Solar THIS

The sun is shining.  The biggest source of heat in our immediate universe,  so why does it have to be so cold? 
 The snow squeals beneath your feet as you walk on it.  T.T.T.  and E.T.S. --as my loyal readers know, those would be Tilly the Tall and Ebony the Short, our resident pups with fur.  They step gingerly when it's that cold. Tires get flat spots overnight. Engines balk. Batteries freeze.

Here at Incoming Bytes it was no less than -38C this morning.  Chilly, even for Northwestern Ontario. For the metric challenged, that's within a hair of -38F too, since  at -40C the temperature is also -40F --right on the button.

Since all that heat and power is up there, shining down upon us so freely, why do we not take more advantage of it?

 These are 'cute little solar toys' that run all day, every day when the sun is barely visible--even when the sky is gray and dull. 

If toys will work so happily  with solar power, with no batteries, why won't the rest of the world?
 Must we pollute and destroy the environment with dirty oil?  No. 

We have a choice to make, and soon.  Let us *choose carefully. All life on this earth depends upon it.

*What will your choice be?

Is that Incoming I hear?


Video by r.a.kukkee

After Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving Leaves

It was Thanksgiving Day. The empty red and yellow hummingbird feeders hanging in the window were swinging back and forth  in an erratic breeze on that cool October morning as usual. They're just outside the window -in my peripheral vision as I sit writing,  and the motion is distracting .  Not unpleasantly so;   I'm guessing the feeders are merely reminding me to take them down. Their tiny ruby-throated guest diners have headed south a couple of weeks ago and it's time to close the stations for the season.  There's sleet on the ground.
A few odd bees checked out the sweet yellow plastic flowers for a few days after they left, so I left the feeders for awhile. Just in case. It never hurts to be kind.  A few late hummers  may have even come our way, migrating from north of us,-- perhaps they even stopped  at our way station. Meantime, the feeders fed the bees, why not?  "Feed the bees, please"--another species in danger in our polluted world.   Now there's a fine reason to procrastinate  taking down feeders, if ever I heard one.

 Yellowed poplar leaves are fluttering, out there, too, some falling, some stubbornly  hanging on for dear life, waiting their turn. do they line up at the ready?  Are they thankful to be heading for earth, the cool, moist ground,  eager to be covered with a comforting blanket of snow? The trees, for the greater part, are already bare.

White Lilac, Oct. 8, 2012

 





Some bushes look like they'll never drop their leaves.
Check out this white lilac. Although we've had a dozen serious killing frosts, the leaves on this bush remain untouched. How is that possible?
Hm....Now if this tree could just grow peaches or citrus.












 I think it's amazing how some bushes and trees still  remain green while  leaves of other trees have long since fallen and  have even  been raked up, waiting for  energetic  boys to visit and jump in them.  Toss'em in the air, play, have fun, burn up endless childhood energy. Why not?  It was Thanksgiving Day, time to play, and no matter how they get spread, we'll just rake them up again, -- and again the next day too. Repeat as required comes to mind. The wind redistributes a few anyway, just for good measure.
They'll end up in the garden as rich mulch, one way or the other.  I might even pile a few on the famous heap, too. |The vines and plants have all been handily buried in the heap too, by the way. The perpetual heap, too, is already digesting the newly stored food for next year. 

Sugar-maple leaves--Faded from Red, but Ready to Play

 T.T.T.  and E.T.S., that would be Tilly the Tall  and Ebony the short, the resident pups --run around in the leaves like happy children too,  why not?  Autumn is a time of  cool fresh air, the stifling heat is gone;  the coolness of fall is  is exhilaration  itself,  storing  anticipation of winter. 
Spotted an elegant buck,  some Ruffed Grouse and a flock of geese heading south too.  It's the season, no doubt about it. The truck was white with hard frost this morning.  Why fight it?  Let's celebrate it instead.  Makes sense to me.

In retrospect, our gardens produced prolific amounts of food this year. We could not ask for more.  That's what Thanksgiving Day was about, isn't it?  A celebration of a successful harvest,  a celebration of plenty--and we did have plenty. Thanksgiving dinner was wonderful.
There were pumpkin pies with whipped cream, cranberries, new potatoes and vegetables of all kinds  at the ready, and I cannot forget that memorable turkey roasted to perfection. We are so blessed.

Post-Thanksgiving turkey leftovers supreme shall not lead me astray, I propose..... Except for turkey sandwiches, turkey salad, turkey soup, fried rice and turkey,  and turkey tacos--which ARE the best.  I shall not be lead astray by other gastronomic inventions which might put inordinate pressure on the supply of leftover turkey bits.

Uh, huh.  Tell us another one.  I can hear it now..... "Once upon a time a hungry man looked into the refrigerator." Got any new ideas for turkey leftovers?  Shhhhh....
 

Is that Incoming I hear?

A Heap of Garden Updates

Remember the"heap" gardening experiment last year?

A rather simple concept it began; piling up garden trash in the same place every year, burying it at the very bottom of the heap, which is covered with a soil layer.  The decomposing organic matter composts in place, enriching the soil with earthworm castings and micro-nutrients.
The growth potential is no less than amazing,  here's what the "heap" looks like now!

The Heap 2012

And yes, it is HUGE, at about 12 feet wide and 20 feet long.  We have Hubbard squash, cantaloupe, cucumbers, and Spaghetti squash all growing on the heap.  Hm..a few pumpkins too.  Imagine that. Flowers everywhere, some like this one.

Squash? Pumpkin? Cantaloupe?....  I know, a flower!

It seems that even with the strange, even weird weather, the garden is proceeding along just fine!
 The garlic is high,  see these scapes? Straightened out, some of them are over five feet high.
          Although garlic scapes  are wonderful to eat in stir-fries or salads,  I'm letting these  super- scapes ripen so I will have a new supply of bulbils  to propagate more of  this specific garlic.  When the florets develop bulbils, and ripen, they will be harvested and dried for a couple of weeks. The small bulbils can be planted this fall,  a couple of weeks after harvesting. 

Very tall Garlic Scapes

Let's look at the spuds!  We have four varieties,  all hilled up nicely, aren't they?  The plants look small, but the hills are huge.  Quite a change from the soggy spring mud isn't it?  Nary a weed in sight, too! Well, almost! Looks like more work sprouting!

Four Varieties of Spuds growing in the Fog

We have four varieties of spuds planted in this patch.  See? It's right  beside the heap.
 "Gold Rush", "Yukon Gold",  "Kennebec" and an old Heritage white potato variety called "Pimpernel". Last year we bought 2 lbs of "Pimpernel" seed potatoes as an experiment and  ended up with a wheelbarrow full of potatoes.  We saved some of the seed to replant,  and this year we have two long rows-- happily growing.

Sweet corn in the foggy morn seems to be doing fine too--the leaves on this corn are unbelievable, over 4" wide!   It, too, is growing happily.  No wonder, it is heavily mulched. Last year this same variety, by the end of the growing season, had  reached close to  8' tall. 

Sweet corn doing just fine! 

Off to the beanery we go, where purple and yellow beans grow.  Not a weed in this heavily mulched intensive-grow style bean bed!  Beans are ready to pick!

These are yellow wax beans;  the Purple ones  are way down  there.....

Let's hop on  over to the tomato patch.  As you can see, it's a jungle!

Tomato Jungle

A compact, prolific Heritage tomato plant   "Sophie's Choice"

  One of our  most interesting experiments this season  is a  Heritage tomato variety named "Sophie's Choice".     It is a prolific tomato,  a very compact plant--and has, at last count, at least a dozen good-sized tomatoes on it.  Curiously, one is already beginning to ripen.   We will be saving seeds from this amazing tomato plant as the tomatoes ripen on the vine.  It seems to be a determinate type, unusually efficient, compact, and happily,--- a  very early variety.    We have to wonder if the ongoing progressive  ripening  as opposed to ripening en masse caused this amazing  tomato variety to fall out of favour with commercial growers.  Their loss, our gain.

Well, that's  about it for the garden update except for the carrots, cabbage, tomatilloes, Swiss chard, lettuce, onions, peas, dill, zucchini,  novel pumpkins -and THE turnip.  
Yes, we only had ONE turnip sprout. It's growing quite happily.   Go figure.  ONE seed out of a hundred.  Maybe Uncle Mac   who has all kinds of weird stuff happening over at the shed  can get Farm Girl to explain that one!

For our resident gardener dedicated to all things beautiful  I have to add one of her favourite garden things, a spotted lily.  Know why?

Spotted Asian Lily

She graciously took the photo of this pink Calla lily for me.    
 We really needed this special picture for our friend Glory Lennon, the brilliant gardening zeitgeist over at Glory's Garden.  I hereby offer,  as promised...a  pink Calla lily, and yes, we grew it, not in the garden, but in a pot, right outside the door!

Calla Lily            photo by  w.l.kukkee 2012

  Kind of short, isn't it?  Here at Incoming Bytes we all know that with all things growing,  both beautiful and good things come in small packages!


Is that Incoming I hear?  

The Cooling Boulder

The cooling boulder is a blessing. Just a rock, but we'll get to that.

It's a bit dull out there, and even rained a bit.  Should we cheer?  It seems so, although I tend to like sunny days better.  No matter.  Sometimes cooler is better. Moderation in all things comes to mind. The extremes are too much like yesterday.
 A couple of days ago it was 88F-- in the shade yet.
Out in the direct sun that makes it a scorcher.  Perhaps 95F.  That brings to mind a few million Americans- and friends-- currently suffering without electricity and air conditioning in temperatures closer to 100F, maybe even 105F--that would be American heat --with higher humidity to boot.
 It seems to me that kind of heat is more than enough to glue brand-new boots to the sidewalk while frying eggs. We thank God it doesn't get that hot here daily. Can it? Without forests? Of course!

In NW Ontario yesterday-- out in the blazing  sun-- it was too easy to just give up and head right back into the delicious cool of  air-conditioning.  Too warm to work out in the garden patch without dehydrating in a wink. That kind of heat makes it a little too easy to dive nose-first into the beanery or collapse in the  cabbage patch.

When it's this hot, Tilly the Tall and Ebony the Short  (T.T.T & E.T.S.)-- smart pups they are, --head for the cool air in the basement, flop out,  flattening magically on the floor--  like  flat, furry puddles. Just as it does to us, the heat exhausts them.
We do have an  alternative solution awaiting us in the great outdoors. The cooling boulder.

The Cooling Boulder,   Whitewood Creek     Photo by w.l.kukkee

Our daily excursions down the trails to the Whitewood Creek, our brook trout stream, usually results in a detour, a dog-paddling, serious water-snuffling expedition, and might be equated to a visit to an automatic dog-wash complete with pleasantly-cool water happily sans soap,  -depending upon the point of view taken.  If the mosquitoes and blackflies don't convince us otherwise, we might dally at the cooling boulder for quite a while watching the pups enjoying the cool water.

Have you ever seen a dog lay down in water trying to grow fins?  That's T.T.T.  to the letter.  A true water dog, she almost smiles as she  lays down in the fast water with purpose,  facing upstream into the current.  She's long-legged, but there's a deep spot to dog-paddle in place.
 E.T.S. isn't quite as enthusiastic. The short one is more inclined to stay in the shallow water, washing her feet,  elegantly cooling her low-slung carriage and tasting water as  royalty might daintily sip tea.

We cool our feet. We watch minnows too.  It's one of the finer things in life that happens at the cooling boulder.  Helps the muse --and is amusing too. Creates photo ops.   We sure do have a cool cooling boulder. It might be just a rock, but don't you wish you had one?


Watching the minnows gives me an idea.  I'm going fishing next,  how about you? What's life for anyway?   At Incoming Bytes we think everyone should go fishing next.  Let's go!


Is that Incoming I hear?

P is for Putz and Putzing

P is for Putz

 It is a known fact.  Putzes are no longer clutzes. Look around.  Retirees and baby boomers happily putz along the highway on holiday and wear knobby-knee shorts and floppy sandals.

Strange sunflowers

Crafting aficionados putz about, making this and that out of  crooked driftwood, old wool, and recycled soup cans. Gardeners putz and grow weird broccoli, Tiger lilies, stiff-necked garlic, and lumpy gourds. They also  poke cautiously at  vegetables that change colour when cooked.
Even their sunflowers are strange.


Inventors may be the best putzes by default, inventing new stuff out of old bicycle wheels to happily putz with, generating free electricity from cabbages and hiding snacks behind toolboxes in secret workshops.

 That's a whole lot of  putzing if you ask me.  See how popular putzing has become? It is now more popular than  naked ice climbing or accordion-playing  in the deep end of the swimming pool.  
Join the putzing revolution.    The pandemic global shift to smart putzing is a historical event, almost as exciting as tectonic crustal shifts and stopping volcanic popcorn kaflooies.

The most skilled putzes are adept at making minute, minimal and  incremental  putzic  adjustments worthy of fine art. Serious putzing, after all, means twiddling, fiddling, kaboodling around, fine-tuning,  and playing with the good to make it better.
 The curious neophyte may mistakenly  hypothesize that packaged instructions provide the the same benefits as traditional  old-fashioned putzing.  At Incoming Bytes we are convinced that no automatic system or instructions can equal the precision adjustments made by a professional old putz.
 Clever readers of Incoming Bytes should insist upon clear instruction in the  fine art of putzing from their elected putz mentors.  After all, if you're going to be a putz, you may as well get it right.

 Is that incoming I hear? 

M is for Method

M is for Method by necessity. 
Methods initiate, establish, and even define subsequent order.   Improved methods increase functionality and efficiency.  Consistency of method applied to process assures the same high quality, predictable results. Optimal outcomes are a direct result of dedication to method.
Tried and true methods ensure sustainability of process.
 It is often said there is "method to our madness". 
Why? Methods and methodology  dominate the human thought process however foolish, illogical, or mad it may first appear.
Do you habitually use the same method to achieve your  mad brilliant goals?
"Which method did you have in mind?" suggests there are benefits to optimizing methods.
In everyday life, it is often overheard: "Mind this".
 What is the purpose of "minding this" other than to encourage the learner to observe parameters of an accepted method?

"Mind your p's and q's children" is  pointed  instruction to ensure attention to detail --established by proven method.
"Really, do you mind?" suggests observation of, and reaction to,  non-conformity with an established, predetermined  method or standard. Why?
The observer 'minds' when  the observed 'method'  contradicts or exceeds  'normal or expected'  social mores, manners, or attitude in communication or actions.   A method of comparing societal expectations is expressed. At times, various methods of  exerting peer pressure are at play.

 Easily recognized or not,  all  'methods' employed by individual actions  are  'approved'  or 'disapproved' by subconscious comparison to 'approved' or 'normal' --socially accepted methods of social interaction.

 "What did you have in mind?" asked of an individual, actually questions the potential outcome of  thought processes taking place in the mind of the observed subject.  Are you aware of using this method of evaluating potential wonders or equally potential defects in normally-brilliant  lunatics people you communicate with?

M is for method-- predetermined declarations of order used by the mind,  the creative brain and whoopee-cushion-loving  inner child. Do you use a process, a method, to make mistakes decisions? Of course. Think about it.


Is that incoming I hear?

Tales of the Supernatural: The Pearl Stickpin

 From time to time at Incoming Bytes we are compelled to explore the unusual, the weird, and the downright strange world of fiction.  I really like fiction.  I have to admit, this is just plain weird, but it's spring, weather's weird anyway,  so  I hope you enjoy it. 

   Tales of the Supernatural:  The Pearl Stickpin

It seemed to me that the woman was not a real woman at first, she looked kind of rough around the edges just a bit,  but  she wore a woolen coat and a grey pillbox hat with a nice white pearl stickpin in it.

 A tantalizing bit of evidence,  in retrospect, anyway.

 Not appearing to be a real 'woman'  or 'lady' --well, no matter.    She appeared at the door on a Tuesday,  and it was 7:00 o'clock on July 7th.  My birthday, too. July 7th.  I forget the year.  I just go by what Sam told me. He's my older brother, dead of the pox  too, just a bit of an idiot sometimes.  He even drove the tractor in the creek when he was 8 and started crying. Pop  had to get old Mose  from down the 4th  to pull it out.  It cost two bits  and he got whupped.  

She squinted up at me.  "It's about time you and your idiot brother answered the door. Do you care to tell me what you are still  doing in my house? This is still my house, after all."  

She looked at me kind of strangely.  Like she knew me or something.  How did she know I had an idiot brother?  I wanted to keep that quiet so I could use his driver's license.

I said, "Lady, I don't have any idea where you're from, but I lived here for 77 years, my idiot brother died of the 'scootch 67 years ago. I'm just guessing but that wasn't even so far off of the truth, considering everything.

  After all, I had stayed right there in the old farmhouse for 77 years.  Born here, ain't leavin'.     That's why the neigbours call me Old Gus, because I am old.  Seventy-seven, so they say.  I don't have a birth certificate -or a driver's license either, but they never asked me for one. Not in 67 years. I kept an old business card in the visor holder instead,  It said  "Lunatic Renovation Service"  from down in Hansenville, and when it wore out I used my brother's license.   It's got itself worn out too,  now-- dog-eared.  It was my father's license  back when, too.  No wonder he used it, no idiot boy can get a driver's license so ya' gotta get one from 'yer old man or somethin',  somehow.

"Are you sure?" the woman asked.  "You don't know me, do you, sonny?...How come you you're looking so old?" 

"I got the scootch, like my idiot brother, he died of it already, 67 years ago, " I answered without thinking, it wasn't her business anyway, but I blabbed that to old Mose so often it didn't matter a whole lot,  "so he's dead an' gone  anyway".

  

Now she really  had me nervous because I have to admit I didn't know who she was. I guess I forgot.  She looked about thirty-five years old and had green eyes.  Tantalizing green eyes.   I got green eyes too, like a green-eyed shot-back ghost-colored  dog.

"I'm 'yer maw,  don'cha even know 'yer own maw?"  She said. "It's 'yer birthday, boy".

 

"I don't got any maw or old lady, she died when I was born,"  I said, " that's what the old man told me and my idiot brother and that's the truth, I swear". 

She sat down in the rocker,  a brown maple one. It groaned.

 "This was my chair when you was in my belly," she said, frowning. " and after you boys got the pox  when you was six, an' no bigger'n a pup,  you sat right here on my knee, and I rocked you right to sleep good,  you was turned cold, too,   now you can't  remember your Maw.  That figgers."

"I don't want to argue none, I just don't remember" I said. 

 "So  you're  my Maw, want some tea?"

"No,"  she said,  "Tea gives me the shivers,  just like visiting live folks." 

She got up and walked through the closed door.   I shook my head in wonderment.  She kept the hat on but left the white pearl stick pin stuck in the wood door.  I don't know why she does that.   

I ain't  never touching that stick-pin.  It gives me the shivers too. Like visiting live folks. 

Funny.  I remember I wanted to live 'till I was old enough to get a real driving license.

##

Is that incoming I hear?

Disaster fix: Tile a While

Tile a while...Wall

At Incoming Bytes mayhem and destruction happens once in a while, giving me cause to scratch my head in wonderment at why things happen, mixed in with a bit of    anger and hair-pulling pragmatic rage frustration.
 Savvy and financially strapped homeowners all realize that at times, it seems things fall apart faster   than they can be repaired with  a capable home-renovation crew of twenty caffeine-boosted bubblegum chewing workpeople. 

Such was the exterior drywall surface  right beside an exterior door of mine;  you got it, the door to freedom for my demolition-team  pups.
 The first time it happened, the door trim was chewed off and shredded, the adjacent drywall was almost non-existent, and exterior insulation was torn out--all the way to the exterior sheathing. A chunk of the door jamb itself was missing.
It was midnight, and a major social gathering was scheduled for the next day, so it was a night watch
panic repair -including a careful  cutout of  remaining shredded wood on the door jamb, and the necessary replacement,  fill,  and paint.
  On the wall,  I cut out the damaged drywall completely,  re-insulated the wall cavity,  installed new drywall,  taped, filled, sanded, and top-coated again, sanding  all the way to- perfection.
Objective: To finished painting and trim, included, that is!   Invisible, perfect job, finished  at 3:00 am- or was it 4:00am.
 I am fast and good.   A competent workman when I have to be.   Kudos to me.  Used the wife's hairdryer to accelerate paint drying too.  Cool.    Sometimes it's just good to be handy.
Pups forgiven,  next day, party is  on! 
" Smells like fresh paint in here " someone comments.....

  That was the first time.   The second time, the lower cross-buck of  the $400.00  (1979 price !)   interior cedar door was  also chewed away, damage beyond repair. Door trim conveniently removed,chewed to bits and broken too, repaired  door jamb shredded again,  and drywall again seriously damaged.  After only a couple of hours in absentia.  We're never leaving home again. Haywire pups.    
It is surprising what you learn.  We did not know that interior air so carefully filtered with a modern air-conditioning system  could  turn so  unprintable blue.  I should have pictures or kept a Mason Moonshine jarful of the blue stuff  for proof.

   *sigh.  Sabbatical required. Cool down.  Cooler heads almost prevail.   Decisions necessary.  Replace the whole door unit.  Only seven hundred bucks.   Install the new door unit, jamb, new lock set  and all.   Insulated steel door this time.   Repair the drywall again, prime and paint, install new interior trim,  job well done!  Party on! 

It does, however, seem that  Tilly the Tall and Ebony the Short have OCD  a  psychiatric compulsion history of wanting out NOW, walls in the way, doors closed or not . Why?

 A brief diversion  will reveal to the aware  that whenever  Mr. Buck and Ms Doe,  Willie the wolf,  Charlie Coyote, Peter Rabbit, Mega-moose   or  Bear himself happen to appear close at hand in the  Great Outdoors, things happen.   If they even  smell like they're within a country mile or three,    the friendly pooches want to see which of their friends is invading.
  Human visitors of the door- knocker kind,  a casual pickup truck or  touristy  turn-arounders a half mile away, the curious,  dilapidated lost seeking directions  or not, they all inspire the same effect.
Our research proves that  Sam the Weasel, Murray Mink  and Pierre le Stink  don't help either, five times out of five.   The dedicated dogs  want out  or the innocent handiest wall is doomed.

Off comes the broken trim. Again.  Paint layers scratched off. Again.  Enough of that. 
Tape the joints, sand, prime and paint it, and replace shredded, broken trim. Innocent pups  are required watch judiciously as repairs are made.
 Right, that oughta'  suffice -- until next time. And the time after that!  
What is the answer? High-strung pets may deface walls repetitively.  I have resigned myself to that distinct possibility.     
 

Ka-ching!  Think stainless steel, bullet-proof glass overlaid with ceramic tile. Scratch-proof.  Right over top of the nice, perfect drywall repair. Perfect protracted thought.  I did it.

Ready to Grout!

 Yesterday I tiled a while and put an end to scratches, bite marks and destruction. More than half-way up the wall for good measure.  Ha! 










I can see it now.   I'll be longing for the good old days.   Tape the joints, sand, prime and paint it, and replace shredded, broken trim.  I can do it with my eyes closed and one arm tied behind my back, midnight or not. I've got experience.
 Right, that will suffice -- until next time. And the time after that!  High-strung pets may deface walls repetitively.  May? Will? Did!   Emergency repair withdrawal, cold turkey.
What is the answer?   Remind myself again. Real life. Haul out the wallet. Head to the building center.

Ka-ching!   Ceramic tile. Scratch-proof.  Bite-proof. Woof-proof.   Tile a while and put an end to scratches, *bite marks and destruction.  I'm recommending it to everyone. Party's on!


*Note to myself.  Level surface grout so there's no place  to insert teeth, fangs or claws.  

 I've got'em beat now.  Maybe.


Is that incoming I hear?

Reckless Relaxation & The Job List

The Age of Light is upon Us 

Snooze Preamble:
March 13th, an atypically warm spring day for Northwestern Ontario.   Silence, brilliant sunshine surrounds us  with a bit of  a breeze that waves branches gently. Blue sky deviously lulls the senses. 

 It seems we have a bad case of reckless relaxation about to sprout.
Except for the job list that is. The job list.  The what?  Who in their right mind would plan that?  Who wrote that on there?  Let us scream wax poetic.


               The Job List!    ( a.k.a. the You're my honey so 'ya gotta do it" list )

• Oh Raymond dear! We love you so
• But here's another job , Oh Oh !
•  Fix this!  Fix that!   ---and by the way,
• Please change the bath tub
• Right away!  

*sigh.  I'm a Jack of all trades but  I'm not a poet ,  but you get the idea.   My friend  Christyb,  who happens to be a real poet might have to fill in with a real poem. 

   It is one of  those special days, after all,  the  ' It's spring,  we do not wanna-be scheduled to do anything' variety  that soaks up all energus directus perambulus. 
Instead, dawdling  exudes  in every  necessary direction.

 Days like this take no  direction on purpose.  It must be contagious;  our alert readers have  cleverly  noted that one day influences the next, and the next,  necessarily in order.
Where did Monday go?  I really don't know.  -You seen it?   It didn't leave any tracks.

Mid-day Progress Report:
 We're making progress.   This  perfect,  late, lazy morning morphed  pleasingly and  perfectly  into a  snoozy afternoon that must have been  destined to be.  If the current rate of progress continues, it seems it must also propagate a perfect specimen of  the take-it-as-it-comes kind of evening too.
What a cool progress report.  

The job list.
  Right. I conveniently forgot.  Back to it.    The magnet on the door of the humming refrigerator  offers the list  boldly  and  ominously on a big Post-it note. It's  bullet-point smile instills  guilt every time I sneak-attack the kitchen for an innocent, tasty snack.  The list is evil,  all-knowing, persistent as mold,  living to  haunt  another day. My day.
Let's  give evasive tactics some deep thought.
 Perhaps reckless relaxation has something  to do with the uncharacteristic warmth, unusually sunny days, snow melting,  and such. Along the south side of  the house the crocuses and  day lilies are not even popping up yet, unlike gardening zeitgeist Glory Lennon's.  Maybe I can get Glory to persuade them to sprout.   Hers are up already, but mine are not in any hurry. Are they not a formidable and perfect example of snoozy procrastination to offer and emulate?
 A dearth of Energy.
 We happily cannot navigate  the garden yet,  there's still a foot of snow on it. Good thing. Not enough energy exists in China or in my back yard to dig up that stuff or  move mud anyway.
Happily, and coincidentally,  there's also not enough energy to navigate  any  tough job on the  evil "You're my honey so 'ya gotta do it " list  either.
Other assorted Excuses
Perhaps for excuses we could, in a pinch,  revert to blatant logic.  To start something you have to do something else first. That's a great standard  DIY rule isn't it?  Where would we be without that rule?  
Paint, but move this first,  fix that before you can move this, Let's say, and --woot wooot!   I haven't got the right nails to fix that first. Oops.  I might get some tomorrow. Get the paint too,  while I'm at it, and even save  a trip.  See how helpful that rule is?
 Makes sense to me. R & R persists, with a bit of tweaking and wooting and creative planning.
The Ruse of Logic
Logic also explains why we should not shovel  snow or chip away ice that should forthrightly be melting on it's own paranormal schedule.    It melts slowly, that might be just as well.  Let the snow melt slowly so the water can soak into the ground.  It can schedule itself.   That's a perfect excuse for any farmer or rural type, it's even logical,  so, we'll schedule ourselves to work hard at relaxing instead --but just in case, I winked and wrote it on the evil list :  Let snow melt slowly so the water can soak into the ground. 
 Perfect. 

 Night time insomnia might persist,  but  sunny day-time snoozing gloriously beckons and insists. 
 At Incoming Bytes,  the sun is shining. I'll have to  persuade  Christyb at Poetic Parfait  to write a poem about it.  Glorious snoozing,....er... no, maybe spring and reckless relaxation, ...er, no,  the job list,   I meant.
 Christyb is always smiling and  listening for new  incoming. Meantime, I feel a snooze coming on.

• Do you like lazy days? 
• Do you fear the 'job list' and procrastinate as much as possible? 
• Do you like snoozing on sunny afternoons?
• Have you written any poems about your job list? 

Is that Incoming I hear?

Paranoia Paradox : Fear and Profit

The Age of  Light is Upon Us

"Shall we  surround ourselves with  conveniently out-of-sight security devices, imagining  that we are somehow safer?  "     

Saturday morning.  I saw it right away upon opening up my last post on Incoming Bytes .    A sidebar security advertisement  neatly installed on the page by a commercial  service called  AdSense.   AdSense places  ads on this blog  automatically, depending upon the content type on the page.   No matter.  What grabbed my eye was that the advertisement itself  was for alarm systems,  security cameras, and home automation. Turn down the thermostat. Turn up the thermostat. Flip on the porch light.  C'mon, really.  There has to be some other purpose.  Could it be commercial-social profiteering, happiness in profiting from a genuine paranoia paradox?

 The subliminal message, if seriously given any thought-- is  fear.  Get security stuff. Stay safer, click on the ad and buy security stuff.  Get home automation stuff while you're at it, so you don't actually have to do anything,  get motion detectors. We wouldn't want to have to do anything like turn on the lights, or confront invaders, assailants, rapists,  or thieves by firing warning shots at  their sorry asses them  as they try to flee genuine justice.  In some jurisdictions it is now legal to fire warning shots at their sorry asses.  That may be a good thing.  Whatever happened to the bright, edgy signs  carefully advising perps that homes and businesses are    "Protected by Colt" ?

My last post "Who killed Gail Parker: Solve this 19-year old Cold Case! " left me wondering just how it is that society can 'sell and promote security" but  allow murderous, insane scumbags individuals and  lunatic cold-blooded thieves  to walk around free for many years, reveling in their warped, twisted lives,  while the families of victims, like Danielle Parker,  the innocent victim's daughter,  mourn for years on end without closure.
Why?   In my opinion,  that status quo is hypocrisy;   the status quo  is not good enough.  That all-too-common  situation is  pervasive and unacceptable inside the 'secure' home, out in the desert, or in the big city.   That is not justice, nor is it reasonable  social policy.

Social paranoia has been building globally and  steadily  since 9 /11.    It's been coming on for some time, but the level of paranoia in the world with  current wars, rumors of  wars,lunatic dictators,   nuclear meltdowns,  nuclear armament,  financial meltdowns,  earthquakes, floods, tornadoes,  predictions of doom --even failed ones --seems to be skyrocketing.  Edgy, gloomy  economics, unemployment, job outsourcing, and multi-million-dollar CEO self-entitlement 'bonuses'  for gutting previously-respected, long-trusted company structures, and the rich becoming richer as average people struggle -- are not helping. 
  Is this instability a result of apocalyptic thoughts of doom,  the last desperate flash of humanity,  solar storms currently trendy, or just the collective brainwashing and publicity surrounding all of the above?

  Is it because human beings are inevitably self-destructive,  or is it because we are collectively stupid, dumbed down, blissfully watching television, soaking it all up like it's truth or something -- and pretending we knowledgeably live the good life?

Shall we  really surround ourselves with  conveniently out-of-sight security devices, imagining  that we are somehow safer?  I think not.

The fact is, until civilization matures globally, and society no longer panders to thugs, criminals,  murderers, devious, dishonest power-mongers, corporate profit  and  political ideology driven by dishonest, fanatical religion and hypocrisy, the paranoia paradox will continue to grow.  At Incoming Bytes we invite the reader to think for themselves, make decisions, let the light in,  discover who we really are,   --and live without fear.

Is that Incoming I hear?

Unbelievable: MORE Nukes to be Built in the USA

Say "NO ! "  to Nuclear Plants

                                " No comment !!! ". 

Leadership in the United States of America has chosen to continue with the program of  nuclear madness. The nuclear industry has clearly been given the green light by President Barack Obama.

Perhaps the subsequent  February 9, 2012  approval of two new nuclear reactors by the  U.S.  Nuclear Regulatory Commission  is the damning evidence  so unbelievable and  outrageous  it raises the question of whether 'ordinary' citizens should even bother trying to address the issue in a reasonable manner.  


  It seems the horrific nuclear disaster at Fukushima, Japan already been  forgotten or is being totally ignored even though the  effects of the  melt-down, explosions, fires in the nuclear facilities and wide-spread, dangerously high radioactive contamination at Fukushima  are  not resolved, and will not be for  many centuries. 
The nuclear elite in North America have decided they can magically address those safety concerns'  therefore nuclear will become "safe".
 Approval for two new nuclear reactors to be built  by 2016 in Vogtle, Georgia has been given.
These 'brilliant people' have decided an earthquake can never happen in Vogtle, Georgia.  A nuclear meltdown can never happen in Vogtle, Georgia. A major leak of radioactive material can never happen in Vogtle, Georgia.    
The trouble is, clearly all of the above CAN happen.

  A tsunami could NEVER damage the nuclear reactors at Fukushima.  Cleverly-designed backup cooling systems AND SHUTDOWN SYSTEMS  can NEVER fail.   Three Mile Island could not OCCUR.  "IMPOSSIBLE! "     The horrific meltdown at Chernobyl  apparently could not happen either. 
We all know "THESE CATASTROPHES  can't happen" according to the nuclear industry,  but DID. 

 

Is this small, self-entitled pro-nuclear segment of humanity SO arrogant that it matters not WHAT happens to THE ENVIRONMENT AND HUMANITY ITSELF? 

CLEARLY The question of competence must be brought to bear.  Read the comments in this news article and decide for yourselves.

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/us-approves-first-nuclear-plant-since-1986-175023774.html

 Shall we now sit in silence and apathy,  and say " NO COMMENT ! "? 
Quite to the contrary.
 
We  believe this  decision to be irresponsible,  outrageous and unacceptable by any standards.

Clean, environmentally safe methods are already available to develop power. Nuclear plants are not necessary. The threat to the environment and humanity itself is not necessary.  
 With reasoning, authority, and leadership itself thoughtlessly  tossed to rabid nuclear dogs who delight in pushing their own greedy agenda for profit,  and are also clearly out of control,  ignoring the most basic tenets of common sense,  why should anyone express concern?

In fact, pushing logic even farther,  does the United States of America need the expense of governance and  "leadership"   that fails to act or understand the need for a major change of energy policy NOW ?

In jest:
  "Let us maintain silence, cast our embarrassed  gaze at our navels,  pretend ignorance,  fade into the sunset, and allow greedy corporate fools to run North America entirely so humanity can be irradiated for profit". 

Nuclear madness designed and perpetrated by greedy corporate interests must be addressed and halted.

The fact is, if a highly industrial country like Germany can go nuclear-free and use alternative, clean methods of production, so can the United States of America. It is time to recognize fact and have common sense prevail.

At Incoming Bytes we find it difficult to understand why these outrageous plans have so thoughtlessly been approved. To maintain and ensure a healthy environment for all of humanity is far more important than corporate greed.    This course of action is totally irresponsible. The blighted record of the nuclear industry is already more than apparent. It is deadly.  

Readers of Incoming Bytes are encouraged to think and decide for themselves.  

Is that incoming I hear?

2012: Is that Incoming I hear?

The Age of Light is upon us...

 Incoming, --frozen solid, or moving in, one at a time?
New Year's Eve  is  a distant memory and January is more than half used up already. The unusually mild winter did a nasty to all January sun-lovers including us here at Incoming Bytes, changing  our freakish snow-laden banana-belt sauna-weather to a more realistic  and politically-correct Canadian January with dry, brutal cold.  It's almost enough to freeze your tongue to a steel pipe, don't you think so?
The garden and bonsai are stored snugly, cozy as can be under a blanket of snow. How lucky for them.   

 It is -33C  ( -27.4F)   today; --that is without any wind.    It was -25C yesterday with a vicious wind--yet in the unheated  sunny greenhouse it was an amazing 5C +(41F)   ...that's almost banana-land warm, sans beach  and iced tequila Sunrise.....imagine that.
Out in the "outerworld,", the real world, -- you know the quaint place where the REST of the world exists?   There are many things happening.
 Earthquakes. Flooding.  Famine.
 Strange underground noises, um....hums, buzzes and shake-ups  too.  Let's draw the  government-supplied  Roswellian window-shades. If we don't look, The truth is not out there. um....ok,,,,um...ok...ding-dong, you're wrong, The Age of Light is upon us....
Shifting earth crustal-bustals.  Tsunami, real Japan-movers.  North poles going south.   Islands rising in the sun just for fun.
 Solar and brain flares are disrupting  electronics, harmonics  and logic. What's that, you say?  Illogical, you say?   Haarp, the Harold angels Zing us with vapour trails delight;
 Political unrest, demonstrations  and nasty riots instead of  quiets.
 International tension-mentions of  nuclear threats, to  positing aircraft carriers in a genuine fear of war games and strange, apocalyptic  joy at the prospect of inevitable and uncontrollable war games.  Fill  the Strait of Hormuz with the crooked scorched bones of lunatics,  pave the parking lots with glass, shall we insist, resist or desist? Nuclear ready or not, here we come....
Totally insane, greedy leaders of itchy,  pseudo-religious miserable self-declared self-righteous countries acting  like they've been out in the sun far too long -because they have been out in the sun for far too long.  Invest, protest and re-test  for Collective, unsurpassed madness and profit in the radioactive Middle East Oil patch.   Hatch a new radioactive plan to do everything radioactively.  
Redefine  mutant civilization?  That’s fine. Drink Iodine.
Camp out, Occupy  this, economic recession to  big Depression,  dangerous repression of civil liberties world-wide.
Wikipedia blackouts?  Ugly SOPA-box....Legislated PIPA, vibes of Internet Big Brother sticking his nose in the business of scribes? 
   
Seems like a normal day to me.
But wait....what is really Incoming? 



that's my story and I'm sticking to it

Gardening: Unexpected Treasures

 

MJ's potato plant

Do you have to go to sleep to dream?
I think not.  
I close my eyes and dream of gardening, 
vegetables....and green stuff.....That is if I don't go to sleep first. 
It is winter, an unusually mild one at that. The snow was melting yesterday,-- on  January 11th, almost unheard of,  --but it insists on snowing  again today to make up for it.   Go figure.             

 Up in N.W. Ontario, winter is  definitely "Welcome to  Canada".
 That's always  justification for snow,  isn't it?  A necessary and attractive diversion  when it's dull and  overcast.   Kids love it, you can shovel it, slide on it, build a snowman, go skiing, or get stuck in it. 
At times I say, "Who needs it? " 

 The fact is, here in the environs of Incoming Bytes -- either you get along with snow --or you move to Arizona.   Arizona, is really a desert state, so let us dream...nice and warm,  the sun is shining --and it's the place where M.J.  Joachim might be at any time, lolling in the back yard writing--or gardening. 

 M.J. is my guest blogger today.  These are her photographs too! 
M.J. has been our guest previously, (Gum Pets on the Hill)  --which has been one of our most popular posts, --- so I am proud to have her back  with us once again!
 Please welcome M.J. Joachim --as she  shares some  Unexpected Treasures.

                     Finding Unexpected Treasures       

                                          by  M.J. Joachim

 One of the most amazing things about a compost pile is that you never quite know what new life might sprout from it, as things decay and break down, nourishing the soon-to-be soil.

While doing my dishes one day and looking out my kitchen window,I was intrigued to notice a very full, vibrantly green plant.  Having neglected my compost for quite some time, curiosity couldn’t be kept at bay as I turned off the water and rather hurriedly headed out into the yard . 
 Sure enough, there amidst piles of old leaves,  ancient coffee grounds and a rather large surplus of spoiled fruits and vegetables from the last time I cleaned out my fridge, --was a flourishing emerald bush, the likes of which I had never seen before.

Needless to say, I took care to pay more attention to my compost pile from that day forth, finding all sorts of new things to add to it, hoping to provide extra nutrients for the newest addition to my landscape. 

I also made a point to continue watering the area, once the jet stream moved farther north, leaving us with little or no rain to speak of. As you can see from the pictures, my little plant appears to be holding its own fairly well.

Admittedly, I was wondering what type of plant was actually growing. Wanting to test my garden knowledge, I chose to wait it out for a while, hoping it's growth might give it away at some point, a light bulb would go off, and I’d say to myself, 

“Why of course, it’s a *potato. I should have realized that so much earlier than this.” 

It was not to be, and Google became ever more intensely tempting, until finally I ran across a blog  about growing potatoes, complete with pictures of plants in various stages of development.

Truth be told, I wasn’t looking for information on potatoes at the time at all; it was the picture that caught my eye and led me to  Google  for more pictures of potato plants.  

I’m  now convinced the foliage is that of a potato plant, though you cannot hold me to it, --on account I won’t be certain until the full cycle of the plant has taken place. However, I do believe I’m growing potatoes in my compost pile, and am patiently waiting to harvest them when the time is right.

Life is a lot like our compost piles, isn’t it?

We dump all sorts of stuff in our hearts and heads, piling garbage and debris ever higher, avoiding the heap, even while it breaks down --and challenges us to recognize its changes. 

Trash becomes necessary nutrients and even the foundation for new growth.

 How easy it is to dismiss growth by searching in other directions; hoping for something different --and trying to control the natural course of events. 

 Every once in a while, however, life catches us by surprise, and what it shows us is something so beautiful that even though it seems completely out of place, we embrace what we see,  and smile. 

 Before long, the good that has been there all along can be revealed, encouraging and allowing us to discover ourselves a little bit more --perhaps more than we thought we wanted to, offering us an opportunity to reach out to those who might benefit from our experiences and challenging us to be more effectively human toward the rest of all mankind. 

 

                                                         ###

                                                
                                          
                                                              About our Guest Author

M.J. Joachim is a freelance writer and self-described die-hard 
American who believes in common sense, hard work, and the
American dream.  Freelance writing in a number of genres enables her to share knowledge and opinions on a large variety of subjects --in varying styles and venues.  M.J is a strong believer in freedom of speech and human values.


    In a dedicated effort to emphasize the often neglected value of humanity and self-worth of all human beings,  M.J. recently created  a new website   http://www.effectivelyhuman.com .

 M.J.  also recently  published several E-books including  'The Merciful Victory of the Cross' ,  'Beyond our Words Prayers and Reflections' ,  and  a FlashTyme series of stories that may be found at:    http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/mjjoachim




We  at Incoming Bytes believe M.J.  has discovered  the fine hobby of growing potato plants.  Isn't she lucky?   Will the treasures be red or white?   
Meantime....zzzzzz....it's still snowing here....

* Note: potatoes are not commonly grown  in hot desert climates.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it

Let's Start 2012 Right: Read THIS...

2012:   The Age of Light is Upon Us

WELCOME to 2012 !!!  Happy New Year!

At Incoming Bytes,  I must admit that I am always inspired by great writing.  Excellent writers, aware of it or not, are my mentors--and my heroes.   No matter what genre,  I enjoy good writing, and that includes intriguing, wonderfully-written professional blogs I have discovered.  

Some are genuine diamonds  I have happily stumbled upon, but interestingly, many of the BEST  are written by good friends in my writing circles.
There are many blogs out there --and clearly, I cannot list them all, but in this new year, we will continue to enjoy the best.
  For 2012, let's start out right with some wonderful reading recommendations.

• Let's learn to enjoy natural life more by reading  a wonderful gardening blog  Glory's Garden  by our very  own  gardening zeitgeist Glory Lennon. 

Whether  writing  about vegetables, flowers, discussing sugar-maple trees, or displaying exotics from Florida,   Glory's  exciting love for all things growing will keep you interested and coming back for more.    At times Glory  travels about, photographing exotic flowers and plants for us, and shares her wonderful photos of wildlife,  birds -and dragons.   Well, okay, those were alligators, but Glory is a princess too,  so what? 

•     If you are intrigued by farm life, green acres covered with lush green grass,   bouncing lambs, big woolly sheep, majestic chickens and other aspects of farming wisdom, read Julie Helm's  Woolly Acres for a closer look at  where eggs come from,  how they turn into chicks when hatched, what very high-quality  natural wool looks like, --and even how to propagate meal-worms as a source of protein for chicken feed! 

• Learn about all kinds of  human intricacies. follies, and  relationships, and why they fail,  by checking in with the incredible wisdom  and common sense of Ann Marie Dwyer   at 'Mommas Money Matters' -that's  M3 for short.   

Ann Marie,  a.k.a." Red ", --a  savvy, prolific writer, --is a saucy, brilliant  blogger that asks,  analyzes, and gives you information you need;  then she asks leading and often  pointed questions of you --and tells you so much MORE about yourself.  Red wants to talk to YOU, so follow M3 carefully and participate ! 
 Red  even turns the spotlight on you whether you are an author, accomplished photographer, or budding musician. She asks the right questions, --and gets the right answers for her readers. Bottom line?
" M3 and Red....Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated into M3 and love it! " comes to mind.
 

• At Incoming Bytes  everyone knows that  "We like  Camping Better" , and there's no better place to read about camping,  camping stories,  or about exploring  the beautiful Adirondacks  --than by checking in with  Jim Bessey's Just Camping Out  while you enjoy that first cup of coffee in the early morning  on the back porch or beside a crackling campfire.  --Whether it be  winter, summer, spring or fall.  --Whether you camp in classic vintage RV --or a two-man tent under the stars, --Jim encourages  enjoyment of camping because Mother Nature offers a peaceful state of mind!        Get out into the great outdoors with Jim Bessey's JCO --and you'll soon discover why we like camping better!

• If you love the excitement and  big roar of NASCAR instead, you'll enjoy following Alexandra Heep's 'A Heep of NASCAR'  for the real inside scuttlebutt on drivers, races, the pits, and the love of  racing itself. 

Alexandra knows this exciting sport inside and out.  She has the post position  and a real insider's   track; she knows many drivers, offers backgrounders, keeps the pedal to the metal  and  asks the right questions --for you.  Follow Alex's  blog  "A Heep of NASCAR " ---and  start your engines !   In fact, after the races, you might want to check out Alex's "A Heep of Everything" too !

•  In the quiet, early morning Eastern sky, watch a true star shining brilliantly  in the skies over the desert of Oman as you enjoy Amanda Dcosta's  Mandy's Pages  to find out what's hot, and what's not.   

 A wonderful writer with the love of poetry and all literature,   Amanda Dcosta's  blog takes an insightful look into literature of all kinds poetry, blog posts,  writers,  and even reviews new books --like my own recently-published   eBook, "Morgidoo's Christmas Carol", a  new Christmas classic published in Smashwords  and Kindle.

• "The dignity of ANY human being is measured in self-esteem and  perception of self-worth. Every human being is worthy of love --and to be treated with respect and dignity."    

Want to learn to be a more effective human being? Visit  M.J. Joachim's Effectively Human ' where faith, the love of God, human dignity and self-worth are not only treasured, but discussed and  promoted  brilliantly by M.J.  herself as well as guest authors and regular contributors.
 Truths about humanity, faith, and today's  difficult and controversial social mores  invariably come out,-- and this insightful resource  site is offered to help the reader better understand hot-button issues,  real human values, families, --and how to be a human being more effectively.



As an avid reader interested in a wide variety of aspects of life, I enjoy excellence in blogs and articles of all kinds and treasure the incredible wealth of information often included in them.  Nuggets of wisdom free for the taking.

• The possibility of finding gold  anywhere in  North and South America and other countries can be explored by reading John Angus Carter's very successful --and highly-informative Gold, Mining and Prospecting blog.  

Over 90,000 readers have already explored the nuggets of information in this amazing blog, and you can too.   
Find out where to find gold, the secrets of panning for gold, --and  you can even sign up for  the John Angus Carter School of prospecting!

The list goes on,  if life is  really to be enjoyed ! 

• If you are city-oriented by heart  and don't care for being out in the  wilds,  look at the life of a writer from high-rise cosmopolitan Toronto, Ontario.    See what Conny Manero has to say in her blog, Under the Toronto Sun.   You will be entertained and surprised! Conny, a published author, has an amazingly honest,  accurate and unique way of "cutting to the chase" about everyday life.

• How is your ongoing sense of humor?  Want to be amused, informed, and also discuss issues as serious as the  'religion of misogyny " ?    Check in with Rachel Howells  Lala's Musings!     Rachel offers a beautifully-written blog with cutting insight--and hilarious sarcasm --into family life, human nature and it's folly, fun, and idiosyncrasies.  Rachel pulls no punches discussing serious issues -- and tells it like it IS. 

• Last but certainly not LEAST,  if you are scribbler of any sort;  a dedicated writer, author, or blogger, you already know, or are quickly discovering, that writing is a serious  business.   

Creative work or otherwise, Doreen Martel's  brilliant approach to writing as a business  on her website  "Freelancing and More" is an incredibly good website and includes much must-read  information for all writers.  
  Doreen  insists  she is not a "creative" writer--but her website and handling of the  tough subject matter  at hand is not only creative --but incredibly smart , timely, and informative.   Check out "Freelancing and More" and you'll soon see how Doreen's approach can help you. 

At Incoming Bytes  I realize that all good blogs and web sites cannot  possibly be listed in this post;   there are  many, many more insightful and entertaining blogs  that should be included.
--Wonderful writing by thoughtful, brilliant writers -- entertaining, informative -- a great read for 2012. 

Add these first to your 'follow' lists, or subscribe FREE by email --you won't be sorry you did! 

It is our fondest hope that we have brought something to the fireside that YOU will enjoy!


This first day of 2012,  here at Incoming Bytes -- we will  continue to explore, question, offer alternative thought --even criticize where required --and encourage you, the reader, to think proactively if you dare.
 


That's my story and I'm sticking to it.