Update on George – he’s home and feeling well. Lost 23#’s in the last week based on removing excess water. His heart valve is in such shape, that they couldn’t get the catheter into the valve. The game plan is to have another specialist take a look at what graphics they now have to see if there’s a way to go in and clean up calcium deposits that are messing up the valve action or whether he has to get a new valve now. If they can do a temporary fix that buys him a couple of years, there’s a new procedure that incorporates a new valve into a stent rather than trying to replace the old valve with a new, organic valve. I read about the procedure a few months back and it sounded promising. Apparently it’s been done in Europe with good results for several years but just now being introduced/allowed in the US. There’s a hospital in Miami that’s been doing it for a few months with a good success rate so if cleaning up the old valve buys him a couple of years, that procedure should be much more mature.
Update on the muck operation. I pulled 8 wheel barrows full up to the compost piles and intermixed that with the other stuff. It sure looks good but it’s really a tough job to dig it out and then roll it up to the piles. I’m recruiting number one son to join in the fun – if I can get 10 more loads before he crashes or rebels that should really do me. Oops, that didn’t happen. Too many other honey do’s in the way plus non-optimal weather conditions. So I’m back to do a few loads each day. I use a giant claw on a 6′ steel pole to pull muck from the bottom up onto shore. I let that drain and dry for a couple of days and then shovel it into a wheelbarrow. As long as the weather holds dry and the nurseries continue to pull from the lake, I can keep this process going. I guess you could look at it like the silver lining behind the incredible shrinking lake. Silk purse/sow’s ear. This muck is deep black but has no odor so it’s really peat like. I would have thought it would have a strong sulphur smell but it doesn’t. We’ll soon know whether it’s as good a garden amendment as I’m thinking. If nothing else, I’m getting a good workout and wil have created a nice place to launch and land the poke boat.
Covering the garden again tonight. I knew it was too good to be true that we could go the rest of the season with no frost or freezes. Shouldn’t be anything damaged and this one is possibly the last. I’ve got the drill down to such a science that it only takes an hour or so to get everything covered and the good news is that a brief hit like this will whack off a load of bugs. The very few seedlings I have that are in a delicate state will just spend the weekend in the bathroom. I put them in the shower stall, close the curtain and no one’s the wiser. Last thing was to pick a few goodies out of the garden that will hold us over for the few days until the covers come off – spinach, lettuce, onions and a few sprigs of parsley.
I’ve never had much trouble growing parsley in the cooler months but this year the crop is sensational. You might be thinking parsley is parsley, what’s the big deal. This year the leaves are dark, dark green and crisp. Think of the darkest green spinach you’ve ever seen and double it.
Politics – After Santorum won a few primaries, I’m liking my prediction of a brokered nomination at the Convention this summer. Not that I particularly care for him, but the more the delegate count splinters, the more likely it is that no candidate will get the required 1155. Not sure who the surprise candidate will be yet but am leaning towards either the Indiana Gov or Jeb Bush. The Jersey Gov will be in it as well, especially if Jeb just won’t jump in. Christie’s “in your face†mannerisms might work to overcome his NE liberal baggage, especially that late in the game. It didn’t work for Guiliani last cycle , I think because he got in too soon, but that was then and this is now. Wonder if Obama’s incredibly stupid move on the Catholics had anything to do with Santorum’s uptick. Kind of doubt it and think his plan has been to just hang in as the lone conservative when Gingrich crashes. I think that works for him, not enough to make him the eventual candidate, but enough to keep things stirred up until the convention.
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