Tim's World | A bear's grumblings about the world he lives inTim's World | A bear's grumblings about the world he lives in

Garden Planning

Posted on January 27, 2012 by dracphelan

Well, it is a little past time to do a little garden planning. Last year was almost a complete failure for me, so I will be hoping for better weather (last year was record heat and extreme drought) and to be a little more diligent about insect control (a tomato horn worm devastated my tomatoes). The following video has inspired me for this year:

I will be putting down a thick layer of compost and starting onions, lettuce/spinach and broccoli this weekend (if I can find the broccoli plants). I plan on planting tomatoes and tomatillos also. I will also look into getting a decent timer to handle my watering. I think the lack of water was one of my big problems.

Also, if I have the money, I will try replacing my blackberries and maybe a grape vine or two.

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Why I haven’t built a storage shed

Posted on January 26, 2012 by dracphelan

I would like add a storage shed to my backyard. But, the city I live in (Garland, TX) has some antiquated codes involving doing this:

http://www.garlandtx.gov/Home/Departments/Development+Services/Building+Inspection/Accessory_Building.htm

The building must be built of typical building materials. Unpainted wood, tin, plastic, plain concrete blocks, corrugated metal, plastics, canvas, vinyl or similar materials are not allowed.

The roof of an accessory building cannot be corrugated metal, plastic or canvas. Roofs must be either composition shingles (if the roof pitch is at least 2:12), rolled roofing, built up roof, metal panels type R, U, S-36, 7.2, or A, or other material allowed by the Building Official.

Some of the best modern shed kits are made of plastic and include a plastic roof. They last forever, they are sturdier than the cheap aluminum sheds, and they are relatively easy to put up. I was really wanting something like this:

I really need to save up my money and move out into the country. I bought a house without an HOA in the hopes of not having these kinds of issues.

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CENSORED

Posted on January 18, 2012 by dracphelan

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Picked Up A Lightbox Kit

Posted on January 6, 2012 by dracphelan

I picked up a lightbox kit, and it is amazing what a difference it has made in my pictures of small objects.

I purchased this light kit from Amazon (SP200 Photo Studio In a Box). I think it is a great value.

I will add more information when I get the time.

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Canon T3

Posted on October 28, 2011 by dracphelan

Today I got a Canon T3 with a 18-55mm and 55-200mm lenses. So far I have been very impressed. The ages at every iso have been free of color noise, crisp and sharp. Below is a gallery of the images. I will probably update this post as I use the camera. This is a big improvement over my Fuji Finepix S9000.

Edit: A small gripe. If I try to mount the camera on a tripod, I can’t access the battery/memory card compartment. This was a bad choice on Canon’s part. They should have rotated it 90 degrees so that it can be accessed from the side.

[Show as slideshow]

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The Change of Seasons – Autumn

Posted on September 30, 2011 by dracphelan

We have passed the calendar date for the beginning of autumn. But, today feels like the first real day of autumn in North Texas. We had a cool front come through (with strong storms) last night. Today, the weather outside is absolutely perfect. It’s not to hot. It’s not to cold. It’s not to humid or to dry. There is a light north breeze that makes comfortable to even work in the sun. To me, this weather is the first sign of autumn.

The second sign of autumn for me is the start of the State Fair of Texas. It has all of the great harvest festival aspects. You have music, food, competitions in animal husbandry, cooking and gardening. I remember years where, by the end of the Texas State Fair, there was ice in puddles of the parking lot for the fair.

The third sign is the beginning of deer hunting season. Tomorrow is the first day archery deer hunting in Texas. In Texas based blogs, I have been seeing photos of bucks with antlers starting to spar. They, know that autumn has begun.

I find myself longing to be in a tree stand, either with a bow or a camera. I want to hop on my mountain bike, or even be on foot, and go down trails with crispy colorful leaves and enjoy the celebration that is nature in autumn. I want to spend time on my backyard archery range becoming one with my bow, arrow, and target. I want to go to an outdoor rifle range to practice the zen of getting that perfect shot at the longest range I can. I want to harvest fruit, vegetables, and even meat. The reason that this is hunting season is to thin the animals so they have an easier time making it through the winter. It is also the reason it is the time you would see animals butchered on farms.

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Thoughts On Federal Government Stimulus

Posted on August 19, 2011 by dracphelan

President Obama is promising a new stimulus program soon. In the long run I do not believe this will work. But, it might provide some short term relief. The trick will be to structure it in such a way to give us the maximum number of private sector jobs. I can think of a program that might please the environmental activists and give us those jobs. If such a stimulus program is created, it should have the federal government paying to have energy efficiency improvements installed in buildings. They could set a limit based on the square footage of the building. Now, this wouldn’t be just insulation and such. It would pay to have things like solar water heaters and solar panels added to houses (there are some interesting and easy to install products on the near-term horizon). I realize that solar electric panels are not efficient. But the manufacture and installation of these items would provide jobs. One of the keys would be no money would come out of the property owner’s wallet. The contractors doing this work would send the bills to the Federal Government with the government doing spot checks to make sure the work was done (and hefty fines if it was not actually done). IMO, this would be a better stimulus than any “shovel ready” public works projects receiving federal money.

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Lunch 7/31/2011

Posted on July 31, 2011 by dracphelan

Today, I grilled pork loin chops with a mayhaw jelly glaze (tastes similar to apple jelly). For a side I fixed an apple crisp from scratch. All of this was prepared on my gas grill. I preheated the grill while I prepped the apple crisp.

The apple crisp directions:

Peel and slice up three granny smith apples.
Mix the apples with a tablespoon of lemon juice, 1/3 cup of brown sugar and a tablespoon of some sort of apple pie seasoning (nutmeg, cinnamon or some sort of premade mix). I used McCormick Pumpkin Pie Spice. It was what I had on hand.
Melt half a stick of salted butter in a 9″ cast iron skillet.
Mix 3/4 cups of granola with a 1/2 cup of walnuts pieces. Pour half the melted butter in this mix and stir.
Add the apple mixture to the skillet and then put the topping on top of this.
Lower the flame on the grill to low, and place the skillet on the grill. It will take about half an hour for it to cook. I would recommend turning the burners under the skillet off after 15 minutes, if possible.

The pork loin chops were easy. I seasoned them with salt and pepper and placed them on the grill about 10 minutes before the crisp was ready. I melted a couple of spoonfuls of jelly in the microwave (15 seconds) and then brushed it on the chops about 5 minutes before they were ready.

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We All Need to Remember Courtesy and the Law

Posted on July 16, 2011 by dracphelan

Make Boston Bicycle Free

This article brings up a good point. Bicyclist need to keep in mind that the traffic laws apply to them too. Now, don’t get me wrong. Most of us do remember this. But, just a few cyclists give the rest a bad image. I personally would like some of these rude bicyclists go through a motorcycle safety course. You learn to truly ride defensively there. Yes you may have the right to do x or y, but physics says no you can’t. Also, manners says you shouldn’t do it. You can ride on any street you want. But, if you can’t keep up with the flow of traffic, either get to the right or find another route. In most cities and towns, this is a very viable option. It may add time/distance to your trip. But, you will be safer and it is more considerate to do so.

Posted in Hobbies, Mountain Bike | Comments Off

My Introduction to Mountain Biking

Posted on July 13, 2011 by dracphelan

A few months ago, I purchased a Trek 3500 mountain bike to get more exercise. I’ve been loving it. I’ve learned more about my neighborhood (like the fact that there is a Stetson factory less than 2 miles from me). I’ve gotten to see some beautiful sites, like the pictures of Rowlett Creek Preserve I have taken. And learned more about alternative transportation methods.

After buying a bicycle from a local bike shop (Richardson Bike Mart), I will never buy another one from anywhere else. I found out that I had been buying bikes that were to large for me. That helped me select a bike that fit me and my needs.

I can also recommend getting in contact with local bicycling groups that share your interests. The Dallas Off Road Bicycle Association is a great group for people looking to bicycle while off road.

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