blog of Intrepid Wanderer

This is the weblog of Intrepid Wanderer. You never know what you might find here; graphic descriptions of bodily functions, computer programming secrets, proselytizing for the antichrist, miscellaneous ranting and kvetching, valuable information on living off the land... if you don't share my rather weird interests you may want to try slashdot instead.

You can consider my Del.icio.us links an extension to my blog, as are my LifeTango goals and my other to-do items. My to-buy list is also public, but only for sharing any useful ideas that might be there; I'm not requesting charity, neither do I offer it.

You can find me easily in google searches, as jcomeau, jcomeau_ictx, or jcomeauictx. There are lots of other jcomeaus, but AFAIK I'm the only jcomeau_ictx out there so far.

If you want to comment on anything you see here, go ahead and email me, jc.unternet.net. You know what to do with the first dot. Make the 'subject' line something reasonably intelligent-looking or it goes plunk! into the spambasket unread.

This page generally sucks less using Mozilla Firefox.

2009-07-04-0238Z

Well, the arroyo isn't a mighty river just yet, but it's a respectable stream. And the rain just started again, so who knows? This is it! The monsoon rains, once properly contained with swales, will morph this desert into a savannah again, and then perchance a rainforest. Not in my lifetime, most likely, but eventually.

2009-07-04-0051Z

Last night's rain never materialized, but we're getting some now! Just had lightning hit real close. This could be the arroyo-filler I've been waiting for.

2009-07-03-0204Z

I knew I should have packed my sauerkraut in sealed jars. Today when I lifted the lid, there was the same strange white spider-webby-looking stuff I've been getting on my last two batches of cider. I've decided it's just a type of yeast, though; it doesn't seem to be hurting the cider at all. Damned if I know why yeast would grow on sauerkraut brine, but whatever. I just skimmed off the top layer and threw it into my compost, then packed the rest into two mason jars.

Looks like some rain headed our way, finally. Hope it lasts all night!

So I'm a bit behind the times, say 30 years worth... I'm downloading three of the early punk rock albums, songs by The Ramones, Sex Pistols, and The Clash. I want to find out if it's good programming music. I need something to inspire me!

2009-07-01-2009Z

I always used to waste the heat of my burn-barrel paper fires. But a few weeks ago I made some dimples in the lip of the barrel, and placed two pieces of rebar across the top, resting in the dimples. Now I reheat my rabbit stew, and boil my water for coffee, much faster than on my wood stove and using heat that would have gone to the atmosphere. One thing I learned: put the "whistle" top of the teakettle on the edge, facing outwards. The high pressure generated by the hot paper fires can cause the cap to pop off, and once I had to fish it out of the ashes after the fire died down.

2009-07-01-1439Z

Roof started to smolder yesterday after I added some unknown wood from an old pallet to the wood stove. It burned hotter than anything I can remember ever putting in there, and even the twin-wall stove pipe wasn't sufficient to keep the heat away from the surrounding papercrete. Luckily I never really repaired it after the last mishap, and I was able to douse it with a few gallons of water.

Trying whole-wheat flour instead of baking soda in my underarm guards, after realizing how well the stuff works as a dry shampoo. If it lasts a week, I'll use it exclusively and stop buying baking soda.

jc blog - tales of a modern-day nomadic hunter-gatherer

2009-07-04-0238Z

2009-07-04-0051Z

2009-07-03-0204Z

2009-07-01-2009Z

2009-07-01-1439Z