Family Camp

The Young'uns were planning a camp-gathering at Lake Jordan but The Fuzz and His Sweetie had a lot of stuff going on and had planned to skip it.  But there were some changes made, and the planners and the Young Daughter managed to get The Fuzz's Sweetie on board.  So he caved as well.
With little lead time, and still some very necessary garden work to take care of, Our Fuzz and Sweetie had a busy morning.

But after some scrambling and quick packing, they managed to get on the road only a little behind schedule.

Here's a view of the main camp.  There were a few other tents pitched nearby.

There was a threat of rain, so a tarp was put up, just in case.  While there was no major rain, it did protect from a few sprinkles- besides providing some piece of mind.

Of course there was a campfire, and even marshmallows for "sa'mores".

The Fuzz got himself out of the sack early the last morning and enjoyed a bit of quiet and a cup of coffee.  Here's a look out at the lake in the light  rain.

The trip was enjoyed so much we are hoping to do it again.  The Fuzz and His Sweetie are even getting a larger tent to make things more enjoyable.  Now they only have a few small, backpacking-type tents.  And they can get a bit crowded* at times.  Especially in the rain.

We're all looking forward to the next time!

*Due to a slight foul up on The Fuzz's part, we had to squeeze 3 into a 2 person tent!  It was hard on The Claustrophobic Fuzz.

Rainy Morning

Air Travel Made Stressful

Well, the Fuzz's Sweetie is out of town for a while.  And the poor guy is trying to cope with it.  When you've been with somebody for 40 years it's a bit strange not having them around.
On the way to the airport, they suddenly came upon a spot where the traffic was at a standstill.  This was particularly stressful for The Fuzz.  For it was in almost the same spot, years ago, that the same thing had happened, causing him to miss his plane.  But fortunately this time they were right at an exit, and were able to get off the freeway and on to a real road.

It was not far to the airport.  (In the afore mentioned episode The Fuzz actually walked/ran there in an unsuccessful effort to make his plane!)  But it did cut down on the recommended arrival time*.  So The Fuzz dropped His Sweetie off at the terminal, and went to find a place to park.

This construction site is where the hourly parking deck used to be.  As Our Trusting Fuzz followed the signs, he about ran into a barrier blocking the way to the parking deck that was no longer there.  At this point he realized that he would have to park in the Daily parking deck, and ride the shuttle back to the terminal in the now faint hope of that last bit of sugar.
Sad to say he didn't make it.
But happy to say, His Sweetie did make it though the security gauntlet, and had a safe arrival at her snow covered destination.

Here's a look at "Queen Charlotte" who used to be right in front of the terminal.  Now she's out here stuck between the East Parking Deck and the (I suppose) West Parking Deck.  Of course you can still take the shuttle out there to see her.


* Now 90 insane minutes!

A Bit of Color 2

Wow

Yikes!

The Fuzz's Sweetie is out of town visiting family.

So what's with this kind of weather?

The Fuzz says he thinks he'll just stay here where it's nice.

A Bit of Color 1

Kinda Spacy

Busy Times

The Fuzz got a motorcycle trip in this past weekend.  The main thing was a visit to his Brother's Birthday Bash.

The Fuzz managed to turn it into a 4 day excursion, visiting family along the way.
The weather was mostly good, although there was a bit of mist and the threat of some rain on the last leg home.  After 4 days on the bike he was a bit sunburned (especially on the nose).  And 4 days of holding the throttle took a toll on his arm.  But we are happy to report that he is recovering.

Now His Sweetie is off visiting family in Nebraska!  As it has been said, "Life is just one damn thing after another"*.  She went from nice Carolina Springtime to Snow!
Well, this time The Fuzz gets to stay home with the Young Daughter.  Maybe they can stay out of trouble on their own.



*Attributed to Mark Twain.

Dogwood Update

Dogwood Post Update

They're out pretty good now!

Red Meat

While on his own the other day, The Fuzz had to feed himself.  But this was an opportunity to try out a new recipe.

He picked up a piece of that deadly red meat at the store.  Normally he would have slapped it under the broiler with a little seasoning and let it rip.  But The Fuzz does have a soft spot for iron frying pans.

The first step was to slowly cook up a piece of bacon- for seasoning, and of course the grease.  Then he added some jalapenos, leeks and mushrooms.  Once these had sautéed a bit, that dangerous slab was laid in there.

&

After a few minutes flipped.

And finally served up with a fresh salad, and a glass of red wine.

Springtime Chores

One of our Springtime chores is getting the garden into the new seasonal mode.

We've had to start pretty much from scratch out here in the woods.  Back at the Old Place we had been working the garden for 30 years and it is built up pretty well.  The Fuzz's Sweetie has been working on this, but now with The Fuzz under foot, she has put him to work.

The plan calls for working the garden up into these beds and adding better soil, sand, peat moss etc.  The beds had been lined with logs and such.  But these rot quickly.  So we have been replacing them with blocks.

Pretty spiffy.

Dogwood Post

The Fuzz has been keeping an eye on the approach of Spring this year.  And one of the signs here in the Carolina Piedmont is the Dogwood trees.

Well they're not quite ready yet, but we've got a pretty good start.

It has been a bit cool lately, and it seems to have slowed things down a mite.  But things are beginning to happen now, and quickly!

Bike Stuff, Cheap Fix!

Just because The Fuzz hasn't been posting much does not mean he has been asleep the whole time.

In anticipation of some possible road trips, he has been addressing some  motorcycle issues.  One was the speedometer that was hanging on by a thread ever since that man pulled out in front of him that fateful summer.  It turned out that taking it apart and bending a few things around got that straightened out- more or less.

But that still left this seat, which had gotten progressively worse.
Back when The Fuzz was still a productive member of society, he would have to park the bike out in the weather while at the job.  Now it was finally time to do something about it.  And since this bike has been officially totaled, there was little incentive to sink much into it.  Of course a nice leather seat would be nice, but let's be realistic about things.

So Our Resourceful Fuzz made a quick trip to that Home Improvement Store for some black Gorilla Tape*.

And here we have it! 

*There is a precedent for this sort of thing.

(While you're there, check out this Booze Bike!)

Day Trip

Being as there was no school this week, due to the Spring Break (with used to be called Easter Vacation) The Fuzz and His Sweetie decided to take the Young Daughter and her boyfriend up to the Relatively Large City for a bit of fun.
On the way they saw these guys, and stopped for a quick pix or two.

Once in the city, the first stop was the Asian Buffet for a not so quick bite.  Then they hit the Thrift Store for some cheap additions to the wardrobe.  The Fuzz found an old toaster-oven* to use over at the Old Place since there is no cookstove there.

The plan called for a session at the $3 movie.  But alas, we were informed that the show had been cancelled due to "technical difficulties".  It seems that the projector had blown up showering glass over the audience and all.  

So... No movie this time.
It was time to head back to the woods and be satisfied with a DVD from Netflix.


*These things are great although they have been largely superseded by those new-finagled microwaves.  Back in The Days, we used these things for everything from broiling a steak to making biscuits!

Tuff Guys

One of the things The Fuzz enjoys is watching the birds at our feeder.  Perhaps it runs in the family.  He remembers his father doing this years ago.  Of course being retired now, there is a bit more opportunity for this.  Mostly we get Tufted Titmouses (or is it "Titmeeces"?).  Lately we've seen a few Swainson's Warblers.  apparently they like wet areas and we do have a bit of that around here.  And there are a couple White-breasted Nuthatches, which are very cool.  And there are a lot of Purple Finches, and of course the Goldfinches.  Those two can get a bit aggressive at times.

Here's a look at a bit of the action.

You can see the Purple Finch trying to chase that little Goldfinch off the perch.  But that little guy won't give up without a fight I promise.  Actually this is a mild situation.  The Fuzz has seen swarms of these guys.  They get so busy fighting each other that it doesn't seem like they get much to eat.  There's another of those purple guys waiting on top to get tagged and take it up himself.
The Kitties just have to watch from the ground and wait for someone to make a mistake.

Fun times in the Avian World.

Genetically Engineered Crops Protected

Saw this little item.


Obama signs bill that protects makers of genetically engineered crops from federal courts

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/03/30/obama-signs-bill-that-protects-makers-genetically-engineered-crops-from-federal/#ixzz2P4PASuad


"The so-called Monsanto Protection Act essentially requires the Agriculture Department to approve the growing, harvesting and selling of such crops, even if the courts rule environmental studies are incomplete -- undermining  the judicial review system and posing potential health risks, critics say."

Oh well.

At the The Old Place

The Fuzz spent the night over at The Old Place.  It was a bit cold weather-wise.  But it is furnished with an impressive wood burner.
Here you can see a bit of smoke wafting up into the blue skies.

And as has been mentioned previously, Spring is now here.  So here's a couple of pix of the Periwinkle out in the yard.

Here in the Woods, he and His Sweetie have been doing a bit of gardening, getting ready for the warm weather to come.

Slowly Progressing

Where do the days go?  It seems like forever since That Fuzz has been here.  But life goes on, out here in the woods like everywhere else.  He is still working on getting that workshop together.
Yesterday he took the trailer into town to the Old Place.  There were a couple things he wanted for the Shed/Workshop.  The first was this fine shelf.

He did get it moved in alright.  This should help get some of the clutter off of the floor, although there is still plenty of clutter.

And then there was this other shelf.

It will be fine for the smaller items, cans of oil, etc.  But first it will need a bit of cleaning.  One of the items previously stored on it was the grease gun.  In the summer heat it had a tendency to leak a bit.  Once Our Fuzz gets that taken care of, he'll move it inside and fill it up with more greasy clutter!

A Sign of Spring!

One more sign of Spring!

It was 27° this morning.  But on this sunny morning The Fuzz found this exciting sign of the coming Springtime.

We don't usually expect the Violets until April.

But here it is already!

It won't be long now.

And The Fuzz is ready. 

Gustav Whitehead & No. 21

While The Fuzz was poking around on the internet he came across this little bit:


"Wright brothers flew 2 years after Gustav Whitehead, researcher claims"

(Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/science/2013/03/13/first-in-flight-wright-brothers-flew-2-years-after-gustav-whitehead/?test=latestnews#ixzz2NRvxa9au)

It appears that there may be something to this.

"That's the shocking claim by Australian aviation historian John Brown…"

"Even “Jane’s: All the World’s Aircraft” -- widely considered the essential bible of flight -- has acknowledged Whitehead's achievement and Brown's research. With the headline "justice delayed is justice denied…' "

Gustave Whitehead (born Gustav Albin Weisskopf) and his 1901 monoplane Number 21

Whitehead in his working clothes

From Jane's:

"Whitehead equipped his aircraft No. 21, known as the Condor, with two acetylene-fuelled engines of his own design: 10 hp for the road wheels and 20 hp as the main source of forward flight. 'Main' because at an appropriate moment during take-off, the flick of a lever would transfer the road engine's output to augment the motor driving the twin propellers. He was by no means the only aviator to incorporate powered wheels into his designs, but by the time Jane began compiling his annuals, the practice was in decline and soon became lost in the mists of history, to be reborn in different form later."

And:

"In the early hours of 14 August 1901, the Condor propelled itself along the darkened streets of Bridgeport, Connecticut, with Whitehead, his staff and an invited guest in attendance. In the still air of dawn, the Condor's wings were unfolded and it took off from open land at Fairfield, 15 miles from the city, and performed two demonstration sorties. The second was estimated as having covered 1½ miles at a height of 50 feet, during which slight turns in both directions were demonstrated.

"This, it must be stressed, was more than two years before the Wrights manhandled their Flyer from its shed and flew a couple of hundred feet in a straight line after lifting off from an adjacent wooden rail hammered into the ground. And, obviously, because of his demonstrated expertise in manoeuvring, Whitehead had flown missions like this before, suggesting his lead was even greater. (Two months earlier, his No. 20 was reported to have flown from the same field, albeit weighted with sandbags in lieu of an occupant.)"

So why do the Wright Bros. get the credit?

"The first [reason] is that critical examination of the Wrights' legacy is deflected by a non-sequitur of elephantine proportions: That because they were the most successful of the early aeroplane pioneers, they must have been 'the first to fly'."

And how about this?

"Secondly, as was only disclosed much later, under sanction of a Freedom of Information request by Senator Lowell Weicker Jr, the Smithsonian Institute in Washington - undisputed repository of American aviation history - secured possession of the precious Wright Flyer No. 1 from surviving brother Orville only after agreeing in a legally-binding document that "the Smithsonian shall [not state] any aircraft...earlier than the Wright aeroplane of 1903...was capable of carrying a man under its own power in controlled flight". History is normally written by researchers who have dispassionately analysed all relevant data and not, as here, by the lawyers of interested parties. (Strictly, the document is also nonsense, since the wording contrives to prohibit the Smithsonian from mentioning numerous prior dirigible airships - which are 'aircraft' too.)"

Gustave Whitehead and his 1901 monoplane taken near Whitehead's Pine Street shop. His infant daughter, Rose, sits on her father's lap, and the engine that powers the front landing-gear wheels is on the ground in front of the others.  (1901)

And so, there you have it.  Most of this was taken from this-

Executive Overview: Jane's All the World's Aircraft: Development & Production

By Paul Jackson

3/8/2013

If you're bored you may want to look at it.

Micky-Mouse Fixes

One of the things The Fuzz has not been crazy about is the electrical outlets in the trailer.  Some of the original ones had become so loose that plugs would often fall out of them.  This was a pain in the neck at times.  

One of The Fuzz's first projects had been replacing this light switch in the Young Daughter's bathroom.  It was a quick Micky-Mouse* job as can be seen.  Now the time had come for a more permanent solution. 

Part of the hassle was that the original trailer type fixtures were self contained units that merely clamp to the wallboard.  Not having any of these things available at the Home Improvement Store, The Fuzz was forced to instal new "Old Work" type boxes.  This required enlarging the wall cutouts a bit.  A Dremel tool took care of this in the wallboard, while a jigsaw was required for the paneling.

While he was at it, That Ambitious Fuzz replaced a number of these defective outlets.  It's nice to have plugs that stay in the wall for a change.

*The Fuzz has a tendency for Micky-Mouse fixes.

On the Ridge

The other day, The Fuzz's Sweetie suggested a short hike in the woods.  So She and The Fuzz headed over to Crowders Mt.

Although the sun was shining, there was a stiff breeze and it was a bit cold up on the ridge as can be seen with His Sweetie's attire.

But it was great to get out of the trailer.  And the scenery was pretty nice.  With the leaves not out yet and the bright sunshine the woods were lovely.

Sunny Morning Phenomena

Here's a look at the Sunny Morning Phenomena.

You will note that the sun is already up in this pix.  Having retired, The Fuzz no longer has to ride to work in the dark and freezing cold.  
In this pix you will see two, yes, two thermometers!

Why is this?  Is The Fuzz kinda crazy?  Well, yes, a bit.  The lower thermometer, hanging on the wall, is one of those wonders of modern technology that is able to tell you the temperature outside, from the inside.  The remote sending unit for this is located in the shade to be better able to give a true reading of that freezing outside air.
In contrast, the upper thermometer is a rather low-tech affair.  It merely tells the temperature where it actually is.  And in this case, it is in the sun!
And so while it is telling Our Fuzz that it is 50 pleasant degrees out there.  He will not believe it.  It is actually still 30 freezing degrees.  And he will stay inside for a while longer. 

Turtle Island Preserve & Building Codes

The Fuzz happened on this little bit the other day.

"Mountain man fights local government to keep nature school natural"

"Eustace Conway, who owns and operates a school that teaches hundreds of people how to live closer to nature, received a cease and desist letter from county officials who say his buildings don't meet code."

"Officials say unless Conway can meet building codes and safety regulations, the camp and school will be closed."

(Here's a bit more on this)

"Turtle Island Preserve has been closed to the public since mid October for violating building and health codes after a neighbor called the department of Watauga County Planning and Inspections about unpermitted buildings being built on the Turtle Island Property.

Director Joe Furman later received a detailed map of the property. Furman added that he didn’t talk to or know the name of the complainant, but Furman said he believed it was a male who called and reported the unpermitted buildings."

The man must not be popular with his neighbors.

"This is supposed to be the land of the free. Government is supposed to help people, protect their individual liberties and freedom -- that's not what's happening here," said Conway.

Conway says he plans to fight to keep his nature school the way it was built.

"I'm not confident I can win it. I'm confident I ought to win it," said Conway. "This is something I spent this much of my life, I don't have much left."

Can't we all just get along?

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/02/28/mountain-man-fights-local-government-to-keep-nature-school-natural/?test=latestnews#ixzz2MgWJAG3N

The Pay-By-The-Pound-Outlet-Store

On their way home from a recent family visit, The Fuzz's Sweetie and the Young Daughter prevailed upon The Fuzz to make an unscheduled stop in the Big City to hit the Thrift Store.

It must be admitted that The Fuzz has never been a big fan of this sort of thing.  But even he has had to admit, they do have their place.  He found a needed suit at one of the local places for $4.50 when it came down to it.

But this was the Big One, the Real Deal, the Pay-By-The-Pound-Outlet-Store.  

These places can get interesting.  Once at another "Outlet Store" he watched in amazement as a man checked out with an entire shopping cart of shoes!

So what are these ladies doing?

(besides texting)

Note the blue line on the floor.  This particular blue line has nothing to do with the mass transit in this city.  This is all part of a ritual of this place.  These ladies must stand behind this line as new bins of clothes are brought out.  Then the signal is given.  Then, and only then, can they tear though these latest piles of clothing.

But Our Fuzz's time was not completely wasted.  He did find a couple of serviceable shirts and a cool little book.  of course he was very glad to finally make it back to Our Home In The Woods.

"Rescuing Murphy the Cat"

Found these while checking out Spiegel Online.

Life can get complicated even for critters!

Some Official Looking Mail

A while back The Fuzz found this bit of Official Looking Mail in the mailbox.  Not wanting to fool with it at the time, he put it in the drawer where these things go.  But this is not the sort of thing one can put off forever*.  Here in The Great North State, every thing motor-vehicle-like has been put into one huge messy file, and one can not renew a tag without a vehicle inspection.

Well The Fuzz's beat up little motorcycle will pass an inspection, as long as nobody gets too fussy about things.  Actually, it is mechanically sound, although it looks like crap.

And so with the weather looking tolerable, he put on his leathers and headed into town.

Things went fine and his little bike was entered into the state-wide system as rideable, and not a traffic hazard.

Rather then sending the paperwork back to Raleigh, he opted to simply ride over to the tag office and take care of things in person.

And that went well also.  Since he was already out and about, he  decided to take the long way home, and ended up freezing his tush off! 




*Although it must be confessed that the Outlaw Fuzz has ridden with dead tags at times!