Because of leap year, today, December 31, 2008, is the 366th day of the year.  What a great time to reflect on the wonders and dream for the future.

The post-Christmas weather included an ice storm, 56 degree days, a inch or two of snow, and wind.
Today was a picture perfect day.

What is the best way to get rid of thistles?
The thistle is one of the most difficult perennial weeds to control because its underground stems can travel up to 20 feet a season. After chopping them down, use a plastic mulch to cover the entire area. A straw mulch, laid at least three inches thick,
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The storm hit, but no where as severe as it could have been.  The roads were mostly passable by mid morning and a quick review of the power company Web sites showed no significant outages.  The weekend will be spent putting insulation into the floors of the Two Mile Cabin before the temps drop to
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The Winter solstice is marked this year on December 21.  From this day forward (until June) the length of daylight grows longer each day.  The US Naval Observatory reports Two Mile Ranch will have slightly longer days.  Sunrise will actually occur 1 – 2 minutes later until the 12th of January, when it occurs earlier. 
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It’s hard to know if this is the real deal, but the National Weather Service thinks it is:
The Ice Storm Warning is now in effect from 6 PM this evening to
6 am CST Friday.
Freezing rain is now expected to develop by early evening and
continue through tonight. Significant ice accumulations are
expected… ranging from between one and
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I spent nearly 5 years as an armchair cabin builder — I had some loose ideas and visited web sites, but I didn’t own the ground.  I read countless stories of other people’s building exploits.  To be honest, even though I’ve read hundreds of stories, I never tire of hearing or reading about someone’s projects.

Here
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The November 28 edition of Bill Moyers Journal features some provocative comments by Michael Pollan on eating fresh.
MICHAEL POLLAN: And that, there is a real crisis in the inner city with access to fresh produce. And we know, distance from a source of fresh produce is a predictor of health.
BILL MOYERS: What do you mean,
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December’s full moon is named the Oak Moon, although many refer to it as the Cold Moon.  This year’s December moon is full December 12 and it’s the full moon through the Winter Solstice.

What makes a Kirby cucumber burpless?
Kirby cucumbers, like other greenhouse cucumbers, are milder than garden grown slicing or pickling cucumbers. As a result, to some people they seem to be easier to digest, resulting in less burping. The greenhouse cucumbers now known as “Kirby-type” were developed to produce fruit parthenogenically, that is, without pollination of
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