Indoor Gardening

Texas Mountain Laurel

Am sorting everything today, for my indoor trees. Will get them sprouted and strong before taking outside... probably next Spring. Have already called an indoor gardening shop to start arrangements for some decent lighting. Am setting up for Texas Mountain Laurel Trees and Ornamental Plum.Planted three laurel seeds and two plum seeds in two planters right up against the door. It is day three for three of the laurel seeds and day one for the two plum seeds.

The above image is Texas Mountain Laurel. Captured during 2015,Sophora secundiflora is an awesome shade tree. Once these are sprouted will purchase some grow lights to keep the plants healthy for a season or two indoors. Will transplant them when ready. Below are some of the seed pods.

UPDATE: December 29th. Nothing sprouted. This is trial and error. Will research online... Do I need to supply radiation to the plant bed to encourage growth. Have noticed something that bothers me because I didn't notice it already. I have not published this post and the dates are changing as I add information. Can note that this post was begun 3-4 days ago. (which would make the begin dates December 26th.Below is one of the laurel seeds just before planting. Soaked the unopened pods in water to soften and opened them.

The containers I have put the seeds into are right next to my door. That way I can easily move them outdoors when the weather permits. One image is pulled back so that the door gives some size perspective. Below:

I have an indoor cat, so I covered the containers with wire.
UPDATE:10jan17. Am still at it. Kind of slacked off. None of the seeds have sprouted and I ended up buying a litter box for my outdoor feral cat that lives inside. He is leaving the planters alone. Am going to start exploring alternatives to get these seeds to sprout.

Hacking Health - Back To Basics

Am going to stick with my new exercise regimen developed over the past few days. Am going to focus on Chrysta Rae's Scavenger Hunt, which is photography, for a couple of days,... intensely. Plus, while inside out of the cold, am going to re-acquaint myself with html5 and css. Maybe, purchase my own unique domain name, so that I am not writing inside Blogger's container. This will allow me to learn more and become more developed as a blogger. Feeling the urge to move up and that I have not been challenging myself, except am quite uncomfortable physically.

20dec16: have been at it since 0700 hours this morning. Muscles hurt, worse than usual. Sure hope this exercise regimen pays off. Am hoping that strength will compensate for the damage that has been done.The time is 2120. Captured some images today and wore myself out. Time for bed. May have balanced my sleep hours. Hope so.

22dec16: Was literally ill yesterday so was only at my desk about two hours. Cannot remember the last time I was ill. Hmmm. Today, am headed over to Best Buy to purchase a wireless headset. My brother scheduled some time to speak with me on Skype. He is very busy and knows a lot about computers, so he has agreed to allow for some uninterrupted time to speak with me. If there is something important, he is always there for me. Don't misunderstand me. This is just to chat. Am really looking forward to the time.

UPDATE:December 27th. We have been given an extension for the Scavenger Hunt. I need to capture images for three more categories. Have submitted four images out of the seven catagories. Have been maintaining my exercise regimen. Am sitting here now using my ten pound barbells in my chair. I just lift the weights up and do a set of ten repetitions for each movement. Am able to endure the exercise comfortably and my strength is increasing. What is really cool about this endeavor I have undertaken, Healthy Hacking, I am exercising,... have food set up that will take just a short time to prepare,... and am composing an addition to this post while reading my e-mails, and surfing. Have been sorting my images for another year that is about to begin. Found some nice photos, too. Yaaay! Cool stuff. Am getting prepared to view "friends online" category in my bookmarks to see their blogs. It makes me feel good to do this, and cannot get enough of it.

New Ideas - Daily Thoughts

It's about exercise!! I have been concentrating on food as well. This post illustrates the focus.

One thing that has caught my attention is genetic modification of our food at the cellular level. Its nutrition and the time taken to prepare. Today is Sunday. Friday 9 December 2016, I did some sit-ups and other light exercise. This morning I will do the same. Slept through Saturday.Literally.Time to nap, now.

Am ashamed of my weakness and endurance levels. Sheesh. Suffice it to say, I did some sit-ups and leg lifts. And a few odd exercises. Really have learned.

UPDATE: December 12th. Have done some exercise used my dumbells. Am letting my shoulders rest. Just ate so won't sit-up or leg lift for about one hour. Am going to keep this up.

UPDATE:December 13th. Guess this is day three. Did "basic" exercizes again today. Still a long way to go. When I am strengthened enough to share the pitiful quantity or repetitions, I will. Too few at the moment. Think I will just get into the habits, and develop with time.Right now, will sit-up, leg lift, and pick up barbells.

UPDATE:December 14th. Day 4. Am still doing exercises. Yaaay! I am doing 10 sit-ups with 3 repetitions. There is an adductor muscle squeeze. My legs are screwed up so this exercise is neccessary. I put a pillow between my legs and squeeze. Three repetitions of ten. This I do while sitting in my chair,... they can be done laying flat and also laying with knees raised.Nothing fancy as illustrated below. Also, today the yard needing tidying and I used my new pinchers for the first time.

The most important things at the moment are one, not to overdo the exercise and to follow through.

UPDATE: December 15th.Thursday. Am resting today in order for my muscles to recoup from my work the past few days. I need to get out to capture some images, and I have a long term goal. To be able to walk for an extended period of time which will require another commitment. Photography is my favorite pastime alongside computers. Going out and walking is a way to capture images and accomplish some light exercise. Have to remember that I am damaged. Some things will never recoup. Something of importance that I forgot: I went to a meeting with other bloggers way over on the South side of town. A neighbor drove me over there, and it took four hours to return by bus. While I was there two things of major signifigance happened, one, interfaced with the Internet using my cell phone for the first time and left a comment on this very blog. Am having difficulty trusting wireless privacy. Am going to research this as time passes, also. Two, I may have come up with a site name for a blog when I improve my code writing skills... "Nine-fingered Code Monkey." The date is 15 December 2016.
As I sit here posting this entry, am noticing how different my muscles... my body in general... are feeling. The sensation is wonderful. Guess I have been couped up for too long. It is later in the day, now, and can say that I have tired quickly and am clumsy.

UPDATE:DEcember 16th. Yaaaay. This is the sixth day in a row. Was feeling sore and crumby last night. Stayed awake almost twenty hours. Went to bed about 6 A.M. this morning, Friday. Woke once yet slept until 3 P.M. when Fed Ex delivered my photo frames.

Had a cup of coffee and decided upon more sleep. And finally decide to stay awake at 8 P.M. Along with exercise and eating habits, will begin to focus on redeveloping sleeping habits that are conducive to productive blogging It is all about healthy hacking.Have started watching a series of lectures on YouTube about Computer Architecture. Seems quite interesting.

UPDATE:Am still at it. December 17th. Saturday. Feel good after taking a day of rest and repair for this old bod of mine. Am continuing with some light exercise and am thinking about going out for some images. Viewbug has a challenge named "Show your city." Need an entry for this.Have done a round of exercises (a set) and am starting to get a plan organized in the way of approaching this light exercise. Basically, I want to be able to get up and down off the ground with a reasonable amount of comfort instead of grunting and groaning. Panting while trying to get up and down when accomplishing my sit-ups.

UPDATE:December 18th. Sabbath. Almost slipped today. It is 1900 hours (am going to stop using am and pm) and have slept most of the day. My sleep habits are still messed up, but I have an orange flavored cake in the oven!!

Need to get on with my exercise and html5 studies. Get back to ground... kind of lost focus today. Sure am glad to have this post up to remind me of my focus.

Update:December 19th. Exercised and captured some images. Am watching a video about websites. Everything is okay today. Alongside watching the videos, am planning on creating a spreadsheet checklist in order to monitor the progress in my exercise regimen. Yet, am feeling like a nap. Wrist is agony. And watered, moved some of my planters out front around. Called my landload about buying her stove. Am trying to buy this stove from the landlord because it is so neat. There are a lot of broken parts, missing knobs, parts rebuilding, and labor to go into restoration. It's a keeper.

It's really cool... 1956 GE. Have an image somewhere that I will upload upon waking up. Need to make a tobacco run too. It is almost 2300 hours so until tomorrow then.

Hacking Health - 24 Hours Of Food

Healthy Hacking -24 Hours Of Food

A Quick Healthy Breakfast

Half a cup of old-fashioned rolled oats, one tablespoon of brown sugar, and one tablespoon of strawberry jam. Yummo. Over the years have become accustomed to oat for breakfast. I even enjoy just plain boiled oats, if they are cooked the way they taste best to me. Have tried many other's style, and have learned the hard ways that mine are best to me. Prepared with a 2-to-1 ratio of water-to-oats, at a slow boil. I would guess that each person has to learn to cook the oats to their own preference.

Starting with a healthy start to my day with oats, will go through 24-hours of food in this blog. Eating is so very important when spending so much time on the computer. Am old and single so can choose what I want to do. Got into photography and then moved into other computer things, without the corresponding changes to my health care. This was a mistake. Got soft as butter and my diet was yucky.

A Filling Lunch: Healthy and Quick

Turns out these were not as filling as I thought so added some store bought chicken fingers, below.

Homemade Spicy Dip For Chicken Fingers

• 2-3 tbsps of mayo
• 1 tbsp. of yellow mustard
• 1tbsp. of sweet pickle relish
• 1 tsp.of Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp. of green habanero sauce

As you can see by my previous posts and this post, I like quick, easy, and healthy foods.

Photos While Out 12 5 16

While at the neighborhood laundry, stuck my head out the door. The sunsets of Las Vegas amaze me.

Captured quite a few images of this bright orange sunset and will share two more. It was a chilly, windless unban evening.

Will round up some others to show that this particular evening is not unique. Eastern Mojave Valley sunsets are awesome

The day this image above was captured included a flash flood warning. Deceptively peaceful. The tower at the center is named Stratosphere Tower. The golden building to the right is Trump's Tower. This image is captured from North Las Vegas, looking south upon the Las Vegas Strip. Quite a unique perspective.

The desert is strange. The above image was captured at roughly the same spot as the next image. The color difference is obvious. Could have been standing in the exact same location.

I even named the image above... "Blue Sunset."

Some New Art

Had plans for a photowalk, but was unable to complete the task. Did capture some nice art though. Have been unable to identify this tree, yet it did make for some nice images.

#1

From a distance the tree is just a regular tree. Going up close to detail the plants reveals their real beauty

From A Distance

And Closer

DEcided to get as close as possible. I think these images are true art

#2 - And Still Closer

As I played around with details, distances, and composition, the beauty really came to the surface.

A Bit of Minimal

This is probably one of my favorites.

My Favorite

Started getting tired, so I headed home.

Thoughts About Photowalks

Photowalks. I sure do have fun. Am adding to my albums steadily and surely, BUT (and that's a big but) have to actually go out to capture images in the first place. It's all about follow-through for me. I get set up to do this and that and never finish. Painted the top of my upper tier of cabinets after a good scrub. This was a major chore. And now it is finished. Painted my medicine cabinet and wow, what a difference. The first thing I see in the morning is a bathroom that is nice, neat, and tidy. Am going to get down on the ground to paint the kick board at the base of the kitchen cabinets next. And have to trim back the grass out in my side yard. Want to bring a big planter indoors to start trees and shrubs for next Spring's garden. Lots of chores.
Photowalks! Would like to complete things around the house too. It is 8:00 A.M. (0800 hrs.) and will add to this blog as the day progresses.22 November 2016. Registered to start the process to earn a State Notary Public license. Forty-five dollars. Will study on that over the next few days. Haven't started trimming the grass the way I would like, but have exercised. Think that tweaked my metabolism. Didn't do much, yet am quite crippled and have to build up. Started painting another section of the kitchen. Will have before and after images to post when it is completed.

UPDATE: 3 December 2016.
Have been very busy and kind of neglectful of my blogging, yet have been following through on my projects. It is expensive to become a Notary, the process is complex, and there is a test with exam. Have set up the place for my indoor planter and have decided what to plant indoors for next Spring.

Notary Project

UPDATED:7 December 2016.First of all, locating the correct site is most important.The address for Nevada's Secretary of State is at this link. Once there, locate the tab up top labeled "Forms." And follow the instructions. You will need to enter required information, create names, and create a password so be prepared to take your time to approach this project with a professional attitude. Eventually, one ends up paying an exam fee to begin the application process. Study the notary training guide well before the exam at the training/exam website. Can watch it many times if need be. Pass the exam. The next step is the application. Fill out and print the application which then needs to be filed with the Clark County Clerk. With the accompanying surety bond and OATH. Finally, mail the application, proof of oath and surety to the Nevada Secretary of State. Proof of your training and exam is inside the computer system. A potential notary has ninety days after the exam to complete the process.

Then, the NVSOS will examine your legal bona fides. Residency, legal record, and all other orifices to insure one is qualified to sign their name. It is all about the rules. In order for one's signature to be worth something, one's signature literally "has to be worth something." Big brother is going to take a good long look. Basically.

Painting Kitchen Cabinets

An image of my kitchen cabinet bank. They are old and have been repainted many times. The drawers need repair, and some of the doors have been broken. The hinges are gooped up with old paint. The insides need a lot of work. The sink is not even attached to the counter top. Have a long way to go.

Before

The dark brown strip in the image below shows where the old kick board has been removed when my kitchen floor tiles wee replaced. The people removed the kick board and did not attach new pieces leaving it bare. The cabinet was purchased pre-assembled. The old cabinet was removed, disposed of, and a new cabinet assembly placed on top of a pedestal which is evident if the image is viewed large.

After

When standing in the kitchen area, the blemishes in the finished texture are not noticeable. The following images, I am literally laying on the kitchen floor.

After

A better view.This actually looks kind of nice. Also, I painted the top of the top tier of the cabinets.

Photowalk: 31 October 2016 - Additional

Learned quite by accident how Mexican Bird of Paradise seeds are dispersed. Probably the way many seeds are dispersed. There are two halves to each pod and during the Fall the matured seed pods dry out. Apparently at different rates of age. Then, just as ice cracks at its breaking point, so too, the seed pods split. The force of the seed pods splitting caused a violent break in between the two halves of the pod. This force ejects the seeds inside the pod away from the mother plant where they land, and if the conditions are right, new plants germinate. In addition to learning how seeds are dispersed, during my online research learned that there are similar looking plants that are often named "Mexican Bird of Paradise" and they are not.

Caesalpinia mexicana

Notice in particular the shapes and structure of the above foliage.

Caesalpinia mexicana

Above, notice along with the shape of the leaves, the greenish stamens. The above two images are Caesalpinia mexicana. This according to data "Compiled by the Master Gardeners of the University of Arizona, Pima County Cooperative Extension".
Below is an example of "Yellow" Bird of Paradise. This according to data compiled by the Master Gardeners at the University of Arizona in Pima County.

Caesalpinia gilliesii

And a third species of the Caesalpinia flowering pea plant that I have often mistaken or interchanged is Caesalpinia pulcherrima. Which is actually known as the "Red" Bird of Paradise, below

Caesalpina pulcherrima

Now back to seed dispersal which I was writing about while discovering the discrepancies in many of the articles I was sourching. So I went to the U of A directly. The seeds explode as illustrated below.

after explosive exhibition

The reason I know of the explosive properties exhibited by the seed pods, is because I had these sitting on my stove range top inside my apartment to capture images. Was adjusting my camera for a different photo, and was standing about twenty-feet away, heard a quick snap (not too loud), and heard one half of the smaller seed pod hit the tiled floor in my kitchen. Here is an image,below, of what my original intention illustrates.

Next Spring's Shrubs

The seed pods were sitting there while I was about twenty-feet away when the Caesalpinia seed pod opened to disperse the seeds. Am missing the other seeds that were inside the smaller seed pod (there was still one seed stuck to the pod hull)... probably under the kitchen table or behind the stove. Can see the smaller seed pod nestled in the embrace of the larger seed pod. Those are all seeds I will germinate indoors in the coming weeks to transplant out of doors. Texas Mountain Laurel, Mexican Bird of Paradise, Red Bird of Paradise, and Tecoma Stans "Mayan Gold."
Have decided to contact the folks at the U of A to share my discovery about the pods.There is a telephone number to call on the FAQ page.

Photowalk: 13 November 2016

Went out around 1630 hrs. in order to stock up on tobacco for the month, and walked into the Rock-N-Roll Marathon, on my way to purchase some printer ink. Went to the ATM at a local all-purpose pharmacy and the machine was "temporarily" out of service as opposed to permanently I am guessing. Will need to build my strength and endurance. Have been sitting around too much. Took me until today, 15 November 2016 to recoup from this walk. Beginning just down the street from my apartment, below, rode the bus to the Indian Smoke Shop and then walked to Downtown Fremont Street.

Just down the street in front of a new Internet café, is a nice patch of Fringed Amaranthus. Every year, out of season,I recall how deep the maroon cymes are among this particular patch. As the images below demonstrate.

Amaranthus fimbriatus

Am so very thankful that "this year" the timing worked out to capture an image of this deep, rich red inflorescence.Because it is a weed, they are all over the place. The flowers on the plants in my side yard are a plain green, as last year's image below shows.

Fringed Amaranthus Last Year

My focus became "bridges" as I continued to walk. There is a challenge on Viewbug to show our best image. So I took pictures of a couple of bridges while I was out.

This is an awesome bridge is someone were to ask me. And another.

Those are two awesome bridges!! High-grade engineering if I do say so myself.

Rock 'n' Roll Marathon

This image is at the intersection of Bridger at Las Vegas Blvd. at 2106 hrs.Behind the magenta lamp is a group of musicians encouraging the marathoners forward. have read on the Internet that there were over 7000 registered participants that ran the full marathon and the half marathon. Bear with me as I construct this post because there are many images from my own photowalk. Most of the marathon images are around 2100 hrs through 2200 hrs. roughly between say Bridger until Charleston. I had to go East up Charleston in order to ride a re-routed RTCSNV bus.

Workflow and Follow Through

Have been noticing, that it is fine and dandy to have workflow. Yet, the importance lays in following through with completion of tasks. I am having a lot of uncompleted tasks laying around. Am going to change this. It's been a couple of hours. Have gotten caught up to where I should be. Two more things to finish up and have followed through. Am kind of thinking some sleep may be the next order of the day.

Veteran's Day. Trump is our President along with a Republican controlled Congress:both houses. Quite rare. Have finished cleaning up my medicine cabinet. Should just replace the cabinet, yet I do not think the Landlord will spend the money. Therefore, I painted it. Fixing up this cabinet will give the bathroom a fresh appearance, and it will be more pleasant to start my day by having the area nice.Below is the series of photos showing what I mean.

Medicine Cabinet Before

I removed the sliders because the glass was gone. In this image, I have pulled away some of the old loose paint

Preparing To Paint

After attaching a plastic drop cloth to collect dust, preparation begins. Using a scraper and the sand block in the image below, have removed any loose paint and rust.

19 November 2016 - Update

Have been following through. Tonight have some supplies to pick up at the store and some more indoor chores.

Update: 21 November 2016

Have another project that I followed through with and am going to note because their are other projects I am going to add to this post. A while back, noticed that the top tier of my cabinets needed painting. Got up on the cabinet to scrub them good, also. The entire project took ages, yet I store canned goods up there and got tired of them sticking when I tried to bring down a can to use. Have a "before" image below.

27 November 2016

Today was Sabbath so I refrained from any major work. Tomorrow have to go out for some business and when I get home will apply a second coat of paint to the base of my cabinets in the kitchen. Have added one photo of seven categories to Chrysta Rae's Round 19 Scavenger Hunt. Rules prohibit me from saying much else. Have been editing and doing post-processing of many images. The idea of this post is to remind me to complete tasks and goals which I need to follow through with. I need to do a more thorough job. I can see that.

Hacking Health - Quick Hot Sandwiches

Leftovers put to good use

Chili, Guacamole, and Cheese

I purchase big bags of bread on sale

Hot Chicken Spread

These next quick hot sandwiches are egg, meat, and cheese omelette.

Hot Quick Omelette Sandwiches

The white bowl has three chicken eggs stirred/whisked together with about two tablespoons of milk with garlic powder (not garlic salt). The pan is getting hot and there is my spray oil so the eggs don't stick. Two patties of squashed together meat, diced tomato, and two green/spring onions I cooked. Below the ingredients have been placed on the egg wrapping before "the fold."

Melt the cheese

"The Fold"

Cut in half and bread the omelette.

Had some left-over homemade chili with beef one morning when I was in a hurry.

Chili Con Carne Sandwiches

My idea is to share sandwiches (meals) that are warm to hot and quick. When I am texting blogs, my mind is moving and one thing I don't like is losing my train of thought. So a quick healthy meal is good. This is a blog I will add ideas into as time passes.

Started going through archives to find examples of fine hot sandwiches. Meals that can be set up and eaten on the fly. No special recipes because the images are self-explanatory. Below is an old favorite. A ground turkey burger. Yaaaay.

A Hot Dog Sandwich

This is one of my favorites. Fried dogs.

I usually end-up using left-overs to make sandwiches. After a quick run up to the market for freah bread.

Loose Meat Sandwiches

Another favorite! Hot turkey with cheese. About $1.50 and homemade. No preservatives nor other folk's handling charges.

Hot Turkey With Cheese