Charles W. Moore

Last Frost Date Data for Indiana

Traditionally, the last frost date for NE Indiana where we live is 15 May but this is the simplistic date.  One can get a better estimated date by following the link to this site. For those suspicious people the actual url is http://www.webgrower.com/regional/frost-pdf/IN.pdf .  To use this chart correctly you must determine your risk factor  and the 50 column means a 50/50 chance that a frost will occur..  If you plant seeds and the germination time is 7 days then the odds are greater than 50/50  and guesstimated to be 80/20.  A 20 percent risk chance is reasonably low.  Anyway study the chart and take the chance level you feel comfortable on taking. Cheers.

Raccoon Valley RV Park

We arrived at the RVRP about 1400 hrs and checked in – wow, this is a busy park out in the quiet country.  We are trying to get reservations for 4 more days and joining the Escapees too.  We went to a SkyMed seminar this afternoon. For about a $1/day you too can be covered for 5 years.

Heading North – Pushing the Weather

We left the far south Atlanta are this AM.  I must have been nervous and sensitive to all noises but I awoke about 0430.  I tried to read a bit but by 0530 I was up and just waiting for a glimpse of a little bit of light.  When it arrived just a little before 7 I was up and at it.  First coffee in the pot and brewing and then the Oatmeal concoction I make every day and then the necessary pills on the table with a big glass of water.  Now it was time to eat and drink a bit of the bitter brew plus take those dreaded “pills for life”.

We arose and shined a couple of hours before our normal time but the adrenaline was pumping so I started to button up for hte trip north.  SAM got up early too and we pulled in the traces to get the thing rolling quickly and with only one major coffee mistake.  The back way to the Flying J was uneventful as was the approach to the pumps and the $115 we put into the tank (BTW – Get Good SAM since it is a $0.06+ discount per gal).  We paid $301.9 per gallon.

The easy exit from this place relieved the stress but the traffic was higher than I considered comfortable.  I was pushed this Sunday morning all the way into the 285 excange and then it was much easier.  No problems until we were well notrh of downtown and the three lanes necked down into a 2 lane with an inescapable exit the third.  The Pr…ick in the next left deliberately tried to steer me into the bad spot but zi put on the left signal and barrelled over.  As he passed he gave the high sign and a long blast of the horn; however, I had BIG TRUCKS air horns so I let him have a long blast and never saw him again.

Quite a bit later we reached Knoxville and our I-75 exit 117 plus a left to arrive at the RV Park.  Oh what a joy this place is and now I am writing my memoirs.  BFN Charlie and w best wishes.

Trouble in Paradise

I just came across this in one of my electronics magazines : For the first time, the U.S. government has publicly acknowledged the existence in Washington of what appear to be rogue devices that foreign spies and criminals could be using to track individual cellphones and intercept calls and messages.

Now, I wonder what information is divulged when our military uses their private cellular phones while talking overseas and their location devices?

4 April 2018: White Springs Saga

Since the last post we have moved the 100 miles or so to White Springs RV Park in White Springs, FL.  This little town with little infrastructure to support it is home to the Steven Foster Cultural Museum.  That is the first place we went on arrival and have been many places since we rolled into village on the 24th of March.  Today, we will wash clothes in the village and prepare for our departure tomorrow AM heading for Highland Falls, GA.

We have had an active daily schedule of sightseeing.  Most of this involved a trek of <40 miles.  First came the Blue Springs then Falmouth Springs and the next day Peacock Springs.  Finally, some days later it was on to Ichetucknee Springs.  If I had to rate these springs for my preferences it would be as follows:

1.  Ichetucknee
2. Blue
3. Falmouth
4. Peacock

Peacock is last because it was totally covered with green algae, only disturbed by the three scuba divers 30′ down on the bottom; otherwise, I would rate it number 2 and is a deep, roundish pool.  Blue Springs pool is very near to the Suwanee  River and, in fact, has a large opening into the river.  Falmouth appears and then disappears in about 300′ but could be considered a wading pool.  Ichetucknee has two different attractions – the headwaters and big springs – and appears to be the most popular by far.  Both pools are open for general swimming and the temperature is about like Pleasant Lake temperatures in June.

Beyond that we went to two state parks – Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park and Big Shoals.  Without really intending to we walked the 5 miles round trip to the Big Shoals rapids and you could hear them about a mile away and it was worth the walk.  Days later we went to Oulstee and walke the 2 mile circuit around the battlefield where there were plackards describing this bloodiest of battles.  All-in-all it has been a rewarding and interesting week here in North Central Florida.  The weather has finally cooperated with our plans up to now.

Wednesday 21 February 2018: Sunny, Cool and WINDY

The day dawned windy and cool.  People are leaving the park each hour and now we are alone in a field of green.  We were slow to rise and get going but we said goodbye to other neighbors.  I did some planning about our stay here in Florida and the slow return to the still freezing North.  As a result it now looks like we will stop at the Steven Foster Cultural Center in White Springs, FL.  There is a small RV Park but they only have Fri, Sat, Sun and Mon then we have to leave.  Plans on our journey after that we are open at this time.

Today I got the idea I needed a water pressure gauge.  I looked at Lowes and Home Depot.  Reviews on their gauges were mixed but I decided upon Home Depot Rain Bird.  We drove down and bought it and then decided on lunch at a Chinese place SAM wanted to try.  It was good for $8.00 each. We returned to the RV and I tried the gauge but it leaked and water filled the gauge so it was defective – I returned it right away.  I will have to find a new one somewhere en route.

Now, as the day ends we are watching Hawkins on PBS. Interesting video on his life.

Big Storms here today!

It rained most of the day yesterday and today but around 2PM the big thunderstorms, tornadoes and large pingpong ball hail.  The storm passed just to the south of us by a couple of miles here in Eustis, FL and Orlando really got whacked.  I took a screen shot of the activity as presented by https://www.lightningmaps.org/blitzortung/america/index.php?lang=en

We took a walk around the Southern Palms RV resort here in Eustis, FL.  After, we did some shopping at Walmart and then on to my favorite place – Harbor Freight.  We needed to get a big honkin’ heavy duty pry bar and a smaller one of a bit different shape.  We need the bigger one to pry apart the tow dolly to grease the swivel joint.  In addition, there will be a multitude of uses for heavy duty prying and big nail removal.  The big bar was $23.99 so it was not cheap but if you need a lot of lever action this is the unit.

On the way back to the RV we stopped by Burger King for a Whopper & fries then on to home & the big storm.  It really rained, like I have not seen since the Brazilian rain forest.  Anyway, that was our day and now I am writing this blog.  Moore out.

Where have we been?

Wow, time flies.  We left Clay County Fair RV Park about 1030 on 14 March and drove the 80+ miles through the Ocala National Forest on SR-19. The trip went well and with the help of Mrs. GPS it was easy.  We arrived at the Elks and set up camp.  There was only one other RV in the park and they had the best view but we got to pick the other.  After our arrival a pull trailer set up at the other end of the lot. A little later a nice older class a arrived.  We liked the Elks so well we stayed for 4 days and did not fill up either grey or black water tanks ( we were conservative with water and waste ). We spent those days seeing sights and exploring the novelties of the area.  SAM even bought some sourdough bread.

On Sunday we left the Elks and drove the short distance to Southern Palms and set up slowly  and by dusk we were sitting outside enjoying the nice day.  Today we paid up for 4 days with checkout scheduled for Friday 23 March .  At this time we are deciding what to do next and we are leaning towards driving up to Lake City, FL and picking out a RV Park at this time.

Once there was a man named Honi. He came upon an old man planting a carob tree.

“How long does a carob tree take to produce fruit?” Honi asked.

“Seventy years,” the old man replied.

“You idiot!” cried Honi. “Why are you wasting your time planting a tree whose fruit you will never see?”

“When I was born,” replied the old man, “the world was full of carob trees, planted by the people who came before me. So I plant this, so that my descendants and their neighbors might enjoy trees, as I did.”

And he went back to planting.

AND THIS IS WHY EVERYONE PAYS FOR SOCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE.

Addendum 8 March 2018:

This is an article I retweeted about a few weeks ago and is associated with decline of liberal democracy above:

A model of the way opinions spread reveals how propagandists use the scientific process against itself to secretly influence policy makers.

• by Emerging Technology from the arXiv
• January 22, 2018

https://www.technologyreview.com/s/610012/the-tricks-propagandists-use-to-beat-science/