We picked kumquats (for marmalade) from a friend's tree yesterday; Miyoko says we normally pick at the end of March or beginning of April, but they were so ripe they were dropping from the tree already.
I hadn't sampled one, so just for you I did. Taste is like a kumquat; they should be fine for marmalade. We decided to use the food processor this year rather than cut them by hand. The tree had an unusually heavy crop, too.
Oh, thank you, Alan! Actually, I'm pretty sure I have never ever tasted a kumquat. Are they as good as ever, or simply good for making jam? Would you set a bowl of them on the table?
Even though I never leave the house I am completely and thoroughly sick of snow. And of COLD. It is 12F at 1:30 pm and that has been typical for weeks. This is one of Chicago's coldest Februaries on record.
It sounds like we have examples among us of feast or famine, where snow is concerned!
I love snow. I even enjoy shoveling. Yet this season has been a strange one. We had nothing much to speak of until January, then we've had a series of storms. We currently have about 11" of snow on roof and ground, and it's been there long enough to have hardened. Worse, it has sometimes melted a bit and there are icicles hanging over our porch walkway. I've knocked them down as needed. But then the deep freeze hit. Tonight we're to get another 6-12" of snow with another round of same before the weekend, possibly with sleet and freezing rain mixed in.
Since the snow rake is too heavy for me to wield, and Wil is not allowed to attempt it, given his heart issue, I just hope the roof comes through the season unscathed.
I would love to send you some, Susan. Happy to share. But it really ought to have stopped at your house first!
The system that sends the hot water through our radiators isn't all that new except by comparison with the house. A decade old at least. But it can't really deal with this cold. We were told it couldn't handle below-zero temps -- that would require a larger, less efficient unit -- but we've found even single-digit lows are more of a challenge than it can cope with effectively.
We had just a bit of rain early this morning; completely overcast now. Generally increasing sun and temperatures from tomorrow. It could be my imagination, but it looks to me like the river is a little higher, which would imply increased releases from the dam upstream, which in turn would mean they figure there is enough snow up in the mountains to fill the reservoir.
Here's a reply I just posted on YouTube to a video in which Robert Reich says Biden must not and in fact cannot compromise with the GOP:
It's not just the past four years. They were doomed when they let in the first Tea Partier.
Something else: We need to find and use non violent language. Not 'fight'. I don't know - work? aim? strive? This is something I've been thinking about for sometime. But the ease with which the Trump defense team found examples of Democrats using violent language, especially the word "fight" brought it urgently to the fore. Words matter, as the House managers pointed out. And if we don't want violence, we shouldn't use violent words ourselves. It's incidious. Probably most people don't even notice that they use words like fight, battle or kill all the time. Partly it comes of an impoverished vocabulary, the same root cause, I believe, that leads to the massive overuse of prophanity and obscenity. It's much easier to say f--- than to find an appropriate noun, adjective, adverb or interjection. In the same way, we fall into using violent words as a matter of course without giving them any thought. Well, let's give it thought. Let's all diversify our vocabularies, making them more interesting, more expressive and more precise and, as a side benefit, making them less violent.
So true about the need for better and non-violent words. For too long the nation was engaged in wars. And if you think about all the sports people play that are competitive and harsh, and all the them and us it all proliferates, you will understand part of why we chose to home school our children and teach them cooperative sports and games instead of the traditional sort. Imagine games in which the goal is to work together to solve or create something and you can see how it could lead to more avenues for diplomacy and cooperation in the world.
Yes, I totally agree that we -- and I do mean people who share our opinions -- do need to moderate our language. Not just "fight" but "traitor," which I see all too often in the emails I get. I am fairly heartsick about what happened to Trump's defense lawyers.
Why The Universe May Be Full Of Alien Civilizations Featuring Dr. Avi Loeb [Click] Not quite an hour and a half long, and not quite what you would expect from the title, towards the end of this program Dr. Loeb points out a number of physical phenomena that we have not satisfactorily explained, and how understanding them could dramatically change our understanding of the universe and empower us. Most of the examples are frankly obvious, but most of us simply don’t think much about them from day to day. I recommend listening to it.
"In his farewell Presidential address, George Washington advised American citizens to view themselves as a cohesive unit and avoid political parties and issued a special warning to be wary of attachments and entanglements with other nations."
We picked kumquats (for marmalade) from a friend's tree yesterday; Miyoko says we normally pick at the end of March or beginning of April, but they were so ripe they were dropping from the tree already.
ReplyDeleteYipe! How is their flavour? I imagine it was hard on the tree to have to produce so much more quickly than normal. Global warming is rearing its head.
DeleteI hadn't sampled one, so just for you I did. Taste is like a kumquat; they should be fine for marmalade. We decided to use the food processor this year rather than cut them by hand. The tree had an unusually heavy crop, too.
DeleteOh, thank you, Alan! Actually, I'm pretty sure I have never ever tasted a kumquat. Are they as good as ever, or simply good for making jam? Would you set a bowl of them on the table?
DeleteMy memory of 'quats is that the peel is alarmingly sweet, and the center is equally sour.
DeleteThey keep telling us we're going to get SNOW, but then we just get a dusting. Admit to being very disappointed. I want some BIG SNOW!
ReplyDeleteEven though I never leave the house I am completely and thoroughly sick of snow. And of COLD. It is 12F at 1:30 pm and that has been typical for weeks. This is one of Chicago's coldest Februaries on record.
DeleteHow is your new heater working, Bill? Well, I hope, but it sounds like it might be challenged.
DeleteIt sounds like we have examples among us of feast or famine, where snow is concerned!
DeleteI love snow. I even enjoy shoveling. Yet this season has been a strange one. We had nothing much to speak of until January, then we've had a series of storms. We currently have about 11" of snow on roof and ground, and it's been there long enough to have hardened. Worse, it has sometimes melted a bit and there are icicles hanging over our porch walkway. I've knocked them down as needed. But then the deep freeze hit. Tonight we're to get another 6-12" of snow with another round of same before the weekend, possibly with sleet and freezing rain mixed in.
Since the snow rake is too heavy for me to wield, and Wil is not allowed to attempt it, given his heart issue, I just hope the roof comes through the season unscathed.
I would love to send you some, Susan. Happy to share. But it really ought to have stopped at your house first!
The system that sends the hot water through our radiators isn't all that new except by comparison with the house. A decade old at least. But it can't really deal with this cold. We were told it couldn't handle below-zero temps -- that would require a larger, less efficient unit -- but we've found even single-digit lows are more of a challenge than it can cope with effectively.
DeleteOHIO; COVID cases 941,265 and 16,394 deaths.
ReplyDelete1.741%
DeleteWe currently have freezing rain. I might prefer the snow. Demetrius came home a bit early to avoid the combination of rush hour and slippery roads
ReplyDeleteWe had just a bit of rain early this morning; completely overcast now. Generally increasing sun and temperatures from tomorrow. It could be my imagination, but it looks to me like the river is a little higher, which would imply increased releases from the dam upstream, which in turn would mean they figure there is enough snow up in the mountains to fill the reservoir.
DeletePelosi to Create [9/11-type] Commission to Investigate Capitol Riot [Click] That should keep the pressure on through the 2024 election.
ReplyDeleteHere's a reply I just posted on YouTube to a video in which Robert Reich says Biden must not and in fact cannot compromise with the GOP:
ReplyDeleteIt's not just the past four years. They were doomed when they let in the first Tea Partier.
Something else: We need to find and use non violent language. Not 'fight'. I don't know - work? aim? strive? This is something I've been thinking about for sometime. But the ease with which the Trump defense team found examples of Democrats using violent language, especially the word "fight" brought it urgently to the fore. Words matter, as the House managers pointed out. And if we don't want violence, we shouldn't use violent words ourselves. It's incidious. Probably most people don't even notice that they use words like fight, battle or kill all the time. Partly it comes of an impoverished vocabulary, the same root cause, I believe, that leads to the massive overuse of prophanity and obscenity. It's much easier to say f--- than to find an appropriate noun, adjective, adverb or interjection. In the same way, we fall into using violent words as a matter of course without giving them any thought. Well, let's give it thought. Let's all diversify our vocabularies, making them more interesting, more expressive and more precise and, as a side benefit, making them less violent.
I should say that the transition (or slippery slope) started well before the Tea Partiers. My consciousness of it goes back to the mid-1960's.
DeleteYeah, I figured the TP wasn't the beginning; that's just when I myself became aware of it.
DeleteSo true about the need for better and non-violent words. For too long the nation was engaged in wars. And if you think about all the sports people play that are competitive and harsh, and all the them and us it all proliferates, you will understand part of why we chose to home school our children and teach them cooperative sports and games instead of the traditional sort. Imagine games in which the goal is to work together to solve or create something and you can see how it could lead to more avenues for diplomacy and cooperation in the world.
DeleteYes, I totally agree that we -- and I do mean people who share our opinions -- do need to moderate our language. Not just "fight" but "traitor," which I see all too often in the emails I get. I am fairly heartsick about what happened to Trump's defense lawyers.
Delete"Diplomacy is saying the nastiest things in the nicest way."
DeleteHere's a familiar face:
ReplyDeleteDoes Capitalism Mean Freedom? (with Zephyr Teachout) - Click
Yayyy!!! Zephyr!!!
DeleteWhat listener said!
DeleteWhy The Universe May Be Full Of Alien Civilizations Featuring Dr. Avi Loeb [Click] Not quite an hour and a half long, and not quite what you would expect from the title, towards the end of this program Dr. Loeb points out a number of physical phenomena that we have not satisfactorily explained, and how understanding them could dramatically change our understanding of the universe and empower us. Most of the examples are frankly obvious, but most of us simply don’t think much about them from day to day. I recommend listening to it.
ReplyDeleteDid you ever watch the film "What the Bleep Do We Know?" It's fascinating.
DeleteNever heard of it. I shall investigate; thank you.
DeleteIt would seem that this thread has passed through some sort of transition to a higher level. . .
ReplyDeleteSo. which, exactly, President's day IS this?
ReplyDeleteAllegedly Abe's and George's commingled.
DeleteThese days it just feels like the day the salesmen sell all the cars.
But they do read aloud George Washington's farewell address in Congress each year on this date.
I guess that's something.
Ironically enough:
Delete"In his farewell Presidential address, George Washington advised American citizens to view themselves as a cohesive unit and avoid political parties and issued a special warning to be wary of attachments and entanglements with other nations."
Lol! I was just commenting on the misplaced apostrophe. . . .
DeleteVT cases: 13,862-13,677=185
ReplyDelete2874 active cases
190deaths(+1)
Recovered 10,798 (77.9%)
Hospital:40(-4) ICU:12(+1)
Tests 318,872 (+1402)