@Summitt Dweller’s Personal Blog - Home

NOT Like a Rolling Stone

Mark McFate — Fri, 11 Oct 2024 20:09:55 +0000

Where has the last year gone? While life (metaphorically the stream in the hero image) rolls on, this blog (any of the moss covered rocks in the image) has not.

This blog was born of good intentions, but frankly it’s too hard for an old fart like me to remember how to maintain it and make contributions. Having not posted here in many months, I had to consult my “documentation”, and ultimately my retired password manager, to get back in and post this. That’s unacceptable, and it won’t happen again.

So, I’m going to replace this Ghost-driven “semi-static” blog with something more familiar and less costly/complex to operate. Probably a Hugo static site that is truly “static”, but not stagnant! There will be no more blog-moss grown here!

Famous last words?

See you on the flip-side. Soon.

Snowpocalypse 2024 - Round 2

Mark McFate — Sat, 13 Jan 2024 15:28:12 +0000

Just thought I would post a couple more photos, with a probable update later today. Took these photos yesterday (Friday, January 12) at about noon when I ventured outside to clear the driveway. Didn’t quite get it all done because it was just too cold and windy, and the snow was still falling. I didn’t even attempt to clear the front porch… ain’t nobody coming to visit today anyway. 8^)

There are steps and a deck under there somewhere.
I love my EGO snow thrower, but pushing through drifts that are taller than the intake (about 18") is NO FUN.

Snowpocalypse 2024?

Mark McFate — Wed, 10 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Maybe not as bad as predicted (at least per some predictions) but it was enough wet snow for me. Took almost an hour to clear using my EGO cordless snow-thrower (love it) and there’s more to be done before Mackenzie and I can leave for work in the morning.

Fortunately both Grinnell College and South Tama County schools were closed today. GC re-opens at noon tomorrow and STC just announced that they will be closed on Wednesday too.

The captioned photo above is where I left it this evening at about 5:30 PM. The photo below shows the first 1-minute of my progress at about 4:30 PM. I posted a track-log of the “walk” at https://hikes.summittdweller.com/hikes/2024/01/2024-01-09_0430pm/.

Probably 6" - 7" of wet snow but near the house and street it was 14" - 16" deep. Ultimately I burned through 4 large EGO batteries. Clearing the drive in the past would typically take only 2 with some capacity to spare.

I still have more to do before going to work tomorrow. Got another storm heading this way on Wednesday evening so I better get at it in the morning. Wish me luck.

Update: 10-01-2024 @ 10 AM

Managed to get the snow-thrower out again to finish up last evening’s work before heading back to Grinnell in a bit. 34 minutes of effort covering about 3/4 of a mile. I’ll post another track log at https://hikes.summittdweller.com soon. I did take one more photo to give some perspective to the front porch situation.

I really should have taken a photo before I started. The snow shelf extending down off the roof was easily 2’ deep/tall x 8’ long x 16" thick…before I knocked it down, an effort that took 12 pokes with my shovel. Went through another two EGO batteries in the effort.

Not quite done yet, but at least the drive is clear and the front door is reachable.

First Dose of Wegovy

Mark McFate — Fri, 29 Dec 2023 02:05:25 +0000

Got my first 0.25 dose of Wegovy started (finally) this evening at 8 PM. Not difficult or painful at all. Injection site was in my right leg, upper thigh.

Tested Positive for COVID

Mark McFate — Tue, 05 Sep 2023 13:47:00 +0000

Finally got to see the doctor today after starting to feel ill on September 3, and to my surprise I tested positive for COVID. Symptoms were mild so I didn’t need or receive any treatment.

Planting Sempervivum tectorum (and More)

Mark McFate — Tue, 06 Jun 2023 17:14:02 +0000

This morning I started an experiment… clipping leaves (“lobes” might be a better term for these things) from a healthy, indoor Sempervivum tectorum. What’s that, you ask? The common name is Hens and Chicks.

A couple of weeks ago I bought an on-sale strawberry pot full of Sempervivum tectorum and I have it growing on a little table on the front porch. It’s doing QUITE WELL there! A couple of days ago I uprooted a 3 foot square patch of Snow on the Mountain from a spot in my front flower beds (outside out southeast bedroom window), and that left a big bare patch of soil to be dealt with.

Today I clipped some vertical growth from the Sempervivum tectorum, stripped about two dozen of the “lobes” from the bottoms, and transplanted the “stems” into an indoor pot where I’m also trying to root some Jade plants. That left me with a handful of detached “lobes” so I got out my cultivator, chewed up the bare spot left from the Snow on the Mountain, scattered the detached lobes there, and covered them gently with a little garden soil. I have no idea if these might produce new plants… we shall see.

Since I had the cultivator out I also roughed up some spots where I’m having trougle getting grass to grow, and I’ll be watering those spots for the coming week just as I have been watering the Snow on the Mountain which was transplated to an area near STC Elementary where there’s an Ian memorial rock and bench. There’s no longer a tree at that memorial location, the previous one died so we had it cut down. Our hope is to plant a new tree this Fall.

-/-/-/

location: Toledo, IA

Elementary School Weed Control

Mark McFate — Wed, 31 May 2023 02:10:06 +0000

Went to the elementary early this evening and sprayed Weed-B-Gone around the bench and area. I hope it knocks the remaining weeds there back. There was no wind and no rain thus far, so I hope it works.

Lawn is Looking Better

Mark McFate — Mon, 08 May 2023 23:52:00 +0000

Mowing the lawn this evening and I’m happy to report that most of the weeds I treated last evening have curling leaves. As Young Frankenstein might say… This could work!

Applied BioAdvanced Concentrate Season-Long Weed Killer

Mark McFate — Sun, 07 May 2023 20:12:00 +0000

Today I applied one bottle (29 oz.) of BioAdvanced™ Concentrate Season Long Weed Killer to my entire lawn in 9 applications using my Ryobi 1-gallon chemical sprayer. Mix was 3.5oz per tank with each application covering about 500 square feet.

We shall see how it performs. See https://bioadvanced.com/season-long-weed-control-for-lawns for more details.

mixture: 704050A MenardsSKU: 2634119

Sold Mower and Bunk Bed

Mark McFate — Sun, 23 Apr 2023 20:23:43 +0000

Both my EGO self-propelled mower and old twin-over-full bunk bed sold and taken away today. Yay! Next up, The Rolling Stone camper and Ecotric eBike.

Barb Sprayed the Snow-on-the-Mountain

Mark McFate — Tue, 18 Apr 2023 19:09:00 +0000

Barb came in this afternoon and sprayed broadleaf control on the out-of-control “Snow on the Mountain” around the house.

Filing 2022 Income Taxes

Mark McFate — Thu, 13 Apr 2023 00:56:49 +0000

Tonight is the night we file our 2022 income taxes. Got nice little refunds from both Federal and Iowa, but all of my Fed refund is going toward first quarter estimated payments for 2023. 😕

Hot Spring Spa is Gone

Mark McFate — Sun, 09 Apr 2023 01:35:00 +0000

My old Hot Spring spa is gone! Listed it at about noon and by 4 PM I had 15 interested parties, most of them very serious. It went to a young couple who came very well prepared to haul it away… flatbed truck with a lift, and an extra set of muscles. It departed shortly after 8 PM. Well done!