left field

I grew up poor and my only pair of winter boots had plastic bags as liners so the snow and slush wouldn't seep through the multiple holes in the soles. Plastic bags were a lot thicker then so you could get a full season out of two. Haven't thought about those in years.

Dryer lint will work if you don't have a supply of cotton balls around. https://www.instructables.com/id/Waterproof-Dryer-Lint-Fire-Starter/

Personally, I'm for more nudety on the radio.

Years and years ago there was a show on ABC called Superstars. It was a multi-sport competition open to all professional athletes to decide who was the best athlete of all. There were only two three-time winners and one of those was Kyle Rote Jr., a soccer player. He was tough SOB and in great shape.

Back off from curling lest you become my mortal enemy. My secret desire is to be a lesbian icon. So far, no luck. Dream board my ass.

For me it was the celebration of every goal in the Thai game as if it was the final. Honestly, I feel the same way when I see a football player dancing in the end zone, a tennis player falling to their knees or a deer hunter on youtube screaming to the camera when they shot a deer. This is performance for an audience. This.

Anyone still watching? They are having some pretty good luck shooting grouse on the wing, snaring rabbits and catching fish. But winter is coming.

This probably makes me sound like a misogynist though I'm equally put off by the same action from men (maybe I'm just a stoic party pooper), but I hate the over exuberant celebrations of every achievement, large and small, by athletes. While I appreciate the accomplishment and the emotion that goes along with winning, can't anyone just win graciously, shake a few hands and go home?

“Up the rebels!” As a stranger in a strange land I always feel a little on the sidelines on July 4, but I’ll be doing the usual of food, drink and fireworks. Thought you guys would enjoy this. In 1973, the Canadian broadcaster, Gordon Sinclair, read an editorial called, “The Americans”. It ricocheted across the US and was embraced by all Americans from the president to the guy in the street. And of course ...

Tyvek is a good idea. I know some people use it for tent footprints. Is this minimal survival or camping? Trying to put wrapping yourself in tyvek after a hot meal with a pot together. If survival, you may not have a pot. If camping, a hammock may be a better idea - light, cheap and easy to put up.

Look into a small forest axe which has infinite uses. Don't think you need to seal a candle but you may want to coat the wick in wax just in case it gets wet. Lifestraw if you have a nearby water source. For a controlled overnight trip you probably don't need food - call it a vision quest - or maybe just a couple of bars. How or what are you sleeping in?

I remember dipping the heads of wooden matches into my mother's best nail polish to waterproof them. Damn was she pissed. Or at least remove it from the packaging. I've been alone at my camp for a week working, which means felling trees, limbing and bucking. Before I start the chainsaw I send my wife a text telling her where I am on the property and what I'm doing. Then we check in with each other every hour until the saw goes away.

It's a good question. I wonder how many people just throw a survival kit in their pack without trying a thing. Just read an article on Outside about unprepared people hiking/climbing Whitney. And dying. https://www.outsideonline.com/2330916/mount-whitney-climbing-accidents

Why don't you like tadpoles? I love mine. They're like the grandkids I never had. And the peepers in the spring are great. Assume that crayfish act as scavengers. Good idea. I can see the pond clearly and there is only the one bass. I know this as I used to count the others and knew them all by size. I also caught and released every one of them. Let's see if I can describe this correctly. Standing perpendicular to my driveway and looking down to the pond there's about an 8' drop in elevation and a total run of about 30'. The runoff comes from a culvert under the driveway and runs about 6' before it takes at hard left to join spring 1 which also comes under the driveway about 20' to the left. The spring box is 6' straight past that turn. To the right side of the box is the overflow (spring 2) which flows down another 4' where it joins spring 3 which bubbles up. They meet spring 1 about 20' above the pond and all run into the pond. The plan is to control that runoff. What I'd like to do is lose the turn and extend the culvert past the left side of the box and dump it where the spring 2 and 3 meet. That solves any runoff potentially compromising the spring box and seems the simplest solution. But for the silt. I could run the culvert at a 45 to the right above the box and bypass it to meet back up with the springs confluence. But to get it away from the pond completely I'd have to run it a good 35' to meet one of the two pond outflows. Doable, but a lot of culvert to lay and I would have to cross the buried water lines to the house to the right of the box and create a bridge as I have a path down to the back of the pond. This property is rife with springs. At last count there are 15 all working their way down the mountain through my property. It gets worse when it rains steadily. It was badly designed years ago so I'm trying to work with what's there versus redo it completely. I could always fill the pond in, lay in a Petanque boulodrome, and dig a well but where's the fun in that?

Checked it yesterday snd was surprised to find one 10” bass. I guess he survived the winter. May catch him and move him to the other pond before I rehab. Silt just clogs the pond up. I’d rather dredge it all out to the clay and dig a few spots deeper for more volume. Still unsure about fish.

I don’t really drink this water. Shower, dishwashing and occasional food boiling but I might as well make it as safe as I can. Thanks, all.

Thanks.

Would love one 200 lb fish. Will do more research on fish. Thanks. The pond dike sits at the edge of the property line so I have no option to extend on that side. I could push back and horseshoe it but don’t want to spend the money to do so. Interesting idea to raise it. The drop off on the dike side is 10’ to the forest floor and there may be a limit. My spring box sits 25’ above the pond on the inflow side with a rise of about 10’ and it’s in there where I can fit the prepond. It’s all a little tight with the property line, pond, spring box and driveway above that, and as the spring box is the most important thing to me, I’m hesitant to mess with it too much. There are three springs plus driveway runoff that converge to feed the pond so I think the fish may get plenty of nutrients. Maybe not. My issue is silt from the driveway ditch.

Would love one 200 lb fish. Will do more research on fish. Thanks. The pond dike sits at the edge of the property line so I have no option to extend on that side. I could push back and horseshoe it but don’t want to spend the money to do so. Interesting idea to raise it. The drop off on the dike side is 10’ to the forest floor and there may be a limit. My spring box sits 25’ above the pond on the inflow side with a rise of about 10’ and it’s in there where I can fit the prepond. It’s all a little tight with the property line, pond, spring box and driveway above that, and as the spring box is the most important thing to me, I’m hesitant to mess with it too much. There are three springs plus driveway runoff that converge to feed the pond so I think the fish may get plenty of nutrients. Maybe not. My issue is silt from the driveway ditch.

So, bomb proof? I may go that route. Thanks.

Basically this. Flange, riser, lid. No sealant. There’s a concrete option but I way I was getting those into my truck

I have a 1000 gallon concrete spring box used as a reservoir where it is pumped up to my cabin. The water is fine but there can be some runoff at the access as it now sits in a little depression not far from my driveway. I purchased an 18” PVC riser, flange and lid to fit over the access hole which will allow me to backfill above grade and keep the rain water away. My question is how to adhere/seal the flange to the concrete box. I’d rather stay away from a butyl tape and can’t find a non-toxic version. Option A - as the flange is cupped up, I could simply put it down attach the riser and the weight of the gravel will seal it. Could also screw it down but don’t want to compromise the concrete Option B - purchase a food grade latex gasket (probably have to cut from a large sheet), lay that down and do the above. Option C - lay a few beads of aquarium safe silicone and press the flange down and carry on as above. Option D - Use quickcrete and do above. Option E - relax and have a beer as I am seriously overthinking this. Thoughts?

Talked to an excavator and he suggested digging out the pond a bit and creating a pre pond above where the spring and runoff collect. 8’ x 8’ x 20” deep with a high V spillway to the pond. The idea is that the silt will collect and clear water will feed the pond. And the benefit of a little waterfall. Seems to make sense.

Pay for the upgrade. If BC isn’t in the cards, PE is better that E. Check in at the 24 hour before mark and try to get a better seat assignment. If you have any frequent flier clout, use it. It also helps to dress well and charm the ass off of every agent you come across, especially the gate agent. They have the power to upgrade you.

Heres a lengthy article from NYT Magazine on Remington’s problems. Basically, private equity shenanigans. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/05/01/magazine/remington-guns-jobs-huntsville.html