 

the weight is 6# and good for those of us not built like paul bunyan. the efficiency lies in a full 36" handle and good head geometry.  the cheeks are well suited to splitting halved logs, but getting the round halved seems to take a few more strikes than a heavier wider splitting maul.

there always has to be a take somewhere.

was cruising through splitting logs until i came into some sponge centered silver maple.

even the best splitters will get bogged down in this.

crap silver maple with a rotting center is more like a sponge than a log.
can see the moisture pooling at the strike. 

Hanging a horseshoe on a wall mounted housing plaque

When we elevate everyday objects to the wall, we (should) do it to make a statement or to maximize some sort of appreciation for it.

i was given a friend's mangled horseshoe to prepare for presentation above his business's front door.

i new we needed the branches up to keep the luck from pouring out

and then i thought we should give it a sort of roof to protect that luck that would continue to fill into it.

my personal thought is that by adding some visual depth and complexity to the presentation our appreciation for it is increased because it initiates more thought. the more thought means more investment into the object and message. of course there is always too much of a good thing,  so i try to watch out for that point when the object of focus is lost because there is too much fancy around it.  balancing the two is important. 

Chronodex week 26 with a fireworks theme and two ridiculous fireworks

For Independence Day we have our daytime fireworks that the boys light off all day long 

and

then there are the bigger works that dad gets to light.

among the fireworks that the boy had were these two absolutely ridiculous ones: 

poo dog and chicken egg.

the cackling youth at the end of the chicken egg works was the youngest.

A fireworks themed week for the chronodex leading up to Friday's Independence Day.

for two days i had just a bit of extra time to make a VERY short video on the chronodex. adding a motion picture element to the final product is quite rewarding.

ground flower chronodex

smoke bomb chronodex

strobe light chronodex

chonodex 6 no 7.6.2014

Independence Day games

Around mid afternoon every Independence Day we shoot the daisies.

when we are fat from food and DRINK, around mid afternoon we take on our Independence Day Challenge. we pull out the boys old BB guns and take turns seeing who can shoot off the designated daisy blooms.

Independence Day Challenge, Lewis's turn

sitting on lawn chairs we take turns until, "mama had a baby and her head popped off".

Chronodex week 25 and my perfect writing desk

Not fancy, but damn if i don't enjoy working at my desk.

we all have a set of criteria to make up our "perfect desk". for myself, i need the piece of furniture that blends the compartmentalization of a toolbox and yet have enough flat surface for room to write. 

with 9 nooks and 3 drawers, i have plenty of places to position my most used tools and because the writing surface pulls out i can maximize its space.

and all of this for $0.

the desk originally belonged to one of my landlords that i rented from during college. it was his deceased fathers and had bad water damage. he knew i could restore furniture and said i could have it as long as i never sold it. some 18 years later i have stayed true to my word.

day 1 of the work week chronodex 6.23.2014

chronodex 6.25.2014

chronodex 6.26.2014

 dancing flame person chronodex 6.29.2014