Author Archives: Slocum's Creak

I recently became overwhelmed and lashed out at someone I care a great deal about. It was in all reality a simple misunderstanding and had I stepped back before speaking I would have realized that, but here we are. All I can do is hope I can repair the damage I caused. I’m written thisContinue reading “When anger wins”

Why Golden Green Sweat Bees MatterWhen people think of bees, the classic fuzzy honeybee usually steals the spotlight. But if you look closely at your flowers on a sunny day, you might spot a flash of metallic emerald zipping through the air. These are Golden Green Sweat Bees (from the family Halictidae), and they areContinue reading “Unsung Heroes.”

I’ve been experimenting with different medium for making biodegradable starter pots. The main ingredient has been paper generously donated to us in the form of junk mail and packaging from food stuff.   This is my latest rendition of the concept which started with a desire to find a use for all that paper. WhileContinue reading “Winner for biodegradable starter pots.”

  We currently have 39 Bell Pepper sprouts with more to come.   Below is a tricodileadian pepper sprout, rare, though not unheard of. This is my first in more than 50 years of growing plants. From Kitchen to Garden: Growing Bell Peppers from Store-Bought peppers!   Ever chopped open a beautiful bell pepper andContinue reading “Growing bell peppers from store-bought peppers.”

  The boys and I are starting work on the other house.   The other house is at least twice the size of the tiny house we are in now, the boys are old enough that they need thier own rooms.   Where we are headed needs a lot of work and a great dealContinue reading “New beginnings!”

It’s a universal, stomach-dropping moment: you realize a joke didn’t land, a comment was misconstrued, or you completely forgot an important detail about someone’s life, or worse still you don’tacknowledge someone in a way they felt was appropriate.   Suddenly, you’re the “villain” in a story you didn’t even know was being written.   TheContinue reading “When you mess up, own it.”

Rooting for the Planet: How to Make Your Own Biodegradable Flower Pots   I’ve been experimenting with ways of making pots for starting plants in for awhile now.   The one above is made from waste paper and is similar to one’s I’ve made in the past, except those were round. I have considered puttingContinue reading “Homemade flower pots”

Growing your own Red Globe grapes from seed is a rewarding project for any patient gardener. While most commercial grapes are grown from cuttings to ensure exact clones, starting from seed is a fun way to experiment and see a plant’s entire life cycle. ​Here is your guide to turning those supermarket seeds into aContinue reading “Growing grapes from seed.”

  I started this out think I might use Gemini to put this blog post together. AI is so fantastic and all. I uploaded my photo and let Gemni do it’s thing.   While it came up with what looked like an impressive report, it was unusable with lots of ten dollar words that, whileContinue reading “Micro greenhouse from trash.”

  I watched as you placed the flowers in that old mason jar and sat them on the fireplace mantle.   Still full in bloom and color, they held thier heads high as long as they could.   But they, like I, came to realize, the hand that placed them there would never return.  Continue reading “Never more”