2016 Winter Forecast

Looks like snow in north Georgia. For generations, people have used the persimmon seed to prognosticate winter weather. By splitting the seed, the white embryo is exposed. If shaped like a knife, expect heavy wind. A spoon indicates snow (think snow shovel). Forks mean kind weather all season. My theory is that year-long weather effects growth rate. If the fruit is relatively immature by fall, you get the knife, farther along, the spoon and most mature, the fork. As weather comes in cycles, this has proven a fair predictor of where we are on nature's seasonal timetable.

What's in the box? Episode 3

Thanks to Hurricane Joaquin, it is still raining in northeast Georgia. So let's see what else is in the box...

What's in the box? Episode 2

This is a continuation of the first "what's in the box" video, same idea with an international flair.

Improve your chances, tip # 2

Put a few plastic bottles of water in your freezer when it isn't completely full (leave about three inches empty at the top of each one). This gives several additional hours of food safety in a blackout. If you also put a baggy of ice cubes in there, you will know if the stored food might be dangerous when the freezer kicks back on (the cubes will have melted and refrozen into a shapeless mass).

What's in the box?

It's been raining so much is my area, I've decided to start an indoor series focusing on non-conventional uses of household items. I get bored a lot. Special thanks to S.B., R.B., C.B. and B.N. for helping me figure this one out.

Three stick deadfall trigger - balance is everything

These were poplar sticks I had squared with my table saw for another project. A lot of the most common triggers are reliable but require multiple notches. This simple example was probably an ancestor of the more complicated varieties.

Plant profile - Winter Hardy Kiwi

These are Russian cousins to the larger kiwifruit we are used to eating at restaurants and catered events. The taste is quite similar. Those bigger ones originated in southern China, were carried to New Zealand and are now grown commercially in California. You can grow your own winter hardy kiwis in north Georgia (zone 6) and further south.