Three Things Very Dull Indeed

English country dancing, Indiana style

2012-01-23T21:31:00.000-06:00

We were privileged to be part of a dancing party on Saturday in Indiana, featuring English country dancing called by Jonathan Sivier. Mr. Sivier led us through a variety of dances, helping even the most clueless among us to be part of the beautiful rhythm and symmetry of well-composed country dancing. I think a good caller can transform even average dancers into a coordinated company, and Mr. Sivier did not disappoint us.

Hosted by the Franks family, many of the families of Hope in Christ Church attended, including The Smiling Sisters, the ladies of Noble Rose Press, and dozens of others whose websites I haven't yet found. Kathryn and Tara convinced their parents to make the trek, so we weren't the only non-Hoosiers in attendance. We even got to spend more time with Sean Kelley and his two oldest daughters. In case you don't remember Sean, we met his family in Colonial Williamsburg back in 2009, so our conversations already had a head start. We didn't take our camera to the dance, so we don't have any original photos to document the evening, but a photographer from the Knightstown Banner was very busy shooting and taking names. (We'll let you know if we see his photos online in the future).

In addition to the enjoyable dancing, and delightful company, I found the venue memorable.

In case you don't recognize it, we danced in the Knightstown Gymnasium, now known as "Hoosier Gym" due to its prominent part in the movie "Hoosiers." Thanks to moviescreenshots.blogspot.com for the image above that was taken from the movie. The gym still looks almost identical to its appearance in the movie, and added a charmingly vintage atmosphere to our wonderful day. Our family owes a debt of gratitude to the Franks family for organizing a day we won't soon forget!

Beautiful sunset #25 seen two ways

2012-01-15T21:45:00.001-06:00

January 4, 4:49 PM

The sunset on January 4 was so big and beautiful that even the widest angle view through my camera didn't really do it justice. So I thought this 180-degree video sweep might do.

(you can watch the wide-screen version here)

Actually, even that seemed less impressive than it did when I was standing there in the middle of it. Maybe next time I'll just have to climb on the roof and shoot a 360-degree video.

Main bathroom remodel, part 2

2012-01-03T23:04:00.000-06:00

When we last reported from the bathroom, things were still pretty rough. The photos for this post span a couple weeks, so we've got a good bit of progress to report.

This shot shows the west wall covered in drywall, which means the supply and drain plumbing were complete in that wall along with the wiring. The north wall still needed a little more work before it was covered.

The new tub found a home at this point so it could be plumbed before the walls were closed up. Notice we put fiberglass insulation in the east wall as a sort of noise isolation between the bathroom and our bedroom.

Here's evidence the supply plumbing for the bath and shower were properly installed before the sheetrock covered it up.

This new window was part of the unfinished work on the north wall. You might recall we said the old window was pretty leaky. This new window, on the other hand, appears to let more light in the room while allowing less air to leak in.

Next came the mud to patch the joints and holes...

...and following that a coat of primer on the ceiling and all the walls. Our next post will document color choices for the walls and floor, which turned out to be a bigger event than we'd anticipated.

Finally, I wanted to share this shot of part of the bottom of the old tub. Notice the manufacturing date for the tub recorded as November 27, 1956. I consider that good evidence that the house was not built before that date. I could be wrong, but that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T21:33:00.005-06:00

Blessings from the Riggenbach family

Beautiful sunset #24

2011-12-24T16:21:00.000-06:00

December 23, 2011, 4:41 PM

Coincidentally, December 23, 2010 provided one of the best sunrises I've ever recorded, which you can find here. I think I'll keep my eyes open again next year on the 23rd.

Time for another bathroom update

2011-12-15T21:45:00.001-06:00

Until we added the bathroom in the basement this summer, this bathroom near the bedrooms served as our primary bathing facility. Sadly, it had not received a lot of attention when we remodeled several other rooms before moving in four years ago.

The sink and counter top are original, over 50 years old. Cabinets: original. Mirror: original. Window: replacement, about 20(?) years ago. Wall paint by previous owner about seven years ago.

The blue print around the window is wallpaper (original?) that was covered by trim boards (which I removed just before these pictures were taken). A previous owner painted over the wallpaper and added the border near the ceiling. The toilet is probably less than 10 years old, and I believe the floor tile was added less than 7 years ago. The tile around the tub is one of the few changes we made four years ago.

Karen found the stained glass a number of years ago, and it finally found a place (of sorts) in this room.

Here's another look at the tub and tile. When we bought the house, plastic shower walls and a sliding door surrounded the tub. We removed those and added the tile, curtain, and rod. The tub is another original -- cast iron with a porcelain coating. Unfortunately, the coating was getting very rough on the bottom of the tub; so rough that we had to address the issue. After investigating a few options, it was apparent our most economical (and lowest risk) option was to simply replace the tub.

The door is original, although we painted it to match the white trim in the hallway. We also added the robe hook on the door.

The view from the toilet. The light in the soffit is original. The wall decoration was our addition.

This is the "after" picture. As I mentioned, the tub had to go. The floor was installed improperly and was cracked in many places. The "before" pictures are very flattering to the cabinets, which were pretty sad in person. The plumbing had issues on both the supply and drain sides. The window has been leaky since we moved in, and typically received an extra layer of plastic in the winter. After removing the plaster from the outside wall, it was apparent that our insulating efforts four years ago were only partially successful. In the end, it was easiest to simply remove almost everything in the room.

The hole in the floor in the corner was where the toilet used to sit. The tub used to sit in the right foreground, with a wall in between. Not much left at this point!

In this image you can see the wall between the tub and toilet has been rebuilt, some plumbing vent pipes have been installed, and styrofoam board insulation has been added to the outside wall.

More plumbing drain and vent pipes on this side, and additional outlet boxes.

In this view you can see the can lights in the ceiling where the soffit used to be. The light fixture on the wall in this view was only temporarily mounted for construction lighting. Construction has progressed since these photos were taken, but that will have to wait for another blog post.

A small collection of beautiful fall sunsets

2011-11-30T22:44:00.003-06:00

I've been waiting for the perfect sunset this fall, so I could photograph it and enjoy it indefinitely. Alas, you won't find that image in this post, as the sunsets that I would rate even more beautiful than these were enjoyed without my camera at my side. I'll keep my eyes open and camera handy for the rest of this fall and winter, but for now I hope these will suffice.

October 18

October 23

October 27

November 10

November 18, 4:51 PM

November 18, 4:56 PM

(aka beautiful sunsets #17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, and 23)

Construction update #38

2011-11-16T21:31:00.000-06:00

It's hard to believe that Construction update #37 was over a year ago, but it is appropriate that this project follows that post from last year. Just as I had sympathy for my guests last year, my sympathy stretches to another section of the yard this year.

Since the driveway in front of the house is not very big, our visitors occasionally have to park in the parking area to the south of the house. I think that parking area is much improved over its state four years ago, but the trip to the house still required either a detour to the path by the barn, or a saunter over the lawn. Most of our visitors chose the saunter. Since we sometimes have damp ground when friends come to visit, I felt bad that their trip to the house was less than ideal. So one Saturday in late October I decided to do something about it.

After a few hours of moving dirt and gravel, the trip to the house suddenly looks a bit more civilized. Note the curve of the path, intended to provide our guests with an idyllic stroll to the front of the house.

Looking back at the house from the parking area, it's not hard to imagine why our guests were sometimes in a quandary about how to gracefully reach the front door.

Now the path to the front door should be obvious to even the most obtuse, and above all, I hope it says, "Welcome to our home!"

Making the abstract concrete

2011-11-06T22:30:00.002-06:00

In case you couldn't tell, I'm seldom impulsive. I view pouring concrete as a fairly permanent action that one undertakes only after one is sure he won't want to reverse that action. Since I've got several conduits under this section of sidewalk that was removed three years ago, I've been hesitant to bury them "permanently" until I was sure everything was installed in this area that we intend to install. The inconvenience of not having this section of sidewalk finally outweighed my reluctance to commit to concrete.

There was some uncertainty in calculating the depth of the section, so I figured I might need slightly more than a half yard of cement. I purchased thirty bags of mix and hoped I'd have a few left over. Did I mention I've never done concrete finishing before? I've seen others do it, but I definitely don't have "the touch" that would have made this job much less stressful. However, none of those facts prevent an engineer like myself from believing he is capable of accomplishing just about anything.

Most of the internet advice I read recommended a motorized mixer for this much cement, but the hand mixing went a little faster than I anticipated, and wasn't as tiring as I feared. As you can see in this image of the partially poured section, I was able to level and semi-finish the cement as I went along. My goal was to match the exposed aggregate finish of the original concrete, so I wasn't too concerned about a perfectly smooth finish since it would be removed eventually to expose the gravel underneath.

Here's a shot after all the cement is poured and the finishing is almost complete. The original concrete was treated with a retardant to make it easier to uniformly remove the top surface, so I did the same. The retardant simply slows the curing of the concrete on the surface to which it's applied, and its depth of penetration is inversely proportional to the amount of time the concrete is allowed to set before the retardant is applied. In my case, there was a significant time difference between when the concrete next to the building was poured compared to the last bit by the yard. Since I'd been warned not to apply the retardant too early, I applied it in sections starting at the house so the section nearest the yard could set a bit before it was exposed to the retardant. Even so, I think I should have waited longer.

Unfortunately, I don't have photos of the removal of the top layer. After waiting a couple hours, I used a light spray of water and a plastic brush to gingerly remove the concrete while trying not to disturb the gravel underneath. It didn't take long before I brushed too hard in one spot and removed more gravel than I desired. Having learned that lesson, I tried to be more careful on the remaining areas and felt pretty good about the result. Twenty four hours later, I used a light spray of water to rinse off the gravel that was no longer attached to the concrete and gradually increased the intensity of the spray to do a more vigorous cleaning. Mistake. The retardant was evidently still effective on some of the later concrete, so the water jet created a few more pock marks where the exposed aggregate had been curing nicely. Even after reading several warnings not to be too aggressive in removing the concrete, I had to learn the hard way how aggressive was too aggressive.

A couple weeks later, the concrete was ready for cleaning and sealing. Instead of muriatic acid, I used Krud Kutter Concrete Clean & Etch which is supposed to be a safer cleaning alternative. I found the product cleaned the new concrete well after I learned to rinse the concrete quickly after cleaning. The photo above shows the sealing process in progress using a lacquer-based semi-gloss sealant.

I don't know how critical it was to seal the concrete before winter, but the original concrete had been sealed soon after it was poured, so I tried to follow suit. In the end, the finished product is not as perfect as I hoped, but it is functional, and looks pretty good from about 100 feet.

Thai Butternut Squash Soup

2011-10-30T20:43:00.001-05:00

Karen was intrigued by this soup when she saw it in Family Circle magazine, and we all gave it a thumbs up after our maiden voyage. You can find more information at Recipe.com, and while they garnish their version of the soup beautifully for their studio photo, we present here the ungarnished, photographed-in-the-dining-room, made-in-Illinois version. As always, we made some modifications to the recipe, which are noted at the end of this post. We found this soup to be very tasty, and unmistakably Thai, with just enough spicy heat to make your nose run.

1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
1 piece fresh ginger (1 to 2 inches), peeled and grated
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp red curry paste
1 can (14.5 ounces) coconut milk
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 lime, juiced (about 3 tablespoons)
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup unsalted peanuts, chopped
1/3 cup sliced scallions
3 whole wheat pitas or flatbreads, halved

Heat oil in a large, lidded pot over medium heat. Add onion and saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Add ginger and garlic and cook 1 minute. Stir in curry paste and cook another minute.

Pour in coconut milk and chicken broth; stir well to break up the curry paste. Add squash, bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer. Cover partially and cook 15 to 20 minutes or until the squash is tender.

Puree soup with an immersion blender until smooth. Stir in lime juice and salt. Serve with peanuts, scallions, and bread.

Riggenbach alterations to the recipe: (1) Karen sauteed the onions in a dry pan without the olive oil; (2) she also omitted the lime juice, and (3) used a regular blender instead of an immersion blender for the puree step. (4) The peanuts and scallions are simply a garnish, so we omitted those, and (5) we substituted bread we had in the house for the pitas they list at the bottom of the ingredient list.

Thanks LauraLee for the motivation to try new recipes!

Reformation Day Faire 2011

2011-10-29T22:50:00.000-05:00

Although I didn't capture every aspect of our church's Reformation Day Faire with a photo, here's a sampling of the activities. As you can see, we all enjoyed the beautiful, sunny, 70 degree weather this year, especially since we had our share of clouds and rain last year.

Greg Boyd was back again this year adding atmosphere with numerous tunes played on his bagpipe.

Knight Mathias and I spent several minutes contemplating all the ways one might slay a dragon.

Elder Price was busy sketching portraits again this year, and he seemed to never lack a subject.

At the Town Square, the coloring table was popular with the young artist crowd.

Candle making was also as popular as ever in spite of the fact that there were two tables set up for this activity.

I'm not sure what Sarah Auer was trying to communicate at the bag sewing table, but Gretel assures me that that is simply the way Sarah communicates.

The chess and checker boards were as busy as ever, even though the elder Degenhart didn't compete this year.

Gretel and Hannah strolling the grounds in an attempt to have a private conversation.

A new caber made its appearance this year, and I happened to get a shot of the same dad I photographed last year. His form is not as impressive in this photo as it was last year, but his kilt and matching socks are much more striking than his costume from last year.

Finally, a shot of Lily, Karen, and Tara amusing themselves during the Highland Games.

Basement bathroom project, part 2

2011-10-18T22:54:00.000-05:00

The basement bathroom project has progressed enough that we are now using the facilities, and getting rather used to the addition to our home. Instead of immediately showing you what the room looks like today, we can appreciate the progress by observing the stages through which the room has passed.

At this point the drywall was hung and finished, and the girls had covered it with white primer.

This view from the tub back to the door illustrates one of the challenges of this project. The cabinet in the corner was too tall to get into the room after the drywall had been attached to the ceiling, so we had to move the cabinet in before the drywall went on, and work around it at every step of the way after that. If anyone ever tries to remove that thing, they'll have to do a little bit of head scratching before they get it out!

After agonizing over dozens of paint chips, we committed to two bluish-greenish glazes sponged over a lighter shade of bluish-greenishness.

The view back to the south helps me confirm that the wall color coordinates well with the cabinet color.

This is the way the bathroom looks today. An observant eye will notice several phases of the project not yet complete including mounting the shower head, and shower curtain and rod.

We're still looking for the right mirror to mount to the wall, and are making due in the meantime with the simple mirror shown. The baseboard and door trim are also still undone, but their absence hasn't much stifled our enjoyment of this new room.

Finally, the part of the room that I find most enjoyable: the glass block window. I derive great pleasure from natural light, and I think this room benefits greatly from the light that streams through this window. Sometimes I stick my head in the room just to enjoy the ambiance.

God told me to blog

2011-09-30T21:48:00.000-05:00

I have a poor memory. I don't think I'm alone in my deficiency, especially among my contemporaries. In fact, I think people in general have had bad memories throughout most of history (with a possible exception during a short period in the Garden of Eden). Marshall Foster said as much at the Providential History Festival a couple weeks ago when he talked about God's commandment to Joshua to set up twelve stones near the Jordan River. God had just cut off the waters of the Jordan River so the nation of Israel could pass through, and God commanded a memorial to be built at the spot before the river returned to its normal state. Why did God give that edict? Because people forget.

Joshua explained the purpose of the stones at Gilgal:

"When your children ask their fathers in times to come, 'What do these stones mean?' then you shall let your children know, 'Israel passed over this Jordan on dry ground.' For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up for us until we passed over, so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty, that you may fear the LORD your God forever." -- Joshua 4:21-24

God knew that people forget. God knew there would be some in Israel that would forget to tell their children about the Jordan River crossing, so he gave them a reminder. I find that I remember a lot more when I have reminders. Photos help me remember. Taking notes helps me remember. Writing blog posts helps me remember too. In fact, this blog was started several years ago as a way to document some of my activities, but I think its value has grown beyond that. Not that everything I need to remember is documented here, or that everything documented here is worth remembering, but God has helped me remember more through these posts than I would have remembered otherwise. I'm grateful for that, because it's good to remember.

Basement bathroom project

2011-09-29T13:18:00.000-05:00

We have a strange room in our basement. It has two windows, one door, and is about 17 feet long and 5 and a half feet wide. I'm not sure what it was intended for, but I think it's location and size are simply a function of the shape of the house, and the need to support floor joists with basement walls. Although it has served as useful storage for the first few years we've lived here, it always impressed me as wasted space. Until now. Given our desire to add another full bathroom to the house, this awkward little room looked like the perfect location.

This is the way the room looked when we started tearing into it. In this image the floor has been removed where the plumbing needs to be located, including a sewage ejector pit, and drain for a tub, toilet, and sink. Note the conveniently placed drain pipe on the back wall that runs out into the septic tank in the front yard. What better spot for a sewage ejector pit than right under the drain pipe?

Since we didn't really want the sewage ejector in the bathroom, we built a small room for that pump behind the bathroom, and added this doorway so the room could be accessed independent of the bathroom.

There was a good bit of rubble generated by the new door opening, and the floor removal. Our neighbors blessed us by carrying this rubble out of the basement and using it as fill on their own property.

A couple weeks later we had walls framed, plumbing in place, and wires run. The layout of the room is a little more apparent in this shot, as the tub will be placed across the room against the far wall, the toilet next to the tub, and the sink and vanity closest to the camera. The long, thin shape of the room made this galley-type layout one of the few viable options.

This photo was taken from the tub end of the room looking back to the original door. The room was just a little shy of the perfect width, in that the wall studs in the wall on the right were trimmed down a bit so the room width perfectly matched the length of the tub. As you can see, we still had room for standard size electrical boxes, so the construction was not too "nonstandard."

The tub successfully fit where it was intended.

Meanwhile, behind the tub, the sewage ejector was partially plumbed to pump into the existing drain. At this point, the project was starting to resemble a bathroom, and our hope of eventually enjoying its conveniences was growing stronger. Next time we'll lay out more of the subsequent steps in this project -- you won't want to miss it!

Corn in the backyard 2011, harvest!

2011-09-10T20:59:00.000-05:00

September 8

Growing degree days since planting = 2931
Historical average since planting = 2608

Harvest started on September 7 and finished the next day, and appeared to be a bit more challenging than normal. Farmer Wagenbach identified stalk rot in sections of the field and chose to harvest quickly before more stalks fell over (which is evidently called "lodging" in farmer-speak). I didn't actually see the corn go in the ground in the spring, but I believe there were 121 days between planting and the first day of harvest.

No report on the yield yet, but you can see plenty of pretty yellow kernels flowing into the combine hopper in this photo. The weather cooperated nicely for harvest, although now that the field behind our house is done, I'd like to see a good bit of rain.

The season ended sooner than I expected this year, so I apologize to all those that were looking forward to a few more corn posts. I guess we'll just have to busy ourselves with something else until next spring.

Corn in the backyard 2011, week 16

2011-09-08T12:23:00.001-05:00

September 4

Last week growing degree days = 198
Historical average growing degree days = 152

Growing degree days since planting = 2868
Historical average since planting = 2508

A few days back near 100°F meant plenty of GDUs and good drying weather for most of our area. If it hadn't reached black layer before this week, this corn is surely there now.

Here's a look at the stalks and ears we've been watching, Lots of dried plant matter in this photo.

I found an ear whose husk had peeled away to reveal all these lovely kernels. I think this ear is a good indication that despite the hot weather at pollination, there aren't many kernels that did not develop. That's the good news.

The bad news came with a bit of rain on Saturday. As the front moved through, the winds leading the rain were strong enough to knock over some significant sections of stalks. That darker brown area in the middle of the photo contains many damaged stalks that may prove difficult for the combine to pick up at harvest. We'll pray that Farmer Wagenbach is successful in gathering all the grain in the field, so his yield doesn't suffer. Who said growing corn wasn't exciting?

Hops harvest

2011-09-04T21:27:00.000-05:00

You probably noticed in the last hops post that I'm cautiously plodding through my first try at growing this crop. Harvest has been proceeding just as tentatively as every other part of this experience.

I'm drying the cones in a very simple-technology manner by spreading them on a window screen that has been stapled to a crude wooden frame. That rack is a few feet off the floor in the upper level of our barn, an area that is typically warmer than outside, especially on hot, sunny days like the ones we've had lately. The picture above shows the first small batch of Cascade cones freshly picked and slightly dry off the bine.

So far the cones have dried to a very dry and papery state in three days or less. The image above shows the second batch just before I moved them off the drying screen for bagging. Even though we've got plenty of Cascade cones to harvest, they are so lightweight that a full gallon weighs well under a pound. I'll have to get the scale out some day soon and make an official weighing.

In an attempt to keep the lupulin fresh until it's time to use it, the cones are placed in Ziploc bags with the excess air squeezed out, and stored in the freezer. My expectations for the harvest have changed dramatically since the cones first began appearing in July. There are MANY more cones than I anticipated, and plenty in various stages of ripeness still on the bine. Unless something unforeseen happens to them, the two Cascade bines should produce several gallons of cones.

The Willamette bines, on the other hand, appear to be finished after producing less than a quart between all four bines. Perhaps with a bit of loving care on the rhizomes this fall and next spring, we may see better results next year. As it is, I'm plenty busy with the two Cascade bines, and would probably be overwhelmed if the Willamette were as productive. Feel free to stop by if you'd like to see the plants and process first-hand: tours are easy to schedule, and if you're good, I may even give you the opportunity to harvest a few hundred cones.

Corn in the backyard 2011, week 15

2011-08-31T19:28:00.000-05:00

August 28

Last week growing degree days = 177
Historical average growing degree days = 162

Growing degree days since planting = 2670
Historical average since planting = 2356

Another slightly-warmer-than-normal week, and since we haven't seen much rain, the corn is forced to dig its roots down deep for whatever moisture might be hiding in the soil. We're now only a few days away from reaching the black layer stage when the kernels stop growing and start drying out.

You can't see it in this photo, but several ears in the field are displaying nice kernels all the way to the end of the ear. I believe that's a good sign that pollination was effective despite the heat at the time. You'll notice further drying of the husks and stalks, and at least one morning glory visible in the top photo. Not many weeks left until harvest!

How do you know when your hops are ripe?

2011-08-28T21:43:00.000-05:00

That's the question I've been Googling lately. Having never grown hops before, I'm a bit nervous about harvesting at the right time. Fortunately, there's a lot of information on the internet, and some of it appears to be helpful. If nothing else, here are some shots of our Cascade hops this week.

I promised last time to include a ruler in a photo, and as you can see above, the largest hops are just under two inches long. The cones seem to open up as they ripen, which seems to coincide with good lupulin production in the cone.

This is the most-heavily-laden bine, with what I think is a pretty good crop.

One of the tricks of determining ripeness is to break the cone open to observe and smell the lupulin inside. Can you see the yellow powdery substance near where each leaf attaches at the center of the cone? That's lupulin, or what we're trying to obtain from these hops.

The aroma of the lupulin was very strong when I held the cone close to my nose. Each member of my family described the smell differently, describing it as pine, lemon, box elder bug, mint and generic green plant. Internet sources call for a spicy, citrus and pine smell, so I think we're pretty close right now.

This is the same cone after drying indoors for two days, and photographed with the macro zoom feature on my camera. I don't recall if the lupulin changed much over the two days, but zoomed in like this, it appears more crystalline than powdery.

This image was taken with the camera shooting into the eyepiece of our stereo microscope set at 30x magnification. The lupulin is definitely there, and appears even more crystalline at this magnification. Most of the cones were not as ripe as the cone pictured here, but harvest appears to be just around the corner.

Corn in the backyard 2011, week 14

2011-08-25T17:30:00.001-05:00

August 21

Last week growing degree days = 174
Historical average growing degree days = 168

Growing degree days since planting = 2493
Historical average since planting = 2194

Although the week started cool, the heat came back at the end of the week sufficient to record more growing degree units than average. The field (and our yard) hasn't seen any significant rain for a few weeks, and I think I can see the corn finally reacting to the heat and lack of rain. Some of the plants have as many as six leaves turning brown, and many of the ear husks are showing signs of drying also. The ears should still be building each kernel, as we have over 250 heating degree units to go before we reach the black layer stage for this hybrid.

Here's a closer view of the ears we've been watching.

And finally, a ~~cornflower~~ morning glory, one of several that are adding a little color to the field. Would you like me to pull this weed Farmer Wagenbach?

Hotel art

2011-08-23T21:34:00.001-05:00

If you're like me, you're seldom inspired by the art you find in hotel rooms or lobbies. Crude landscapes or still-life attempts are ignorable at best, and can often become offensive if you stare at them too long. I think good art is much more attractive than a bare wall, but I also prefer a bare wall over bad art.

I am pleased to report that bad art is no longer synonymous with inexpensive hotels. Our recent stay at a Quality Inn in Omaha, Nebraska exceeded my expectations in several ways, not the least of which was the wall decoration. While waiting in the lobby at check-in, the library opposite the check-in desk caught my eye as being more refined and inviting than what one normally finds in a cookie-cutter chain hotel, but I ignored (perhaps out of habit) what was hanging on the walls. Later, while walking from the lobby to my room, I noticed something familiar out of the corner of my eye: Martin Luther.

Or rather a print based on Hans Holbein's famous portrait of Luther. The inscription beneath the image says:

Engraved by C.E. Wagstaff

LUTHER

From the original Picture by Holbein

in his Majesty's Collection at Windsor

Under the Superintendance of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge

London, Published by Charles Knight, Pall Mall East

The Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge? Who knew such a thing existed? Formed in 1826, the organization "published inexpensive texts intended to adapt scientific and similarly high-minded material" for the working and middle classes in England (according to Wikipedia). Several other similar portraits produced by the SDUK were displayed in that hall including this image of one of my favorite mathematicians.

This image of Sir Isaac Newton was engraved by E. Scriven from the original picture by Vanderbank, which at the time was in the possession of the Royal Society. The SDUK only remained in operation until 1848, but some of its art lives on in Omaha!

The Quality Inn gallery wasn't limited to portraits, as quite a few of the images had an architectural bent. This photo of the chapel in Farnham Castle in Surrey is quaint enough to make you want to visit the castle, and appears to be part of a series of plates. This wasn't the only Farnham Castle image in the collection, but it was one of my favorites.

The art collection isn't the only thing going for this hotel. The beds are comfortable, the rooms are quiet, the air conditioning is cold, and the complimentary hot breakfast was delicious -- but then, maybe the endless supply of bacon had something to do with that.

Corn in the backyard 2011, week 13

2011-08-20T21:52:00.000-05:00

August 14

Last week growing degree days = 168
Historical average growing degree days = 168

Growing degree days since planting = 2319
Historical average since planting = 2026

We finally got a break from the heat last week as we had three days in a row of below average temperatures. That hadn't happened since June 29. You might also have noticed the growing degree units for the week were consistent with an average year, which hasn't happened since week six. The ears should still be developing kernels as we're over 400 growing degree units shy of what this hybrid requires. The stalks are showing definite signs of drying as most of the plants I surveyed were displaying between one and five dry leaves.

Here's the latest close-up of the stalks and ears we're watching this year. Everything looks good to this amateur corn watcher. Stay tuned for more updates.

Hops cone development

2011-08-13T11:25:00.000-05:00

When we last reported on our hops plants about four weeks ago, the bines were almost at their full length, and the cones had just started to appear. What a difference a few weeks makes! The cones are developing nicely, and although they are smaller than I expected, many of them are approaching full size.

This gives you a little perspective on size. Next time I'll try to remember to include a ruler in the photo.

This shot better illustrates just how many cones are developing on the Cascade bines. Unfortunately, the Willamette bines are showing a distinct paucity of cones, although plenty of foliage. I don't know if that reflects a difference in each variety's time to bear fruit, or is a reflection of the general health of the bine. When I planted the rhizomes, the Cascades were noticeably more robust.

It appears that we will at least have a good harvest of Cascade this year, and maybe next year will be more fruitful for the Willamette.

Corn in the backyard 2011, week 12

2011-08-12T22:46:00.000-05:00

August 7

Last week growing degree days = 221
Historical average growing degree days = 175

Growing degree days since planting = 2151
Historical average since planting = 1858

We collected about the same number of growing degree units this week as we did the week before, which was significantly higher than average in both cases. Even though we didn't have any appreciable rain, the corn has shown little sign of stress, and appears to be maturing normally. The stalk drying continued slowly this week, but still has a long way to go before this season is over.

Here's a closer view of the two stalks we've been watching. The ears are still looking good and should be continuing to build healthy kernels. By the measure of growing degree units, these ears should have about another month before the black layer develops. We'll stay on top of that and everything else happening in the field this summer. Thanks for visiting!

Homemade caramel sauce taste testing

2011-08-07T22:38:00.001-05:00

When one has the desire to make caramel sauce, but isn't sure which recipe to use, what does one do? In our case, we made two recipes and performed a taste test. Competing head to head was the Pioneer Woman's Easy Caramel Sauce versus Kitten's Easy Caramel Sauce from Kittencal's Kitchen. The recipes themselves can be found on the respective websites, so we won't repeat them here, but simply report our impressions.

Here's a shot of three of our four judges studiously comparing each sample, spoonful by spoonful by spoonful. It's a hard job, but someone's got to do it!

Pioneer Woman's sauce has a rich, inviting appearance and a creamy, smooth texture. We were a bit startled by the amount of vanilla specified in the recipe, so we only used 2/3 of the 1 tablespoon recommended. We realize that means we really didn't test the Pioneer Woman's recipe, but we felt justified in our decision when the final product had a strong vanilla flavor, even after reducing that ingredient. Brown sugar was also easily identified, and although sweeter than its competition, this sauce was hard to stop eating.

Kitten's caramel sauce had a less intense appearance that reminded me of the caramel candies my aunt used to make for her nieces and nephews. This sauce was also smooth and creamy, and we found its flavor more balanced and subtle than the flavor of its foe. This sauce was also addictive, and was easy to consume by the spoonful. The majority of the judges preferred this sauce when tasted by itself.

How often does one eat caramel sauce by itself without ice cream as a carrier food? Okay, maybe that's not a good question. Nonetheless, I thought comparing the sauces on ice cream might be a more valid test of the true worth of each one. When applied liberally to vanilla ice cream, Kitten's sauce continues to outshine its competitor. Pioneer Woman's sauce seemed to be easily lost in the ice cream, not contributing as much to the sundae. Kitten's sauce complimented the ice cream well, and added a complexity to the total package as one would expect a good ice cream topping to do.

We have enjoyed several blog posts and recipes from the Pioneer Woman in the past, and we think she has a very tasty caramel sauce, but her recipe came in second in this comparison. Kittencal has a better balanced sauce, in our opinion, one that stands well on its own, and enhances any bowl of vanilla ice cream.

Corn in the backyard 2011, week 11

2011-08-06T21:55:00.001-05:00

July 31

Height = 101 inches

Last week growing degree days = 222

Historical average growing degree days = 176

Growing degree days since planting = 1930

Historical average since planting = 1683

Another hot week for the corn field, although not quite as hot as the week before. We've been blessed with a bit of rain, so that has probably helped the corn endure the heat without signs of significant stress. Farmer Wagenbach informed us earlier that this hybrid needs about 2755 growing degree units to reach the black layer phase, so it looks like we've got over 800 more growing degree days before we can expect the corn to be that mature. In the meantime, we'll look for other signs of maturity, such as those shown in the picture below.

The silks have darkened indicating they've done their duty in the pollination cycle, and now the plant needs to grow healthy kernels on its ears so they can reach maturity in a timely fashion. A few of the plants are showing the very earliest signs of stalk drying, which is not surprising for this time of year. Stay tuned, 'cause it looks like we're on the home stretch!

The most comfortable chickens in the county

2011-08-01T22:02:00.000-05:00

Just down the road from our house live the most comfortable chickens in the county. They don't settle for chicken wire walls or plywood roofs, they live in splendor! Wall-to-wall carpet, individual beds, a kitchen, and bathroom, and above all: air conditioning! (Although by the position of the windows, it appears the air conditioning was turned off when I took the photo).

PETA should have no complaints here as, sadly, these chickens have a more substantial residence than about 80% of the world's humans. It's apparent the owners that provide for these pampered poultry cherish these tender birds, and wish to provide them with all the advantages a bird might need to succeed in the world today. I wonder how they taste?

Corn in the backyard 2011, weeks 9 & 10

2011-07-25T22:50:00.000-05:00

July 17

Height = 101 inches

Last week growing degree days = 199

Historical average growing degree days = 175

Growing degree days since planting = 1454

Historical average since planting = 1327

July 24

Height = 101 inches

Last week growing degree days = 254

Historical average growing degree days = 180

Growing degree days since planting = 1708

Historical average since planting = 1507

The week preceding July 17 was warmer than average, and found the corn stalks pushing 11 inches higher despite the plant's need to push energy into pollinating and growing ears. The corn should have passed the pollination midpoint during that week although my amateur observations failed to recognize clues of that event. The following week was much warmer than average as evidenced by the 254 growing degree units recorded in just seven days. Unfortunately, hot weather during the pollination cycle could be disastrous for the plant. Dry heat can stress a plant that doesn't have access to sufficient moisture, and the stress can limit the effectiveness of the pollination. Any ovules not fertilized during the short pollination window will not form kernels, and if the kernels are limited, the harvest is poor.

This is one of the stalks on the 17th showing a major ear and minor ear, both with healthy silks. The plant was not exhibiting signs of stress as far as I could tell.

In this picture, that same stalk is to the left of center and doesn't look a lot different than before other than the silks have started to turn brown, indicating they've done their job, and kernels should be forming. After almost a week of no rain, and temperatures over 90 F everyday, God blessed us with over an inch of rain on the 24th. Hopefully that's sufficient to ward off stress in the short term until the weather returns to a more normal pattern. Check back again next week to find out if normal kernel development continues!

Corn in the backyard 2011, week 8

2011-07-13T22:41:00.000-05:00

July 10

Height = 90 inches

Last week's growing degree days = 186

Historical average growing degree days = 174

Growing degree days since planting = 1255

Historical average since planting = 1152

The conditions must have been right for growth this week, as the corn went through an "adolescent-like" growth spurt in more ways than one! Our "measuring stalk" gained 26 inches, the tassels finally appeared, and the silks made their appearance as well. Farmer Wagenbach informed us that the variety in the field this year reaches its mid pollination point at 1292 growing degree days, which will be reached this week.

On Sunday about half of the stalks had tassels showing, but by today all the tassels appear to be out and spread.

The silks were noticeable on most of the stalks, and the ears are developing quickly. A week ago, I didn't notice any silks. This week, they're noticeable both visually and olfactorily. At least I think it's the silks I smell; maybe the pollen gives the plant its distinctive odor. If anyone knows, please educate me in the comments section.

For those keeping score, the 90 inch stalk height this week ties the height of the 2009 corn in its eighth week. Thanks for visiting!

Hops on the bine

2011-07-12T22:18:00.002-05:00

You might remember a previous post that showed a healthy sprout that was new to our yard. That sprout was one of six hops rhizomes planted in mid April, and all six have been growing steadily ever since. The two plants on the left side of the photo below are the Cascade variety, and the four on the right are Willamette.

The Willamette rhizomes were more dormant than the Cascade when planted, and have lagged in growth so far, but all the plants appear healthy and vigorous. I've had to prune several sprouts so that each rhizome only has two or three bines left to grow, and several of the bines have lost their leading central stem and have adapted by pushing lateral branches upward. I've followed the common practice of stretching a wire for the bine to grow on, and it didn't take much coaxing to get the plant to wind itself around the wire clockwise while climbing ever higher.

This photo shows one of the Cascade plants that is over 11 feet long. Cones have developed in the last week, but the main bines continue to stretch forward and shoot out branches. None of the Willamette plants are displaying cones yet, but I wouldn't be surprised if they popped out in the next two weeks.

Here's a zoomed-in view of a few of the cones in an early stage of development. Dozens of these little flowers have emerged in just a few days, and I anticipate it will be entertaining to watch them grow and develop. I'll do my best to document as much of the cone development as possible. Thanks for visiting!

Corn in the backyard 2011, week 7

2011-07-06T22:29:00.002-05:00

July 3

Height = 64 inches

Last week's growing degree days = 177

Historical average growing degree days = 167

Growing degree days since planting = 1069

Historical average since planting = 978

Although this year's crop has fallen behind the blistering pace set in the torrid early summer of 2009, growth still continues at a respectable rate. By contrast, last year's crop was almost done growing by early July, but it also had a three-week head start.

Since I try to measure the same plant every week, the plant I've chosen may not represent the tallest stalk in the field, nor is there any guarantee it will be average. This week I measured neighboring plants more than 10 inches taller than the one I reported, while others lagged our subject. I will continue to measure the same plant we've followed to this point, but I may mention anomalies as they appear. Thanks for visiting!

North America's Largest Native Moth

2011-06-30T22:06:00.000-05:00

When Gretel told me there was a huge butterfly in the yard, I asked her if she was sure it wasn't a bird. She didn't think my comment was very funny either. I'm glad she convinced me to look for it with her, as I observed (and recorded for you) my first sighting of North America's largest native moth species: Hyalophora Cecropia, or the Cecropia Moth.

This female's wings stood off the tree about 3.5 inches, which means her wingspan was probably close to 7 inches. Her abdomen was huge, and probably full of eggs. We noticed a cocoon-like structure on the tree a few feet below her, so she may have emerged shortly before Gretel found her. Wikipedia claims the lifespan of these moths is only 7 to 10 days, so we consider ourselves fortunate to have witnessed her appearance.

This is the only shot I have of her wings hesitantly spread slightly so I could see the markings on the back side. This shot was helpful in identifying the species, even if it is out of focus. I don't suppose we'll have another chance to spot this female, or the males she attracts, but we'll keep our eyes open nonetheless.

Corn in the backyard 2011, week 6

2011-06-30T18:36:00.001-05:00

June 26

Height = 51 inches

Last week's growing degree days = 142

Historical average growing degree days = 159

Growing degree days since planting = 892

Historical average since planting = 811

Even though the first three days of the week were warmer than average, the remainder of the week was cool enough that we recorded a growing degree day deficit to the historical average. While the plants grew more than they did the week before, total growth for the year is only three inches ahead of 2009.

I thought you might enjoy a look at a corn stalk from the top while we're still able to access that view easily, and before the tassel makes its appearance. I think the funnel-like shape of the plant is interesting, and I wonder how much rain is absorbed by the plant through the stalk. Anyone care to educate me?

Thanks for visiting!

Corn in the backyard 2011, week 5

2011-06-19T21:26:00.010-05:00

June 19

Height = 38 inches

Last week's growing degree days = 133

Historical average growing degree days = 148

Growing degree days since planting = 750

Historical average since planting = 652

I think last week's cooler-than-average weather was responsible for the slower growth rate since our last measurement. Growing degree days are still well ahead of the historical average, so it's no surprise that the corn is off to a strong start. Even though the growth rate slowed this week, stalk height is still 11 inches ahead of where it was at this time in 2009 when the stalks topped out just two inches short of ten feet tall. Forecasts for this next week indicate we may see slightly fewer growing degree days than an average year, so although it may be more comfortable for us, this may also be the week that the corn falls back in line with 2009 totals. The sixth week of growing that year saw an amazing 222 growing degree days, which added an equally amazing 21 inches of growth in one week! Check back next week for more corn growing excitement!

Good news, bad news, part 2

2011-06-15T22:07:00.004-05:00

The good news is... since Karen sews most of her clothing she can add pockets wherever she wants.

The bad news is... sometimes things fall out her pockets.

The good news is... it's usually facial tissue that falls out of her pockets.

The bad news is... this time it was her wedding band and engagement ring.

The good news is... she could narrow the loss to a 4-hour window of time.

The bad news is... she was in several locations during those 4 hours.

The good news is... all those locations were on our property.

The bad news is... searching all those places involved moving a good bit of stuff in the basement; searching the couch to the point of removing the dust cover on the bottom, examining the interior of the couch, and stapling the cover back on; and combing through about 80 feet of grass in the front yard.

The good news is... we enjoy a good hunt for lost treasure.

The bad news is... this hunt lasted eight weeks.

The good news is... we felt confident we could eliminate some of the possibilities.

The bad news is... the yard still has a lot of places where a ring might hide.

The good news is... we had good success using a flashlight last time.

The bad news is... the flashlight did not reveal the ring.

The good news is... one of my friends has a metal detector.

The bad news is... the metal detector didn't seem to work.

The good news is... a fresh set of batteries brought the tool back to life.

The bad news is... the metal detector found a lot of metallic things in our yard.

The good news is... one of those metallic things was Karen's ring.

Here's my assistant, Gretel, holding the most valuable thing we found that evening.

After being run over with the lawn mower at least eight times, the ring is no worse for wear and safely back on Karen's finger... for now.

Corn in the backyard 2011, week 4

2011-06-13T21:11:00.002-05:00

June 12

Height = 28 inches
Last week's growing degree days = 180
Historical average growing degree days = 136

Growing degree days since planting = 617
Historical average since planting = 504

Another warmer than average week resulted in greater than average growth. The plant height is 11 inches ahead of where it was at this time in 2009, but the 2011 corn has had 143 extra growing degree days this time around. The 2010 corn had been planted three weeks earlier, and had only managed 9.5 inches of growth by the fourth week of measurements. As this next week is forecast to be cooler than average most of the week, it will be exciting to see what effect that has on plant growth.

Thanks for visiting!

Let the discounts begin!

2011-06-10T22:45:00.002-05:00

I didn't notice all the items on my receipt at Long John Silver's this evening. Evidently I'm officially part of the senior crowd now. I've underlined the line that says, "SEN04 10% snr" and then shows 10% of my total subtracted from my bill. I didn't ask for it. I don't think I was even dressed very seniorish. But the cashier gave me 10%, which I'm happy to accept.

It's one of those things that you expect to experience eventually, and since AARP considers me a senior now, I almost feel entitled!

I think my daughters are mortified.

Corn in the backyard 2011, week 3

2011-06-05T22:08:00.002-05:00

June 5

Height = 16 inches

Last week's growing degree days = 170

Historical average growing degree days = 121

Growing degree days since planting = 437

Historical average since planting = 368

The corn had a pretty good growth spurt this past week, probably due to the warm temperatures. By contrast, the 2009 crop was planted about the same time, and only managed 5 inches of growth in the same week, but only had 109 growing degree days to help it along. It will be exciting to see how this year's crop progresses in the weeks ahead! Stay tuned!

Hottest day of the year?

2011-06-04T21:58:00.002-05:00

By our unofficial monitoring of the thermometer in our backyard, today was that hottest day of 2011 so far.

As far as I'm concerned, we don't need any days hotter than this.

Corn in the backyard 2011, week 2

2011-06-01T19:47:00.003-05:00

May 29

Height = 6.5 inches. Growing degree days for the week = 99; historical average = 105 growing degree days.

Growing degree days since planting = 267; historical average = 247 growing degree days.

Hegeler Carus Mansion

2011-05-30T13:33:00.004-05:00

The Hegeler Carus Mansion in La Salle, Illinois had escaped our attention until a few weeks ago, and looked promising enough to warrant a visit. The 16,000-square-foot, seven-level home was built between 1874 and 1876 by Edward Hegeler, who had chosen the La Salle area as the home for his zinc smelting business almost two decades before. Through the hard work of Hegeler and his partner, Frederick Matthiessen, M & H Zinc Company became the largest zinc manufacturer in the U.S. by 1880, and held that distinction for 30 years.

Edward and his wife Camilla raised eight children in this 57-room mansion which remained in the family until the Hegeler Carus Foundation was formed in 1995 to assume care of the structure. Paul Carus was invited by the Hegelers to work as editor at Open Court Publishing, which the Hegelers had launched in 1887, and married their daughter Mary in 1888. Paul and Mary raised their six children in the home, the last of whom died in 2004.

W. W. Boyington (better known for his work on the Chicago Water Tower) was commissioned as architect, and August Fiedler designed the interiors. Only one room is restored to near-original condition, but many of the rooms are virtually unchanged from their original design. I'm amazed that a home can survive several owners over 130 years without remodeling! In this case, I'm glad the successive generations recognized they probably couldn't improve on the original product and just left it alone, although many areas are pitifully faded or damaged. The structure is now a National Historic Landmark, so renovation requires more paperwork and approvals, but could be better funded.

Although the interior desperately needs restoration, one can still appreciate the details Fiedler used to tie rooms to each other, and make them each unique at the same time. I was especially impressed by the parquet floors as each room had a unique design that complemented the other woodwork in the room. Some decorative features were painted on the walls and ceilings, right alongside the intricate carvings.

The photo above shows the house as viewed from the street. A family entrance at ground level beneath the central tower is used for general admittance today, as the original formal entrance to the right is no longer available to the public. A large, horseshoe-shaped staircase welcomed visitors and placed them on a porch that wraps almost all the way around the house, from which they entered the home at the end of a broad welcoming hall. We were told the family entertained in that hall, in the parlors on either side, and in the dining room at the opposite end of the hall. The layout of the house was impressive, and yet comfortable, convincing me that another visit may be in order if the restoration of the home continues successfully.

Thanks for visiting!

Corn in the backyard 2011, week 1

2011-05-24T21:04:00.003-05:00

As shown a few days ago, the corn is sprouting and well on its way to building our privacy fence to the west.

May 22

Most of the plants I checked measured 3.5" tall, and had grown visibly since the first photo was taken three-and-a-half days earlier. I have a feeling this crop could beat the impressive stand back in 2009. Stay tuned here for all the details!

The most popular posts on this blog

2011-05-22T19:59:00.001-05:00

I like the "Stats" feature on Blogger. I've been observing traffic on this blog with Sitemeter from the beginning, but since Blogger added the stats feature I have a bit more insight than I get with the free version of Sitemeter. One item I find interesting is which posts are the most popular. Far and away the most popular is my two-year old post on gutter hanger testing. Since we get quite a few visits from Google searches, I thought it would be interesting to see what sites Google recommends for gutter hanger testing.

Look at that! The only pages recommended higher are gutter supply retailers that paid to be at the top of the list. That post may be #1 on our blog for all time, but it's only the fourth most popular in the last month, #9 for the last week, and hasn't been visited at all for the last day.

Currently number two on the all-time list, is last year's post about my visit to the Freeport McMoran Morenci Copper Mine, which doesn't do as well on Google (#6 when I did the search shown above behind three hits on the company's website), but does show up on the first page. The copper mine post has been the most popular for the past month, third for the past week, and is tied for first for the last 24 hours. Since it's only been available half as long as the gutter hanger post, it could gain on the #1 spot given more time.

The competition for the number two spot is pretty intense, with my post on Colonial Williamsburg's buildings vying with the August 2009 corn growth chart, and Karen and Lily's account of part 4 of their trip to England all of which are giving Freeport McMoRan a run for their money. If you're really desperate for entertainment, try a Google search for "corn growth chart," or "Williamsburg in the fall."

Remember, you can push your favorite post to the top of the list by visiting that post frequently! Imagine the fun you'll have!

What you've all been waiting for...

2011-05-18T19:13:00.002-05:00

This evening I noticed lots of little plants sprouting up in the field behind our house. Looking a lot like corn, we'll have to keep a close eye on this development. More details to follow after our weekly measurement on Sunday.

A Springtime Survey of Our Property

2011-05-16T22:09:00.005-05:00

We've been pleased with a few things of beauty around our yard over the last few weeks, and we would like to share them with all of you.

At the end of April, the almond bush exhibited more blossoms than we've ever seen on this bush. We transplanted it from a shady spot a couple years ago, and I think it likes full sun better than shade.

About the same time, the primrose plants were blooming in another area. These were also planted a couple years ago, and this was their best performance as well.

This is a typical branch on the cherry tree in late April. We were astounded to see so many blossoms after a big cherry harvest last year. Alas, by early May we experienced a freeze in our yard, and many of the potential cherries died. It looks like a limited crop of cherries this year.

I took this photo of the chives today. They've done well the last couple years, and it looks like they are almost ready to consume now.

I planted this new food crop in mid April as a rhizome, and I hope to find enjoyment in measuring the growth of at least six of these plants this summer. Can anyone identify it?

Last, but not least, is the neighboring property to the west where something was planted about a week ago. This photo was taken last Sunday, but there is nothing sprouting yet. Don't lose sleep worrying about this field, I'll provide all the details as the growing season progresses. Thanks for visiting!

Radon Mitigation System Cost Breakdown

2011-04-30T21:41:00.005-05:00

Previously I've posted about installing a radon mitigation system in our house, and the testing that we did afterward. This time I'll tell you what we had to spend to get all the pieces put together.

The components of the system that are specific to radon systems were purchased online since they could be found cheaper there or were not available at all locally. I made my best attempt at achieving the lowest overall cost, which meant I spent a little extra on some of my items in order to save on shipping.

Fantech HP190 radon fan: $120
Rubber connectors: $18
Exhaust cap: $33
Condensate bypass kit: $17
U-tube manometer: $22
Shipping & tax on online items: $36

All of the rest of the items were found locally.

4" PVC Sch 40 pipe, elbows and couplings: $77
Roof flashing: $6
14/2 romex wire: $12
15 amp breaker: $6
Hanging strap, concrete mix, glue: $6
Tools: $40
Tax: $12

All materials total: $405

I didn't keep track of my time spent on the project, but with muliple trips in and out of the attic, concrete hole cutting done the cheap way, and roof flashing work done in the dark, I probably spent close to 30 hours to complete everything. I'm told a contractor would probably charge about $1,200 for the type of system I installed, but as I mentioned in my first post, I prefer to do this kind of project myself. My conclusion: I think this kind of project is well withing the skill level of most DIYers; a bit of planning and testing ahead of time can streamline the project; and like most home projects, there is an opportunity to save a little money.

First mowing of the year

2011-04-20T19:37:00.005-05:00

Two weeks ago, I thought the mowing season couldn't be pushed off any longer. A good bit of cooler weather since then seems to have halted the grass growth, but with lots of rain in the forecast, today looked like one of the few dry opportunities. The mowing season is starting 13 days later than last year, but two days earlier than in 2009 (the grass piles in the photo above suggest I waited too long this time). Coincidently, the first mowing day for all three years fell on a Wednesday. Although the cut grass is pleasant to look at, it looks like we're committed to tending to it for another 6 months.

You know it's spring...

2011-04-10T19:48:00.003-05:00

...when the pasture gets a fresh coat of liquid nourishment.

Heard today...

2011-04-09T20:24:00.005-05:00

... at the American Vision Midwest Conference at Providence Church in Morton, Illinois

"Your view of the future determines how you live in the present."

- Gary DeMar

"Your children were ordained by God to be born in your home."

- James McDonald

"You can't destroy a Christian civilization unless you destroy its economic power. You can't destroy its economic power unless you destroy the family."

- Bojidar Marinov

"The church has bought into the lie that government's resources are unlimited, and that God's resources are limited."

- James Lansberry

If you weren't there today, you missed Gary DeMar speaking on the importance of eschatology on how you live in the present and a biblical view of Ezekiel 38-39 and Matthew 24. James McDonald emphasized the importance of training our children by our words and our example to the end of establishing the next generation. Bojidar Marinov explained how socialists have been attacking the institution of the family in Europe for centuries, and defined what socialism can and cannot take away from us here in America. James Lansberry spoke on God's ability to work through his church, and the vision some believers have for wresting back from the government what belongs to God.

If you missed it, I'm sorry for you, but I guess you could try again next time.

Heard this evening...

2011-04-08T21:11:00.008-05:00

"The more you learn, the more humble you should be."

- Kevin Swanson, speaking at the American Vision Midwest Conference at Providence Church in Morton, Illinois

Mr. Swanson's lecture emphasized the book of Proverbs as the foundation for any education as it is dedicated to inculcating wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. One doesn't have to look far to see the lessons of Proverbs lived out in society around us. When commenting about how the leaders of some churches in Colorado have embraced the homosexual movement there, Mr. Swanson quoted Proverbs 28:4a, "Those who forsake the law praise the wicked...." "Do you know how America got to be the way it is?" he asked, "America forsook the law!"

Come join us on Saturday for more challenging teaching from God's word.

Radon Mitigation System Testing

2011-04-02T21:25:00.005-05:00

About a month ago I posted about installing a radon mitigation system in our home. Our active sub-slab depressurization system started running February 5, but we didn't start measuring the radon level in the house until about March 9 when we left on vacation. At that time we set our new SafetySiren Pro Series 3 Radon Gas Detector on a table in the basement, where it monitored and averaged the radon level over the ten days we were gone. Because the unit requires about 48 hours of sampling before it displays the radon concentration, we don't know what the level was when the testing began. When we returned home, we were pleased to discover the radon concentration in the basement averaged 1.3 pCi/L while we were gone.

I next moved the tester to the other side of the basement, and recorded the 1.1 pCi/L average (shown above) over a three-day test. Those two tests were enough to convince me that the mitigation system was adequate to keep our home below our 4 pCi/L goal. Armed with this handy device, gathering data was so easy I felt compelled to measure more areas of the house. Upstairs, in our living room, the tester surprised me by reporting a concentration of 1.8 pCi/L after two days, which was higher than any of our readings in the basement. I let the tester continue to run for several more days, over which time the tester found the radon concentration continually dropping such that the average dropped to 1.3 pCi/L before I reset the tester and moved it into our bedroom. A reading of 1.1 pCi/L after two days satisfied my curiosity for that room.

Why was the radon concentration higher upstairs than in the basement? Since the house was closed up quite a bit between the time the system started operating, and the upstairs testing commenced, the sub-slab system may have removed more radon from the basement than was removed by the natural ventilation of the house upstairs. We had never tested the upstairs prior to installing the mitigation system, but one would expect the radon concentration there to be lower than the level in the basement without active mitigation.

We purchased our tester from Radon at Tahoe through Amazon.com, as they were one of many stores on the internet selling the item for $129.95, including free shipping. Now that I'm confident we've got our radon problem licked, I'm willing to let my local readers borrow this tool to check the radon levels in their homes. Let me know in the comments section or by email if you're interested.

Thanks for visiting!

Liberty Day 2011

2011-03-31T20:22:00.003-05:00

Two hundred thirty six years ago Patrick Henry addressed the Virginia Convention in Richmond, and persuaded his fellow burgesses to take up arms against England. He understood the options that lay before them, and proclaimed to his hearers, "I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!"

Henry's words, and his thirst for liberty, are celebrated annually around the country, and we think one of the best celebrations must be in Medinah, Illinois. The Erber family from Harvard were the founders of this celebration that has grown to a day-and-a-half conference for several hundred people.

Guest speakers bring inspiring and educational lectures each year, and that's Joe Morecraft pictured above speaking on the critical difference between natural law and Biblical law. His lecture contrasted the perspectives of Augustine, who believed everything must be considered in light of the Word of God, and Aquinas, who thought the Bible was not necessary for understanding "some" things. Morecraft believes America's preference for reason over God's revelation is partly responsible for the decline of our culture.

Phil Kayser is shown above in the middle of his presentation "Breaches in Humanism's Dam: Why Christianity Will Win the War," which addressed the bankruptcy of humanistic philosophies and the promises to God's people in 2 Chronicles 7:14.

Gretel got the opportunity to wear her new colonial polonaise gown that Lily made for her.

We have to include a shot of the back detail because "it's so stinkin' cute!"

Lily also wore her new polonaise gown for the first time in public, and I believe it was well received. You might remember this dress from last summer.

Finally, a picture of Karen with Mrs. Bringe, who traveled all the way from Colorado with her family so we could enjoy their presence.

Thanks for visiting!

Colonial Williamsburg in March, Day 6

2011-03-18T21:25:00.010-05:00

Our final day at CW found us alone again since the Madeiras left early to travel on to South Carolina. We tried our best to keep a stiff upper lip, and soldiered through an unusually warm day (at 86F, it was a new record for March 18 in Williamsburg).

We've shown images of this tranquil little garden space in previous posts, but obviously never as it appears in March. It shows more promise than it did in November, but I still think I prefer April or May.

We also showed a close-up of the fabric on the canopy of this bed in the Governor's Palace in November 2009, but it's been changed since then. According to my research, the old fabric, although pretty, was close to thirty years old so one can hardly criticize the decorators for changing it.

After the Palace tour, the girls found a peaceful spot to sit atop the ice house mound at the north end of the Palace gardens.

My beloved strolling on the path beside the Palace gardens canal.

We found this work of food art in the Palace kitchen. Made from sugar, this windmill serves as a reminder of the full-size windmill that was dismantled from the Randolph House property recently. Rumor has it the windmill needs repairs and will be restored as funds allow.

We had a delightful conversation with this group of well-dressed ladies from Savannah, Georgia. I believe at least four families were represented in their group, and each person was dressed in costume when they toured CW. We exchanged email addresses and blog names, so we'll try to keep track of their activities in the future.

This nicely decorated hat caught Lily's eye at The Millinery Shop.

We finally had a Thomas Baker sighting on the last performance of Friday afternoon! He had performed earlier in the week, but since we hadn't watched every program, we somehow missed him. In this image, Thomas is closest to the camera in the front row of fifers.

Here's a video of the corps performing one of their songs. Thomas is on farthest from the camera in the front row in this video. If you have trouble seeing the video full width, you can right-click on the image and choose to watch the video on YouTube.

We'll close our reporting from Colonial Williamsburg this week with a photo of Thomas and his proud parents. Poor Thomas is frequently compared with his over-achieving brother David, but Thomas seems to be holding his own in following in his brother's footsteps.

Thanks for visiting!

Colonial Williamsburg in March, Day 5

2011-03-17T22:34:00.008-05:00

When we're vacationing with the Madeiras, there's every reason in the world to stay up late laughing, eating, and wondering why we don't do this more often. So although Wednesday night was a fun night of catching up, Thursday was a bit slow getting started.

Instead of going directly to CW this morning, we stopped to visit Jim Burnley at the offices of Burnley & Trowbridge Co. first. Jim and his wife Angela organized the polonaise class Lily attended in Jamestown last summer, and they have been promoters of historically accurate clothing for years (not to mention they sell lots of goodies related to making clothing). This time I wanted to try on some shoes, and Lily was shopping for ribbon.

We talked the Madeiras into trying the lunch buffet at Nawab Indian Cuisine, which we think is one of the gems of Williamsburg. I heard Tim making all sorts of "mmmm" and "oooo" noises, so I think he liked it, but then I haven't seen too many foods that Tim doesn't like!

Once back at CW, we ran into the Courter family resting and posing for photographs. We met them at the Family Economics Conference in Raleigh last weekend, and have enjoyed getting to know them.

The girls had fun simply sitting and chatting outside Tarpley's Store on Duke of Gloucester Street.

Even though we didn't do a record amount of walking today, looking pretty all day long can evidently be a lot of work.

Until one simply crashes.

Thanks for visiting!

Colonial Williamsburg in March, Day 4

2011-03-16T22:42:00.008-05:00

Wednesday finally found all of our family together for the entire day, which of course meant colonial clothing all around. But more on that later.

Our visit to the historic area started with a public address by Patrick Henry who, although not on his top form, was nonetheless entertaining and educational.

It was a special treat to find Jane Hanson singing and playing the harpsichord in the Wythe House. Jane is performing the "A Lady and Her Music" program two more times in the month of March, and she does a wonderful job explaining lyrics and background for the songs she sings.

The afternoon found us at the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum to enjoy their accessories exhibit and take advantage of the opportunity to peer into some of the drawers containing articles that aren't on public display. The frock coat and waistcoat shown above were on display, and showed such fine work that I had to share it with you.

Also at the museum were these glasses on display. Mine aren't exactly like these, but I'll keep trying to get as close as I can.

Here's an entertaining kerchief from the mid 19th century. The artist has depicted a typical day in the year 2000 as he imagines it will be. He's got the right idea that man will be relying on mechanization for transportation, but his extrapolation that horses will be all but extinct obviously goes a bit too far. You'll have to zoom in on this one to appreciate all the little statements and conversations included in this scene.

The herb and vegetable garden on Duke of Gloucester Street was growing nicely thanks to coldframes like this, and Virginia's mild climate.

A portion of the Fife and Drum Corps made an appearance in the afternoon, although our friend Thomas Baker was not in attendance. We'll continue to watch for Thomas the rest of the week.

The girls were dressed in variations on a fabric theme today, which I think makes a pretty picture.

Our big treat today was the arrival of the Madeira family! Because we were uncertain of when they would arrive, we planned on keeping a watch out through the two-hour window in which we expected them, while we continued our sightseeing around town. After a leisurely lunch, we stepped out on the sidewalk along Henry Street, and before we had walked 20 feet a car was honking at us as they pulled up beside us -- the Madeiras! They had just arrived in town, and the timing could not have been more providential.

As if their company was not enough, Rachel also honored us with a gift of her award-winning artwork! We were thrilled to receive such a beautiful, and meaningful gift, and humbled that Rachel would spend so much time working on this project. Unfortunately, the light for this photo doesn't do the painting justice, so you'll all just have to stop past our house to see it in person. Extra credit for those that recognize the subject for Rachel's work.

Thanks for visiting!

Colonial Williamsburg in March, Day 3

2011-03-15T16:33:00.006-05:00

One more day of Gretel and me adventuring together around CW while Karen and Lily endure fawning praise from the fashion elite at the symposium.

There was no stop at the coffeehouse this morning as most of our plans for the day centered around the other end of town. On the way, we noticed this little walkway between two buildings that just begs to be replicated on our own home. If only we had a suitable location... and a cute little gate... and a mature hedge growing high enough to walk under....

We took the time to stop in the Governor's Palace kitchen to see what was on the menu. The humble chicken on the cutting board was experiencing a spinectomy and was then promptly placed on a short grill over some coals on the right side of the hearth (hidden by the chef in this photo). It didn't take long before that barbequed chicken was smelling good! While that was cooking, we discussed breakfast habits with the chef who informed us that 18th century gentry ate a small informal meal mid-morning in anticipation for the largest meal of the day from about 2 to 4 PM.

The almond-shaped decorated pastry in the front is actually an 18th century sort of casserole. The pastry bakes hard and is intended simply to hold the contents -- it is not intended to be eaten. In fact, the chef said you'd have more success eating the table than you would eating that pastry!

Thomas Jefferson honored us with his presence behind the Governor's Palace this morning, where he took the opportunity to address the crowd on a variety of topics and answered questions from the audience. One astute homeschooling advocate asked about Jefferson's views on education, contrasting the Greek model with the home-based model. Jefferson replied in support of a state-supported system that strove to allow children in the poorest communities the opportunity to be capable of conversing with their more cultured fellow Virginians on any number of topics. I'm curious whether those comments were consistent with Jefferson's beliefs, or if they were a 21st century interpretation of his views.

Thomas Everard purchased the house shown above in the mid 1750s and CW has restored it to the state it may have been in during Everard's occupation of the residence in the shadow of the Governor's Palace. Everard was orphaned by the age of ten and admitted to Christ's Hospital in West Sussex, England for a time before he served a seven-year apprenticeship with a merchant in Williamsburg. Following his apprenticeship, he was appointed clerk of the Elizabeth City County court, and later the York County court where he served until his death.

The dining room is set to reflect Everard's ample means, and features some interesting details. The wallpaper is a reproduction of a pattern that likely covered the walls during Everard's stay here. Restorationists discovered fragments of wallpaper behind the crown molding in this room and were able to trace the paper back to England to the original manufacturer who still had the original blocks from which the wallpaper was printed. They supplied CW with enough square pieces to cover the room, and restore it to its 18th century splendor.

The china on the table was probably never in the Everard's possession as it was recovered recently from a ship that had sunk in 1748. Colonial Williamsburg was able to purchase several settings at auction, and now displays these original pieces.

The sitting room features wall-to-wall carpet (27-inch strips sewn together and fitted to the room) and glossy woodwork. The finish on the woodwork and the looking glass above the fireplace mantle serve to reflect light and make the room brighter, especially in the evenings.

Mr. Everard fashioned an office for himself at the back of the house so he could carry out his business from the convenience of his home, when possible. The map above the fireplace was drawn by Peter Jefferson, the father of Thomas.

Gretel and I played another round of a game we started yesterday: to see how far one can walk across town by following private garden paths. We had pretty good success on the south side of Duke of Gloucester Street, although one does have to keep one's eyes open for gates, since they aren't always obvious.

Finally, a shot of archaeological digging going on at the blacksmith's shop partially executed by a Caterpillar 322C hydraulic excavator. The old blacksmith shop was torn down in early March and archaeologists have been studying the site to learn all they can about the blacksmithing and armoury activities performed on the property. CW has an active blog chronicling the destruction of the old and the construction of the new.

The four of us finally ended our day at the Governor's Palace for another candlelight concert. This time I've included a photo of part of the program for the evening, so you have some idea of what we experienced.

Thanks for visiting!

Colonial Williamsburg in March, Day 2

2011-03-14T21:30:00.005-05:00

Our second day in the city found Gretel and me touring the sites while Karen and Lily endured lectures and demonstrations related to 17th to 19th century clothing accessories. We all met for lunch, so some of what's documented here was enjoyed by all.

Since the morning started cool and breezy, I convinced Gretel to start our day back at Charlton's Coffeehouse. Gretel was concerned that we may be refused service since we had just visited the day before, but I was willing to take that risk since getting kicked out of an 18th century coffeehouse didn't sound very humiliating to me. We were served without question (by staff that had not been there the previous day), and left slightly warmer to make our way about town.

We had a private conversation with this interpreter at the building that housed the James City County Court and the Williamsburg Hustings Court in the 18th century. The courthouse is located on the north side of Duke of Gloucester Street on Market Square, and that street served as the boundary between York County to the north and James City County to the south in colonial times. The courthouse was the only property on the north side of D of G Street at that time that belonged to James City County. A consequence of that anomaly was that Peyton Randolph (and his neighbors) could not walk the 50 yards across the Market Square green to attend to county business, but had to travel the ten miles or so to Yorktown to visit the York County courthouse there. Williamsburg is no longer bisected by a county border, as in the 1870s it attained independent city status, meaning it does not belong to any county. However, it does still serve as county seat for James City County (and I thought Illinois politics didn't make any sense).

This is the cute little office on one side of the courtroom where the county clerk conducted his business. All sorts of fines could be paid here in lieu of appearing before the court, and the clerk would record the transaction and collect the fee. Rumor has it the clerk retained a portion of all fines collected. Gretel and I were struck by the cute little rail around the perimeter of the desk. I hypothesized that it may have been designed to prevent books from falling off the edge of the desk. We were also impressed with the size of the volumes in the cabinet in the corner.

The Palace Gardens are always a pleasure, although they are much less colorful in March than they typically are in April. The shapes are familiar in this view, but the colors are much less varied.

A closer view finds hyacinth blooming along the covered paths...

... and wild violas (Johnny Jump-Ups) in the center section of the garden.

A visit to the Milliner's shop is always in order, where we found these breeches that appear to be consistent with the "more-buttons-is-better" approach that seems a theme in many colonial garments. The brown, fuzzy coat in the background is proof that I am not a fan of ALL colonial clothing.

Unfortunately, Neal the tailor was too busy with other customers to answer our questions today, but I'm sure we'll be back later this week to address our concerns. By the way, Neal, the missing buttons on the waistcoat does not create a flattering look. I'm just sayin'....

On to the George Wythe House, to see what's new. Just a little rearranging as far as I could tell. Nonetheless, here are a couple images to jog your memory if you've been there before, or introduce you to more of the house if you've never been there. This image captures part of the downstairs bedroom including a beautiful bed canopy, a cozily-located fireplace, and a nicely-situated writing desk.

Found in the cupboard in the sitting room was this politically incorrect teapot. I'm not sure if this is a reproduction or an original, but I'm told there were quite a few of these produced in England for sale in America in the late 1760s. Perhaps the teapot manufacturers were sympathetic to the American cause, or maybe they simply recognized a business opportunity.

Although the air was cool, the sunshine made for pleasant walking on one of Gretel's favorite paths.

And finally evidence that there are more blooms around town for those that seek them.

Thanks for visiting!

Colonial Williamsburg in March, Day 1

2011-03-13T21:51:00.007-05:00

Why visit Williamsburg in March? I suppose there are several disadvantages to visiting at this time of year, but our schedule this time is driven by the Costume Accessories Symposium hosted by Colonial Williamsburg for which Karen and Lily are registered. For a few hours on Sunday, and most of the day Monday and Tuesday, they will rub elbows with museum curators and fellow costumers from around the world while they learn about accessories from head to toe.

Sunday morning found us in what is probably our favorite place to worship in Williamsburg: Bruton Parish. Where else in the U.S. can you join a congregation that has been meeting since 1674, and been in the same building since 1715? Okay, maybe there are other congregations on the east coast, but we don't get this kind of history back in Illinois. This picture was taken while the choir sang Psalm 32:2-8, which was a beautiful way to prepare our hearts for the rest of the day.

I hope to get back to the church later this week to photograph more of the details inside the building. A lot has happened in and around this building in the past 300 years, and I'd like to document some of it.

When we were here in the fall of 2009, Charlton's Coffeehouse was due to open just days after our visit. Disappointed, but not dejected, we looked forward to this day. The coffeehouse is the latest reconstructed building on Duke of Gloucester street, and seeks to recreate the coffeehouse atmosphere of the 18th century. After touring the private sitting room, and the office in the back, we were served beverages in the public room on the southwest corner of the building. Tea, coffee, and hot chocolate were served, although the chocolate seemed to be the drink of choice in our group. Forrest Mars, Jr of the Mars candy family donated the funds to research and build the building, and I believe the chocolate served originates at Mars Inc. This coffeehouse is a "must-visit" location in CW, if for no other reason than the beverages served at the end of the tour.

Gretel and I were able to enjoy a candlelit Capitol Concert on Sunday evening while Karen and Lily were enjoying a reception for the attendees of the Accessories Symposium. Pictured above is the harpsichord waiting for Michael Monaco's able hands. Also performing were Wayne Moss (who did a splendid job with a Telemann sonata) on the viola de gamba, Jennifer Edenborn on the violin, and Herb Watson on the wooden flute. These musicians have impressed us before, and their music was beautiful again this time.

This is Mr. Watson's dimly-lit music for his flute. Gretel and I were situated within 6 feet of both Mr. Watson and Mr. Monaco, so we were able to look over their shoulders at their music through most of the numbers. Although I don't read music, I convinced myself that I was able to follow their instruments along the page in some of the sections.

After the concert, we all agreed that Death by Chocolate Cake from The Trellis restaurant would be a great way to end the day. We took one piece home and split it between the four of us, and concluded that we had chosen wisely.

Thanks for visiting!

Radon Mitigation System Installation

2011-02-28T12:31:00.002-06:00

I'm usually skeptical about environmental hazards. Although I became aware of radon several years ago, I didn't think much about the radioactive gas until recently. The deaths of two friends grabbed our attention. Both were lifelong residents of Tazewell County and neither had ever smoked. Both died of lung cancer.

Over the past year we've tested our home for radon both with a one-week test, and a 3-month test. Both tested over the EPA's recommended level, with the highest test measuring 16.1 pCi/L. Knowing we had relatively high levels of radon in the house, we set about the research of figuring out what to do about it.

If you've read a few posts on this blog, you probably realize that I'm a DIYer. I could hire someone to mitigate our radon, but most of the aspects of the job don't look that difficult, and I'm sure my perfectionist tendencies would find fault with some part of anyone else's work. So after a good bit of surfing the internet and gathering information, I began buying the necessary components and dove right in. Pictured above is the heart of our system: the fan (Fantech HP190). We chose an active sub-slab depressurization system given the success of that type of system in other homes in our area, and my expectation that our ranch style house might be well suited to that method.

The ASTM E2121-09 Standard was very helpful in identifying system options, and helping me recognize where cutting corners might render my system ineffective. I recommend that document as essential reading for anyone installing their own system.

One of my mistakes was trying to locate the hole in the basement slab too close to the basement wall. As you can see, the footing for the wall extends about 4.5" from the wall, so I had to enlarge the hole for the pipe so it was completely over the gravel under the slab, and not on top of the footing. I used a 1/4" bit in my hammer drill along with a chisel and hammer to get through the floor, although I'm sure renting a larger drill with a larger bit would have made the job go much faster.

The rubble in this photo is mostly the broken concrete block pieces I found beneath the floor and on top of the gravel. I doubt that there is a lot of this rubble under the floor, but it stretched beyond where I could reach through my hole in the floor. The negative thing about these pieces of block is that they are a bit difficult to break up and remove unless they are immediately below the hole. The positive thing is that they are fairly loosely packed under the floor, so I think the sub-slab gas should travel freely around any pieces still under the floor. I did not test the media under the slab for air movement, which is one advantage a good contractor may have offered.

A 4.5" hole saw proved to be the perfect tool for cutting through the floor in the closet we chose as a chase for the PVC pipe that will transport the gas from beneath the basement to above the roof. It was painful to cut a hole in the oak floor, but I think the radon system will be a permanent addition to the house, so it's unlikely anyone will ever have to fill this hole in.

The plaster ceiling in the closet received a similar sized hole, although I found a small chisel and hammer are all that's necessary for this opening into the attic.

Rather than move my shelves to the other side of the room, I put a couple of 45 degree elbows in the pipe to align the hole in the slab to the joist space above. In this photo, the floor has been patched with concrete mix, and after that dried I filled adjacent cracks with caulk. I used 4" PVC to keep the pressure losses to a minimum since I used about 40 feet of pipe and several elbows.

This is the joist space I chose in the basement -- just big enough to comfortably fit the pipe fittings, and suitably located under the first floor closet. Because the basement is not very deep, I was not able to run a section of pipe from this elbow in the basement all the way to the fan in the attic without a joint in the closet. I suppose I could have enlarged one of the holes in the closet to allow more room to manuever a longer piece of pipe into place, but I didn't think that was worth a larger patching job later.

The fan is mounted in the attic just above the first floor ceiling with flexible rubber couplings on both the inlet and outlet. I ran a new wire to the attic from the breaker box so the fan can have a dedicated circuit. A switch in the attic might be handy should the fan need service, but I didn't bother to install that now. The smaller black tube connecting the inlet and outlet pipes is part of the condensation bypass system I installed to reduce the amount of water flowing back through the fan. Small plastic elbows on either end of the tube allow the condensation to flow from the uphill outlet side of the exhaust pipe to the downhill inlet side. The Fantech literature recommended a condensate drain like this in installations where condensation was likely, so I complied to avoid the risk of a voided warranty.

Here's a closer view of the internal features of the condensate dam. Pretty clever looking -- I hope it works! In case you're wondering, the primary reason for putting the fan in an inconvenient place like the attic is to insure that the pipe in the living spaces of the house is at lower pressure than the air outside the pipe. If any of the pipe joints on the inlet side of the fan would leak, air from the house would be pulled into the pipe instead of the radon-rich air being blown out of the pipe and into the house. The attic is well ventilated, so hopefully any radon leaks up there would be exhausted from the attic in short order.

The run across the attic is over ten feet horizontally, has plenty of slope, and doesn't have a lot of obstacles to avoid. I ran that far to avoid exhausting the radon-rich air close to other openings in the roof per ASTM E2121-09. In my case that meant avoiding the chimney and roof vents.

The top side of the roof has a simple flashing and protective cap for the pipe. I figured the cap will keep some of the rain and critters out, although the mesh does represent a surface on which frost or ice could form and block air flow. I'll keep an eye on that when the outside air temperature is low.

I ran 14 gauge wire back to the main house panel, and installed a 15 amp circuit breaker dedicated to the fan.

Finally, here's the manometer mounted to the pipe in the basement that allows one to quickly ascertain that there is indeed less pressure in the pipe that outside it, which means the fan is running. I've noticed a slight variation in the liquid levels on this gauge from one day to the next, but I'm not sure if that represents pressure differences beneath the slab, or atmospheric pressure changes, or both.

We have not yet tested our radon levels now that the system is operational, but we should have that data soon, and we'll share it here. I'll also summarize the cost of the system in a future post, so we can all determine how much my time is worth. In the meantime, feel free to ask any questions since I'm sure I left many details unmentioned.

Thanks for visiting!

February cycling -- Illinois style

2011-02-21T20:35:00.004-06:00

My friend Tim in Pennsylvania posted a video on Facebook of a motorcycle ride he took last Friday in gorgeously uncharacteristic weather there. That prompted me to get out on the bike yesterday to enjoy the mild (55 F) weather here in Illinois. Although it was not as sunny and pleasant here as it was in PA two days earlier, it was still satisfying to enjoy the mild weather, and record the ride on video for Tim's, and your, benefit.

This was my first attempt at recording video while riding (I didn't have the luxury of having someone else do the filming), so I was disappointed that the wind noise makes it hard to hear what I'm saying. I'll leave it to our carefully observant readers to determine the full message I've left for Tim in the video. Give me your best guesses in the comments section.

Thanks for visiting!

After

2011-02-02T11:34:00.003-06:00

Twenty-four hours later, the radar indicates that it's all over but the blowing. The skies are clear over our house right now, but the snow continues to redistribute itself.

We haven't seen a plow on our road since yesterday afternoon, and have heard that the interstate highways are shut down except for emergency vehicles. The National Weather Service measured Peoria's snowfall at 15 inches, but we'd be hard pressed to confirm that here.

This is the view this morning to the southeast. Notice the bare spot on the driveway, and the drift closer to the house. I'd estimate the drift at a bit over two feet, and will confirm depth when I take the shovel out later. The tracks on the road were made by our neighbor's tractor that has a big snow auger on the back end (which can be seen at the far right of the photo).

Here's the view to the southwest that shows bare grass by the barn and drifts over three feet closer to the deck. Notice also the bare wood on the deck, where the wind evidently likes to keep things moving.

The view to the west-southwest shows a nice drift next to the snow fence which is probably a result of the wind switch to the northwest last night at about 2 AM. The drift on the deck is big enough that it will probably be ignored for quite a few days.

Finally, the view to the south-southwest shows one major drift in front of the garage and an interesting little drift to the right of the chlorine feeder tube that runs about 50 feet across the yard, driveway, and into the field -- I wonder what caused that one to be formed?

Considering the forecast, things are not as buried as I expected, but reports from around the area indicate it will take awhile to plow all the roads. In the meantime, I guess we'll pop some popcorn and settle into a bit more relaxing.

Thanks for visiting!

Before

2011-02-01T11:52:00.007-06:00

The National Weather Service is expecting 16 to 20 inches of snow in our yard by the time this storm is finished tomorrow, so I thought it might be nice to document our conditions on Tuesday morning.

This radar image grabbed from Intellicast indicates we are firmly in the snow band (blue) as of 10:45 AM.

The view from the living room toward the southeast at 10:54 AM.

The view from the family room toward the southwest at the same time.

The view across the deck toward the west-southwest.

And finally the view toward the south-southeast.

The wind is currently out of the northeast, so our best drifting action may be on the southwest side of the house today, although if the wind shifts later we could have nice drifts on several sides. The NWS is predicting 25-35 mph winds for the airport, and we usually get stronger winds than they do, so I think drifting is inevitable, and could be impressive!

I think I could use Noah tomorrow, because we don't normally get snow like this....

Cincinnati Art Museum

2011-01-30T23:09:00.001-06:00

A few weeks ago we made the trek to Cincinnati to see a couple of special exhibits at the Cincinnati Art Museum: "Wedded Perfection: Two Centuries of Wedding Gowns" and "Thomas Gainsborough and the Modern Woman." Both were beautiful exhibits and well worth the price of admission (free). Unfortunately, photography was not allowed in either special exhibit.

I suppose you could take our word that the most of the wedding gowns were interesting to observe, even if you couldn't get too close, and even a man could discern the subtle changes in style from one decade to the next. Gainsborough's talent was easy to recognize in the 16 paintings presented as evidence, and to see his full length portraits up close was a satisfying treat for those of us that haven't visited London's collection of art.

Since we can't share the special exhibits, allow me to share a few things that impressed me in the rest of the museum. The 18th century portrait above was painted by Sir Joshua Reynolds in 1771, and it caught my eye for its lifelike quality. Although the background is imaginary, the subject's attire is impeccable.

This next painting caught my eye from across the gallery for its vivid color. It appeared to glow from any distance, and I had to look carefully once I was close to it to convince myself it wasn't backlit like some computer screen. I regret that I didn't capture the name of the artist.

This portrait caught Karen's attention as much for the name of the artist as for the gown depicted. Lucas Cranach the Elder painted this portrait of "St. Helena with the Cross" in 1525 when Cranach was a close friend of Martin Luther and an enthusiastic supporter of the Protestant Reformation. Karen used several of Cranach's paintings as guides when she designed German Reformation costumes several years ago.

This last image shows a collection of miniature portraits, each only a couple of inches tall. I'm sorry I don't have artist or subject information for this collection either, but it caught my eye for its simple, yet formal manner.

Thanks for visiting!

Further definition on the Google map challenge

2010-12-30T11:35:00.002-06:00

At the end of the last post, I expressed hope that our neighbors had good records since I noticed something in the Google Maps images of our neighborhood that related to their activities. The image below is a wider view of a portion of our neighborhood (images courtesy of Google Maps, copyright 2010) that shows our house at the bottom left and two colored squares that denote the objects of interest.

I first noticed the object in the green square on the road, and quickly identified it as belonging to our neighbors. A closer view is shown below.

That's our neighbor's blue tractor pulling a grain wagon, that appears to be laden with corn. It's headed back to the grain bin, so the combine is probably not far away.

Here's a closer view of what's in the yellow box. Sure enough, that's their yellow combine making its way through the field in the valley. A check of their records indicates that field was harvested on October 5 and 6. In the image, the field appears to be less than half harvested, and the shadows seem to mark the time of day slightly before noon, so my neighbor's comment on the previous post that the image was taken at 11:03 AM on October 5th is probably as close as we'll get. With that knowledge, I think we can all sleep soundly now.

Deductions on the Google map challenge

2010-12-28T12:50:00.005-06:00

Several readers have submitted insightful speculations on the date of the aerial photo currently describing our home on Google Maps. Since many of you probably don't know our yard as intimately as I do, I'll share my observations so we can try to narrow the photo date as closely as possible.

The "A" in the photo below identifies the teeter totter, which according to a previous post was placed into service on September 17. Unfortunately, I'm not able to tell from this image whether the upper level of the pivot is complete or not. On to the next clue.

The "B" on the left side of the photo designates the approximate location in the field that serves as our corn-measuring spot. Apparent in this photo, and even more apparent if you zoom out to see more of the cornfield, is the fact that the field has been harvested, and tilled. We know from another post that harvest happened on September 7 (which doesn't narrow the satellite image date), but we haven't noted in the blog when the tilling took place. We do, however, have a post about the second crop of corn that grew this fall, and a photo from September 27 that shows the field untilled. That helps, and we can narrow the photo to sometime between September 27 and December 16 when we first posted the Google Map image.

Moving on to item "C." Some readers noticed the absence of the gravel path from the house to the barn as described in another post. That post was dated November 11, but I know that the path was built the previous Saturday, November 6. That narrows the image down to about a 40-day window, Sep 27 to Nov 6, but I think we can do better than that.

Area "D" on the image locates a bare-dirt section of the yard that I tilled the same day Farmer Wagenbach tilled the big field next to us. As I recall, that was October 2. That day I was able to sow a bit of the grass seed on the south end of the dirt patch and immediately watered only that section. Over the next week, I eventually sowed all the grass seed, and began watering the entire patch. The Google Maps image appears to show damp earth only on the south end of the patch, so I think the image must have been taken sometime in that first full week of October, and at the latest, sometime in the second week. That's the best I can do with the data I have right now, but if my neighbors have good records, we might be able to narrow the date further. If so, you'll be the first to know!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

2010-12-25T10:45:00.002-06:00

Blessings from the Riggenbach Family

Beautiful sunrise #12

2010-12-24T11:28:00.003-06:00

December 23, 7:04 AM

Google map challenge

2010-12-16T20:31:00.003-06:00

Google Maps recently updated the image of our neighborhood as you can see below (image courtesy of Google Maps, copyright 2010, of course). A few things grabbed my attention as I looked at the image, such that I began to wonder if I could pinpoint the day the photo was taken. Can you?

Maybe you'll notice something I didn't, but there should be enough information in the photo and in previous blog posts to narrow the date range considerably. Leave your best guess in the comments area, and if you're familiar with our neighborhood, feel free to look for clues at the neighbor's houses also. Thanks for the help!

More wind than we need

2010-12-12T12:14:00.004-06:00

Even though we haven't received a lot of snow, and the wind is only gusting to 40 mph, that's enough to create "white-out" conditions and make us glad we're inside today. On the bright side, the snow fence appears to be doing it's job, and we should have a few nice drifts to play in by the time the storm is done. Here's a short video of the snow in the backyard at 11:32 this morning (which might be more entertaining in full screen mode on YouTube):

If you listen closely, you can hear "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" in the background.

Beautiful sunset #17

2010-11-21T18:51:00.003-06:00

Frequently, when I'm photographing a sunset, I'm not sure at which moment the sunset looks the best. I think this is a pretty good solution: 114 photos stitched together to represent our sunset from 4:40 to 5:12 PM, but accelerated so you can enjoy the whole thing in only 15 seconds.

The nicest thing the county health department has said to me all year:

2010-11-20T21:13:00.002-06:00

"Your effluent results were within acceptable limits."

Praise God for sparing me another trip into the depths of the earth. For a better perspective on what I'm talking about, feel free to read our previous posts here.

The best things about Wisconsin

2010-11-18T21:56:00.000-06:00

We just got back from spending a few days in Wisconsin, and we feel qualified to share with you what we believe are the best things about Wisconsin (in no particular order).

The Capitol building in Madison is built around a magnificent rotunda and is the only state Capitol ever built on an isthmus. The photo above is the view of the inside of the rotunda from about 200 feet below its peak. The mural in the middle is titled "Resources of Wisconsin," and though I do have a fairly clear photo of it, I'll not share it since not everyone in the mural is fully clothed. The ceiling of this rotunda is the only granite dome in the United States. I'm told the view is best enjoyed while lying with your back on the floor in the middle of the room, but I chose the second best option of craning your neck to view directly above you.

This is the view from the west gallery looking across to the east gallery which happens to be the home of the Wisconsin Supreme Court. If you look closely you'll see a larger-than-life gold badger perched above the door leading into the court room. I'll leave it to you to determine the significance of a 1,000 pound badger overseeing the activities of the highest court.

Also visible in this view are some of the 43 varieties of stone found in the building, which was built from 1906 to 1917 and cost $7.25 million. That was probably a lot back then, and for all we know, the state might still be trying to pay off the debt.

We think the outside is pretty in a Capitol sort of way also. To our amazement and delight there were no metal detectors, no x-ray scanners, and no enhanced pat-downs -- one just walks right in.

Another one of the best things about Wisconsin is Mill End Textiles in Eau Claire. We became fans of the chain of stores when we lived in Minnesota, and occasionally find opportunity to visit when we're "in the area." They don't have everything, but they have a decent selection of wools and fleeces, and the employees are very generous. When measuring fabric, they include about four extra inches in each yard, and when we checked out they gave us the coupon price even though we had no knowledge that a coupon existed. Consequently, we bought 7 yards of wool suiting for less than $9. Total. Did I tell you this place is one the best things about Wisconsin?

Although it may be hard to tell in the photo above, Karen and Lily are in the process of successfully matching two fabrics for a dress for Karen. Those expressions show a small fraction of the satisfaction they actually felt when they realized how little they had to pay for the fabric.

The last "best thing" I'll share is The Swiss Colony outlet store in Monroe. You may be familiar with this mail order and internet company famous for their cheeses, meats, and chocolate desserts. The Swiss Colony headquarters and factory is just down the street from this retail store that not only has many of the catalog items, but also has factory seconds on several of its desserts. At significant discounts.

Okay, maybe these aren't the BEST things about Wisconsin, but on this trip, they come pretty close.

Construction update #37

2010-11-11T19:49:00.003-06:00

The barn has been mostly finished for about two years now, and it's been pretty natural to just walk across the yard to get to it. Somehow, natural didn't seem very civilized though. I've been quick to offer tours to anyone that cares to humor me, but sometimes the ground is soft when you want to lead someone across the yard, making the trip less than pleasant. Especially for civilized ladies.

Like any good gentleman, I want to keep the ladies happy, (and I'd rather walk on a path than through the mud) so the path to the barn finally found its way to the top of the project list. The fact that the path meanders a bit on the way to the barn is purely intentional for a couple of reasons. First, anyone can make a straight path (notice the path along the side of the barn). Second, a meandering path is a whole lot cuter than a straight path, and we all know it's all about the cuteness!

As always, here's a view from the roof of the house. You can't see all of the new path, but you can see enough to recognize that the trip to the barn will be civilized from here on. Now maybe I should add the rail to the stairs in the back....

Good news, bad news

2010-10-30T22:06:00.002-05:00

The good news is... Karen's engagement ring and wedding band are welded together so they are easy to remove and keep track of.

The bad news is... they get dirty when she wears them while washing dishes.

The good news is... they come off easily so they stay clean longer.

The bad news is... they sometimes get misplaced.

The good news is... they are usually on the windowsill by the kitchen sink.

The bad news is... they weren't there this time.

The good news is... she put the rings in her pocket.

The bad news is... they fell out of her pocket.

The good news is... our friends found the rings in their driveway.

The bad news is... the diamond was missing from the engagement ring.

The good news is... we found the diamond in the same driveway.

The bad news is... it's not Karen's diamond.

The good news is... it's bigger and better than Karen's old diamond.

The bad news is... it won't fit in the engagement ring setting.

The good news is... my cousin married a jeweler and he has a shop only four miles from our home.

Okay, the part about the bigger diamond isn't true. The good news is, the rings are back, Karen's diamond is back, and I'm confident my cousin's husband can put them back together again. A happy ending after all!

Reformation Day Faire, Day 2

2010-10-26T19:48:00.007-05:00

Saturday started cloudy and rainy, but the weather didn't dampen our desire to celebrate the work of the Lord in the Reformation of the 16th century, and anticipate his reforming work in our time.

The banner is still performing faithful service on its third outing.

Sir John Walsh (aka James McDonald) shared his observations on William Tyndale's role in the Reformation, and his impact on the culture around him.

Meanwhile, Charlie was hard at work preparing his tribute to the work of the reformers through the medium of crayon and coloring book.

This was the only time I was able to get a photo of Kevin Swanson standing still. Some favorite KS quotes from this weekend:

"Revival lasts for a short time. Reformation lasts for generations and means our children and grandchildren walk with the Lord."

"What the government controls, in general, it destroys."

Caleb, and his little brother Joshua (not pictured), got new matching costumes this year, placing them firmly in the running for the "Cutest Kid in a Peasant Outfit" competition.

Lily and Karen were also sporting new clothing. This time they're dressed as mid 16th century Flemish peasants... and very cute Flemish peasants if you ask me.

Because it was raining at the start of the Market Square, all the booths were set up inside. That did not dissuade the Degenharts as they took on the world on the chess boards.

Lily and Gretel had help from Ashly on the first shift at the bag-making booth -- and had plenty of customers. I think the kids must be catching on as no one sewed their bag to the tablecloth this year!

After the Market Square, the rain let up enough to enjoy the Highland Games at the park. Here's Gretel cautiously observing the hoop rollers while she readies herself to unsheath her dagger should the need arise.

The security squad also enjoyed new uniforms this year, blending 16th century fashion with 21st century electronics.

The caber toss was as popular as ever. In this shot, someone's dad shows excellent form, making one wonder if he has Scottish ancestry.

Peter also showed good form, and intensity almost as great as all the competitors behind him! You'll have to enlarge this one to appreciate the expressions on the faces of the onlookers.

The next generation of caber tossers looks on with varying degrees of interest.

As always, the English country dancing on Saturday evening was very popular. Thanks to all who joined us this year, and a warm invitation to all you others to join us next year. Thanks for visiting the blog!

Reformation Day Faire, Day 1

2010-10-22T21:47:00.005-05:00

Charlie Zahm blessed us with his music again this year, beginning with this concert this evening. The afternoon sessions featured teaching from Marcus Serven and Kevin Swanson, but unfortunately, I wasn't present to photograph or enjoy those presentations.

The crowd was large, but not yet packed to the limit.

Although this is a bit blurry due to the low light conditions, you'll have to trust me that this guy sings really well.

Mr. and Mrs. Castle enjoying the concert.

Here's Elder Price busy with his portrait service. Business was already brisk and the weekend is just beginning!

Part of the cry of The Reformation: Sola Fide, by faith alone.

I'll try to get more photos tomorrow, and hopefully comments that are more insightful. Thanks for visiting!

Corn in the backyard 2010 redux?

2010-09-28T19:58:00.002-05:00

Most of the corn is harvested by now around here, but there's an interesting phenomenon occurring in most of those harvested fields: a second crop of corn. It's possible to get a couple crops of wheat harvested in a year around here, but I don't believe I've ever seen two crops of corn on the same ground. This year the conditions were right: an early harvest, warm weather following harvest, a bit of rain, and enough hours of sunlight to coax thousands of stray kernels to produce armies of volunteer baby cornstalks.

It doesn't seem to matter if the field has been tilled or not, most all of them have these little boogers popping up in a much more random fashion than their parent plants in the spring.

So, of course, a post about corn in the backyard would not be complete without a picture across the field. Not all of those green plants out there are corn, but plenty of them are. Sorry, Kathryn, I'm sure you thought you were safe until spring....

Mystery in the Backyard, Update #2

2010-09-26T21:54:00.003-05:00

In case you can't tell, the latest project in the backyard is a teeter totter. The official maiden voyage of this new toy was actually Sep 17 when a neighbor family joined us for dinner and an evening of teetering. Since then, the main beam was subjected to some weatherproofing and we added another level to the pivot.

This evening, more friends came over to help test this latest version. Here's Arrow and Anchor taming the beast while their siblings wait patiently.

The design is not yet complete, but still available for testing. Do I have any volunteers?

Beautiful sunset #16

2010-09-20T20:51:00.002-05:00

September 15, 7:03 PM

Mystery in the Backyard, Update #1

2010-09-16T19:52:00.004-05:00

Gretel and I have made some progress on the backyard project, not all of which is documented here.

The posts now have 1-3/8" holes drilled through them... aligned axially north and south if that matters to anyone.

Yep, looks like the holes are lined up close enough to accomplish their purpose.

And finally, a pipe that fits nicely right through the holes. This is really only half of the project, and the lesser complicated half for that matter. We've had several people correctly identify this object so far, but none of them identified it in the comments section. Can you guess what it is?

Mystery in the Backyard

2010-09-11T13:43:00.001-05:00

We've started a new project in the backyard, but you'll have to guess what it might be.

Corn in the backyard 2010, weeks 18, 19, & Harvest!

2010-09-08T21:05:00.003-05:00

August 29

September 5

September 7

And finally an almost clear view of our neighbors again. The field to the right was harvested the day after the field behind our house was cleared, so we're back to our "no-privacy-fence" mode until next spring. Early planting was the norm in the spring of this year, and a relatively dry and hot summer means this fall's harvest is progressing much faster than normal. No word yet on how dry the corn is, or how large the yields are, but the fact that so many fields are bare already is a strong indicator that the crop was ready.

Should be interesting to see what we do for entertainment now that the corn is gone....

What would you like on your tombstone?

2010-09-01T11:50:00.006-05:00

When Victoria commented recently about tombstones her family discovered near Bruton Parish in Colonial Williamsburg, she reminded me of some photos I took in the spring of 2009 that have been languishing on my hard drive. There are many interesting tombstones in the graveyard surrounding Bruton Parish, but I'd like to recognize just one in this post.

Judge Nathaniel Beverley Tucker is buried with his wife beneath a prominent granite obelisk just outside the west entrance to Bruton Parish. The east face of the stone is shown above, containing the details of their births and deaths, including the names of their parents. Most people today might recognize him best as a son of St. George Tucker, although Nathaniel's accomplishments are also impressive.

In case you have trouble reading the epitaph in this image of the south face of the monument, the inscription reads:

Descended from Virginia's best blood

Judge Tucker

Was by birth, and training, a gentleman of the old school. He filled with credit, and distinction positions of trust and dignity. Was Judge of the U.S. Court in the Territory of Missouri, and after his return to his native State was the Professor of Law in the College of William and Mary till his death. His influence in developing the minds and character of his pupils was a prominent trait in his character. He was a ready, accurate, and elegant writer. He was hospitable, benevolent, and charitable, And his honour and integrity were without a stain. This eminent scholar and author, upright Judge, learned jurist, constant friend, affectionate Husband and Father, died as he lived a Sage, a Patriot, and a Christian.

Wow. That sounds pretty impressive.

Even though Mr. Tucker's epitaph is impressive, I think I prefer the epitaph on the north face of the stone, which describes his wife, Lucy Ann. Her text reads:

Mrs. Tucker

Was admired, respected, and beloved. She lived an ornament of the society in which she moved. The kind neighbor, and friend, the charm of her household, the faithful wife, the devoted mother, the pure christian. In her life and character were happily blended gentleness and firmness, affability and dignity. She died lamented, as living she was beloved, by all classes of the community.

In both cases, few of us live up to the descriptions carved on this stone, but if I perceive Judge and Mrs. Tucker correctly, I think they may have doubted whether they actually lived up to these words as well.

Finally, I'm sorry that I don't remember what's written on the west face of the monument.

Corn in the backyard 2010, weeks 15 & 17

2010-08-25T12:04:00.002-05:00

August 8

August 22

I apologize for not having an image of the corn on August 15. I neglected to get a photographer lined up while we were out of town, so we missed another exciting look at the progress of the corn. That progress is clearly apparent in these two images as the corn is much drier now than it was two weeks ago, and the progress of the shadow across the yard is even evident also. Thanks for visiting!

Virginia in August, Day 3

2010-08-19T11:38:00.003-05:00

We planned to visit the coast on Sunday afternoon, but by the time we were twenty miles away from the ocean it was apparent that half the population of the U.S. had the same idea that day. We turned around before we were delayed by too much traffic and salvaged our afternoon at Colonial Williamsburg.

Unfortunately, our old CW passes had expired since the last time we were here, and we hadn't planned enough time in the historic district to justify new passes. Fortunately, you can still visit a few shops and take in the ambience of the old town even without a pass. In this photo, Karen and Gretel approach the Mary Dickinson Store to check on any changes in the inventory since we were here last. The clerk at this store requested we cross the street to the Greenhow Store where there was a clerk that had admired the girls' hats earlier and wanted to chat.

After a bit of inquiry we met Jacki, a homeschooling mom that had worked as a milliner in the past and had a large collection of hats. Jacki told us she also enjoys feminine dress and encouraged Karen and Gretel to continue collecting hats (fortunately we don't have 400 like Jacki). The visit was enjoyable enough that we will look for Jacki at the Greenhow Store when we visit CW again.

Virginia looks a little different in August than it does in the spring or fall, and it wasn't difficult to notice the difference around CW. The appearance of this garden is a pitiful shadow of its spring display.

The Governor's Palace doesn't look a lot different, but the Palace Green appears to be more sun-drenched and populated.

Bruton Parish is as quaint as always, although the blooming crape myrtle is a nice touch I don't remember enjoying in April.

You might remember this crape myrtle from Lily's garment portfolio photoshoot.

This tidy backyard off Nassau Street is beautified even further by the crape myrtle blossoms.

Lily's workshop over the past three days has been held in the classroom wing at Jamestown Settlement. The facility was designed and built especially for Jamestown's 400th anniversary, and we think it's a nice complement to the Historic Jamestowne National Park Service site.

Inside the Jamestown Settlement building, the family members wait patiently for the workshop participants.

Lily was still busy with hand sewing Sunday evening, and probably will be busy for awhile until this gown is finished. We'll try to post some more photos of the garment in progress, so you can get a better idea of what it looks like.

Since we hit the road for home Monday morning, that's all for our report from Virginia this time. Thanks for visiting!

Virginia in August, Day 2

2010-08-15T18:16:00.005-05:00

When we started visiting Colonial Williamsburg several years ago, I began to appreciate the role Patrick Henry played in the histories of Virginia and our nation. Because Henry lived in over a dozen different homes across Virginia, visiting all of them could take some time, so we finally got around to visiting one of Henry's better known homes: Scotchtown.

Built in 1719, Henry didn't own and occupy this 3,100 square foot home until around 1772. This is actually the back of the house, but I think it's more photogenic than the front, and this is the direction from which visitors to the property approach now. Several reconstructed outbuildings surround the yard now, although there were doubtless many more on the 960 acres when Henry lived here.

The plaque placed by the APVA also notes Dolley Madison's presence here for an indeterminate period during her childhood.

This is the less-than-impressive front view of Scotchtown, along with the approach to the home which is obviously not frequently used today. This gate is at least 100 yards off the road, so there may have been a long lane leading to the front entrance when the Henry family lived here. I certainly hope Mr. Henry was more fastidious about pruning the bushes than the current caretakers are.

This small building covers a dry well in the backyard that is 29 feet deep, and reported to hold a temperature of 42 degrees F all year round. Is that possible? Our tour guide thought it was unlikely that they used this pit for ice storage, and suggested they probably had a dedicated ice house somewhere else on the property.

Finally, back to Lily's polonaise gown progress. These pieces compose the back of the garment, and have been hand sewn together with Lily's typical care.

Here's a closer view of the stripes coming together at the seam. Don't feel bad, Lily, you can always try to match them better next time.

Virginia in August, Day 1

2010-08-14T22:22:00.007-05:00

Virginia in August? When the forecast calls for a high temperature of 104 degrees? Do they have air conditioning there?

Even though we try to avoid vacationing in summer due to the crowds and hot weather, we were compelled to travel now in order that Lily might attend a historical sewing class offered in Williamsburg. So while Lily endures a classroom for three days, the rest of us get to run around enjoying our tourist status.

Since we don't have a ferry near our home, we made the trip across the James River on the Jamestown-Scotland Ferry just for the experience. The ferry fleet is made up of four boats, and we happened to be placed on the Pocahontas on each of our trips, and as you can see, we had plenty of room while enroute.

Since we're not ashamed of our tourist status, we were quick to hop out of the car and wander the boat snapping photos. The natives were content to sit in their vehicles sleeping or reading the newspaper, but we thought that sounded pretty boring and stuffy. The fresh air over the river was more our style. It's pretty windy out in the middle of the James River, enough so that one needs to have their hat well pinned.

This is another boat in the fleet, the Williamsburg. The voyage takes about 15 minutes and we found ourselves usually approaching the dock just as the previous boat was leaving.

Once in Scotland, we didn't really have another destination, so we consulted Garmin's list of attractions in our GPS. Less than 20 minutes from the dock at Scotland is Bacon's Castle which sounded good to us even though we'd never heard of it before. The section of house on the left was built by Arthur Allen in 1665 and is one of the few examples of Jacobean architecture in America. With four floors (including basement), brick construction throughout, and over 5,000 square feet of living space, it was one of the grandest homes in the colony at the time. In fact, most homes in Virginia in the 17th century would have fit inside the master bed chamber of this home.

The Greek Revival addition on the right was added in the 19th century, and is joined to the original house by a hyphen that served as the new formal entry for the home. Close examination of the central tower on the older section reveals it once served as the entry which was converted to a window at the time of the addition.

The triple chimneys and curvilinear gables are likely the most distinctive features of the building, and are impressive in any period let alone less than sixty years after the colony of Virginia was established.

The home was named by neighbors after Nathaniel Bacon's men captured it in 1676 intending to use it as a fortress during Bacon's Rebellion. Fortunately it never came under fire, and there is no indication that Nathaniel Bacon ever set foot on the property. Although the Allen family were not supporters of Bacon, they and all subsequent owners have endured the popular name of the estate.

Even though it only dates to the mid 19th century, I think the entry in the hyphen was still nicely executed. Some of the rooms are restored to the style they probably would have known in the 1600s, while others are decorated to reflect their 18th century state. The tour takes you into almost all the areas of the older house, and reveals many of the structural features you don't normally get to see. The only negative is that photos are not allowed inside the building.

On the way back across the James River, I had to take this photo to show that the Garmin continues to faithfully show your location, even when you're in the middle of a river.

The view from the observation deck of the Pocahontas on our way back to Jamestown.

Here's a view of the Susan Constant, Discovery, and Godspeed that we'd not seen before. The ships are excellent recreations of the three ships that made the original voyage to Jamestown, and can be viewed up close and personal by purchasing a ticket at Jamestown Settlement (which we had done on a previous trip, but skipped this time).

Finally, evidence of Lily's work today. This is the front of the bodice of the Polonaise gown she's working on in her class. Lots of draping and pinning and cutting in class, and then hand sewing in the evenings for homework. I think she enjoys it.

Beautiful sunrise #11, beautiful sunset #15, and a rainbow in between

2010-08-06T20:20:00.003-05:00

August 4, 5:38 AM

August 4, 5:29 PM

August 4, 8:06 PM

Evidently a good day for admiring the sky, even if I did have to wipe the condensation off the camera lens each time.

Corn in the backyard 2010, weeks 13 & 14

2010-08-01T21:31:00.003-05:00

July 25

August 1

Meyer Weekend 2010

2010-07-29T21:47:00.008-05:00

The annual gathering of Karen's mom's extended family did not include a wedding this year, and fortunately did not include a funeral either. Our destination this summer was Galena, Illinois where we stayed at the LeFevre Inn and Resort, a comfortable little group of buildings on a few acres of rolling grass with a grand view of Galena and the Mississippi River Valley.

This is the gazebo as we found it on the evening we arrived. A few family members chatting inside while the sunset moves from one beautiful shade to another.

The grounds at the LeFevre Inn were not heavily landscaped, but nicely kept, very quiet, and afforded us more elbow room than we required. Even though we weren't the only guests at the resort, we were definitely in the majority, which we took to mean we could hold the family Olympics in the pool, and shoot the potato gun at will across the yard.

Speaking of yard, here's a view off the deck outside our room. This view is facing northwest, and the Mississippi River is between the light green grass in the foreground and the dark green hills in the distance.

This shot is looking more directly north toward Galena. Bucolic (or pastoral) farms in the foreground give way to the city of Galena in the middle distance. The brick building with the clock tower midway between the barn and the water tower is an old school refurbished into condominiums. It sits on the bluff overlooking downtown Galena, which is not visible in this shot.

Karen and Lily relaxing with Laura after breakfast. The two larger buildings on site were connected by this multi-level walkway that allowed for even better views, and easy access between the buildings.

The main attraction for this trip to Galena was the shopping in the old downtown. Eighty five percent of the buildings in town are in a National Register Historic District, and with charm like that, even hicks like us can enjoy a few hours of shopping.

Fortunately, there are plenty of antique stores in Galena. So many, in fact, that we didn't visit them all before it was time to head back to the resort for lunch. The image above made me think of someone that probably could have found something she liked in this store.

Karen came across this delightful little doll house sewing machine that reminded her of the doll house furniture she used to play with.

What really caught Karen and Lily's attention was the clothing and vintage patterns (who would have guessed?). In this shot Lily is examining a lacy dress that was almost a hundred years old, and unfortunately priced much higher than we could justify.

This collection of books made me think of our church family at Providence. The title: "War of the Rebellion, Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies." The titles should not be surprising since Galena was U.S. Grant's adult home.

Here's the old school we could see from our resort, and yes, I could see the resort from the street in front of this building.

Gretel enjoying a cold drink after a hard afternoon of playing in the pool with cousins.

These are the buildings that comprise the accommodations at LeFevre Inn: two single family, two bedroom cabins on the right; a larger building with eight spacious motel-type rooms on the left; and a larger gathering area in the middle building. The stone area at the top of the grassy slope in front of the cabins has outdoor furniture around a fire pit. We entertained ourselves by watching the younger children make smores over the fire one evening.

Finally, another sunset over the 1 acre pond just before the bats moved in to find an evening meal. Thanks for visiting!

Corn in the backyard 2010, weeks 11 & 12

2010-07-23T21:19:00.002-05:00

July 11

July 18 (8:18 PM)

We were off having fun last weekend, so we weren't home for the normal 9 AM corn shoot on Sunday morning. I hope that inconsistency in the data doesn't cause anyone too much consternation. Thanks for visiting!

Construction update #36

2010-07-17T17:29:00.000-05:00

This little job was way overdue, but because it had a couple of preparatory steps that were bigger than my tools, it took awhile to get to where we are today. You may remember we had the electrical service to our house changed so that it ran underground and not through one of the trees in our front yard. Before the service was changed, we had run conduit underground most of the way from the barn to the house, but stopped short of the house until we knew where the new meter would be hung. After the new meter was hung, my buddy Bud temporarily ran wires to the barn from the new meter through the incomplete conduit. In order to finish running all the conduit, we had to move the phone box to the side of the house, remove the old 24' long pole, and remove the remnants of the old service that were still underground.

Having accomplished the preparatory tasks, the coast was clear to finish the conduit for the barn main supply, and add a couple of extra conduits for potential future needs to run other wires to the barn. The phone line is the only one left that needs some attention. You'll notice I had to add a few feet of wire when I moved the box from the pole to the side of the house, so we have at least two splices in the yard that I'm aware of. I'll probably run another conduit through this dirt area just for the phone line so when we pour the section of sidewalk that's been removed, the new phone line can be pulled through easily.

This is the first time in over 50 years that there hasn't been a pole or ditch in this part of the yard, and hopefully we'll have grass growing here soon so you'll have few clues about all that's been changed in this area lately. Thanks for visiting!

Corn in the backyard 2010, week 10

2010-07-07T21:26:00.003-05:00

July 4

The stalk I've been watching measured 98 inches tall on the 4th, which means it was "eight feet high on the fourth of July!"

Although there were tassels appearing last week, they were much more wide spread this week, along with the ears you can see on the stalks in this image. Even though the corn is quite a bit less uniform this year than in the past, most of it is looking pretty good. Thanks for visiting!

Providence Independence Day Celebration

2010-07-06T18:12:00.000-05:00

The Sanford family once again graciously invited the entire church to their home for our Independence Day celebration (on the 3rd this year). Although the temps were warm, the shade trees in the yard coupled with a light wind made for delightful weather for an afternoon and evening outdoors. Of course, what made the day truly delightful was simply being together as a church family, as evidenced by the following photos...

Geneva, who like the other two-year-olds, couldn't get enough of the sliding board.

Ruth, pensively looking for a playmate.

Mr. Niesen in a rare moment when he found a chair to sit in. His level of activity makes the rest of us dads look like couch potatoes. Okay, maybe the rest of us ARE couch potatoes.

Mr. Castle and Mr. Vest doing little to dispel the notion that the rest of us are couch potatoes. Actually, they had just finished dinner and were thinking fond thoughts of dessert.

Micah and Johanna in a deep and stimulating conversation with Elder McDonald. Evidently little Henry has never heard anything quite so shocking!

Elder Price wondering why the dessert was moved inside so early.

Ashton, after donning colonial garb, felt the muse come upon him and demanded an opportunity to read the text of the Declaration of Independence.

And last but not least, little Caleb who is showing evidence that it's close to bed time (since he's clutching dad's pants leg).

Thanks for visiting!

Corn in the backyard 2010, week 9

2010-07-02T21:44:00.001-05:00

June 27

Raspberry harvest

2010-07-01T16:56:00.004-05:00

Even though this picture represents our entire harvest so far this summer, we're still tickled. You see, we just planted eight raspberry canes in late March (courtesy of the Bandy family), and we didn't expect any fruit until next year. The plants are still pretty puny, but when your garden exceeds your expectations who can complain?

Corn in the backyard 2010, week 8

2010-06-25T12:59:00.003-05:00

June 20

The growth rate data for the corn this year has been so interesting compared with last year, that I just had to share the data even though the corn is not done growing. Our initial impression that the stalks were growing slower this year was confirmed when the data from both years is plotted on the same chart as seen below.

Week one in each case is the first Sunday that the plants appear above ground, and you'll notice this year's corn is lagging the pace set by last year's crop. In weeks 6 and 7, the stalks were only half as tall as they were after the same number of weeks last year, although week 8 shows the 2010 corn increasing its growth rate at the same time the 2009 corn was slowing down as it approached full height. There could be several reasons why the stalks are growing slower this year, but I think one of the primary reasons is the weather. Because the 2010 corn emerged about 3 weeks earlier than last year's corn, it has had fewer hours of sunlight in which to grow. The weather was warmer and drier in April 2010 than 2009, which made it possible for many farmers to plant early, but cooler weather in May may have slowed the growth of the corn over the first few weeks of the 2010 growing season.

Consequently, it seems prudent to present the data with respect to calendar dates as this second chart shows. When viewed this way, the corn is much further advanced now than it was at the same time last year, and it looks like it could easily rival last year's crop. Farmer Wagenbach thinks the final height of the stalks could be shorter than last year based on the time of planting, since early crops generally don't grow as tall as later crops. He says that's primarily due to the difference in hot days experienced by the plant since corn grows taller in hot weather than cold (all else being equal). Ultimately the height of the stalk doesn't matter as much as the quality and quantity of the kernels produced by the ears, so we won't get too excited about the discrepancies in growth rates. Instead, we'll just enjoy another opportunity to play with some data and try to understand the world around us. Thanks for visiting!

Beautiful sunrise #10

2010-06-22T21:59:00.001-05:00

June 21, 5:12 AM

Corn in the backyard 2010, week 7

2010-06-19T22:07:00.000-05:00

June 13

Cherry Harvest

2010-06-18T16:52:00.002-05:00

A couple months ago, I showed an image of our cherry tree in full bloom and commented about the chance that we may have a good harvest this year. A few heavy rains knocked some fruit off the tree before its time, and the bugs beat us to a few other cherries, but overall the harvest was pretty good.

Over 36 quarts of pitted cherries have been harvested over a couple weeks, most of which is resting frigidly in our freezer. Praise God for good harvests!