Mountain Pond

Merry Christmas Starbucks

 Starbucks has come out with their "Holiday Cups" for this season of coffee drinking during Christmas.  Unlike previous years, the cups have no traditional Christmas decoration and are said to be designed to be more inclusive.

Nobody asked me, but you are kind of a loser if you go to a Starbucks to look at their cups.  The reason that they can get away with all of the "Tall" and "Barista" BS is because some people, including me, will pay their premium for a strong cup of coffee.

I don't go there to have a conversation about race relations with one of their goofy "Baristas".... and I don't go there to look at their paper coffee cups.... I go to get a decent cup of coffee, even if it is overpriced.

Companies like Starbucks, or Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream.... that like to accentuate their product with their political leanings get my patronage because I like their coffee and I like their ice cream, and I could care less what type of lefty message these companies seek to convey.   As much as political discourse is pleasurable to me, there are times when you have to be singular in purpose and dial back your attention to what is in the cup, not what is on it.

Nice Bookcase

 I saw this bookcase on Pinterest, using closet door slabs as the sides.  Peabody Building Supply has an awesome inventory of solid pine slabs to choose from and they are very reasonably priced.

Thinking of making two of these.

Laura Cox - a Fine Guitarist

Sliding Seat kayak Platform

How cool is it that  Boulter Plywood.... perhaps the best distributor of marine plywood in the world.... is only located a few miles down the road in Somerville, MA,

I am planning to buy a few sheets of  Okoume A/B BS1088 Lloyds Approved , 4x8 12 mm stock to craft a deck for my sliding seat kayak rowing craft.

Hope to be gliding around Marblehead Harbor before Thanksgiving.

Good ole Lao Tzu

Why Liberals Suck

-



She will do or say anything to anyone.

Disgusting Clinton

Thinking about my unused kayak hulls

Aquaponics Concepts - Zero In on the Best Alternative

Turns out that I can buy food grade IBC containers in good condition for $100 at a source on Highland Ave. in Salem.  Will pick a couple soon and work on them at the Peabody shop.

Federal Street Fire Station

 This is the Fire Station on Federal Street in Lynn where my father and his friends built their boats in the back room.  They had to remove a wall to get the boats out when finished,   I doubt that Fire Department regs would permit this today.

He and his buddies built a 14 ft. runabout that had fins on the back.   We test launched it in Sluice Pond behind the present Four Winds Pub.   It was powered by a 35 HP Johnson outboard that I remember was not very reliable.  It was kept on Swain's Lake aka Union Lake in East Barrington, NH where my parents had a summer camp.

I remember hanging around the station during the 4th of July, and watching the fire fighters slide down the 15 ft. brass pole from the second floor to the first, hurrying to respond to bon fires.  The station has been demolished for years and General Electric is now at the site.

Solar Powered Aquaponics Project

This is how I'm going to power the pump for the aquaponics system that I am planning.   Going off grid just for the hell of  it.  Going with a bank of two 12V deep cycle batteries to start and two 100 Watt solar panels.   Will invest in a 3000 Watt DC to AC inverter to be able to run power tools off the system from time to time as well as the pump which should operate 24/7. 

I haven't yet decided on the fish tank and vegetable bed designs, nor have I told Joanne about where this is going in the yard.

Have to design the swirl filter and siphon drain systems, plus I'd love to catch some local wild bluegill or perch for the fish tanks.  Also have to research what plants to use in the winter months.... probably garlic and kale.  I think that I'm going with ibc tote foodgrade containers to modify for the beds and fish tank.

The beds will be flushed with the below bell siphon.