Craft Fairs

Well it’s that time of year again for Craft Fairs. Although they pop up now and then all year, the fall is the peak time for the Holiday Fairs. Some are small gatherings held at a school or church and others are larger, held at the big auditorium.

The largest fairs around are the Castleberry Fairs. You can see a calendar of events at their web site http://www.castleberryfairs.com/index.php
In Wilmington, MA where I live there are several Castleberry fairs held during the year at the Shriner Auditorium just off Rte. 93. The fairs attract over 300 crafters that sell their wears including jewelry, knitted clothing, toys, hand-carved sculptures, glassware, paintings, yard ornaments, wind vanes, pottery, jams and jellies and other assorted items.

I prefer to sell my crafts at the smaller fairs since the entrance fee (table space fee) is smaller at about $40-$60 for a 6x10 foot space. The Castleberry Fairs charge $300 for their table space.

My craft involves decorative painting on wood, glass, metal and slate. I purchase blank items at discount stores and then paint a decorative design on the item. For instance I paint roses on wine glasses and then resell the painted glasses individually or in sets for $5.00 each. I also paint on small wood stools, end tables, metal buckets, clay pots, wood signs, mailboxes and I have made wood clocks.

I start my painting at the end of summer and continue through December, restocking items that I have sold or that have been custom ordered. Recently, I sold a few end tables with flowers painted on them. A customer then asked if I could paint a seaside scene on the end tables with seagulls which she wanted to give to her mother as a Christmas present. It generally takes me about two weeks to do a custom order when it’s mixed in with the other jobs.

This year I only signed up for a few fairs. They are/were at Tewksbury High School, Woburn Son’s of Italy, St. Thomas Church in Wilmington and Austin Prep in Reading. The older you get, the harder it is to lug all the painted items back and forth to the fairs. I have about six big rubber maid boxes filled with all my painted items. After carrying them all out of my basement and into the SUV, I then carry them all in to the fair. Each trip takes an hour. After, it takes another hour to just unpack them and set them up on the fair table and shelves. I then have the reverse job at the end of the day. That is about four hours of lugging boxes and another six hours selling items at the fair. Oh, my achy old bones.

Each year I try to paint something new. This year I got some roof slates from a good neighbor and cut them down into 8x12 inch slate welcome signs. I then painted various items on the slate and sealed them with a Poly Acrylic Sealer. The slates came from an old house which was built about 1850 along the Middlesex Canal. Although the slates are reused to patch old slate roofs they can be also used for decorative purposes.

On some of the slates, I painted some scenes of the ferry boats that were horse drawn along the Middlesex Canal in the late 1800s. You can see some photos at the links below.

You can also see some other photos of the Applefest Fair at Tewksbury High School and those items at my web site. Just click on the link below……

Applefest Fair ….. http://picasaweb.google.com/markryan312/Applefest11610#

Web Site ….. http://markscrafts.com

My next fair is on Saturday, (10AM-3PM), November 20, 2010, at St. Thomas Church, Villanova Hall in Wilmington, MA. 01887. Come checkout my decorative paintings.

Comments welcome ……… markryan82@comcast.net

Removing Lichen

Over the last few years I have noticed some lichen growing on my house roof. It seemed to have started when some trees near the front and back of the house shaded the roof and kept the roof damp. Each year the lichen spread out more and covered the entire roof. Although the trees have now been removed, the lichen continues to grow.

I tried scrapping them off, but they soon returned. There are fine rootlets that dig into the shingle tar and when scrapped away leave a small indentation. After searching the internet and reading Peter Horton in the Globe, there seems to be no cure for this problem.

However, I think I discovered a possible solution. Lichen is a composite plant growth of an algae and a fungus living together in a symbiotic relationship. See link ……. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lichen

Since you can kill algae in pool water with an algaecide, it might also work on lichen. Using this idea, I bought some pool algaecide called HTH Algae Guard (3x concentrated) and applied it to the greenish gray lichen. The next day the lichen turned brown and seemed to have died.

Over the next few days I applied some more HTH with a small brush and let it absorb for a few minutes. I tried to work only on a small area about two feet square so I could scrap off the lichen while they were still wet with the HTH.

I then used a hand scrub brush with strong bristles and scrubbed the lichen off while scrubbing the HTH into the shingle. Painting the roof with HTH will prevent further lichen growth. It was much easier scrubbing the lichen off after applying the HTH than without.

You can buy the HTH at any hardware or pool supply place. I bought mine at Walmarts. However, they only stock it during the summer season. You can see some photos of the lichen and the HTH materials in the link below …. http://picasaweb.google.com/markryan312/Lichen92510#

In the photos of the roof, you can see that the lichen has been removed from near the roof peek and along the right side. The area in the middle of the roof still has the lichen not yet removed but will be worked on later.

I would assume that the HTH might also be used to remove moss and mold growing on walkways, house siding and green stained yard furniture.

Comments and suggestions welcome: …. Send email to … markryan82@comcast.net

Gardens and Gophers - 2010

The harvest this year has been pretty poor. I only got a few good size zucchini and some yellow squash. The eggplant has been nibbles away and the corn is dry and small. The tomatoes seemed to be stunted in growth with leaves dry and brittle. All of this is probably due to lack of rain water. However, I am still getting a lot of cherry tomatoes.

Last year there was too much rain water, this year it is too dry and hot. If you depend on Mother Nature to help water the garden, you were out of luck this year. Since I have been away from home several days each week, it has been hard for me to water the garden on a regular basis and consequently the plants have suffered.

Another reason has to do with a critter that is living under my back yard shed and near the garden. He has been feeding on the big leaf vegetables and after a few weeks my zucchinis have no leaves. He has also nibbled on the juicy stems near the base of the zucchinis which has prevented the plants from getting water.

Consequently, I have written a going away poem for my little garden friend. Hope you can appreciate the humor and frustration.


My Friend Gomez

Gomez and I get up early every morning to tend the garden. We start by weeding and trimming the edges. I pull out the dead leaves. Gomez nibbles the juicy ones, as his plump body wiggles and weaves.

I use a hoe and Gomez likes to use his paws with sharp claws. I turn up the soil to root out the tough weeds and Gomez looks for the grubs on which he feeds.

After a while I add a little fertilizer with a triple 10 blend while Gomez likes to add a natural one, dropping a little here and there achieving the same end.

I tried to coax Gomez to start his own garden far away from mine. I spread some moth balls and fox pee around Gomez’s den, so he would find some other place to dine.

Now that he has eaten all the zucchini leaves, he nibbles away at the grass. There isn’t much left of that either, since the dry summer sun has burned it up fast.

I think its time for Gomez to take a trip, so I ordered a special traveling box that is just the right size. It’s called a Have-A-Heart-Trap, I hope he will like the surprise.

I hear they serve great meals in Gomez’s future home in the woods down south. However, I think I have had enough with Gomez and like a mad dog, I am beginning to foam at the mouth.

If you haven’t guessed by now, my friend Gomez is a Gopher. One of God’s little creatures that have some great purpose in life, but only God knows what for.

Yours truly,
Farmer Mark

Habitat for Humanity - Whitefield, NH

As you may know, I have a camp trailer in Littleton, NH and spend a lot of vacation time there from May to October. Most of the time, I bring the grand kids and we have a great time swimming, fishing and hiking and just enjoying the outdoor life. Besides the activities right in the campground, there are also plenty of sights to see all around the White Mountains area.

Recently, I attended a Pancake Breakfast held at the town common in Whitefield, NH which is only a short distance from Littleton, NH. Besides having a great breakfast of pancakes and sausage for only $5.00, we got to talk with other travelers sitting across the table. Some were local people and others were vacationing from near and far. In addition, there were crafter tents set up all around the town common where you can see the works of local craftsmen and women selling there wares. There were wood carvings, nature photographs, knitted garments, handmade walking sticks and furniture, jewelry, and handmade baskets.

As we strolled around to the different craft tents we stopped to talk with the crafters and purchased a few interesting items. However, one table advertised a local Habitat for Humanity Project and they were looking for donations as well as volunteers. After taking a Habitat flier, I left my name and email.

A few days later, I got an email from Habitat and volunteered to help out at a local work project in Whitefield, NH. They needed volunteers a few days per week. Since I was camping close by, I decided to volunteer once a week, if I was available. Last Friday I put in my first volunteer day and came back to camp sweaty and sore from all the hard work. Besides myself, there were about 12 other volunteers who also donated their time.

The volunteer work involved clearing a building lot for a small three bedroom home that was already awarded to a local young family who met all the income requirements. The prospective owner also had to volunteer 300 hours of sweat equity to the project. The work entailed cutting down trees, dragging brush and throwing branches into a wood chipper. Other jobs required digging holes, raking and leveling sand for a foundation, putting up a project sign and a million other odds and ends.

The non-skilled volunteers generally only worked on Thursday and Saturday for 4 hours while the professional contractors, like heavy equipment operators, plumbers and electricians showed up on the other days when they were available. Most of them also volunteered their services. Water and snacks were provided as well as most hand tools. You could also bring your own tools if you had them.

Since I was early and one of the first to arrive, I ended up digging a four foot hole along the foundation wall. Although most of the digging was in foundation river sand, we eventually hit roots and rocks and regular dirt that was hard going. The hole was for the water and electrical PVC pipes that had to go under the foundation wall and below the frost line. After digging the hole, we placed in the pipes and marked them with red tape and then buried the hole again with the pipes sticking out of the ground. Later, the professional contractors would make the completed connections. You can see photos of the work day at the link …….. http://picasaweb.google.com/markryan312/Habitat72310#

You can also see other photos for the project in Whitefield, NH at the link below ……
Whitefield, NH - Habitat Project
http://ammonoosuchabitat2010build.shutterfly.com/


You can find links to other projects in Greater Boston at the link below ………..
List of Habitat Projects in Greater Boston with Links
http://www.habitatboston.org/links.html

General information and owner requirements can be also be found at the link below ….
Habitat for Humanity – Greater Boston Home Page and Info
http://www.habitatboston.org/index.html

After I volunteer a few more times, I’ll let you know how the project is progressing. Remember, volunteering is a labor of love and giving. It’s good for the soul and its great exercise too.

Comments always welcome. Email …… markryan82@comcast.net

Garden Update 7-7-10

I got my first zucchini of the summer this week. Although I have been watching the garden grow and weeding each week, the fruits and flowers and vegetables seem to pop up and grow overnight. You can see some photos of the garden at the link below ……
http://picasaweb.google.com/markryan312/Garden7710#

Everything seemed to be growing well with very little watering during May and June. The natural rain water has kept all the plants healthy. However, I did water some by hand with a watering can from the rain barrel, mostly on the days that I planted new plants. To keep the water around the plant, I dug a circular trench around each plant with my fingers. This keeps the water near the plant roots and prevents it from running out.

However, the hot and dry spell we have had this week has really sucked the water out of the soil and consequently caused the plants to droop. Since rain is not predicted until the end of the week, I did have to give the garden a good soaking with water from the house garden hose. Since Wilmington, MA, where I live, still has some water restrictions, you can only water with a hand held hose after 5PM and before 9AM. I even saw flashing signs up in North Reading, indicating a water emergency. All the water we got this spring from the torrential rain has entered the water table, then streams, rivers and out to the ocean and back into the water cycle. Unfortunately, we will have to wait again for mother-nature to pour some back on the land.

You can see from the photos, which I have a good size pumpkin and zucchini patch going. I put these plants in an area where I have composted for a few years. The soil is now nice and rich and full of nutrients. Another reason I plant the zucchini here is to keep the “American Bamboo Plants” from growing. They are very invasive and aggressive weed-trees that take over a garden area if left unchecked. I have tried weed killer and even dug up the roots, but they continue to spread. They grow like wild fire by root propagation so leaving just a small piece of root in the soil is enough for a new plant to pop up. I weed them out each night and the next day they are back. My only salvation is when the zucchini patch spreads out and takes over.

Hopefully, the summer will not be so hot and dry and we will get some rain, at least once per week. As the season progresses, I’ll let you know what’s available. If you are in the area, drop by, I love sharing my harvest or just a cup of coffee or (ice tea).

See you around the pumpkin patch.

Comments always welcome …. markryan82@comcast.net

Garden Potatoes and Cold Frame Transplants

Garden Potatoes and Cold Frame Transplants

A. Potatoes
In April, I rototill the garden and then rake out all the dead weeds and rocks. I then add some garden fertilizer (10-10-10) and/or some compost that I turned last year from lawn grass clippings. I help the compost pile with some lime and try to turn it every week.

In May I rototill the area on the outside of the garden fence and then hoe a trench to plant some potatoes, onions and dalais. You can buy bags of seed potatoes, small onions bulbs and dalai tubers in a garden shop for a few dollars a bag.

You can also grow your own seed potatoes. Just pick some potatoes at the grocers with developing eyes and then set them on top of the refrigerator for a couple weeks. You should then have several potatoes with a lot of eyes.

Cut up these seed potatoes into small two inch pieces, each with an eye. Plant the potato pieces in a garden trench about one foot apart and cover with a couple inches of soil. Water well. In about two weeks you will see green plant shoots sprout out through the soil.

You can see some photos at the link……..
http://picasaweb.google.com/markryan312/GardenPotatoes51310#

B. Transplants
After growing some vegetables from seeds, starting in March or April I move the seedlings to a cold frame. As the seedlings got bigger, I transplanted them to individual pots and leave them in the cold frame for a few more weeks.

I built my cold frame from (1x2 inch) wood strapping and then covered it with clear plastic all around (bottom, top, sides). I stapled the plastic to the wood frame so that it was air tight. I then put the plants in individual cups with holes in bottom in a large tray.

When watering, soak the soil in pots and then fill the outside tray with water about half full. The plants will absorb extra water from the outside tray as needed. The water will last about 4-5 days and then you will have to water again. The temperature inside the cold frame will be much higher than outside and you will see the water condensing on the inside of the plastic. In extreme heat, you will need to vent the cold frame for a few hours per day.

At the end of May or first week in June you can move the transplants from the cold frame to the garden and water at least once per week. Water more often if there are several continuous hot days. Most plants will thrive on one cup of water a week.

You can see some photos at the link ….
http://picasaweb.google.com/markryan312/GardenUpdate6610#

During the rest of the summer, just weed and water as needed (at least once per week). Also, I need to stake and cage tomato plants in a week. I will harvest most vegetables in August.

Let me know if you would like to try some fresh garden vegetables. I’ll save you some.

Comments always welcome: markryan82@comcast.net

Fishing - One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish

One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish
As Doctor Suess use to say, its fun when you know how to fish and a good book certainly helps.

Well it is time to take out the old fishing pole and try catching the big one that always gets away. Even if you are rusty or haven’t tried fishing, it sure is a relaxing endeavor. All you need is a fishing pole, some hooks, and some bait to start. You drop the baited hook in the water and tug on the line a few times to attract the fish.

Most fishermen will catch a fish and then gently take it off the hook and throw it back to swim away. The fish soon recovers and you have not depleted the fish population from the local pond. This is called “Catch and Release”. Other fishermen will catch fish that are big enough and take them home to eat. In most local freshwater ponds you can catch sunfish, bass, pickerel or trout.

The Mass. Dept of Fisheries does stock most ponds and lakes with a yearly supply of fish that they have grown in local hatcheries. Normally they might dump a thousand fish or more into one pond. The cost of maintaining local ponds and lakes with fish is supported by the purchase of fishing licenses.

If you are the least bit interested, I have listed some information below that might get you started. Also, fishing is a great activity to share with your children, grandchildren or just a friend. There is nothing like spending the day out in the woods near a pond and enjoying the quiet outdoors.

*******************************

As I was reading the Sunday Boston Globe today (May 9, 2010), the title of a book caught my eye. It was written by a Biology teacher from Billerica, MA along with his son. The drawings and photos in the book are from those actually caught by the authors.

Although I noticed the book title because I like fishing, I also noticed it because a friend told me about it recently. One of my Romeo friends, Joe Loducca, knows the author and mentioned the book as well as some good fishing spots near Townsend, MA. You can see the news article and the book title below.

New Freshwater Fish Identification Book
Boston Globe,May 9,2010, page C6, Books, Shelf Life, “Guide to Northeast Fish”,
By David A. Patterson, Billerica Biology Teacher, (Friend of Joe Loducca)
http://www.boston.com/yourtown/newton/articles/2010/05/09/shelf_life/

Local Fishing Derby (Check your local papers for local fishing Derbies)
Wilmington, MA, (June 5, 2010), 9 AM to 12 Noon at Silver Lake , Town Beach, No License Needed for this one day of fishing, Take the Kids, A life long hobby enjoyed by all. All you need is a line, a hook and some bait. Residence and Non-residence welcome.

Learn to Fish
Volunteers from the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife will present an Angler Education Program sponsored by the Wilmington Recreation Dept. at Silver Lake, Town Beach on Thursday, My 13, 5-7 PM. Parents and children are encouraged to team up. The class is free for residence and non-residence. Pre-registration is necessary. Call the Recreation Department at 978-658-4270

Some Fish That I Caught
You can see some photos of a few fish that I caught at Silver Lake, last year with my grandchildren. I caught a few Pumpkin Seed Sunfish. They are identified with the black spot on their gill cover with a red spot on the end and squiggly vertical dark lines across their body. I also caught a juvenile Largemouth Bass recognized by the dark line down the center, the mouth and the fins. See photos of fish at the link ……. http://picasaweb.google.com/markryan312/FishingAtSilverLake81908

Mass Fishing License
Now that I am a senior citizen, I can get my fishing license at a reduced rate ($16.25 for the year, January to December). A rate chart for hunting and fishing licenses can be found at the state web site …………… http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/recreation/licensing/license_fees.htm

Local Fishing Ponds in Massachusetts
You can also find depth maps for local ponds that help you decide where to fish, identification photos and links to other relate sites at the site ……. http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/habitat/maps/ponds/pond_maps_nd.htm

Other Fish Identification Web Sites
http://www.identicards.com/allaboutfreshwaterfish/
and http://www.landbigfish.com/fish/default.cfm

Seed Starter Kits

Seeds Starter Kits

I usually plant seeds indoors in April which then produce seedlings that are ready to transplant outside on Memorial Day in May. There are some great starter kits that are available with everything you need including seeds, soil, plant trays and clear dome lids. You can see the whole process and some photos at the link …
http://picasaweb.google.com/markryan312/SeedStarterKits33010#

This year I found some great bargains for kits and seeds at different stores. You can see them all in the photos. I first saw that the Dollar Store had 4 packs of seeds for $1.00 although the variety is limited. I heard they also have this same price at Walgreens. That was a bargain since most seed packs are $1.00 to $2.00 per pack. When buying seeds I usually like the Burpee brand and you need to check the package date. This year’s packs should say 2010 although I have tried seeds from previous years. If packs are kept really dry you can keep them for a long time. Grain seeds found in 2000 year old Egyptian pyramids have been known to grow into viable plants.

Next you need some potting mix which has the soil, vermiculite and some fertilizer all together. I like the Miracle Grow brand. However, I also buy a bag of Perlite that I mix with the Potting mix to make the soil retain moisture longer. I general mix the Perlite with the Potting soil in a ratio of one to ten.

I then fill the seed trays with the potting mix with the trowel. I then press each pot with my thumb to compact the soil a little and then add extra mix to the top. I then water the soil so that it is damp but not muddy. I do all my trays first and let the water absorb into the soil mix.

I then organize the seed packs that I have selected and try to determine how many plants I want so there will be enough room in the garden to transplant them all. Normally I with plant four to eight seed pots per seed pack. I put the seed pack on top of the seed trays to get an idea how many seed trays I need and can manage.

I then separately remove a pack from the top of a seed tray exposing four to eight seed pots just so I remember which seed pots I am working on. I then poke a hole in the soil with a pencil point and twirl it big enough for the seeds. Large seeds like squash are about a half inch long and a quarter wide. You should probably plant seeds no deeper than their width and then cover loosely with damp soil. Carrot seeds are very fine and should only be lightly covered with soil. Make sure you mark each group of pots with a numbered popsicle stick to identify which pots have which seeds then record the number and seed names in a chart.

Check to see that soil is damp. If not, lightly sprinkle again with water making the soil damp but not muddy. Now cover the seed tray with the plastic dome. The dome prevents drying and keeps the soil damp for several days. I generally check every day and most of the time I water every five days if there is a dome cover. Trays with no cover will dry out faster and need to be watered more often.

Keep the seed trays warm at about 70 degrees during the germination period. In about two weeks the seeds will sprout into small green seedlings. You can now remove the dome cover and expose the seedlings to light for 10-12 hours per day. You can do this in a south facing window with sunlight or with a fluorescent light on a timer switch. If you have fluorescent blue grow lights they are even better but are more expensive. Hang the lights so that they are 4-6 inches above the seedlings. Keep moving the lights up as the seedlings grow. The lights will provide the energy needed for photosynthesis as well as some additional heat.

In about two months or after the last frost, you can move the seedlings outside. I generally put them in a cold frame outside covered with clear plastic to keep them warm. Keep them outside in the seed trays for a few days to harden up and get them use to the outdoor temperature changes. After hardening you can plant them in the garden evenly spaced according to package directions. A few feet apart for tall plants like tomato and more space for vine type plants like squash. Use marker stakes to identify the plants.

You can see a chart of the seeds that I planted this year below with some comments. I will let you now later this summer how they grow.

Comments Welcome: markryan82@comcast.net

Mark's Seed Plantings Garden Plants - Summer 2010
Number -Type Package -Date Planted -Comments
1 Mixed Herb Seeds Herb Garden Kit 4/5/2010 Basil, Chives, Dill, Parsley
2 Foxglove -Excelsior Perennial Garden Kit 4/5/2010 Burpee-Christmas Tree Shop
3 Hollyhock -Chaters Perennial Garden Kit 4/5/2010 Burpee-Christmas Tree Shop
4 Shasta Daisy - Alaska Perennial Garden Kit 4/5/2010 Burpee-Christmas Tree Shop
5 Alyssum -Busket of Gold Perennial Garden Kit 4/5/2010 Burpee-Christmas Tree Shop
6 Columbine - McKana Perennial Garden Kit 4/5/2010 Burpee-Christmas Tree Shop
7 Columbine - McKana Perennial Garden Kit 4/5/2010 Burpee-Christmas Tree Shop
8 Marigold Burpee 4/5/2010 Dollar Store - 4/$1
9 Shasta Daisy - Alaska Burpee 4/5/2010 Dollar Store - 4/$1
10 Echinacea-Purple Cone Burpee 4/5/2010 Dollar Store - 4/$1
11 Sunflower-Mammoth Burpee 4/5/2010 Dollar Store - 4/$1
12 Marigold Burpee 4/5/2010 Dollar Store - 4/$1
13 Zinnia Burpee 4/5/2010 Dollar Store - 4/$1
14 Zinnia Burpee 4/5/2010 Dollar Store - 4/$1
15 Morning Glory Burpee 4/5/2010 Dollar Store - 4/$1
16 Tomato-Cherry Burpee 4/6/2010 Walmart
17 Tomato-Roma,Plume,Paste Burpee 4/6/2010 Walmart
18 Tomato-Beefsteak Super Burpee 4/6/2010 Walmart
19 Carrot-Danvers Half Long Burpee 4/6/2010 Walmart
20 Summer Squash-Zucchini Burpee 4/6/2010 Walmart
21 Squash-Early Straightneck Yellow Burpee 4/6/2010 Walmart
22 Eggplant-Black Beauty Burpee 4/6/2010 Walmart
23 Carrot-Danvers Half Long Burpee 4/6/2010 Walmart
24 Sweet Corn Burpee 4/7/2010 Walmart
25 Sweet Corn American Seed 4/7/2010 Walmart
26 Broccoli Burpee 4/7/2010 Walmart
27 Pepper Burpee 4/7/2010 Walmart
28 Cucumber-Large American Seed 4/7/2010 Walmart
29 Cucumber-Pickle Bush Burpee 4/7/2010 Walmart
30 Pumpkin-Big Max Burpee 4/7/2010 Walmart
31 Pumpkin-Big Max Burpee 4/7/2010 One year Old -2009 Seeds
32 Cucumber-Tendergreen Burpee 4/7/2010 One year Old -2009 Seeds
33 Garden Bean-Tendergreen Burpee 4/7/2010 One year Old -2009 Seeds
34 Sunflower-Mammoth Burpee 4/7/2010 One year Old -2009 Seeds
35 Lettuce-Summer Crisp Burpee 4/7/2010 One year Old -2009 Seeds

3rd Flood of March 2010

Hi All

Well the water is back again. The last rain storm on Monday-Wednesday (3-28 to 3-31-10) brought more water into my basement after I cleaned it up, wet vacuum and mop clean with bleach and dry. Last night I had to put a third pump right on the floor in the basement. I have two other sump pumps below the floor in sump holes. It’s a finished family room but everything had been lifted up on boxes and shelves. Minimal damage. But need to dry it all out again with open widows and fans and more bleach and mop.

I heard on the news today that we have broken the all time record for the wettest month ever in Boston since they have kept records from the late 1800s.

The water table in my neighborhood is almost at ground level now since the Shawsheen River went passed flood stage last night. All the houses in the neighborhood have pumps going with hoses out to the street and drains.

The Shawsheen River is down the street from me and has washed out the road and bridge. Several houses down near the river are flooded with water up to the first floor.

You can see some photos and video at the web site below.

Flicker.com - Photos, Shawsheen River, Flooding, 3-31-10
http://www.flickr.com/photos/48847342@N03/?saved=1

They say the sun will be out tomorrow and it may be near 80 degrees on Sunday.
Happy Easter . They say Easter is a day of rebirth. Let’s hope so.

Mark

The Great Flood of March 2010

The Great Flood of March 2010 – (Water, Pumps and Generators)
The weather has certainly been extreme this year. Snow and ice this winter all across the country and now spring flooding in the Midwest, rain in Florida and heavy rain in the Northeast. Is it just a change in weather patterns or is it Global Warming?

Well it’s another rain event today and tomorrow in my neighborhood. The weather stations are predicting up to 3 inches more where I live in the Wilmington, MA. Maybe we will be lucky and the ground will absorb most of it.

“I spoke too soon. Although it rained last night, it stopped this morning and my basement was dry when I started writing this article. However, on Tuesday afternoon the water started coming up through the basement floor again and unfortunately they are predicting more rain tonight.”

When the local rivers flooded last week, we got about 8 inches of rain and as a result the water table went up and I could see large water puddles accumulating in my neighbor’s back yards. That is an indication that the water table is near ground level and basement flooding is eminent.

The Shawsheen River is located at the end of my street and broke a high water record last week of 10.8 feet. After the river floods, it usually takes another day for the water table to rise and nearby basements to flood. It then takes about a week for the water to recede and basements to dry out again.

Although I had two sump pumps going continuously since the rain last week, I still got a couple inches of water on the basement floor. Since the basement is partially finished I put all the furniture up on blocks and did not sustain any permanent damage.

After a week, the water table went down and I used a wet-vacuum to suck up all the excess water and dry the floor. Next I washed the floor with a 20% mix of bleach and water with a mop to kill any mold that might grow. You need to do this in a well ventilated basement with fans going and windows open. (I guess I will have to do it again in a couple of days.)

As I talked with neighbors along my street there are some who had a lot of water in their basements and some with no water. Some houses are built higher up and others lower but there seems to be no connection to whether or not they get water. Mother Nature just does whatever she wants.

Besides the height of the water table, it must also be the composition of the underground soil that will either absorb or divert the ground water flow toward or away from your house. I guess you need to know if your house is built on ground which is mostly sand, clay, an old peat bog or solid granite.

Most houses in my area have sump pumps installed in their basements to pump water from under the basement floor and out of the house. This usually keeps most basements dry most of the time except in extreme situations like this one. The outlet pipe from the sump pump should then be connected to a long hose or pipe that leads to the street sewer system or a drainage catch basin so that water is carried safely away from your property.

Some people will have their sump pump drop the water outside their basement window or in their backyard where it enters the ground again and goes right back into their basement to start over again. Although that seems to be just common sense, sometimes people have to learn by their mistakes.

Another problem is to determine where the water is coming from. Is it surface water that is coming off your house roof during heavy rain or from the street or a local stream and then pouring into your basement from above ground? Or is it ground water rising up through the basement floor from a high water table? If its surface water, you can install drain gutters and down spouts to take the water away from the foundation. You can also have the soil next to the house graded and sloped away from your foundation.

Although most good sump pumps will take care of the basement water, you also have to worry about an electric power outage. In a storm, trees may topple and pull down power lines and cut off your electric power. Without electricity your sump pumps won’t work.

That is when you need to have a backup battery on the pump or a gasoline operated generator which will provide power for the pump or even the entire house. A battery will only last about 12 hours and then needs to be recharged. If the power is out longer than that, you will need a generator.

A few years ago I bought a gasoline operated generator and had an electrician wire it to my house and put it on a separate circuit breaker box. It is not automatic so I have to manually switch the power over from the electric company to the generator when needed.

I keep the generator outside near a tool shed. During a power outage lasting more than a few hours, I start the generator outside where heat and gas fumes are well ventilated. I then turn off the main circuit breaker panel in my basement and turn on the generator circuit breaker panel. In an instant I now have generator electric power for the sump pumps as well as most of the appliances in my house. Although I test the generator periodically I have never had to use it. I guess I have some luck.

“Rain, Rain Go Away. Come Again On A Dry Summer Day.”

Comments : email markryan82@comcast.net

A Picture Is A Thousand Words

After I retired several years ago I began thinking about my life and all the milestones that are fixed in my memory, those special events that are a link to my past history. As I thought more about the neighborhood in which I grew up, I wondered what it might look like now and how it has changed. That got me to look at some old family albums and photos from my childhood. Although the photos focused on a particular person, I looked at the background in the photo to figure out where it was taken and the surroundings.

In one photo, I was sitting on the front steps of the house in which I was born. I was eating a fudgicle that probably cost a nickel or less at the corner store. The house was located at 21 Chestnut St. in Chelsea, Massachusetts. It was only a few streets away from the ocean looking out to Boston Harbor.

There was no date on the photo but I was about five years old in the photo so it must have been 1948, since I was born in 1943. The steps were made of solid granite and there was a double door in the background. The door was dark wood with a brass kick plate at the bottom. The house was a three-decker wood frame with a basement and attic apartment. It was physically joined to another duplicate apartment building with five apartments on each side or ten altogether. I still remember all the families that lived in each apartment. They were like one big family.

My mind was now flooded with memories all triggered by that one photo. I began thinking about all the activities surrounding those front steps. The double wide steps became a meeting place for all the kids in the neighborhood. We met there each day to play or begin whatever adventure we dreamed up. I remember playing ball against the steps. I remember sitting on the steps on a hot summer night with the other kids from the neighborhood holding a burning citronella punk to keep the mosquitoes away. I remember pitching pennies against the steps. I remember my sister playing jump rope and playing hop scotch on the side walk. I remember riding my first tricycle and later my first bike.

As the seasons changed the snow piled up against the steps and we made snowmen on the sidewalk. We dug tunnels in the mounds of snow piled against the sidewalk and imagined we were Eskimos living in igloos. One year the street was partially cleaned of snow but still had a solid layer of ice on it good enough to skate. The boys all got their hockey skates, stick and puck and we played Hockey on the dead-end street.

As the seasons changed again to spring we played games after dinner using the front steps as the starting point. We played hide and seek and even used flashlights after dark to guide us through the dark alleys and back yards.

Its sure is funny how one picture can bring back so many memories. As I grew older I left the neighborhood to visit my school friends who lived over a few streets and even across the city. The city of Chelsea was only a few miles wide and I walked everywhere. First to grade school a few blocks away and then to high school which was almost a mile away. I went to church a mile away and then to the local YMCA or the football stadium. My world got bigger as I grew older.

Recently I wondered what the neighborhood might look like and discovered that I could use Google Maps to zero in on any street in “Satellite Aerial View Mode” and see a birds-eye view of the street and all the houses along the way. These were actual aerial photos keyed to the street maps. On some streets I could actually move down to street level as if I was driving in a car and look left and right at the front of a house or store or school. Sitting at my home desk and using a computer I was able to virtually fly over any city and then down to street level to take a closer look.

Using Google Maps and the Aerial View I took tons of photos with my computer by using the “Screen Capture Mode” and then saved the picture as a JPEG image. I took photos of all the neighborhoods that I played in , some of my fiends houses, the schools that I attended, the church that I went to, the places that I worked and got my first jobs as a teenager. The house on the right of the photo at the left is 21 Chestnut St. today. It is still an apartment building but has been sided and fixed up. The house is over 100 years old.

Technology has certainly expanded my world view and allowed me to trigger my memory through pictures from the first black and white photos taken with my Kodak Brownie Box Camera to high definition color photos taken with my fancy new computer.
A picture certainly does reveal a thousand words of memory and even more.

Tax Dilemna

Hi All

A funny thing happened on the way to the Forum said Marco. The tax collectors were all sitting on their thrones gathering the tithe that the emperor had declared, “a pound of flesh from every living being in my kingdom”. Times certainly have not changed since ancient Rome. We now just drop our hard earned coins into the Federal Withholding coffer.

It’s Tax Time again and like everyone else, you get all your files and receipts ready to do the calculations yourself or bring them to the tax man. I generally do my own tax calculations and filing. Sometimes its pretty simple and if I have all the data I can do it in an hour. However, there is always a glitch in the system.

I use the short form 1040A since I can’t accumulate enough deductions to itemize so consequently I take the Standard Deduction for Married Filing Jointly. You can also get a little more than the standard deduction if you pay Real Estate Taxes and also bought a New Car in 2009. Instead of the $11,400 Standard Deduction, I could get a $14,600 Standard Deduction.

I then figured my adjusted gross income and read the tax from the tax table and was surprised. I owed about $700 more than what was taken out in my Federal Tax Withholding. Normally I break even. I was confused. What happened?

I discovered that as a result of the Federal Stimulus Act for 2009, less Federal Tax was taken out of weekly or monthly paychecks to give more money to citizens to use weekly rather than give them a bonus $200 check at the end of the year as was done previously. For me I had less Federal Withholding in 2009 than I had in 2008, 2007, or 2006 even though I had more income. I would rather have more withholding during the year and then get a refund than have to pay.

If this new rate of Federal Tax Withholding continues next year, I will have to have more money deducted from either my state pension or Social Security Benefits just to break even or more to get a refund.

To double check my calculations I then tried Turbo Tax online which is free for Federal Taxes and about $19 more for State Taxes and they will E-file for you. After inputting all the data in Turbo Tax online I ended up with the same dilemma and still owed Federal Taxes.

I also tried to get some energy credits since I put insulation in my attic and spent about $800 for materials. I did all the work myself. This included the insulation, air baffles, eave vents, staples, special staple hammer tool, attic fan with thermostat, electric wiring and switches. However, you need a special form to take an energy credit (Form 5695). I downloaded the form from the IRS web site and filled it out and learned I could only take 30% of the total cost of the insulation job which amounted to $240 which is 30% of $800. This was not much help since it only reduced my taxes by $45 on the Tax Table. I also discovered that to get an energy credit you have to Itemize Deductions instead of taking the Standard Deduction. However, next year you can take the energy credit right on your 2010 tax form instead of using a special form. Why am I always a day late and a dollar short?

Maybe I can apply for some Federal Bailout money. Well its only $700. But I will have to make some adjustments. Maybe I won’t go out to eat as much to make up the difference. The average cost for a Romeo Lunch is about $35.00. That would be about 20 lunches. However, I could do it in half the time if I used the advice that I got in a Plugger Cartoon. See attached.

See you soon. Anyone want to be my lunch buddy?

Mark

End Of Year Summary - 2009

End of Year Summary 2009

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Short Stories Listed Below Moved To New Blog : click -
http://marksshorts.blogspot.com/

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Adventures of the Romeo Gang - "The Marblehead Heist ... Short Stories 12/15/09

Adventures of the Romeo Gang - "Climate Manipulators ... Short Stories 12/7/09

Adventures of the Romeo Gang - "Bagdad Time Machine ... Short Stories 11/29/09

Adventures of the Romeo Gang - "The Freedom Trail"... Short Stories 11/22/09

Adventures of The Romeo Gang - "Ancestral Seeds" …Short Stories 11/14/09

Adventures of the Romeo Gang - "The H1N1 Assignment ... Short Stories 11/6/09

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General Info Essays Listed Below Are At The Following Blog: click - http://opennutshell.blogspot.com/

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Frost On The Pumpkin Garden 10/13/09

Romeo Fishing Trip Fishing 9/15/09

The Ghost of the Black Widow - On George's Island Boating 8/17/09

Bikes for the Grandkids Bikes 8/8/09

Zucchini & Meat Casserole and Other Tall Tails Garden 7/27/09

Garden “Signs” Garden 6/23/09

Strawberries Garden 6/14/09

A Camping - "Staycation" Camping 6/6/09

Time To Get The Vegetable Garden Ready Garden 5/4/09

Getting The Yard Ready (Spring Is Here !) Yard Work 4/25/09

Libraries – The Last Treasure Education 4/7/09

Learning Life Skills Through Science Fair Projects... Education 3/22/09

Sailing the Ocean Blue Boating 3/10/09

Homemade Escarole Soup (ZUPPA DI SCAROLA) Food 2/18/09

Snow Job? Weather 2/3/09

Shipwrecks – Boston's North Shore Suba Diving 1/29/09

Pirate Treasure Buried In Wilmington Imagination 1/25/09

Teeth Whitening (Less than $ 1.00) Health 1/18/09

Chicken Soup & The Common Cold Health