Garden Cleanup

— Posted inOther — 1 min read

Nutsedge is a very common weed on our RV lot and it is really hard to eradicate. Unfortunately the water leak we had in the garden while were traveling in our RV this summer gave it one of the things it most loves, plenty of water. However, it looks like the application of a herbicide specially formulated for nutsedge is working very well while not harming any of the nearby ornamental plants.

We also had an abundance of shrubby type plants and trees sprout and get a good start. The problem with eradicating these plants is they are adapted to the arid climate we have and thus have extremely deep tap roots making them nearly impossible to kill by simply cutting them off. A very careful application of another specific herbicide looks to be eliminating them. Only time will tell whether it is permanent or if they will continue to grow back.

Preparing to Travel for Three Months

— Posted inEclectic, Travel — 1 min read

In approximately 3 weeks we will be leaving the US and traveling through Europe, North Africa and the Middle East for three months. Planning for all that travel takes planning. The family planner has been busy planning knowing full well that based on past overseas travel what we plan and what happens is likely to differ. It is called the adventure of travel and what happens always makes for a great story. Take a chance, live Life to its fullest. We do!

Home Winery

— Posted inFood — 1 min read

On the bottom is where the wine making equipment is kept. Shelf 1 has wine that is aging in bottles. The top shelf is where empty wine bottles and bag in box containers are stored. As you can see I use recycled bottles from friends. The bag in box containers are obtained the same way. All the wines are made from wine kits which I purchase online from several different sources. It is a “pleasurable” hobby in more ways than one.

Wine Making

— Posted inFood — 1 min read

Had two batches of wine aging in the secondary while we traveled this summer. Running six gallons of Shiraz through the filter prior to bottling.

Sterilizing the bottles with a sodium metabisulfite solution prior to bottling.

The next two batches fermenting in the primary. The Island Mist is a Coconut Yuzu “chick wine” for the wife, the other is a Sangiovese for yours truly. A happy wife will put up with the clutter and smell of wine making.