Pompeii

1. Make lye water out of ash. You can boil 2-3 spoons of ash (clean white/grey fluffy ash) with water and then filter it with a coffee filter. Lye water is a great cleaning agent and sanitizer for clothes, floors, windows, silverware, plates, and even rust in marble.

You can also make lye by adding the fluffy white ash in a cheesecloth.  In a bucket with holes on its base, you add the cheesecloth and ash, and hang it somewhere high. Add the water. Underneath, place another clean bucket to collect the lye. The lye has a brownish colour, so you remove the bucket when clean water starts to sip through. Test the lye by adding a fresh egg in the liquid. If the egg floats, the lye is good to go, if not, repeat the process.-For use in soap making.

2. A paste made out of ash and water, can remove stains from furniture.

3. If we want to remove a stain from clothes the moment they happen, we add a bit of ash and after about five minutes, we rub it with the crumb of a bread (not the crust, the soft white bit).

4. Ash is a great odour repellent, just add a bit over the area that smells. eg, kitty litter.

5. You can remove odours from a fridge, by adding a plate of charcoal ash inside. Change the charcoal over, until the smell is gone.

6. You can use it to brush your teeth. (recipe here)

7. You can wash your hair with lye soap  and rinse with vinegar. This is especially good for oily hair.

8. Lye is used in many foods and sweets. Like grape must pudding (moustalevria),  honey cookies (melomakarona), and in bread. It makes bread fluffy and prevents it from crumbling. Lye is also good for the cleansing of the intestines.

9. Ash was used for many years in farming. It recycles the natural nutrients back into the earth. It can be used as compost but does not include Nitrogen. It aids in the increase of the earths PH level which in return, aids in the growth of the plants. (But because of the ongoing increase of the PH level, not all veg and fruit thrive from it. eg potatoes).

10. It strengthens plants that love calcium, such as tomatoes, vineyards, beans, spinach, peas, avocados, garlic etc. Even rose bushes. You can add 1/4 cup ash before planting.

11. One spoon ash per 1000l of water, strengthens underwater plants.

12.It prevents plants from frost in winter, if you add a layer of ash over them.

13. Animals hate ash. You can rid your garden of insects and various parasites, such as slugs and snails.

14. You can rid yourself of ants. If you throw some ash in their colony, they will be forced to relocate, as they can

The boxwood bushes we planted in the Soldiers Circle are starting to fill in.

Beautiful day for a bike ride!! Went to Hyner and Stevenson Dam. Saw lots of deer, 2 elk, 1 fisher, a young eagle, a few blue heron, ducks, finches, lots of bikes & kayakers!!
 

I knew about running the utensils under hot water, but not about the checker board pattern. Great tip!

We had this yesterday and it was soooo GOOD.
 
Slow Cooker Reuben Dip
 

 
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/slow-cooker-reuben-dip/

wow!!! this is what I found today!!!  Someone must of felt the same way as a lot of us do!!! Thank you!!!
 

I saw the buck you were talking about!!! Holy crap does he have a rack on him!!! There was also another buck right behind him that I didn't see till he turned ... he had a nice rack also, but not as big. The pics aren't the greatest, but you can get an idea of the size.
 

Usually handpicking them is sufficient to keep them under control. Look for the white eggs on the leaves and destroy those too. They pupate and spend the winter in the soil so a fall plowing helps. If you have any member of the Solanacae family as weeds, like henbane, get rid of them.  They are susceptible to Bacilliuc thuringiensis if you want a non chemical control. I haven't seen one in years except for the one someone brought me in a jar. Ugly aren't they?

I didn't see the duck on the water, but it flew over me. I was really surprised to see the blue heron over by the deck. I didn't see it till I had the binocs out looking along the shore line for him!! I couldn't get my camera ready fast enough when he flew across the road. So he got away from me again!! The osprey sure were flying all around today!! None were on the nest, but in different trees around the pond. The big one wasn't bothered by me being there at all. He was flying very close to me and swooping down onto the water then back over by me!!
 
Now my rant!!!!
 
People!!! If you carry drinks, food containers or fishing stuff in,  then you are capable of carring the stuff out!!! I get so pi$$ed seeing bottles/cans of pop, beer, wine, wiskey, food and fishing stuff left there. You are slobs!!!!  Pick up after yourselves!!!!

Yep! We've met . . . a few times. 

Just happen to know her... huh??  
 

 

We went kayaking at Shaggers today. Had an awesome time, had never been there before. Glad I read about it on here.
 
Met Bon while we were there also!!

2 guys kayaking while fishing. They got near the biggest osprey a few times. He is standing on the stump right in the middle
 

Saw this fawn almost to Shaggers, sure has big ears!!!
 

I was talking to a member on here about Bill Smith of Weedville and his little zoo he had. There were some pics at my moms from when we went there, but they all burnt up this spring. Anyhow ... this monument is up at the Mt Zion Historical Park and thought I would post pics of it. Do any of you remember this place???? He was located on Rt 555 right  at the T of Plum and 555. If you know where the Methodist Church and cemetary are, right on the other side of Redwood is where he was.
 

Major Israel McCreight from the recently demolished Wigwam out by Lincoln Drive at Rumbarger Cemetery.


MI and grandchildren at the Dedication of G.A.R. Circle and Unveiling of Monument and Tablet, May 30, 1928.  MI was an honorary member of the G.A.R.

I think the snake scensed that you were bionic and decided to stay safe .... 
 

I think the snake scensed that you were bionic and decided to stay safe .... 
 

I think the snake scensed that you were bionic and decided to stay safe .... 
 

Nice pics Bon!
for sharing
 
How close were you to that snake?