the nicest guy in texas...

Lost in El Paso...

home alone...

Prepping for an El Paso supply run.  82,95,55,0,B

compost...

Dr. Deb built and loaded 3 composting bins for me today.  I hauled 2 loads of sand to finish fine tuning the level on the SE watertank.  Mr. Floppy arrived early this morning for a long overdue visit.  Benita, Beatice and Penelope had some family time.  Another gourmet dinner thanks to Deb's gardens to celebrate the work.  78,93,43,0,B

real food with Dr. Deb...

Fires are still burning near Alpine and north of Ft. Davis.  The big one that started Saturday is now 40% contained but has consumed over 100,000 acres.  http://bigbendnow.com/2011/04/three-major-fires-still-going-strong-0-contained/

Special overnight guest arrived at the Field Lab today...Dr. Debbie Tolman  http://www.debtolman.com/  She came all the way over from Clifton, Texas to trade info...me/solar - her/gardening.  I think I'm getting the better end of the deal...an invaluable resource for getting my greenhouse growing.  She brought a beautiful mix of greens from her gardens for supper tonight.

About 6 of my palo verde seeds look like they are coming to life.  Looks like sanding their edges and dowsing them with boiling water did the trick.

Just got an email from by buddy Dan Stricklin from Phillips Productions.  The Texas Country Reporter episode they shot here is finally available on YouTube.  http://www.youtube.com/user/texascountryreporter#p/u/0/GSEEX6Z8vcU   72,85,46,0,B

SW Texas is on fire...

75 miles northwest of TFL a wildfire started yesterday just west of Marfa...it's been burning out of control for over 30 hours, fanned by high winds out of the south.  Over 50 structures destroyed in the Ft. Davis area.  Lots of livestock caught in the path of the flames as they raced through the dried grass plains. (photo: Alberto Halpern)  http://bigbendnow.com/2011/04/4705/  81,97,68,0,W

cow art

Benita drool + wind = art.  85,101,71,0,W

talcum powder road...

Worked on a soft/dusty puddle in my driveway today to try and firm it up.  Every time I drive through, it explodes into a cloud of dust and gets bigger every time I pass.  Poured about 50 gallons of my old creek water on it today to soak in and pack hopefully.  Not really talcum powder but seems to have many of the same characteristics:  It occurs as foliated to fibrous masses, its monoclinic crystals being so rare as to be almost unknown. It has a perfect basal cleavage, and the folia are non-elastic, although slightly flexible. It is the softest known mineral on the Mohs hardness; allowing it to be easily scratched by a fingernail. It is also sectile (can be cut with a knife). It has a specific gravity of 2.5–2.8, a clear or dusty luster, and is translucent to opaque. (from Wikipedia)

Inspired by the partial success of the waterboxx project - I'm prepping some palo verde seeds of my own for germination.  They are almost 2 years old - hope they are still viable.  I got these from a tree in my Crazy Aunt Jean's back yard in Circle City, AZ.  Jean and I shared the same birth date...she passed away last year so we no longer have a chance to call and wish each other happy birthday.  Some offspring from her tree would be a nice addition to TFL.  Her memoir from the great depression is still available through Amazon.com.  http://www.amazon.com/Colorado-Whoopenhollars-Living-Despite-Depression/dp/1441529896  87,96,64,0,W