Menke Projects

This morning, (April 28, 2019) I converted a 55 gallon barrel of dead limbs and tree trimmings into charcoal.  According to my Logbook, it is barrel #330.  This charcoal making process started on June 8, 2012 when Martin Payne who is a member of a Woodgas online forum showed up in my yard with a couple of drums and said we are going to learn to make Charcoal.  Over the past seven years, I have modified the process and actually learned the ART of making charcoal without making any smoke in the process.  Our/my Teacher, Gary Gilmore, works for the Forestry Department in Pennsylvania and besides contributing to the Forum, also made a series of very good YouTube videos on how to make charcoal using a two-barrel TLUD system.  Search YouTube for "gary gilmore charcoal".  Here is a direct link to his charcoal making set-up:  https://youtu.be/2xsHsWP-E9k This was seven years ago, and started me on the journey.  Now I will describe the system I am current...

With Donna's new greenhouse not protected from our cattle, we have decided to enlarge the backyard (Temporary) fencing to include it.  Another fencing project is to protect the area in our old garden where we have been storing round bales used for feeding the cattle in the wintertime.  Last year two of the youngest calves learned how to squeeze through the sloppy barbed wires and get into the hay area.  As they grew, they used the same learned technique to get through other areas of fencing, including the front fence along side of the road. Last Sunday, with Benjamin's help, we attempted to mount the Danuser post hole digger to the back of the Kubota.  We could not get the Post hole drive shaft connected to the PTO on the tractor because the shaft would not extend.  Monday, I spent most of the day trying various heavy handed schemes to get the shaft to move, and finally in late afternoon, with Donna's assistance (and advice) we got the thing mounted to the trac...

Benjamin and Archana drove down from Dallas using Willie's 2013 Model S (125,000 miles on the Odometer).  The car is "For Sale", so this might be the last trip.  Weather forecast was for a rainy day Saturday, so a heavy duty cooking session was on the agenda.  Jalapeno Pepper Poppers, Vegetarian Lasagna, finish off a large pot of Vegetarian Chili, Bake a huge portion of Salmon, Crepes for breakfast, bake a strawberry/blueberry Bread, and prepare Pasta salad, and Kale salad with special dressing with pecans and Craisins. Here is the load of photos we took in the Kitchen, and over at Willie's place helping him place a few week barriers under some solar panels, and the usual beer drinking. Benjamin found a nice clump of Black Bamboo, complete with new Culms, which he dug up and moved to his backyard in Dallas, Texas.  Here are two photos: This is what the concrete blocks look like in the store: Notice the grooves if laying t...

Last month was mostly cloudy and overcast, and we kept buying electricity instead of using the power we generate, so drastic measures were called for....i.e digging the spare panels out of the barn and hooking them up.  QUICKLY. Here they are, cranking out power and giving us a surplus. The cattle trailer is used to provide a wind-break.  The panel on the little Harbor Freight Trailer was running on a Chinese 115 vac grid tie inverter, but it quit working.  (That is the second one that failed!)  It will be removed from the trailer and installed on a fence post so it can be pointed East in the morning, and South in the midday and mostly West in the late afternoon providing about a 20% power gain over a fixed position.  The panel on the trailer now feeds into an Enphase M215, which is more efficient and reliable than the Chinese stuff. The blue armored flexible electrical conduit had to be spliced together to reach the trailer, so junction boxes are locate...

We have never had snap peas grow like they are growing this year.  Last year, peas from the same seed package probably grew about 8" high.  This year, in the new raised beds filled with fresh sifted compost, they are reaching for the sky.  There are already a few blossoms.  Here is a photo of Donna standing next to the row for size comparison. April 21 (Easter Sunday)  The peas continued to grow, and high winds blew them over onto the onions, so we pounded in 3 longer t-posts, and anchored the woven wire fencing section (that supports the peas) so it can't be so easily blown over, and now the plants are even higher.  We had a good batch of snow peas last night, cooked in the microwave with a bit of butter.  Yummy! May 11, 2019  Looks like the Peas are winding down.  We are now eating all the potatoes, onions, and greens that we can stuff in...from the garden.  It won't be long until we have tomatoes.  Here is a photo of some ...