Small talk

The CO detector went off last night.

New batteries did not solve "the problem".

New batteries from a different package did not solve "the problem".

I was getting worried.

I put the CO detector outside where I was pretty sure the CO levels were acceptable. The CO detector continued to alarm, even after removing batteries and allowing the capacitors to discharge.

I turned off the furnace and Mrs ERJ threw an extra quilt on the bed.

I should have checked the flue from the furnace to the chimney. I did this morning, it was fine.

I bought a new CO detector today and it is not alarming.

A trip to the doctor
I have a growth beneath one of my eyes. The PA looked it over and proclaimed it was a wart.

Frankly, I think it is because my brain is still growing and it has to squirt out SOMEWHERE.

I have an appointment to have it burned off. The idea of using Compound W so close to my eye is a no-go.

I walked the dogs
They were excited and pulled with gusto.

My knuckles are dragging on the ground.

They calmed down after they had run for about a half mile. Unfortunately, I had only walked a quarter-mile when they calmed down.

Most value for the weight
I vote for cabbage and carrot seeds.

Cabbage seeds run about 100,000 to the pound and open pollinated strains will cost you about $26 a pound. The cabbage might weigh seven pounds and the leaves that are typically stripped off might be another three pounds. That is a multiplier of 1,000,000. That is, one pound of luggage turns into a million pounds of food.

In southern Michigan, storage cabbage is seeded about May 15 and transplanted in late June. Cabbage is a FALL crop and planting too early is an exercise in futility. Red Cabbage yields less than green cabbage but is much easier to keep free of the neon-green cabbage loopers. In fact, the birds will probably take care of the job for you.

Carrot seeds run about 250,000 to the pound and open pollinated strains will run about $24 a pound. Carrots are much harder to grow than cabbage. They invariably require thinning. The fact that they are harder to grow is counterbalanced by the fact that they are more nutritionally dense than cabbage.

Student loans
I got Belladonna's Student Loan summary in the mail today.

She racked up Student Loans of about $15k and the average interest rate is 7%.

The reason I know this is that I was required to co-sign the loans. It could have been much, much worse.

Probably no fiction tomorrow
Apologies. I got busy and am living hand-to-mouth on the writing. I don't want to give you crap. If there is an installment, it will be very short.

Feeding cattle
The cattle have been eating about 4% of their body weight in hay every day.

Since Sprite shipped out the mama cows, we went from feeding a bale of hay every day to feeding two-a-week.

Shipping out the bull will stretch that to about one bale every six days.

Sprite has one of her granddaughters helping with watering the cattle. I am glad that Sprite has the company.

Burial plots
Mrs ERJ suggested that we should start making arrangements.

The cemetery where most of my family is planning to be buried is in Lansing and plots run $1200 each.

I consider us Eaton Rapids people, now. I said I wanted to see what it cost to be buried in Eaton Rapids Township.

There are at least 150 sites available at "The Brickyard" cemetery.

According to Mr Decker, plots are available in three of the township cemeteries for $200 if you are a resident. Current rules allow four cremains per plot. They still allow vertical gravestones as long as they are less than 36" tall. Most "modern" cemeteries require flush monuments so they can mow right over the top.

Wine bottles
Plastic, screw-top, single serving wine bottles containing 187ml are widely available.

2 gallons:187ml is almost exactly 40:1, a common ratio of gas:oil for two-stroke equipment. I am keeping my eyes peeled for cast-off bottles. They will make a nice container for pre-measured oil.