It is never too early to plan your garden

Even though it is getting close to winter and the ground will soon be too hard to work you can be making plans for your garden. Planning out a successful garden can be a long process so you should get started on it soon. The first thing you need to figure out is where you want your garden and how big. Unless you previously had a garden the location can be long and drawn out process. You will probably want to locate it somewhere near and outdoor spigot depending on how much hose you have. You don't want it in a high traffic area where your vegetables and flowers can get trampled or parked on. Once you find the spot then it is a matter of the size. The size will obviously be limited by the area you have picked out but you always have the option of going vertical. Once you have decided on the size you want comes the tedious job of digging up the sod. A good tip on digging the sod out of your garden area is too only focus on a smaller section at a time. For example, if you are planning on a 8'x 8' garden then you should divide it into four equal grids and focus on that 2' x 2' square. Now that you have your sod all dug out you are ready to decide what you are going to plant and the arrangement of the plants. On what you will plant depends on a couple of things: 1. What do you want? Flowers (annuals, perennials, or biannual), vegetables, or a combination. 2. The climate of the area. What is the climate zone? Will my garden get morning sun? Are there areas in my garden that will get more shade than other areas? 3. Temperature. How long is the growing season where you live? Do the temperatures where you live agree with the plants you want to grow? When you decide what you will grow comes the task of arranging the garden. When you buy the plants they will usually have some guidelines on spacing. Of course spacing is only part of laying out the arrangement. You will need to figure in the height of the plant, how long it will last, and how the garden will look when everything is planted. The best way to figure out how everything will look when it is plant is to arrange the plants in the garden while they are still in their containers so you can move them if you need to before the final planting.

A day in the life of a bellringer: Types of donors

Over the years that I have been a bell-ringer one of the fascinating observation I have made the various rituals some of the people go through when they donate money. 1. The hidden donation. These are people that put money in the kettle but do their best to keep from being seen. They will either walk past me as they reach back to slip the money into the kettle or wait until I look over at someone else and slip money into the kettle. 2. The wait until recognized. These are people that will only donate if looked directly at and say something acknowledging that you see them. 3. The pay-for-play. These are the people that have their money ready to donate but they want the bell-ringer to do something in return. The favors they ask might to let their child ring the bell, have you sing all or part of a carol, or just say a phrase like "Merry Christmas" or "Happy New Year". 4. The teacher. These are the ones that hand their children the money to put in the kettle. These are usually some of the most amusing for us to watch. Some of the children will put one coin in at a time and wait for you to say "Thank you" or "Merry Christmas" in between each coin or some will just dump most of the coins in and hold back a few. 5. The story teller. These are the people that have some quick story usually to do with the Salvation Army or sometimes something amuse that happened during a holiday season. 6. The busy beaver. These are the people that just rush out of the store and you don't realize they donate until you see the money on top of the kettle and then the bell-ringer has to poke the money into the kettle without touching it with his(her) hands. Whichever one of these types a person is that donate it is joyous to see.

A book for anyone that loves animals

Back in 2006 I read a back about a fascinating person and his love for horses. The book is called "The man who listened to horses". At the time that I read the book it was already 10 years old and been made into a series that appeared on PBS. Monty Roberts grew up during the depression on a farm in California where his parents raised and trained horses. As a young boy Monty observed the horse out in the wild around and paid close attention to how they would structure their ranks. As much as he tried explaining to his father that instead of using the old methods of training, which he thought were cruel, and using the gestures that he learned from watching the wild horses the time and stress would be cut way down. Monty's father never listened too him and and stuck with the old practices. Eventually Monty did get his chance to prove his observations worked During Monty's career as a trainer, rider, teacher and performer he lead quite an adventurous life. He was a stunt double in "National Velvet", trained race horses, and even meet the queen and talked about horses over high tea. In the 15 years since that time Monty still gives talks, lessons, and sells horse carvings. Even though the book is most about Monty and remarkable career with horses it shows us just how much we can learn about animals by simple observing how they interact with each other.

A day in the life of a bellringer

I am sure all of you have seen the bell-ringers that stand outside of the stores this time of the year. I have been one of those bell-ringers for the past 19 years (except for a few year I took off for school). In all the years that I have done this job, which I enjoy doing, there have been some observations I have made that I would like to talk about. We all know that listening to the bell can get on your nerves but you only hear it for a few minutes and we have to listen to it 5 to 10 hours a days. We get just as tired of hearing it as you but it is part of our job. While I can't speak for all bell-ringers I try to keep it toned down to the point that I get more complaints from people that tell me to ring louder. I have had many people go all the way to the other side of a store and many other things to avoid us. I am not really sure of some of the reasoning. If it because you can't or don't want to donate we don't expect everyone to put money in the kettle. In fact we know most of you won't and for various reasons, such as, you already sent a check, you are broke, you only use plastic, and several other reasons. One example of something unnecessary that I witnessed someone do to avoid me was they loaded up their arms with their groceries, which there was too many for one trip, and walk out on to an ice covered parking lot. Just to have an excuse to not have a free hand this person risked their own safety when they should have just wheeled the shopping cart at a safe speed. We love hearing people tell us there stories about their experience with the salvation army but if it is something negative please don't take it out on us.

Gradening is for everyone

At various times I have talked to friends about doing some gardening and they tell me "I would like to but I have a hard time getting up and down", "I just don't have that much space", or "I am just not good at growing things". Whatever the excuse I tell them the same thing and that is that if you want to garden then we can always make the necessary adjustments for you. If someone tells me they can't get down on the ground then I suggest to them that we could get them a counter height planter that would be deep enough for anything they want plant. I tell them I will help you find what we need to set it up and if nothing else offer to build it for them. If their excuse is lack of space I will talk to them about either hang or going vertical with a planter. As long as there is a way for light to get to the plants you can stair step the planters to maximize the space that is available to you. You wouldn't want to go too high but to the point where the last planter is eye level. If the excuse is that they are just not good at growing anything I would suggest other plants and vegetables that don't need as much care. There are plenty of plants that get take drought conditions, shady areas, or whatever else the reason might be that you seem to have trouble with growing your garden. Sometimes it might even be that someone has too much space and gardening gets overwhelming. In that case it is a matter of marking off smaller areas to work at one time. I usually make 4 foot square boxes in my garden. It is much easier if you can just focus on a 4'x4' area and then move on to the next one when you finish.

Lawns and some of creatures that invade them

Ask anyone that has a lawn what the number pests and they will answer you moles and gophers. While they would be right that between those pest, that sometimes get lumped together, they can make a terrible mess of your yard both above and below ground. There are several varieties of both moles and gophers but which ever ones you have it all comes down to the same thing that dig tunnels in your lawn making look as though you just planted a mine field. The big question on everyone's mind once they realize they have one of these burrowing animals is "How do I get rid of them?". Sadly not that much. There have been many folk remedies and commercial products that say that they will get rid of all the furry little creatures but the truth is that most don't do anything but perhaps make the moles and gophers laugh. There are though two ways that are pretty well effective and they are: 1. Get rid of their food source, which isn't always practical. 2. Trap the fuzzy little critters. There is one big problem with the trap idea and that is that we voted against using them. So, that pretty much just leaves getting rid of the food source that consist of grub, worms, and vegetation. Using a good weed & feed combine with an insecticide is a good place to start but if you have small children or pest you need to really be careful to not get something harmful to them. There are more companies every year that are making products that are less harmful to our pets and children. Of course if that isn't the way you wish to go there are more natural alternatives, such as, beneficial insects that will attack the pests or repellents, that aren't always that effective, that you sprinkle down the holes and then bury the holes back up.

If you do get that problem under control then there is another creature that most people don't think of and that is racoons. Racoons will come out at night and search your lawn for any tasty little morsel they can get their claws on. They will dig holes to get down to the roots of your lawn to try and find insects and they will pull up your fresh sod. Most people that see the damage usually think it was the dog digging in the yard again and not that it could be a raccoon. There are some good repellents if you do have this problem.

The dreading yard fall clean up

For all of use that like to keep our yards looking nice this is our busy time. It is the time of the year that our lawns are covered in leaves and it is time to fertilize and seed those bare spots. First comes that one chore that no one looks forward to and that bringing out the rake and wheelbarrow. Even the people that raked up leaves to put in those pumpkin trash bags probably have newly fall leaves to rake. So, we must all pick up our rakes and make those leaf piles. What is that you say you have a leaf-blower, that really doesn't save much of the back braking work since you still have to get those leaves in the wheelbarrow and dump them or burn them, if you live somewhere that allows that. Now that we have those leaves taken care of the next step will be to over-seed those bald spots. So, if you have a small bag of lawn seed sprinkle a generous amount on the areas that need it and if you don't have any go by a small bag for patch work. Don't worry about getting seed with fertilizer since you will be fertilizing your entire lawn in the next step. Once you have done the necessary seeding it is time to fertilize. If you don't have any you will need to buy a good fertilizer preferably with weed control. Then you can sprinkle it light over your entire lawn. If you have a spreader it will make the job easier but if you don't you can use a plastic bucket with small holes in the lid so you can shake the fertilizer out just like you would with a salt shaker. If nothing else you can (remember to wear gloves) pour some of the fertilizer in your hand and spread it

Buried Alive Part 1

Jake Wilson woke up to complete darkness. He felt around only to realize he is in a small, cramped room. His head is throbbing as it all comes back to him that he was buried alive. The day start out normal enough as he woke up and had breakfast. He checked his e-mail, searched the news, and kissed his wife and kids before heading to the office. It was an uneventful drive with a quick stop to buy his morning espresso. When he reached the office he went inside and sat at his desk the same as always. From there his day went from normal to bizarre. Then in walked a tall, leggy redhead that sat down in the chair on the other side of his desk. He figured she was in her early 30's as she looked at him with her big, green eyes. She pulled a piece of paper out of her purse and handed to him. He read it and then at her with a puzzled expression on his face. “My name is Cindy Johnson, I know this is usual Mr. Wilson but you are the only one that I think would understand. As you could see in the police report I just handed you my father was attacked and killed by a wild animal while hunting. A friend that was hunting with him reported the attack but by the time the police went out the body was gone. The police thought that the animal must have drug the body away.” “Just what is that you want me to do Miss Johnson? If your father's body was drug off I just don't see anything I can do. I track down the living not the dead.” “I know that Mr. Wilson and this is where the story get bizarre. When the police ask about the type of animal my dad's friend said it was a large wolf standing upright. They asked him if he was sure it wasn't a bear and he told them he was certain. When I first was told about the whole thing I mourned but I have seen my father since the incident. He didn't seem to know who I was and wandered away. He had a wild look in his eyes and I am afraid that now he is a werewolf.” I stood there looking at her in disbelief that she could possibly expect anyone to believe such a story. I look back down at the police report she handed me and it say that the animal was described as a wolf. I just shake my head not wanting to even entertain the possibility that this might be true. She persist that the entire story is true and that she has faith in me being able to hunt him down. We both walked out of the office and shook hands and told me to meet at a coffee shop at 7 pm to give her an update on my progress. I agreed and went back inside not sure why I took the case. A few minutes later I was leaving my office with the supplies I might need to carry out the manhunt. I drove out to where the attack took place to start the hunt. I broke my tracking equipment and quickly picked up some bloody footprints. When I saw those I thought maybe he was just wound and dazed. Maybe this would turn out to be a routine missing person case afterall. A few hours later after I decided to take a break and get something to eat. I started back to my car when someone hit me from behind. The last thing I remember as I feel was seeing a foot with some blood on it. Everything went black after that and when I opened my eyes I realized I was in a coffin. My first thought was to scream and hope that someone would hear me but I decided that would only use up precious oxygen.

Vampires: real or myth?

Despite the fact that modern science will give us explanations to prove that vampires don't exist we are still fascinated by the thought that their could be these walking dead. Many people would say that statement just isn't true but how else can you explain that some of the biggest box office, television shows, and best selling books all have to do with the subject.

One of the most recent examples of movies that have had box office success has been the Twilight series, set in my home state of Washington, that depicts vampires as more of a caring group than what we grew up with in the horror stories of past decades. Of course before they were movies the Twilight series were popular books that teens and pre-teens all over the place were reading. Another popular movie series was Blade that had one vampire hunting down and slaying other vampires showing use that they can be both good and evil. The list could go on forever but the point is there is something that we find fascinating about them.

The fascination with everything that has been associated to vampires though isn't a modern idea and didn't even start with Bram Stroker. Even though the word vampire was never used some of the beliefs associated with them can be found in biblical text that weren't included in our bible but still referenced. Those text refer to Adam's first wife Lilith, that could be where the legend of vampires started, that rebelled and became a demon. The legend goes that after Lilith became a demon she would steal children among other things. 

Perhaps there is something in us that wants to believe that there are these creatures out there doing all the evil in the world.

Walking: Great exercise and a good way to sight see

Whether your walking along your favorite beach, along a country rode, around a lake, or through a park walking can is good exercise and a good way to take in sights.

Some of you might see that statement and say but walking is just too tiring or have some other excuse. It can be tiring but I have always found that if you are walking with a purpose you get somewhere or if you are taken in sights then you don't get that walking fatigue as quick. There just seems to be something about taking in your surroundings or snapping photos that allows you to go further than you normally would if you were walking because you were told to get some exercise.

One of the biggest benefit is that by walking just 3 mile per hour (average walking speed) for 20 minutes a day the average person can burn the equivalent of just under a pounds worth of calories. A pound a week might not sound like a lot to some people that are having a hard time losing those extra pounds (of which I am one of) but that is 52 pounds a year by just walking a few minutes a day. You might say 'well, I don't need to lose that much' and that might be but it by burning up those calories i also means that you don't have to feel so guilty about that extra cookie you had after dinner.

There are also plenty of other benefits besides the calories. There are all the health benefits, such as, circulation and muscle tone or if you are walking with family members or friends it is a good time to chat about your day.

If you do plan to take up walking you should make sure it is in an area where there isn't much traffic.

Halloween: who's holiday is it.

Halloween has been one of the most misunderstood holidays in history. Some self proclaimed Christians will tell you it is a pagan holiday and even satanic, Wiccans will tell you that it is a festival to celibate a good harvest, and the stories can differ depending on the people you ask. So, who is right on what Halloween really means.

The simple answer is they are all partly right and all partly wrong. As with most holidays Halloween has been merged into so many religions over the centuries that it combines forms of all of them.  The basis of what it called Halloween most likely started with the Celtic people 2,000 years ago as  the festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in) that was held at the end of their lunar year October 31. On the night of October 31 they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth. In addition to causing trouble and damaging crops, Celts thought that the presence of the otherworldly spirits made it easier for the Druids, or Celtic priests, to make predictions about the future. For a people entirely dependent on the volatile natural world, these prophecies were an important source of comfort and direction during the long, dark winter.
During this festival it is speculated that they wore costumes and lit bonfires. 

Later, when the Romans took control they meld some of their own traditions into the festival. The first was Feralia, a day in late October when the Romans traditionally commemorated the passing of the dead. The second was a day to honor Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit and trees. The symbol of Pomona is the apple and the incorporation of this celebration into Samhain probably explains the tradition of "bobbing" for apples that is practiced today on Halloween.

Then, after that the Catholics put in some of their more religious elements, such as, all saints day on November 1, which was a day to remember the Christian martyrs, and making October 31all hallows eve. In 1000 A.D., the church would make November 2 All Souls' Day, a day to honor the dead.

I heard one reverend talk about a new tradition that he was trying to establish called Jesus-ween and instead of candy we should hand out Christian objects,such as, bibles and crosses. I would be ok with the churches doing that for the people that identified themselves as someone wanting to go that route. Just as trick-or-treats let you know why they came around, the people  that want Jesus-ween, which I do think they need a better name, should say 'Christ-treats' or something.

The bottom line is that through time Halloween (all hallows eve) has been maligned, changed and mixed up so much that it is a holiday that holds parts of all religions. Just as many other holidays they aren't christian, Pagan, or just any one religion but an amalgamation.

Gardening: Fall planting

Even though Fall is here but there are still things we can plant before the winter comes and freezes the ground. It is a good time to plant spring bulbs an some early spring plants can go in now before the ground gets hard. According to the HGTV website the cold weather will encourage root growth. After I rad that on their site and thought about it that statement made lots of sense give that when the top of the plant feels the cold it will want to get to the warmer soil below to survive. So, clean up the leaves and other debris and plant those bulbs, mint plants,  rhodies, and other spring bloomers.

Now is also the time of year that if you have any perennial baskets to get them winterized. You need to cut everything back to about one inch and then store them in your garage, under the house, at your neighborhood greenhouse, or anywhere dry and out of the frost. If you want to winter them but don't want to go though any of the hassle most nurseries will winter them for you. They will charge a small fee usually but probably less than it would be to replace your plant.

Jake Whitman had spent the last 20 years of his life working on some of the most sophisticated types of virtual reality and neuronet technologies in the world. Since retiring he now uses his fortune, knowledge, and gadgets to become one of the top cyber detectives in the country. I never dreamed that when she walked into my office I would end up running for my life from the people that I was hired to protect. That was just what happened though when I traced the cyber-attacks back to the office of their CFO. Chapter 1: Getting the case It had been a month since I had retired from Gigatronics and decided to start a cyber detective. I woke up early so I would be able to shower, shave, and be at the office with time to setup for my first day. I bought some coffee on my way and then drove to work. I pulled in the parking lot with still an hour before opening and was shocked to find someone waiting in their car in front of my office. I opened my car door and walked upto the office. I had pulled my keys out of my pocket when I hear te clicking of her high-hells on the pavement. I turned around to see a tall, curvy redheaded woman with a desperate look on her face. “Are you Jade Whitman?” she asked. I look at her for a moment before I finally answered “Yes, and you are?”. I held out my hand. She stuck out her own hand and shook mine. “I am Kathy LaMond. I apologize for being so early before you officially open but once you here the matter I am sure you will see that there is little time to waste.” “Come on in then Ms. LaMond and tell me the whole story.” I turned back and unlocked the door. I opened it and held the door for her. She entered the office will me following right behind. I took a seat at my new desk and motioned for her sit. She took the chair face the desk and look straight at me with that look of desperation I saw earlier. “Please call me Kathy.” Then for the time I saw a hint of a smile. “I work for Alltronics and we have been have problems with hackers. I know that doesn't sound urgent but a little background will give you a bigger picture. Alltronics has been working on some components for a new defense system. We keep the documentation and the program on different servers and limit the access to any one part. Yesterday one of IT managers was doing some maintenance and found that someone had breached our firewall and accessed one of the servers. They managed to download a partial copy of the documentation. Our people have tried to find where the attacks are coming from but once they traced it back to university the trail went cold.” “Sounds as though your bosses have quite a problem on their hands. There are a few gadgets I helped develop that I am sure will be of help to track down the person or group responsible. I will take the job for two reasons: 1. It sounds like the type of challenge I need and 2. you have a nice smile and should use it more often.” “Thank you Mr. Whitman, both for taking the case and the compliment. I had read some of your papers and I knew right away that when I saw an ad saying you were going into the detective business that you would be the right person for the job. I need to return to work but if you come around in a few hours I will show you around and you can get started.” She stands up and so do I. I walk around the desk. “Please, call me Jake, Kate.” I hold out my hand but instead of shaking it she grabs my hand a pulls me over for a hug.

One day a couple of months ago when we had one of the rare hot days I went out to do some gardening and I saw this doe laying under a tree. As soon as I saw her there I went back into the house to get my camera and wonder if she would still be there by the time I went back out. As you can see though I had nothing to worry about since she seemed to have decide that was the best place for an after rest.

I walk up careful not to get too close on the chance I might spook her. Once again though I should have crept up some more since it would have made for a better picture and the deer are pretty use to the family here. Anyway, I snapped the photo and went back inside to put the picture on my computer and put the camera away. I did glance out a couple of times and she stayed there for about an hour before leaving.

I kept looking around for another deer since it is rare you see one lone doe. It wasn't until she finally stood to leave that I spotted the fawn that she was keeping an eye on as it grazed. Since it was a mother watching her fawn it most likely meant there was a buck some in hiding keeping an eye out for any signs of danger.

Fishing basics-Salmon fishing

This is my personal box of Salmon gear and it is a pretty typical selection. The white and pink fish looking thing in the bottom of the tackle box is a cut plug, the large silver object behind it is a flasher, next to the flasher I have a metal stringer for putting the fish on, and the coil that you can't see too well is a herring hook with a clear plastic holder for holding the herring as you fish. On the top tray there are a couple f rubber squids, an inline weight, and a couple of casting lures. In the lid of the box I have another plug and a package of rubber squid, some people swear by squid but I never had much luck with them.

When rigging up your line there are several combinations you can use and most people you ask will give you different answer as to what is the best. I have had the most luck with frozen herring as bait but sometimes plugs or flashy metal lures work just as well. Which ever way you go setting up your line is pretty much the same.

On the end of your line you attach one of the inline weights, always use a fisherman's loop knot to attach any thing to your line it makes removing it easier. To the other end of the weight you want to attach one foot leader or piece or line that will be attached to the flasher, you might want  a smaller flasher then the one in my box. To end of the flasher you will attach another piece of leader, about 6 inches, or if you are using frozen bait then the hooks will already have the leader. Then to the end of the leader you attach your lure.

When you go salmon fishing you will be trolling most of the time. There are times you might want to take a break from salmon fishing and do some cast for smaller fish.For those cases I usually take my trout pole with a heavier line. That is why I have big casting lures in my tackle box. 

To make a fisherman's loop you simply double over the end of your leader about an inch and a half, pinch the line so that there is about a half inch above you fingers, wrap the line around your your fingers and pull the looped end through. When you pull it tight you should end up with a loop tied on the end of your leader.

Fishing basics--types of fishing poles and reels

Fishing poles come in a variety of different types and the pole you buy will depend on the type of fishing you plan to do with it.

• If you are going to go salmon fishing the you will need a salmon pole which is shorter, bigger around, and stiffer then other fishing poles. 
• The next step down from a salmon pole is a steelhead pole. These are usually 6 and half to 7 and a half feet long, more flexible, and smaller in diameter.
• Trout poles usually are between 6 and 7 feet long, although some can be shorter. They are typically about the diameter of your pinky finger and taper down until the tip, which is half the diameter. 
• A fly pole is a specialty pole that is typically longer and thinner than a trout pole. A fly pole is usually use in streams to cast flies, which are tiny lure made to imitate insects floating on the water, and used in a whipping motion.

Once you have figured out the type of pole you need the next step, unless there is already one on the pole, is a reel. There are many types of reels and the type of fishing you will do can make a big difference here.

• Closed-faced reels are what many first time fishermen will use just because it only takes your thumb to press the release button when you cast. Closed-faced reels will usually come as part of a combo when you buy smaller poles for kids or anyone starting to learn the craft. 
• Open-faced reels come in a few varieties:

1. The typical open-faced reel for trout fishing is upright with a round spool at the top. The use of these reels takes more practice to use than a closed-face since it requires you to hold the line as you pull back the release bar to cast. 
2. The open-faced reel for a steelhead pole is much the same as the one for trout fishing only it is slightly bigger to use a larger diameter line. 
3. The open-faced reel for salmon fishing looks like a spool of thread on its side. There will be rods on the outside that a guide for the line that slides back and forth to keep the line evenly distributed on the reel.
4. The fly fishing reel has kind of sandwich cookie look to it. They are usually open-faced although I have seen a few closed-face one that have a release button.

Fishing basics-trolling

When you talk to someone about fishing and say that you are going trolling they think 'that is an awfully lazing way to fish'. That is useless they have every done it and then think 'hey, this person is a thinking fisherman'. The people that have been trolling know there is a lot of variables you need to consider.

What type of fish am I after? The answer to this question will determine what you put in your tackle box before you leave on your trip. Since sometime your first choice isn't real active that day it is a good idea to have one or two backup types. So, you might want something for trout, bass, and catfish. For trout I have always found triple teaser work great although you might want a spinner. For bass they are more of a follow and nibble fish so something that you put a worm on, such as, pop gear but not the full set for deep trolling. For catfish you will want a full set of pop gear since you need to fish deep.

Once you have packed your equipment and get to the lake and launch your boat it is time to find where the fish are at right? not quite yet. The first thing you will need to know is what is the temperature of the water? You don't need the exact temperature so stick a finger in the water and if it feels warm than you will want to fish swallow but if the water feels cold you will need to fish deeper depending on how cold.

Once you have determined that then you are ready to go in search of  the fish but this part has several variable in itself that you will need to figure out mostly by trail and error. If you are at a lake you are familiar with you probably have a good starting spot but that doesn't guarantee anything will be there. So, you will just need to troll around the lake to find a good area.

You say you went around the entire lake and nothing is biting? If that is the case it could be the fish or you might not be using the right lure. This is why you brought a selection so that if the first didn't work you can change it and try again. So, after the first pass you stop the boat and change gear and troll around the lake again. You may need to do this two or three times until you find the right combination of area and lure. Once you do get everything right it is a matter of just trolling back and forth until you decide it is time to go.

Today I want to talk a little about fishing and some of the various methods, baits, and lures. The first method that I will talk about is casting.

Usually when some first learns to cast a fishing-pole they use a close-faced reel since they are easier to control. When you use a close-face reel it will have a button that when depressed will hold the fishing-line in place until the button is released. Once you bring the pole back and then start your forward motion with it you want to release the button right about the time the pole is next your ear. If you did it properly the line should sail a good distance out in to the water. If you release the button to early you will end up with a tangled mess with the line wrapping around the pole and possibly even inside the reel. If you wait too long to release the button the line will just plunk straight down. It will take practice to get the technique down which is why they make practice weights.

Once you have picked up the hang of casting you are ready to go put it to use in actual fishing. There are two different types of fishing when you cast and they are live bait and spin-casting where you use an artificial lure.

• Live bait fishing will normally involve a hook, a sinker, a swivel, and a bobber. The hooks that you will most likely use will be snelled (already tied to a line) and that would normal get attached to a swivel that will get tied to the end of your line. Swivels come in many forms but they are all the same in there purpose in keeping your line from tangling when you have a fish on the line and allowing you to change hooks without cutting the line. Next up the line is your sinker (or weight) that will be attached about 6" above the swivel. Then the bobber goes on the line and that will be placed somewhere above the sinker, usually about 18"minimum, depending on how deep you will be fishing. Once you have your line ready you can bait your hook. There are several live baits to choose from and it really depends on what you are fishing for as to the bait you choose. For this article we will stick with eggs and worms, which there are many varieties of both. Once you are done with the bait then cast your line and sit back. The bobber will let you know when a fish is biting, the bobber bob up and down, and when the bobber goes under the water you have a fish on the line. This is where the real fun comes in especial if the fish is a fighter. Reeling in he line when you have a fish on the line is sort of an art in itself since you don't want the line to go lax or the fish might jump off but you don't want to pull too hard or you could break the line. 
• Spin-casting uses artificial lures, of which there are several kinds, a swivel, and possibly a sinkers it depends on the type of lure. For this article we will just use a spinner, they are bulk and don't require any other weight, on the end of your line. As the name implies you cast you line one and reel it back in making the spinner rotate. The rotating and reflection of the lure will attract the fish but you will need to be very alert when the fish strikes. Since you are using an artificial lure the fish will only strike once and you need sharply jerk back on the pole to set the hook once you feel the fish hit. Once again though you don't want to pull too hard or you will just end up pulling the lure away from the fish and you don't want to be too soft or the fish can spit out the lure. 

I will go in to some of the other types of fishing on my next entry.

Cats and their catnip plants

The other day when I was out taking some pictures in the guard my little black cat scarlet followed me to see what I was going to do. When we arrived at the garden and I turn on my camera she run over to the catnip plant and sat under it as though she was on guard duty. I am not sure if she thought the noise from my camera might have been something approaching but she seemed to think that her catnip plant needed to be protected.

After I took a picture she must have thought the creature she was protecting the plant against was attacking it. She immediately sat up at attention and looked up at the plant too make sure there was nothing missing. She seemed to be daring whatever it was to show itself so that she could pounce and show the invader that nothing messes with her catnip plant while she is on duty.

Rhododendrons and Azaleas make great additions to your yard

If you have the room in your yard and you want something that will add lots of color in the spring and summer then you can't do much better than get some Rhododendrons and Azaleas.This picture was taken earlier this week and as you can see they have quite nice green foliage after the have stopped blooming. 

They are a native plants and do well around this area especially if you have clay in your soil. If you have a sandy loam like I do they will still do fine but you will have to give them a good feeding about once a month. There are plenty of good types of food made for Rhododendron and Azaleas. 

When they in bloom you will need to deadhead, pick of the dead flowers, so they will keep blooming. Depending on the species the flowers can range from white to purple and some that even have multiple colors. When you deadhead there is a stock that the flowers grow on that will need to be snapped off along with the bloom. The stock is covered in a resin so you should wear gloves to keep from getting your hands sticky. 

If you are ever inclined to do so you can make a cutting from a Rhododendron or Azalea but it isn't easy. On the branch that want to take your cutting from you will need to cut the bark just deep enough to take a one-inch strip off all the way around the branch. Then when you remove the bark you will see a milky sap that needs to be washed off the plant. Put rooting hormone on the exposed part of the branch. pack spagment moss around the expose area and water it. Then wrap the moss in plastic and seal the ends. In a few weeks you should see roots forming. When the roots look as though they about to burst out of the plastic then it is time to cut the branch off right below the roots.

The undercover stag

Our story begins in a clear deep in forest where the woodland creatures all gather to discuss what to do about their shrinking habitat.

“They have cut down almost all of the trees that provide our food and burned the hollow one that we live inside” said the squirrels.

“They build their houses on the land where we once grazed” interjected the deer.

“They destroy the brush that we use as dens for our family” whine the porcupine.

Standing in the behind the rest of the animals was a brave stag that strutted up front for all to see and said “I will go out into the field near where they destroy our lands and devise a plan of attack to regain our habitat”. So, off the mighty stag marched heading out to the field where he would do reconnaissance under the guise of a grazing deer.

Once he was in place he went into his act of eating the tall grass. The people saw the stag but were unaware that he was actually scoping out the area and looking for places to stage his army to carry out mission 'takeback'. He spent the next hour eating grass and moving around so he could see the area from all angles. When he decided that he had gathered enough information he casually walked back to the place the animals gather.

Once back among the rest of the wildlife he he called them to gather around as he set the plan of attack. He used one hoof to draw battle lines in the sand and then looking around finally spoke. “The humans are split into three groups. We have superior numbers but they are bigger then most of us. So, this is how we will attack. The skunks will line up on the outside of the two far groups and face away from them with their tails in the air. When I give the word they will start backing up and spray making a smoking screen. As the humans are backing away you porcupines will rush in and stab them with your quills. Once they are running the flying squirrels will pummel them with acorns. We deer and the bears will give chase until the humans are far enough away that it is safe.”

The animals all cheered the stag for his wonderful plan. They all crept into place awaiting the word to attack. The word was given and they commenced to set the plan into motion. First the skunks moved in and as planned the human started to retreat. Next, it was the porcupines turn and they back into the humans releasing their quills. As the humans were running the rest of the wildlife went into action and drove them out of their territory. When the stag finally said all was clear the animals rejoiced as they setup their habitat once more.

Zucchini, a versitile vegetable

Zucchini might not be for everyone but it is one o the easiest and versatile vegetables that you grow in your garden. zucchini can be used in sauces, such as, spaghetti sauce to add texture and flavor; it can be used as part of a Ratatouille, sort of a vegetarian lasagna; in stews; in breads and muffins; or sauteed with onions in butter.

As you can see in this picture one zucchini plant does take up a fair amount of space in the garden but that one plant can produce many zucchini. For a family of upto 4 people I would stick with just the one plant since they do produce lots. I have already picked five, have three about ready, and half a dozen blooms that will be zucchinis soon.

Zucchini are also a fast growing vegetable so you need to check your plant at least once a day or they can become too large and rot on the vine. With the exception of bread you want your zucchini should be picked when it is 7 or 8 inches long and about the diameter of your fist or slightly larger.

Zucchini, just like cucumbers, don't have to be peeled when used but should be rinsed off well. There is one exception to the peeling rule and that is if you plan to make bread or muffins.

A basic Ratatouille:
2 small eggplants (about 1 pound each), sliced one half inch thick in length-wise slices
2 medium zucchini, sliced  one quarter inch think
1/2 cup of olive oil
2 green pepper, seeded and diced
2 medium onions, peeled and sliced one quarter inch thick
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
2 pounds of ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Place the eggplant slices in a colander and sprinkle lightly with salt. Let stand 30 minutes.
Saute the zucchini in 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until golden on both sides, about 5 minutes. Remove from skillet.
Add 1 tablespoon oil to the skillet, then add peppers and saute until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Remove from the skillet. Add 1 more tablespoon of oil if needed, then add onions and saute until transparent, 6 to 8 minutes, stirring to separate the slices. Remove from the skillet.
Rinse the eggplant slices under cold running water. Drain well and pat dry. Add garlic and all but 1 teaspoon of the remaining oil to the skillet. Saute until garlic is tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and boil until most of the liquid has evaporated, 4 to 6 minutes.
Arrange eggplant slices over the tomatoes, then layer with peppers, onions, and zucchini. Sprinkle with parsley and season to taste. cover and simmer over medium-low heat until almost all the liquid has evaporated, about 15 minutes. Serve while still hot.

things I see out the window

Living where I do you see lots of wildlife when you look out the windows. Sometimes, you see animals that you want to go outside to get a closer look at, such as, deer. Then there are other times they are not exactly things that you want to check out, such as, porcupines.

There are times of the year when the deer become pretty common and it is not usual to see 4-8, they are almost always in pairs, at a time. Sometimes it will be a doe just laying around watching her fawn eat some grass or the low leaves on our apple tree. On the day when we do get one of the larger groups they will usually be found in our backyard garden grazing and scattered around.

For about two weeks though we had just one lone buck that would come around and rest in our garden. He would just lay there few minutes and then get up and leisurely graze, I suppose he felt safe, and then just lope off. This become a daily event and sometimes he would have a doe with him. Then he just stopped showing up and we would hear more coyotes howling. So, maybe it is just that time of the year that the deer go more into hiding.

Some easy to grown plants that can bring color and fragrance to the garden

For those of us that enjoy seeing a nice garden but don't hing you have the time and that is too much work here are some plants that are simple to grow and will add fragrance and color to your garden.

1. If you have cats like I do then this first one is a must have in your garden. Catnip is just about one of the easy plants to grow since it is tolerant to most conditions, it is very hardy, it seems to thrive on abuse, and when it flowers it will attract the honeybees the rest of the garden needs. My cats just love rolling on the plants, rubbing them, and chewing on the leaves. 
2. A must have for adding color to the garden is marigolds. They come in a variety of sizes and colors. Marigolds will live in most conditions, some varieties do better than others in our climate, and are pretty much just a set and let grow plant. One of the most fascinating things  I found out about marigold is that they act as a tranquilizer for bumblebees. One year we planted quite a few and when the bumblebees landed on them and we waited a few minutes they were so drowsy that we could actually pet them.
3. Pansies are another easy to grow plant that adds lots of color. They come in a wide variety of colors and they will comeback for years.

Last night's Mariner game

Last night's game started out looking as though it would go the way the season has for the Mariners but it ended up being one of the more exciting games this season.

The first inning started off bad when a Royals player hit a home run on the very first pitch. The bad news continue when the next player had a triple. Luckily the Mariners were able to get out of the inning with only giving up two runs. Then in the bottom of the first it was the Mariner's turn to show we really did know how to hit. Ichiro lead off with a hit and the hit parade was on. By the end of that inning the score was tied.

The Mariners didn't look back for the rest of the game getting as they went on to belt out 15 hits in the game. Many of the hits went for extra-bases including home runs by Ichiro and Olivo. There should have been a third home run by Ackly but it wasn't to be as it was caught as it sailed over the fence or so it appeared. It was later revealed on slow motion replay that the ball hit a fans glove and dropped into the glove of the Royals player. The errant play wasn't found out in time and thus Ackly just had a long out.

By the end of the game Ichiro had four hits and looked like the player we have all come to enjoy watching. Olivo had a double, triple, and home run but no single. Ackly went hit-less in the game having the bad luck of hitting to Francoeur. Alex Liddi had a double in his first game at Safeco giving us hope for next year. 

long absence

I apologizes for my long absence but starting today I will be posting on a regular basis. I will be changing the format of my blog from just general topics to outdoor activities. This means more fishing, sports, and gardening. 

A close shave but still a win

What a finish to the Mariner game tonight. It was looking pretty bad early on for our rookie pitcher Micheal Pinenada. The offense would tie the game or give us a slight lead but then the Blue Jays would come right back and get a run or two off Pinenada. It was not his night giving up more homers than he ever has before and ending up having one his shorter outings.

The bullpin pitchers did a great job of keeping the Blue Jays from scoring. The offense though seemed to o into a mini slump for a few innings and not scoring keeping the score at 5-4 Blue Jays until the eighth. Then Mike Carp came through in the bottom of the eighth and hit his second homer of the game. Not to be out done Carlos Well showed that he can hit them just as well and gave us a one run lead. Then in the op of the ninth out comes mister save Brandon League and he didn't disappoint as he was able to keep the Jays at just one hit and earning his 30th save of the season.

Number 51 for the Mariner

 When Ichiro hit the first pitch of the game for a home run, Franklin Gutierrez hits a single, Dustin Ackerly a double, Mike Carps gets a hit for 2 RBIs and Casper Weeks a two-run home run all in the first inning. It looked as though the game was going to be an easy win for the Seattle Mariners tonight. We should know better though that the way this season has gone this probably wouldn't hold up.

The second inning started off good with Felix on the mound the Red Sox went quick. Then in the bottom half of the inning Jack Wilson had a hit. It was looking as though they would pick up where they left off in the first but it just wasn't to be with Ichiro hitting into a rare double play and then Gutierrez ending the inning.

The next few innings went fairly uneventful as neither side scored. The fourth inning though did have one scary moment when Mariner catcher Josh Bard was involved in a collision at home and knocked onto his back when he was took both and elbow and knee shots. He was dazed but was able to somehow hang on to the ball for the out.

The sixth inning didn't go well at all for Felix and after giving up two 2-run homers it was looking bleak. He managed to get out of the inning with a slim one run lead so there was still hope. The offensive had one hit to start off there half of the inning but the next three batters fell flat.

Jamie Wright came in for the 8th with the Mariners still hold on to their slim lead and did a great job. The offensive went 1-2-3 in the bottom half of the inning and once again it was up to Brandon League to hold a one run lead.

In the back of our minds we always wonder if League will start another little slide but he didn't. He came in and made quick work of the Red Sox for his 28 save and showed another team why he was selected to be an all-start.

The first preseason game

The first game for the Seahawks is done and if this was any indication we should have a great season. It is not often that all three quarterbacks play well but they did a great job for us tonight. There were a few areas that they did show room for improvement but it was still enough to squeak by the Chargers.

The Chargers started off scoring rather quickly and many of us probably thought the same thing. We have seen it many times where the first half of the game doesn't go our way and then sometimes the second half goes great. Luckily it was the latter that took place and they did make a comeback in the second half. The rookie Josh Portis showed us that if for any reason he needs to come in and play we are in good hands.

It will take some getting use to not seeing a few of the familiar face out on the field. No more Matt (or Matthew as Steve Ramble calls him) Hasslebeck for the first time in 10 years. Lofa Tatupu gone from the backfield where he has given us a reason to cheers over the years. Many other names that have come and gone this year. But, we have seen this all happen before in this game where personal can change quickly.

Joanne Fluke books

For those of you that like bakery products, and who doesn't, and a good mystery I have been reading a series of books that I think you will enjoy. The author of the books is Joanne Fluke and her main character is a bakery owner named Hannah Swensen.

The first book in he series is titled the chocolate chip cookie murder. There are currently 13 books in the series and probably more to come. Each one of them has one bakery item in the title that will usually be found next to the victim.

In the books you meet characters, such as, Hannah of course and her partner in the bakery Lisa, Norman the county dentist and one of Hannah's boyfriends, Mike one of the police and another of Hannah's boyfriends and many other great characters.

Hannah somehow always seems to the one to find the bodies and since one of her bakery goods was found with the body she naturally feels it is her duty to investigate. During her investigating she still has a bakery to run so during her free time she is trying out new receipts that are included in the books.

All of the books are thoroughly enjoyable and you can easily lose track of time reading them. there is something for just about everyones taste as each book has plenty of romance, mystery, family drama and of course food. 

Epilepsy and seizures are still mysterious to us

Before I start get into today's subject I wish to qualify myself by saying I am not a neurologist or a neurosurgeon. I have suffered through seizures and I have studied neuronets from a programers point of view.

I was talking to a friend about their cat that has recently started having seizures. This lead to a conversation about seizures and epilepsy, in both humans and other animals, and the causes. First we talked about seizures and came up with many reasons for them. We then went into what is epilepsy but had a hard time actually defining it other than to say it is brain related. It was the question about what is the difference between seizures and epilepsy that inspired me to wright this post.

I know the explanation I about to give is overly simplifying a major problem. There is much about the brain that we don't know. One thing we do know is the brain is the most sophisticated computer in the world and that is why computer scientist have tried so hard to duplicate it. A seizure is a short in that computer that could be caused by a number of things, such as, being dropped and knocking something loose, a wire that wasn't secured and is touching another wire, a virus or just a part wearing out. Many times it is something that can be corrected once the cause is found.

Epilepsy on the other hand is more of a permanent state that can't be totally corrected and a short might just be one of many symptoms.  You can repair the shorts, take care of the viruses with your anti-virus software and do any other maintenance to the point the systems runs well, maybe not like it use to, but you still have the major cause that gave you the problems in the first place.

Yes, you really do use math

Since the time is drawing near to send our children back to school I though I would take the time to write about quite often from my niece. I am sure there are several parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and teachers that have heard the same question from children. That question is "Why do I need to do my math home?"

Our first response is usually to tell them about some of the careers that use math, such as, an engineer, a carpenter, scientist or a teacher and this usually gets us the answer but I am not going to be any of those. Then, we normally go to because you use it every day and that leads to more questions. Soon we just get frustrated and give up trying to explain and either yell just do it or go get an aspirin.The whole episode can be avoid if instead of trying to point out what math could be used on in their future we focus on what they use it for now.

The next time you are asked that question pick one or two things that child does on a daily basis and point out where the math comes in to play. An example might be a tablet computer and ask him or her how they figure out if there is room to download a new  app (program or application) that a friend told them was killer. Another example might be that if they play games (anger birds is big right now) how they judge how far to pull the slingshot back to fire the bird at the pigs. There might be other ideas that come to mind but the point is find something they enjoy and show that the knowledge of math is neccessary.

Seven days that made waves in Seattle sports

These last seven days have been wild  for Seattle sport's teams. While on he road the Mariners set a dubious record of 17 losses in a row, the NFL lockout ends, the Mariners final end the skid and the Seahawks loss and gains players at breakneck speed.

For also three weeks it was looking as though the Mariners would never win a game again. The hitting hasn't been there much at all this year but at least the Mariners had pitching and defense that were helping them stay close to the top. Then just before the all-star break that seemed to change when they lost the series against Texas. Then after the three game break everything seemed to go on a downward spiral. The players started missing plays on defense, the pitching went and the few that were hitting stopped.

They came home and won and we all celebrated that the streak was over. Then the next day they lost again and you could hear the collective sigh of here we go again. The streak thankfully didn't start again as veteran players started picking up the pace, some of the young kids blossomed, and the players we traded for got off to good starts.  Now, everything seem to be coming together and they swept a series, even though it was Oakland, with hope for a strong finish to the season.

While all that was going on with the Mariners we were told that the NFL lockout was over and there would be football, yeah. No sooner did the news break then the Seahawks jumped into free agency and Matt Hasselbeck was gone. We didn't have much time for that loss to sink in before the revolving door started and players were zinging in and out of Seattle.

After everything that has happen in just a short time it seems strange that the first preseason game is just around the corner. Next Thursday will be the first game with Tarvaris Jackson as our starting quarterback. He won't be the only new face out on the field as we also have a new receiver Sidney Rice and several other free agents that came in so fast they are all a blur.

How to plan a fishing trip

Many of you out there probably think that planning a fishing trip is just a matter of grabbing your pole and tackle box and the head out the door. You can't be farther from the truth. There are several things that need to be taken into consideration before you are ready:

1. Where are we going? It sounds as though it would be an easy question to answer but the place your going can be crucial to what you will need to pack. If you are going to a river or stream then you will want to bring hip waders since you will be in the water. If you are going to a lake then you depend on if you will be in a boat or on land needs to be answered. If you are going to be on land then you might need a chair and pole holder. If you are going to be in a boat then you might need some extra clothing since being on the water can sometimes be chillier than it is on land. If you are going o be fishing in the ocean then you might need motion sickness pills since it can get awfully rough. Where ever you go there is one thing you should always have and that is a life jacket.
2. What type of fishing will we be doing? This makes a big difference on what type of gear you will need to take. If you are going salmon fishing you don't want a light weight trout pole with 10 pound test line.  If you are going to fly fishing in a stream you don't want a heavy salmon pole. The same with your tackle you want it to match the type of fishing you do. If you are salmon fishing then either big lures like salmon plugs, artificial squid and needle fish or herring and anchovies if you like live bait. For trout fishing you might have your tackle box filled with triple teasers (they look like tiny metal fish), spinners and pop gear if you are trolling. If you are going fly fishing then you will most likely fill your tackle box with artificial flies. For any type of fishing though there are basics that will need: spare line (either for leader or if yours breaks), swivels (they are always good to have to hook your leader line on so you can change you lures easier), a fishing net, a hook remover,  a small knife and sinkers. 
3. What time are we going? The time of day can be very important to determine weather you will need bug repellant, flashlights, sunglasses and various other items. 
4. How long will we be gone? If it is an all day trip then food and drink might be a concern. If you are planning on just a few hours then you still might think about water or some other beverage but food might not be of a concern.  
5. Do I have enough fuel? Will you need to get gas in your car and if you are taking a boat you will need to make sure. Once you are where your going is there a fuel station near by just in case? 

Fishing: A great activity

I love going fishing it is a great outdoor activity, relaxing, gives you time to think, it is a fun way to explore an area and there is lots of planning involved.

I say it is a great outdoor activity for a couple of reasons:

1. You get exercise. Some of you might be saying what kind of exercise could you possibly get  from fishing? There are a few ways: One way is in the form of hiking. If you aren't somewhere that is accessible by boat then you probably had to hike to the place your fishing. A second would  be aerobics once you hook into the fish and struggle trying to land it. A third way is weight training. I know your thinking what does weight training have to do with fishing. If you do use a boat then you will need to launch it off of the trailer and you need to hold on to a rope attached to the boat so it does go off too fast or fall over. If you are going to anchor your boat that means lifting the anchor twice, one putting it in the water and once taking it out. Then when you are done with your trip there is putting boat back on the trailer and that usually involves hand cracking a wench to bring the boat out of the water. 
2. It is a social activity. Most of the time when you go fishing it is with a friend(s) or family member(s) and even if you are alone you usually meet other people out fishing that you end up talking with. 

It is relaxing because there is usually enough time when your not catching fight to talk, have a snack or just sit back and enjoy the day until the next strike.  

It is a fun way exploring an area for the simple reason that just about anywhere you go there are bound be plenty of lakes, rivers, streams, creeks and on the coasts the oceans. There is no better way to get to know an area then by fishing all those bodies of water. Besides think about all the explores through history and almost every one involved fishing or atleast sailing.

Planning comes in a couple of times when a fishing trip is involved. First before you go on the trip you must plan on what you will need for fishing and for the weather conditions. That means you will need to know where your fishing, the conditions you be in and then means not only the weather but the water conditions. Then you will need to decide on the type of fishing: trolling, wading in the river or stream, deep or shallow. Then when you are on the trip you might need to change your technique and that will take more planning. I bet you never though fishing involved so much thinking.

The debt ceiling

Recently there has been quite a bit of talk about the 14th amendment and whether it gives the President the power to override congress and raise the debt ceiling on his own. The main focus of this talk has been section 4 that does talk about debt that has been incurred from wars and other insurrections. The debate is that since this section was specifically about the Civil war and making a distinction between the obligations to repay union soldiers vs. repayment of confederate soldiers is it a valid argument for today?

Here is section 4 of the 14th amendment and you can see that it can be interpreted in a few different ways.  "The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned. But neither the United States nor any state shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or any claim for the loss or emancipation of any slave; but all such debts, obligations and claims shall be held illegal and void."

Here is what Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) had to say on the matter as report in the Huffington Post on July 7 "So people are looking at the fact that maybe the debt ceiling bill that Congress presumably has to pass for the government to borrow more maybe is contrary to that constitutional provision, and that the administration may take out [loans] on their own -- just to borrow money -- and say that they can ignore the law," he said.

Can our congress agree on anything?

Today I am going to go on a little rant about something that concern all of us and that is the mess going on over our debt.

Now, I am not an economist but I do know a little about budgets and credit. Many of us wish that we could just wave a wand and give ourselves a new cap on our credit cards when they are getting close to being maxed out but unless your the federal government you can't do that. The sad thing is when our credit cards are maxed it only affects our family but when the federal government maxes out it affect everyone in the country.

Some of you might think it doesn't concern me but you would be wrong. If the congress doesn't come up with a solution it could mean that some people that depend on the government for their pay might not get it and in turn that can affect business that depend on those people to buy their merchandise and just keeps us in a downward spiral.

I am not going to claim there is an easy solution but they need to find a common starting place. This arguing about spending cuts, raising taxes and who is to blame for this mess in the first place has to stop. The truth about who is to blame is all of us and I don't mean just the people in congress. So, there is plenty of blame what we need is some positive thoughts and I am not sure if we have enough people in congress that know how to do that.

I heard some talk one time suggesting that the people in congress shouldn't get paid until they come up with a solution and that might just be a good start. I would say if there are cuts to be made they should start with cutting out all the perks they get and then go after the items that shouldn't be there in the first place, such as, subsides and close tax loop holes. Contrary to popular belief closing a loop hole isn't raising taxes no matter how many times we are told different. 

We will have a football season

The last couple of days have been rather bitter sweet for any Seahawk fan. First the NFL lockout is finally over meaning that we will get to watch our favorite team but with the new season also comes the realization that it will be without Matt Hasselbeck.  In his place we have three would be starting quarterbacks that we really don't know that much about.

Before I write about the new guys I would like to say a few things a our former quarterback Matt Hasselbeck. Over the last ten years you have been the best quarterback this franchise has ever seen. Even though you have stumbled a few times in recent years you have given us more thrilling moments then bad. You have play under some hard condition and gone through some injuries that might have ended the careers of some and you managed to come back. You might have lost a step but your grit makes up for that and I hope you do well in Tennessee except when you play Seattle.

We brought in Charlie Whitehurst last season to be a backup and possible replacement. The few times he has had an opportunity to play it has been for mixed results. He actually did better though than most of remember even though it wasn't anything spectacular. He is still fairly young in his career and hasn't played enough to show total worth to the team.

According to a report Matt Leinart will be going to Texas instead of signing with Seattle.

Yesterday the Seahawks sign Tarvaris Jackson to compete for the starting job. Just like Whitehurst, Jackson is a big unknown and has even less playing time under his belt. He is a about the same age as Whitehurst, play 6 seasons and only played in a handful of games for the Vikings.  

bringing back the 'made in America' label

There has been a segment running on the radio late at night where one house is selected in a typical American neighborhood and a team goes through the house looking for products with the 'made in America' label. Sadly the team usually only finds one or two items and remove the rest. They then try and local replacement items for the ones that were removed.

On one particular episode one of the items they were try to find was a coffee maker and it took two hours to locate one that had the 'made in America' label. By the end of that episode they did find replacements for everything except a few electronic items.

At the end of each episode they close by telling us how many jobs we would create here if we all just looked at what we had in our house and just replace one item. It would make such a difference if we would actually follow this example.

It is hard to imagine it but at one time just about everything we bought was made here in America. Now, it is hard to find a coffee maker and we don't have anyone that makes televisions.

My first computer

The year was 1986 and I had worked (at a Christmas tree farm) during the winter to get money for a computer. I didn't quite have enough (since at time they were very expensive) but my parents said they would pay the difference. They ended up paying almost half but it was what I wanted and since it was almost Christmas we bought it.Soon we were going home and I was pleased that I had a computer.

It had no hard drive (those came later), one 3-1/2" floppy (they had just came out) and 2 5-1/4" floppies. As soon as we arrived home I took it out of the box and read up on how to hook it up. Soon I was learning how to use DOS (no Windows yet), what the inner workings looked like and how to change out the drives.

A few days later I bought a book on DOS and start teaching myself the commands and how to write programs. Then it was on to games such as hack and adventure, which where text only games. I then started going through the library and taught myself how do graphics, which at the time where extremely crude. 

Not long after I had bought my computer a family friend bought a new model of the same computer that had a big 20MB hard drive and Windows 1.0. I later was given that computer since both of our computers had problems but I was able to combine the two into one unit. So now I had a hard drive, which was about 400 times small then the average today, and Windows 1.0, which wasn't much better then DOS.

Is this the end of books as we know them?

Thursday I received an e-mail from the people at Borders bookstore announcing the closing of their stores. It had been in the papers that Borders was in financial troubles for a long time and even that they had closed some of the stores. But it was never one of the store around here so the announcements never seemed that real to me. That all changed when I went to check my e-mail and saw that final notice saying they were beginning their final closing sale.

I have grown up in a family where books have always been around. We were constantly added more bookcases and would fill them up as soon as we built or bought one. There would be all kinds of book from biographies to mysteries to cookbooks. I personally read quite often and enjoyed quite a variety of books. Some of my favorites over the years have been "The cat who..." series, the Stephine Plum books, the hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy and the list goes on.

One of the reason that is most often given for Borders going under is that they should have put more effort into the e-reader revolution. That is probably a big part of why they went bankrupt but I think it is a shame that so much is put into going away from the traditional book. I don't see anything wrong with e-readers and e-books, in fact I might get one some day, but I like being able to hold a paperback in my hand and actually turn the pages. One nice thing I will say is that it would be that an e-read would have been handy on those particularly thing books that are hard to hold.

Cats are natural enterainers: Part 3

Mister, the hunter

Mister was a big, white cat that we had when I was growing up. He had multiple talents but by far his best was hunting. He was always good at catching mice, gophers or just about any small game. His hunting though didn't stop at outdoor fields or catch any stray mouse that ventured inside. He also hunting the dangerous cooked asparagus. Something that wasn't attempted by many cats.

Mister didn't really like asparagus and never ate any of it but did taste the first one. I think it just seemed like a challenge to him when he saw those green spears in the boiling water. I am not quite sure how he figured out that his claws could be used as fish hooks but by golly he did.

When ever my mom would cooked asparagus, which was often, that cat would get up on the counter to watch. after the asparagus had been boiling for a few minutes he would go into his fishing routine. He would sit up, raise a paw, extend a claw, and fish out a single spear. He always managed to do this with such expertise that he never burned his paw. As I mentioned earlier he didn't like to eat it but once seemed to take pride in the fact that he caught that green spear.

Cats are natural enterainers: Part 2

Frisky, the biped.

One cat that we had when I was in high-school was a calico cat we named Frisky and her talent was walking. You might think that isn't a talent and normally I would say your right but it was the way she walked. You see Frisky liked walking on her hind legs the same way a bear does when it is defending its territory.

She would of course walk on all fours much of the time especially if she was outside. It was mainly when she would walk down the hall or into someone's bedroom that she would stand up and walk. It always made for quite a sight to see her walking down the hall on her hind feet with her front paws in the air with what could best be described as a gunslinger gate.


Morris, the feline alarm clock and hoarder.

After Frisky we had a yellow tabby named Morris, he looked like the cat on the commercials, and his talent was that he always seemed to know what time of day. I was still in high-school at the time and my dad would usually pick me up when school was over. My dad worked nights and slept during the day so he we normally set the alarm clock.

One day my dad set the alarm clock but neglected to pull the setting pin, this was before digital, and the alarm never went off. That day he found out that he had a back up alarm that he didn't know about and that was Morris. The cat seemed to realize that something wasn't right and jumped up on my dad's chest. He glare into my dad's eyes until he woke up after a few minutes. After that the cat took it upon himself to be my dad's alarm clock but there was one little flaw with the system. It seemed that even though Morris knew the time he didn't know the days of the week.

Morris grew up on the streets so he never knew when he would get a meal. My cousin found him and brought him to us when he was still a young cat. We took him in and not long after we feed him for the first time we notice the food would disappear quickly. We thought he just had a big appetite after being on his own. So, we just kept feeding him and he food kept disappearing.

About a month later my mom was cleaning the house. When moved the sofa she found a small pile of cat food. Then she moved a chair and behold another pile of cat food. We walked all through the house and looked under the furniture and sure enough little piles of cat food. That cat wasn't pigging out like we thought he was carefully scooping up some of his dry food and hiding it everywhere throughout the house. He wanted to make sure that every place he went there was a snack.

Cats are natural enterainers: Part 1

Cats are born showmen and they all have their own unique talent. Some of them their talent might be magic to make things disappear, with some it might be stuns and still others it could be as a clown. I have grown up with cats that fit in to all of those categories and  will relay some of their stories:

The acrobat and doughnut thief. I use to have a cat named Twinkie, yes we named her after the treat, and she had two talents. One was that she could always smell a doughnut that was about to be eaten and steal at least part of it before you could take a bite. The other was that she liked to jump out of a hole in our ceiling. The first one you might think isn't much of a talent and perhaps not but it is the second that is what made her unique.

Before I go any further I need to explain how the hole came to be in our ceiling. When we had Twinkie some of the vent covers on the outside of our roof where missing and some wasp flown in the attic and made a nest that weaken part of the ceiling. Once we found out about the nest we had it taken care of but there was still that weak spot. One day as Twinkie was outside she had climbed into the attic as she did often but this time she had hit that weak spot and fell through into the hallway. She was unharmed and in fact seemed to think it was quite fun. So after a few moments she wanted back outside and promptly went back in to the attic. A couple of minutes later we heard a thud and natural all ran to see what caused the noise. We were all shocked to see the cat sitting there in the hall cleaning herself . She stood and wanted right back outside and we let her out. All of us just sat down again and hear a thud and sure enough it was the cat again.

The next day the cat was outside and I was walking down the hall. I heard a meow and naturally looked up and down the hall but no sign of a cat. Once again a meow and this time I looked up and sure enough there was Twinkie. She was telling me that I was in her way and could I move so she could jump down. So after that day we started warning people when they came over to watch out for our sky-diving cat. 

Why is my doctor playing halo?

When Redmond-based Microsoft came out with the kinect system last year they never thought that it would be the next medical break-through. That is what they did though as seen from all of the uses that doctors at the University of Washington along with other medical professionals have implemented that take the kinect into the classroom and even into the operating room.

Dr. Brain Ross, executive director of the Institute for Simulation and Inter-professional Studies (ISIS) at the UW, Has begun using xbox and kinect for teach medical students in the classrooms. He came up with the idea one day after watching his son using his xbox to play games with other players online. Using the technology he can now video-conference his classes to the various campuses and one day hopes to be able to work with game manufacturers to create a hospital simulation that would take full advantage of the kinect avatar technology.

"It's a really great product where there's a lot of opportunities to do a lot of things," says Howard Chizeck, an electrical engineering professor in the UW's Biorobotics Lab. "It's a very enabling device. It's the right thing at the right time."
Dr. Tom Lendvay, an assistant professor or urology at the University of Washington, came up with the idea of using the kinect as an alternative to the expensive simulators that hospitals normally use to help surgeons arm-up and keep sharp for surgery. The theory here is that using the xbox and kinect can help maintain your eye-hand coordination just as well as a surgical simulator and save thousands of dollars.
"If you can pay for a video game versus $100,000 for a simulator," Lendvay said, "that's all you need to know."
There is one hospital in Toronto, Canada that has started using the kinect to allow surgeons to view MRI scans without having leave the operating room. The idea behind this is that it means the surgeon can stay in the OR instead of spending time leaving to go pull up the scans, view them, re-scrub and then go back to the OR.
"Kinect gives us a really low-cost test bed for developing and testing the idea," Chizeck said.

Parents the next your son or daughter ask for an xbox with a kinect system you should keep in mind that it just might get them into medical school.

Mariner's lost mojo

Call it pride, mojo, chi, swagger, attitude or ego but whatever word you use the Seattle Mariners are trying to find theirs. The pitching staff seems to have it and the players when they in the field. Maybe it gets left in the gloves on in the grass. You just look at this 2011 team and when they get to the plate you can just tell that it is gone.

Tonight they had most of the 2001 team there for the 10th anniversary. Those guys had it all the time out in the field and when they came up to bat. You could just see it that look when Ichiro would square up his bat like an artist getting ready to paint a masterpiece, the look that Brett Boone would have just daring a pitcher to try and throw one past him, the gleam in Edgar's eyes telling a pitcher he knew what was coming and the grin of Mark Maclemore as if he knew something the pitcher didn't. Where is that for these players.

Ichiro is still there squaring up at the plate but he seems to lose tract of the canvas. The new kids look intimidated and just want to swing and get back to the dugout. Some of the other veteran players, when they do play, look as though they forgot what that bat is for when they stand at the plate.

Don't get me wrong I love the Mariners and think we have some great players both young and old. I just think that they need to find where they left that mojo, attitude, pride.

Should people that don't think be allowed to put up billboards?

Coming home today I saw a billboard with a question on it asking "Should people getting entitlements be allowed to vote?"

I would have to assume (even though you shouldn't assume) that the person or persons that posed this question meant people collecting social security, welfare, food stamps, medicare and medicaid. That would take out about half of the voting population and maybe they figured those were the uniformed voters and it would improve the system.

Now, let's think about what that question really means if we are to take it to the full meaning of entitlements. Not only would we eliminate the elderly, disabled, poor and injured. We would have to the right to vote from the businesses that get tax breaks, the farmer that gets a subsidy, the military vets that get VA care, all of the students that get grants or loans and let's not forget the politicians since they get government benefits. Now, whom is left to vote our leaders that can't run in the first place because they are no longer registered voters.

I don't imagine this is what the person or persons meant when they put that sign up but that is what happens when you don't think before you talk or in this case right.