A Heavy Wet Hot Blanket is Difficult to Breath Under

Weather Underground

Summer arrived on 20 June. Counting 20 June the temperature has risen above 90ªF/32ºC on six of the eleven days to the end of the month.

It is hot.

Then there is the humidity.

I worked outdoors changing billboards for most of 34 years. Back in the 70's and early 80's, when we were still drinking at lunch, I remember the crew leaving an air conditioned bar after 4 or 5 cold mugs of beer. As soon as we walked through the doorway into the sun, it felt as though a heavy wet hot blanket was dropped on us. It was hot, sticky, hard to breath and it felt like a we were each carrying a ton of bricks on our shoulders.

Some of those times the crew just turned around and went back into the bar until it was time to drive the trucks back to the shop to clock out.

I don't miss working outside, at all!

www.wunderground.com

July is just around the corner.

There are 31 days in July.

Historically, of those 31 days the record high for the day has risen above 100ºF/38ºC on 17 of those 31 days.

I can't wait.

The heat is drying everything outdoors.

The grass is turning brown.

The garden needs to be watered frequently.

I guess it is a good thing the garden can't drive to the bar for lunch. It might never come back. 

©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved

Slug Takes The Bait

I have slugs in my square foot garden plot. Lots of slugs. I want to trap all the slugs before the lettuce becomes a slug target.


I made a slug trap and baited it with inexpensive beer. I used a small bowl, the size of a desert bowl from a school cafeteria. I dug into the soil a bit so the lip of the bowl was level with the surface of the soil. I then poured beer into the bowl almost to the lip of the bowl.


Below you can see one slug take the bait. It will take some time at the rate of one slug a day. 


I wonder where I can purchase party invitations, slug size.

The image is enlarged at least 3x. The original time lapse between exposures was one every 5sec. The replay speed is 2x.




©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved

Slugs In My Square Foot Garden

To recap, in my square foot garden plot this year I mixed shredded and partially composted autumn leaves into last years soil that was amended with sand, and peat moss. I mounded that mixture above the level of the lawn to create this years square foot 4'(1.2m) x 4'(1.2m) plot.

14/"/20 hanger bolt

My time lapse camera was removed from the window mount so I could place it into my plot. In order to do that I drilled a fiberglass dowel to accept a 1/4"/20 hanger bolt. That is a lag screw on one end and a threaded machine screw on the other. The lag screw goes into the dowel and the machine screw is where the camera screws into the tripod mount. Then the dowel was driven into the soil at the edge of the plot and the camera screwed onto the dowel. 

What was captured was surprising.

I have since moved the camera to a mount about 20" above the plot pointed straight down. In this video the soil wasn't as moist as the above video. I also didn't see as many slugs, either.


Nonetheless, I will be placing a slug trap out in the near future. I planted some lettuce and expect that slugs will be there when the dinner bell rings.


As bait I purchased some inexpensive beer for the trap. It came in a 40oz(1.2l) bottle. 40oz is a popular size with the crowd wanting an inexpensive buzz. You see it wasn't just beer but beer fortified with extra malt liquor to bring the alcohol content to 8.1%. The slugs should get drunk faster.


©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved

St. Patrick's Day

I saw a sign for a bar the other day that said, "Everyone is Irish on St. Paddy's Day."  I am not so sure everyone is Irish, but I am sure quite a few.

St. Patrick's Day was has been celebrated in Ireland since the 9th or 10th century.  Celebrating a Roman Catholic feast day usually started with the family going to church in the morning.  It was more of a religious holiday than anything.  It certainly has changed over the years with the USA initiating the changes.

With the Irish Potato Famine of the 1840's, began a massive emigration from Ireland.  Between 1830 and 1914, almost 5 million Irish emigrated to the USA, alone.  Today, near 40 million Americans claim "Irish" as their primary ethnicity.  With the USA population in mid-2011 being 311 million that means over 1/3 of the USA population claims to be Irish.

In 1848 several independent Irish societies around New York City united their parades to form one official parade that continues today.  It is a way to connect their proud Irish patriotism with sentimental memories of the old country.

During "Tin Pan Alley"(1890-1920) days of music publishing, many an Irish ethnic tune was created by non-Irish.  My friend Mick Moloney, folklorist, did some research in this area which resulted in a magnificent album of Tin Pan Alley music targeted toward the Irish.

Other commercial entities saw a hugh earning potential in the Irish.  Many a commercial item became synonymous with St. Paddy's Day celebrations; shamrocks, shillelaghs, leprechauns and their caricature ears, hat, shoes, pot of gold, rainbow, harps, clay pipes and of course beer and whiskey.

Many of the 40 million claiming to be Irish in the USA believe drinking to be the best way to celebrate their Irish roots on St. Patrick's Day.  Non-Irish beer companies see a hugh market in St. Paddy's Day celebrations.  As do costume designers.


Excuse me!  When did costume wearing become a part of St. Patrick's Day?

Can you imagine wearing this on St. Patrick's Day?

Over the years I have come to appreciate traditional Irish music, song and dance.  If I go anywhere this St. Patrick's Day, it will be to the Commodore John Barry Club in West Mt. Airy, Philadelphia, PA for the ceilidh organized by The Philadelphia Ceili Group.  I'll do a few reels, a jig or two, maybe even a hornpipe.  If I'm asked I will give in to a Shoe the Donkey or a Gay Gordons.  Of course, I'll have a Guinness or Jameson Irish Whiskey to help my feet loosen up a bit.


Just to clarify, as far as I know, I don't have any Irish blood running through my veins.  Maybe the sign at the bar is correct.  Everyone is Irish on St. Paddy's Day or wants to be.



©Damyon T. Verbo - All rights reserved

TSA at PHL

My bag was off to the belly of the jet and I was on my way to security.  It took a bit of looking around and reading signs before I figured where I was going.  I soon found a conveyer of rollers that curved and led to a powered rubber belt, which went through a blue tunnel.  I guessed that was a scanner.  People were putting the pocket contents, belts and shoes into dish pan type bins on the rollers.  I followed suit.  I then placed my carry-on bags in another bin and threw my jacket on top of them.  Once unburdened, I walked towards an arch that I also assumed was a scanner.

On the other side of the arch was a female wearing a military type uniform.  I think I saw a TSA patch on her shoulder.  As I approached the arch the female officer barked that I should push my belongings up to the belt.  I could feel the hairs on the back of my neck come to attention.  I refrained from barking back.  I wasn't quite sure what she said, when she barked again to push my belongings up hill to the moving belt.   I refrained from growling.  I did as I was told but the blood was warming my face.  I had to keep my paws from becoming fists.


Barefooted and beltless I walked through the arch.  An alarm sounded.  My ears stood straight up.  I knew I had nothing to be alarmed about.  The TSA officer told me, "Don't touch my scanner!"  Now, I was ready to fight.

TSA

It usually takes me a long time to get to that point.  There have been many times in my life I took a beating because I take so long to build up a head of steam.  Less than a minute into this confrontation and I was ready.

I said, "Is there a sign that says 'Don't touch the scanner', because if there is, I missed it."   She gave me a look of authoritative disgust that quickly turned to a smirk as I backed through the arch.  She had a feeling of power over me.  I was on a choker collar and she knew it.  I had a feeling I might be missing my flight.

KDKA CBS2

I walked through the arch again, this time without touching the sides.  No alarm sounded.  I was asked to spread my arms and was padded down.  I was allowed to retrieve my belongings and put on my shoes and belt.  I threw on my jacket, gathered up my carry-on and was off to find a cool place and a cold beer.


As I walked through the departure terminal, I wondered what went through the minds of the TSA officers when they saw all the equipment in my carry-on; CPAP, face mask, strobe, gel cel battery, wall voltage adapters, camera and light modifier.  It could have been bomb making materials.  I didn't wonder for long.  I found a snug spot and curled up onto a stool at Chickie's and Pete's to lick my wounded ego.

©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved