tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-210717092012-02-16T02:44:50.586-05:00On the long journey from suburbia to simplicityjoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.comBlogger791100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-12263234787197710542011-03-21T00:45:00.000-04:002011-03-21T00:45:27.375-04:00

Another sign of Spring in some places. This was taken in the wilds of Connecticut last year.

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-71788475156947218502011-03-21T00:34:00.000-04:002011-03-21T00:34:15.397-04:00

One of the signs of Spring. This photo is from last year. In the background you can see, from right to left, the old corn crib we used as a packing shed, the 77 RV I lived in for several months, and the machine shed that featured, among other things, a fairly large half-pipe that attracted skaters from all over.

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-48952426290273753642011-03-19T03:05:00.001-04:002011-03-19T03:26:40.337-04:00

The season is coming. Almost seventy here the other day. It's like waking up. I sit here, earbuds in, succumbing to the music. Which is about as good as it gets to me. There is nothing better than good music. And really, there's no explanation for it. It might as well be some bleeps and boops, strums, pounds, knocks. Which is what it is. But for the life of us, we have no real explanation for

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-42426175978689029852011-02-25T15:43:00.000-05:002011-02-25T15:43:40.983-05:00

Just a couple pics from last season. It kind of freaked me out a little, even though I know better on a rational level. They swarmed, found a spot to hang out for a moment, sent out some scouts, and a few minutes later the whole pile took off in a giant cloud toward the creek. Pretty amazing to see up close.

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-55257413915321486762011-02-25T03:21:00.000-05:002011-02-25T03:21:44.964-05:00

Ha! And so did I. For a little bit. But. I'm back. For maybe a little bit. Or a while. Who knows. But I'll try. Quick summary for any stragglers: farmed again, just south of Chicago, with great folks (updated links coming soon). Lived in an RV with no water, no stove, and some electricity. Learned more about building, composting, manure management. Cut and planted and dug sooooo many potatoes,

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-37128880285019666052010-04-20T17:37:00.000-04:002010-04-20T17:37:47.863-04:00

So, we got a van. A crappy one. For cheap. I think it leaks three different fluids, but it managed to get us across the country. And it still runs. While the gas mileage sucks compared to my dearly departed Kia--and it is much less reliable--the bright side is that it holds lots of stuff, or people, or maybe both. So far so good. But I'm trying to top off the transmission fluid, and it's proving

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-37895727317616949272010-03-15T15:03:00.003-04:002010-03-15T15:21:33.124-04:00

So, we're going to be rambling our way back to good ol' Illinois (which is where we're originally from, for any new readers out there), where we'll be apprenticing for another season on a diversified small farm. We decided that family and long-time friends were important to have near us (relatively) as we anticipate finding some land to settle down on for the long term. It'll be hard to give up

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-57176313290265171952010-01-11T12:18:00.000-05:002010-01-22T12:19:35.221-05:00

Oh blog, how I've neglected you. Readers, if any of you are left out there, let me tell you that I've been living in a place with a virus-ridden computer, and, besides, I haven't been inspired much to write. We've been trimmin and cuttin down trees up in CT. Well, to be honest, we do the ground work while an experienced treeman (wife's uncle by marriage) does the rope climbing. There's lots of

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-35427396657502834102009-11-03T06:55:00.000-05:002009-11-03T06:55:32.187-05:00

You see, for us, it's too easy. The past couple of years (and this one is playing out the same) we have finished up with the main tasks on the farm and have gone on with our lives. We've left behind many of the odds and ends that get done in the less busy times--all those chores you put off for one reason or another. We take a few bagfuls of food and find other employment. Winter passes. Then

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-79460260589774966222009-10-10T14:04:00.001-04:002009-10-10T14:05:17.572-04:00

A couple days ago I was out weeding our two remaining beds of leeks. It was an odd weeding job because the deer had been grazing on the weeds they like to eat, leaving shortish weeds with fairly stout roots (hard to hoe and pull because of the deep-set roots, hard to pull, also, because of the lack of grip space to yank 'em up). Deer don't like to eat leeks (at least these don't), and most of the

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-1880213718716170992009-10-04T19:42:00.000-04:002009-10-04T19:42:50.582-04:00

It has gotten a bit cold here. Smells like fall. One night we go from the fan sucking cool, sweet mountain air into our room, to the next night having the whole apartment closed down--us draped in sweaters, smothered nightly in a heavy comforter, me cursing my lack of a good pair of boots for farm work (thus relying on the old trusty sandals in the 40-degree dewy morning). But don't get me wrong,

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-30894613352734143592009-08-23T22:18:00.010-04:002009-08-23T23:18:51.829-04:00

We spent part of the last two weekends picking wild blueberries on the Blue Ridge Parkway (Graveyard Fields--it ain't no secret). There were so many bushes to visit, and lots of ripe berries--much more than I expected. All told, we picked several pounds, stopping only because of my fatigue. They've gone good on cereal and pancakes. We froze a bunch of 'em for future sustenance.It's enrapturing,

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-10318844040250145112009-08-02T18:20:00.003-04:002009-08-02T18:48:10.836-04:00

Time is certainly flying around here. You'll have to forgive me, friends, for not posting with any regularity. We've been busy. Those who farm and garden know that midsummer is about as hectic as it gets, with your heavy producers like tomatoes, squash and beans in full fruiting mode. And then there's the corn. Yeah, we're not in the greenhouse starting plants as much, or out in the fields

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-14216511722365031832009-06-10T18:29:00.000-04:002009-06-10T18:29:37.568-04:00

Bushhogged some of our cover crop down. The rye was tall and the vetch was clingy. Mmmm.. taste the organic matter and soil nutrients. Harvested some rainbow chard, among many other things.  Sold our goods at the market.  Watched frogs and toads do it in the puddles. A lot. From tadpoles to little hopping toadpoles with tails.   The ghost of Max Patch.  We were eventually blessed with 10

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-20866759643480642642009-05-29T20:07:00.000-04:002009-05-29T20:07:51.310-04:00

Yep, it's still raining. We're approaching 10" for the month, which is nearly a third of our yearly average. In one month. And last month was rainy too. And so was the previous month. Standing water in some of the fields. Lots of slugs. Temps this month have fluctuated from lows around freezing to highs in the low 80s, which has caused a bunch of our field crops to bolt and try to go to seed

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-73720526381257625792009-05-10T14:12:00.003-04:002009-05-10T19:32:35.673-04:00

We're just relaxing today after one hell of a Saturday. We had a huge plant sale yesterday down in Waynesville. The day started at around 3:30 a.m., and, aside from the car ride there, I didn't sit down again until around 5 p.m.; then my head didn't hit the pillow until around 11 or 12 last night. Yeah, it was busy. We sold lots of beautiful plants though, which will find cozy homes in the

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-33892003506594257272009-05-05T07:14:00.000-04:002009-05-05T07:14:07.726-04:00

Things are really gaining steam on the farm as all the potential energy built during the last two months jolts into the kinetic. This weekend is a huge plant sale down in Waynesville; we are preparing for that. Our direct-seeded greenhouse is cranking out the greens (and completely unmanageable weeds). Most of the field crops are doing good, aside from the few that got decimated by flea beetles.

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-78757248675509152432009-04-24T23:19:00.000-04:002009-04-24T23:19:11.075-04:00

Probably for the first time in over a month, since we've moved, I'm missing some of the old stuff. It's probably 'cause I was looking through pictures from the last two years. They hold lots of good memories. I miss Sunny Sky Farm. I miss our Wisconsin friends. I even miss the flatness (and rocklessness) a bit. I mean the me that is now was born there. And place always matters. Love where I am

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-85380499172999918422009-04-23T20:31:00.006-04:002009-04-23T21:37:17.225-04:00

It's been busy. I can't even remember what happened at the beginning of the week. We did have another snow scare, but it never actually fell. It only dropped to 35 last night, and now we're looking at several days in the mid- to upper-70s. Crazy mountain weather. The last couple of dry (finally) days have been reserved mostly for bed prep and transplanting. We got lots of onions out and some

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-28738560499311658002009-04-18T07:54:00.000-04:002009-04-18T07:54:54.684-04:00

Sometimes I'm an insomniac. Like right now. I've been up for a few hours, and I really have no need to be up. In other words, more sleep would probably be good. But there's no use fighting what you can't fight, so here I am. At least I can be productive in some way. We were transplanting yesterday using this transplanter (see right for a picture of the old single-seat setup) that attaches to the

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-40767353926519003942009-04-17T21:14:00.002-04:002009-04-18T08:03:58.914-04:00

The last couple days have been dry, warm, and sunny. Which means that our backlog of way-too-big greenhouse plants could get transplanted into the fields. Chard, choi, brocolli, lettuce, potatoes (seeded), kohlrabi, and cabbage all escaped their plastic prisons. It was a good feeling to get 'em all out. Here's a shot of the lettuces and some of the brassicas right before they got trucked out to

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-34355956939634459182009-04-15T08:45:00.001-04:002009-04-15T08:49:00.557-04:00

I've got some free time. Let me give you a few quick hits about the time we spent in Asheville this past weekend.The Laughing Seed Cafe serves up some tasty vegetarian fare. Not only was it delicious, but their offerings are super creative. I had the tempecado, which was tempeh, avocado, sprouts, and a bunch of other veggies, with a side of jalapeno and cheddar fries. I also had a Green Man

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-35151579180161052392009-04-14T19:15:00.001-04:002009-04-14T19:16:38.930-04:00

we're thinking about instituting a u-pick. Nevermind those other leafy things.

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-64673124977582182642009-04-12T21:06:00.002-04:002009-04-12T22:03:52.829-04:00

Photos, as promised (kind of).The snow begins. You may have to click on the pic to see the flakes.Almost post-accumulation. From right to left: See how the cover crop (a mix of rye, vetch, clover, and field peas) doesn't get blanketed. You can also see the row cover over the strawberries. Finally, a field road, covered in snow. Also, we still think that's Bluff in the background (poor AT

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-19270904462754944542009-04-10T20:13:00.002-04:002009-04-11T08:55:41.141-04:00

It's been a week of mostly indoor farming, thanks to some schizophrenic weather. I wish I could post some pictures, but we're in the midst of some major storms, and our internet connection is super spotty. Last Saturday we met the folks from the neighboring farm and another neighbor from over the mountain. All super nice, enjoyable people. We shared some homemade wood-fired pizzas with some

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-38122202593747830622009-04-04T08:06:00.004-04:002009-04-04T08:37:19.326-04:00

Those cucumbers we transplanted in the greenhouse beds had mixed fates: some are starting to grow boldly up the fence, but several quickly keeled over all limp-like and died. A sample a couple years back from this greenhouse revealed pythium in the soil, a hard-to-get-rid-of fungus-like organism that destroys the roots of plants. Further tests will reveal if it's still pythium. In the meantime,

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-8528555698651404052009-03-31T21:29:00.002-04:002009-04-15T17:20:23.921-04:00

I know some of you probably don't give a flying fuck about the details of our farming operation, which is cool. I get it. Nobody farms. It's long removed from what matters in our society. Who needs food anyway, right? Really, I'm not trying to be a dick when I say that. Just a smart ass. I'm like that sometimes. It might make you hate me. But seriously, as an alternative to droning on about

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-48991406867410344152009-03-28T15:46:00.001-04:002009-03-28T15:50:17.941-04:00

It's been rainy here, but warm (to me at least). We've been doin lots of seeding and transplanting. But it ain't all business.So, you know the greenhouse where we're propagating; well, half of it was planted in a cover crop of mustard greens, like so:We tilled these mustards in as a green manure to add organic matter and help combat what we believe to be some sort of pathogen in this particular

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-43422463443178986972009-03-24T07:42:00.001-04:002009-03-25T07:11:52.434-04:00

Yesterday we spent most of our day out in the field direct seeding various greens and roots using what our neighbor over the mountain calls the "stupid fucking plastic thing." Yes, it is stupid, and plastic, and makes you want to fucking swear at it. And we enjoy it so much we had to add "piece of shit" to its name. This ain't an exact replica of our model, but here's what it pretty much looks

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-62508264106396154492009-03-22T11:57:00.005-04:002009-04-15T17:19:28.246-04:00

It takes a long time to get anywhere from where we live. Twenty minutes gets you to the closest population center (about 900 people). Then it's another 20 minutes or so to find a regular grocery store. Another 20 minutes gets you to Asheville. We went to Asheville for the first time yesterday to pick up some odds and ends. Spent a little time downtown and ate lunch at the Early Girl Eatery. For

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-2534012897129160262009-03-19T22:43:00.001-04:002009-03-19T22:46:54.023-04:00

We did lots of seeding today, and look at this badass toy. And then:Those are 128 cell flats. It takes just a few minutes to seed one flat once you get the hang of this thing. It uses a standard compressor hose attached to a simple PVC contraption and some needle-like suction tubes to accomplish the task. You dip your wand of needles (each set of needles sized for a general seed type, and the

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-64016227731978275452009-03-18T22:38:00.010-04:002009-03-25T07:12:32.408-04:00

Just a brief post to give a quick picture of the place. You can see our home on the right with the red roof. And of course the beautiful foggy ridgeline in the background. It was overcast, humid and relatively warm our first couple days here. It's been a bit of a process for my cold bones to adjust. But I love being smack in the middle of spring right now. Below is Meadow Fork, which runs

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-14228288670673341382009-03-17T22:23:00.000-04:002009-03-17T22:23:46.964-04:00

Our new home is gorgeous. It's really unbelievable. The farmers we're learning from are amazing people. Pictures and other info to come soon.

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-42858712613373213592009-03-11T08:49:00.003-04:002009-03-11T09:05:56.018-04:00

Well, we're almost moved out. There's about a carload (hopefully just one more) left of stuff to remove from the apartment, which I'll be doing tomorrow.The last few days have been busy, and it doesn't look like it's letting up anytime soon. It might be that the next time I post, it will be from North Carolina. If you see some psycho driving an obviously undersized-for-the-task vehicle eastward

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-66572278721765032322009-03-01T23:39:00.000-05:002009-03-01T23:39:21.280-05:00

Moving time is approaching. This week is going to be unfun. We hope to have everything pretty much packed and done in the next seven or eight days or so. I read No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy last week. Damn. Breezed through it in about two days. If you thought the movie was good, read the book. And I thought the movie was superb. But the book is even better (though they are pretty

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-74789191334869255462009-02-21T23:06:00.000-05:002009-02-21T23:06:57.205-05:00

Regular readers will notice I've been making some changes to the blog lately. Been playing around with the way the sidebar looks, changing the way I link to my favorite blogs, showing links to related posts in a widget after each post, messing with the html code to tweak things, etc. Everything looks good on my end. But if anybody sees anything that looks haywire or off, please let me know. Also

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-31700766017451697722009-02-19T09:34:00.001-05:002009-02-19T09:40:15.512-05:00

You've been hearing it all over the place, probably every single day for the last several months: the economy sucks. Everyone says it. And it sure looks like it, with people losing their jobs left and right.I know a little bit about this. I've been looking for work on and off for the past several months, and I can tell you that the available employment situation in central Wisconsin has worsened

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-16532236923467354712009-02-17T00:28:00.006-05:002009-02-17T01:03:35.608-05:00

With spring just around the corner and our imminent move to one of the most beautiful areas in the country just a few weeks away, I thought I'd post about our short adventure into another beautiful area of the country that occurred this past May: the Grand Canyon. Plus, this blog needs some pictures, and I got lots of decent shots of the Canyon while hiking from rim to river.It was an experience.

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-23071613105797160862009-02-16T16:38:00.001-05:002009-02-16T22:35:52.056-05:00

I put an ad up on Craigslist today to sell our bed, couch, microwave, TV, and other various crap. And it wasn't 10 minutes before someone was emailing about the stuff. I was shocked. Mind you, this is central Wisconsin, and our city doesn't have its own Craigslist page. But now I know. Sold the TV, some fans, and a toaster oven in a matter of minutes (they were all dirt cheap). Someone already

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-76883953949740790912009-02-12T00:12:00.004-05:002009-02-13T20:45:18.378-05:00

The warmth is dissipating.In other news, I pulled my spark plugs today and one of them was just doused in oil. "Not good," I thought to myself. From what I gather, I have to replace the valve cover gasket. This will be a new project for me. Let's hope it goes well and solves my problem. But this discovery stopped me from changing the plugs, which in turn stopped me from changing the oil, rotating

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-27795050496039709062009-02-10T14:27:00.007-05:002009-02-10T14:53:46.124-05:00

So, this was an approximate conversation I had while bagging up some potatoes at a local potato farm a couple weeks back--Joe: I like the yellow-fleshed potatoes. Mmm. They're so yum.Jenna: Yeah, me too.Paul: Yeah, but russets are good for baked potatoes. You gotta give 'em that. They're nice and meaty.(Quiet. Chuckles.)Joe: Ummm... (looks at Paul suspiciously).Paul: (Shifts eyes. Cracks a slight

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-38834547319931354152009-02-07T12:35:00.002-05:002009-02-07T12:44:37.090-05:00

Yesterday when I went outside I was quite stunned by the "heat" in the air. It was in the mid-30s. Today, I wake up and I see snow melting off the roof. Here it is, just before noon and it's in the lower 40s. The typical January thaw is a little late this year. Let's hope this year we skip the brutal cold spell that usually follows one of these thaws.So today we're gonna really try to get things

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-67458482387802834862009-02-06T23:22:00.008-05:002009-03-18T23:53:40.763-04:00

Who frequents an independent hardware store? It's probably rare in these days of Lowes, Menards, and Home Depot. But, I'll tell you, I'll take Frank's Hardware over any of them, any day of the week.I went to Frank's today because I needed to do something that I knew I couldn't do at any one of the big places. See, I needed a particular tool. I needed to find a socket that fit my engine oil drain

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-20636209285938563202009-02-03T19:07:00.008-05:002009-02-16T22:36:24.833-05:00

Yesterday was a cross-quarter day--the midpoint between the solstice and the equinox. For many traditional cultures, the day was important: it marked the approximate beginning of spring. While it certainly doesn't feel like spring out there, I can understand where these people were coming from. After a hard winter, it's nice to anticipate warmer weather knocking on the door. And in some places it

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-28524669758103547642009-01-28T22:21:00.004-05:002009-02-04T12:40:09.715-05:00

For us at least. Because it's finally official: we're moving to North Carolina in March. Wife and I will both be apprenticing on a farm not far from the Smokies and not far from Asheville. It's very rural (over-the-air TV is nonexistent, and I hear radio is hard to grab as well), but seems to be part of a great community. I'm pumped. We'll get to learn a lot and at the same time I'll finally get

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-13716664555204691812009-01-20T22:12:00.005-05:002009-02-04T12:39:46.599-05:00

[Begin unpopular rant]Yeah, call me a cynic. Or a partypooper.I mean, he says this country has a place for nonbelievers. But I don't see it. And hey, at least call us what we are: believers in something else. Because everybody has beliefs. And everybody has faith in something or other. It doesn't have to be metaphysical.He talks big about renewable energy and environmental responsibility. But I

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-86642344821213824692009-01-18T09:00:00.003-05:002009-02-04T12:39:15.494-05:00

We survived the deep freeze. I think we got down to -30 one of those nights. They showed on the news that if you tossed boiling water into that air, much of it would instantly crystallize into ice particles. It was cold.My car tolerated the awful weather until Thursday. Then it just cranked and really wanted to start. But it couldn't. No go on Friday either. I'll have to see if it'll come to life

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-9134556688242577652009-01-12T23:11:00.004-05:002009-02-04T12:38:33.222-05:00

Chances are good that starting somewhere around midnight tonight we won't see temperatures above zero for about four days. Oh, I'm so excited. It probably means no car for me until Saturday, which, you know, has its pluses and minuses. Unless I pull the battery out. But methinks that's too much work.Meantime, I'm getting sparse work here on the workfront. Which doesn't bode well for springtime

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-83523622636319958542009-01-09T11:33:00.003-05:002009-02-04T12:38:02.251-05:00

I think the word "gonna" has earned its spot in the dictionary. But if you go to Merriam-Webster online, it ain't in there. TFD has it (as an informal word) because TFD is a lot hipper. Gonna is used so much that it must be accepted, even by the most fascist prescriptivists. Because, who really says, "I'm going to go out tonight," or, "I'm going to beat your ass." No one who was raised or has

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-72335642369793046832009-01-08T16:47:00.006-05:002009-02-04T12:37:02.040-05:00

So I've had a lot of time on my hands the last few days. I'm in the midst of some impromptu layoff from my editing job. We finished our first project and then--wham!--no more work for me. For the time being, they say. More work to come soon, they say. It's a bitch because I've been broke for months since I spent the spring, summer, and fall learning how to farm for no cash money. And then

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-48572246329409870982009-01-08T15:59:00.008-05:002009-02-04T12:35:08.527-05:00

Though some might say I'm a luddite, don't believe them (well, just a little). Because I often love the Gore-invented interwebs. I also always love music, though I mostly hate MP3 iPod garbage, but you'll never see me picking up a record over a CD. Digression. Sorry. Found this cool site today that makes listening to all kinds of music really easy. When I say all kinds, I mean a crap load of

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-71285525171983665652009-01-06T15:21:00.003-05:002009-02-04T12:33:21.563-05:00

There's a lot of plastic out there. So much, in fact, that the ocean is filled with it. In the North Pacific alone there's so much plastic floating around that it continuously accumulates into a continent-sized area. It just collects in what the science folks call a gyre, which is sort of an intersection of ocean currents. Check out this astounding firsthand info from the Algalita Marine

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-72582226206199082542009-01-02T11:29:00.003-05:002009-02-04T12:32:02.067-05:00

I saw David Lynch's Inland Empire yesterday. Three hours of strangeness. While I was watching it the best description I could think of to relate my emotional state was that it felt like my brain was being detached from my skull.I'm not really a Lynch fan , but his film making style is always interesting, which is why I usually catch all his stuff. And I have to say that Inland Empire was his most

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-73911709875471197872008-12-20T00:15:00.003-05:002009-02-04T12:31:32.692-05:00

One year ago to this day I stopped posting shit on here.Today is today.Man, maybe I'm just not cut out for being a writer. I can't even keep a blog. If I went into journalism like I planned I'd probably hate it. Could I be another kind of writer? What the hell kind of question is that?I do like writing though. And thoughts are good.But it's just another day over here. More snow. Somewhat less

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-74055733996743893122008-12-13T01:32:00.008-05:002009-02-10T14:18:20.939-05:00

Nice to meet you. I'm joe, and I run this here blog. Well, you know, if you want to call it running. And if you want to call it a blog.I don't really know if I know how to write anymore. I surely am rusty at typing.It's been a great year.Here in Stevens Point it's cold. And snowy. Already. But the stored vegetables are good. And so is the beer.I'm currently freelancing as an editor/

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-52542254205553201372007-12-19T13:45:00.001-05:002007-12-19T13:47:27.807-05:00

I just don't have the time to post regularly, so until that can happen I'm just putting this thing on hold. I'll leave the blog up. Anyone reading feel free to comment; I'll check the blog now and then.

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-85697531261290849082007-10-20T19:48:00.000-04:002007-10-20T19:48:32.775-04:00

I suppose an update is in order. It's been a busy couple months, and, as a result, I've neglected my blog. Since August I've spent much time planning last-minute details for my wedding, getting married, planning and taking the two-week honeymoon, readjusting (barely) to "normal" life, working 55-plus hours a week at the dairy farm--in addition to all the other little things that pop up. Needless

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-11397180644041110502007-08-02T20:48:00.001-04:002009-02-04T12:30:55.620-05:00

Being laid up here for the past few days has allowed me to ruminate a bit. Part of those ruminations have been fueled by reading Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. I can't believe that I haven't read this book up till now, considering my formal training is in English and philosophy; this book is essentially the modern day meeting of literature and philosophy, though more focused on the

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-56592966466898802522007-07-30T18:01:00.000-04:002007-07-30T18:17:41.339-04:00

I haven't posted in a while because 1. farm work has been quite the adjustment for me, and 2. I slipped and fell while dismounting from a skid steer and seriously sprained my wrist. Needless to say, this is really the first day in several days I can type without too much pain. But it's still fairly uncomfortable (there's some weird sort of stiffness/pressure in the inner wrist) . So, I'm on

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-78547866798696493752007-07-14T13:57:00.000-04:002007-07-14T15:00:09.926-04:00

We spent last night at The Art of Brewing event down on the Square in Stevens Point taste testing the best malty-hoppy goodness Wisconsin has to offer. By my count there were 10 breweries represented, one wine table, and a totally out of place Cold Stone Creamery cart offering their crap for $3 (beer and ice cream do not mix, OK?). Entrance was $15. We were given a three-ounce tasting glass and

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-91523785976789284402007-07-13T04:30:00.001-04:002009-02-04T12:25:28.531-05:00

Things have been a bit out of the ordinary here lately. I had hoped to post with more frequency since blog traffic was on the rise. But I recently quit my job as an editor/writer to become a farmhand on a dairy farm (makes perfect sense, right?); I've been waking up at 4 am and putting in 14-hour days, which has left me sort of zombie-like and generally discombobulated. But I've just begun a

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-91715096498784716022007-07-02T11:21:00.001-04:002009-02-06T23:53:33.372-05:00

Friday was a fairly easy day on the farm. We did a little cleanup from the previous days' harvest and set up boxes for the upcoming week. Then we hoed around the eggplant, which have beautiful little blueish flowers sprouting, and squished potato beetles that were doing their best to keep all the eggplant to themselves. It was quite unpleasant to squish adult potato beetles with my fingers (

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-25101872529123087402007-06-28T16:52:00.001-04:002009-02-10T14:20:42.156-05:00

Just got back from a week's trip to beautiful rural Connecticut. I'm still settling in, and I hope to post something of some sort of substance soon. In the meantime, check out a few photos from the trip.Wildlife abounds. In the center is an adult from a family of woodchucks that lives on the property where we stayed (116 acres in central Connecticut). If the photo were better you'd also see a

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-7786356054430654422007-06-19T17:31:00.001-04:002007-06-19T17:49:26.001-04:00

Well, I finally got around to unloading the camera.My attempt at doing macro with a crappy auto digital presetting. Came out OK I think. Taken in early May.Not sure what kind of snake this is, but we stumbled upon it in Iverson, near the Green Circle Trail. Early May.Finally, this porcupine was moving like full-flavored molasses up this tree in Black River State Forest. A week and a half ago.

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-59764842653094386692007-06-18T16:35:00.001-04:002009-02-06T23:53:13.261-05:00

It's Monday and I'm still in pain. Friday was a killer day on the farm. Not only was it something like 90 degrees without a cloud in the sky, but we spent most of our time doing squats while weeding and transplanting. We also went back on Saturday in lieu of this coming Friday. My quads are very upset with me, and so are a number of other leg muscles I never knew existed.FridaySo, we weeded more

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-68673877597354186672007-06-13T21:00:00.002-04:002009-02-10T14:26:44.500-05:00

How about that An Inconvenient Truth? I actually think that Al Gore changed the world like few people have in recent history. Don't ask me how he made such a tremendous splash with a PowerPoint presentation. I guess it was the straightforward, few-frills approach. It's quite unexplainable. Whatever the case, we've reached a tipping point, where a critical mass of people stands up to tell our

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-19379903221202280712007-06-11T20:00:00.001-04:002009-02-06T23:51:31.532-05:00

It was an eventful weekend for Meagan and me. Friday morning was our first day ever working at a community supported agriculture (CSA) farm. For those who aren't familiar, CSAs dot rural America and are a much better way to attain most of your food for much of the year. CSAs work in two primary ways.One way is for you to find your closest CSA and buy a share for the year. At our CSA, Sunny Sky

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-57979151674660369162007-05-31T20:11:00.001-04:002009-02-04T12:20:46.472-05:00

These are my kinds of people:Hypermilers slightly overinflate their tires to cut rolling resistance, seize every chance to coast with their gasoline engines off, and sometimes “draft” like race cars behind larger vehicles.Though I don't own a hybrid like these folks, my manual transmission allows me to conserve a bit.

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-32044373343712133402007-05-30T21:20:00.001-04:002009-02-04T12:17:47.787-05:00

“There was a lot of tolerance for psychosis.” This statement comes from the History Channel show called Hippies. And though I'm not old enough to personally have experienced hippieness in its original state, I'm pretty familiar with its demented child... er, i mean its modern remnants.Having not seen the History Channel program, I can't really comment on its content. But, as to the quoted bit of

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-40536752014826461452007-05-14T13:50:00.001-04:002009-02-04T12:12:09.538-05:00

Nada fungus found. Too dry methinks. Or we're bad hunters. Like the tepid Cubs fan I am, I have no problem making myself feel better with the mantra, "There's always next year." We did, however, get infested by ticks, mostly of the Wood variety--though those Lyme-carrying Deer ticks were out and about as well. But, once again, it was a beautiful day for a hike. Gorgeous green landscape has

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-67910947260710793092007-05-08T10:50:00.001-04:002009-02-04T12:05:49.232-05:00

Me and the fiance went huntin for morels yesterday. It was our first time ever doing it, and like so many others during their first time, we went home empty-handed. We kind of went out on a whim to a local forested area in Stevens Point; I'm pretty sure it was less-than-ideal habitat for morels, as I didn't come across many ashes or dead elms or apple trees.However, it was a beautiful evening,

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-10562977974870752832007-05-07T12:13:00.002-04:002009-02-04T12:10:04.897-05:00

I ride my bike to work almost every day. I do it for the earth, my health, and my wallet.From an ecological perspective, all I emit is the CO2 I exhale during my ride. My bike spews zero chemicals (aside from the occasional lubricant I need for my old chain), all the parts are original, and the bike is probably 15 years old.As far as cost goes, smart environmental decisions often equal smart

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-57966182024810069162007-04-22T12:11:00.004-04:002009-02-07T00:05:58.356-05:00

I've always been a lover of forests--well, at least since I can remember. I remember being taken up to Wisconsin when I was a kid, on vacations to escape the weird sprawl of Suburbia, Chicago. Of course, my parents had no real problems with suburbia: they had lived there forever, aside from a few short departures. So, when I say escape, I mean that leaving suburbia was to become an escape for me.

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-85548160098577714892007-03-27T19:40:00.003-04:002009-02-10T14:17:18.404-05:00

My absence has certainly gone unnoticed. But anyway, I haven't had much to write about lately. The problem is: all my best ideas come to me at work. Then I get home and turn my brain off for a couple hours. And, unfortunately, I can't really post at work.***For those who don't know, a few days ago Iran seized a bunch of British sailors who were conducting a standard search of vessels entering

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-42471616822348843502007-03-09T17:49:00.001-05:002009-02-04T11:59:35.845-05:00

It hit the 40s here today. It's a frickin heat wave. How awesome. I like talking about the weather for some reason (anybody who ends up reading this blog regularly will probably see what I mean, so let me apologize ahead of time). What's funny is that as a teenager I absolutely hated talking about it: I thought it was the smallest of the small talk. Now, I don't know what has happened to me, but

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-16877506186589031942007-03-03T13:34:00.002-05:002009-02-04T12:12:34.382-05:00

So, flipping through the channels last night, I caught Mitt Romney on CSPAN. It was part of their ongoing series highlighting the race for president in 2008. Mitt is a Republican, former governor of Massachusetts. I watched for about two minutes while waiting for Alton Brown to come back on, and I really couldn't handle Mitt's bullshit for much more than that anyway. At first Mitt sounded okay on

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-63352047019101419662007-02-25T21:34:00.001-05:002009-02-04T12:10:36.185-05:00

Nothin like gettin nailed with nearly a foot of snow right after it sooo seemed like Spring was on its way. The beginning of February was a deep freeze -- And it ends with a blizzard. This morning cars were just about buried up to the tops of their wheels, unless of course a snowdrift made it even worse. I could barely open the door to get outside. And it took all my might to get into my car. The

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-83671157877526458762007-02-16T08:31:00.001-05:002009-02-04T11:57:27.431-05:00

I've been getting into older American music lately: folk, old time, mountain music etc. I've also been getting into americana and alt-country. These interests led me to this album:For those who don't know, Nora Guthrie, Woody Guthrie's daughter by his second wife, discovered thousands of unpublished Woody lyrics that he never got around to putting to music. She asked Englishman Billy Bragg to

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21071709.post-1171331826217882632007-02-12T20:08:00.001-05:002009-02-10T14:19:52.531-05:00

The rebirthI had three posts sitting here for so long. They were three lonely, crappy posts. Later, I discovered MySpace where I made several other posts -- some crappy, some not so crappy. But MySpace is a shit place for posting anyhow. I've come limping back to Blogger, hoping to make some quality posts. The three crappy posts have found their way into the abyss of bytes, where they will no

joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119112658451164474noreply@blogger.com0