Friday, August 30, 2013

GMO Pork

Alas, a person working at our favorite co-op meat market told me today that they have no pork that is GMO free.
No pork farmers can assure the co-op that the corn fed to their pigs is free of genetically modified corn.
Even when farmers raise their own corn for feed they cannot protect it from cross-pollination from Monsanto neighboring fields.

Frankenfood is here.

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Three hours on Grass Trails

The spring wash out in the corner of the corn field is dry as a bone now, as we hope for rain to come soon.


The poison ivy is a danger even in late summer.


And, well, Sweet Pea and I got lost. What was to be a one-hour hike turned out to be TWO.


Early in the morning a spry fawn came prancing toward us, but then stopped and reconsidered its course.


You can click on the sign to read the details of the prairie restoration burn.


Life is persistent. On the edge of the burn, wild flowers flourish.


It was a day made for KITES!


Families of campers enjoyed the dry weekend. These small children rode their bikes down the grassy hill, below the soaring kite.


Sumac is already forecasting autumn.




Monday, August 5, 2013



Our son and daughter-in-law lost their entire house to a fire early on the morning of June 21.

Lightning struck the electrical entrance box in the garage of our son David's house. The natural gas entrance to the house was fifteen feet away, but the lightning nevertheless found a way to burst the corrugated stainless steel tubing (CSST) that was used at the entrance and throughout the house.

It turns out that this is a national issue, with new homes built with CSST going up in flames when lightning strikes nearby. The lightning pokes a hole in the tubing, ignites the gas, and the result is a gas-powered blowtorch inside the home's wall or basement.

Here is a short Channel 11 story about our son's situation that aired Friday night:
www.kare11.com/news/article/1034149/391/Cause-of-Maplewood-fire-serves-warning-to-others.

David and Caroline are going to rebuild, but the gas lines will be good old black iron pipe!