Daily Musings * Page 10

hoo mie?

I think I tilled under my early iris things I had. This fall I'll plant some more bulbs, I added new alliums last fall.

Here's day 1 of my solar installation.

Victor,

Please tell us more about your solar plans.

I am installing a large system - almost 6 KW. It will take up most of my upper roof. I am the first in my town to 'go solar'. With the rebates and tax incentives offered by the Feds and NYS, I end up paying for about 1/3 of the total cost. And that third is financed with a low cost loan, underwritten by NYS. It is either 2, 3 or 4% depending on whether you want to have a 3, 4 or 5 year term.

Anything it produces that exceeds my demand (what I am drawing to run everything) gets bought by the utility at the same rate that I buy from them. This is why batteries are not necessary or recommended. A cable is run from the array of modules on the roof into an inverter in the basement, mounted next to my electrical panel. The inverter converts the DC power from the modules into AC power to be used in my house or sold to the utility.

Thanks, Victor. That's great. Let us know how it works out.

I will. And I will post more pics as the project moves along.

just be careful up on that roof!
martha

Victor, that is great. I just heard a presentation on CT's 20% by 20 (2,020) initiatives where they are trying to get municipalities to commit to 20% green energy by 2,020. If the towns do so, they get some incentives. Good to see some movement.

Are you folks familiar with the expression 'West of Worcester?' Meaning traveling a long, long way from Boston. I used it in another thread where the only person from Mass was a recent immigrant from South America! We have crocuses and tulip shoots and a patch of shoots my husband says are daffodils (?)

xxxxx, Carrie

ok, I have to share this with you guys... since I consider myself a 'transplant' (see it's a sign that I have had too much gardening!) and you guys makes me laugh... I hope this will make you laugh also...

P.S. I don't mean to offend anyone... I LOVE MASSACHUSETTS and if I can I want to die here.... well, just burn me and spread my ashes in MA.... that will be good enough!!!!

anyway I laugh at some bostonians accent... well I speak like them sometimes!!!!so if you are coming to visit my garden please make sure you also visit Bawstin (Boston) it's totally worth it!!!! so here goes a little guide!


Welcome to Bawstin!
>
this is "wicked" good..
>
> For those of you who have never been to "Bawstin", this is a good guideline.
>
> I hope you will consider coming to "Beantown" in the near future. For
> those who call New England home, this is just plain great!
>
> Information on Boston and the surrounding area:
>
> There's no school on School Street , no court on Court Street, no dock on Dock Square , no water on Water Street . Back Bay streets are in alphabetical "oddah":
>
> Arlington, Berkeley , Clarendon, Dartmouth , etc.
>
> So are South Boston streets: A, B, C, D, etc. If the streets are named
> after trees, (e.g., Walnut, Chester , Cedar), you're on Beacon Hill . If
> they're named after poets, you're in Wellesley.
>
> Massachusetts Avenue is Mass Ave. Commonwealth Avenue is Comm. Ave.
> South Boston is Southie. The South End is the South end. East Boston is Eastie.
> The North End is east of the former West End . The West End and Scollay Square are
> no more. A guy named Rappaport got rid of them one night.
Roxbury is The Burry, Jamaica Plain is J.P.
>
> How to pronounce Massachusetts city names correctly:
> **Say it wrong, be shunned**
> Worcester: Wuhsta (or Wistah)
> Gloucester: Glawsta
> Leicester: Lesta
> Woburn: Wooban
> Dedham: Dedim (like denim w/ a D in the N space)
> Revere: Re-vee-ah
> Quincy: Quinzee
> Tewksbury: Tooks berry
> Leominster: Lemon-sta
> Peabody: Peabuddy
> Waltham: Walth-ham
> Chatham: Chattum
>
> Definitions:
> Frappes have ice cream, milkshakes don't.
> If it is fizzy and flavored, it's tonic.
> Soda is CLUB SODA.
> "Pop" is Dad.
> When we want Tonic WATER, we will ask for Tonic WATER.
> The smallest beer is a pint.
> Scrod is whatever they tell you it is, usually fish.
> If you paid more than $6/pound, you got scrod.
> It's not a water fountain; it's a bubblah.
> It's not a trashcan; it's a barrel.
> It's not a spucky it's a sub.
> It's not a shopping cart; it's a carriage.
> It's not a purse; it's a pockabook.
> They're not franks; they're haht dahgs. Franks are money in France .
> Police don't drive patrol units or black and whites they drive a "crooza".
> If you take the bus, you are on the "looza crooza".
> It's not a rubber band, it's an elastic.
> It's not a traffic circle, it's a rotary.
> "Going to the islands" means Martha's Vineyard & Nantucket.
> If something's good, it's "pissa". If somethin g's really good, it's "wicked pissa".
> The Pat's = The Patriots
> The Sox = The Red Sox
> The C's = The Celtics
> The B's = The Bruins
>
> Things not to do:
> Don't pahk your cah in Hahvid Yahd ... they'll tow it to Meffa ( Medford ) or Slumaville (Somerville).
> Don't sleep in the Common. ( Boston Common)
> Don't wear Orange in Southie on St. Pat rick 's Day.
>
> Things you should know:
> There are two State Houses, two City Halls, two courthouses, two Hancock
> buildings (one old, one new for each).
> The colored lights on top the old Hancock tell the wetha:
> "Solid blue, clear view...."
> "Flashing blue, clouds due...."
> "Solid red, rain ahead...."
> "Flashing red, snow instead...." - (except in summer; flashing red means the Red Sox game was rained out)
> Route 128 is also I-95 south. It's also I-93 north.
> The underground train is not a subway. It's the "T", and it doesn't run all night (fah chrysakes, this ain't Noo Yawk).
> Order the "cold tea" in China Town after 2:00 am you'll get a kettle full of beer.
>
>Bostonians... think that it's their God-given right to cut off someone in traffic.
> Bostonians...think that there are only 25 letters in the alphabet (no R's).
> Bostonians...think that three straight days of 90+ temperatures is a heat wave.
> Bostonians...refer to six inches of snow as a "dusting."
> Bostonians...always "bang a left" as soon as the light turns green and oncoming traffic always expects it.
> Bostonians...say everything in town is "a five-minute walk." (Pronounced "wok")
> Bostonians...believe that using your turn signal is a sign of weakness.
> Bostonians...think that 63-degree ocean water is warm.
> Bostonians...think Rhode Island accents are annoying!
> NU YAWK faans ah poor loozas.

Kass, funny!

Some of those make sense. Peabuddy was funny. I've only been at Logan for Boston for me - swell place ;)
They are starting to use those 'traffic circles' here now, they are called roundabouts.

Thank-you so much. As a fellow transplantee, the translation is most useful :-)

DH & I went to Boston to walk the Freedom Trail (DH is a history buff) it was very interesting and educational.....not only the history part but the "accent". LOL We went to a sandwich shop to get an Italian.. No italians, at least not sandwiches! People yes, sandwiches no. They call them "subs", now try asking for a dagwood, they have no idea what that is. We had to learn the language in order to eat something familiar. Then I went into Faneuil Hall Market Place/Quincy Market , bad place for me!! My sense's were assaulted with a variety of smells and my brain couldn't pick just one or 2 thing to try. I went there everyday for 4 days and tried something new, if it wasn't for the walking we did on the Freedom Trail I would of come home 10 pounds heavier!!!

Iol... it's pretty funny to have a bostonian accent when you are brazilian... I say things that makes people LOL all the time.... and I am not trying to be funny!!!!

ok, people I need help... I need some weeds.... it's called stinging nettle... where can I get it??? does someone has that and is willing to mail me a bunch so I can prepare a magic potion for my roses????
I will pay postage....thanks

Popping in to catch up.

Daffodils are blooming and I don't have a picture yet. We ate 4 small spears of asparagus for dinner. No salt, no butter. YUM!

Do you grow the asparagus, billy?

Victor, three cheers for you!! That's what I want to do! Only, my roof needs replacing first and I have a big shady maple blocking sun from 1/2 of my roof... still, I wish I could go solar. I'd love to hear how it's going for you.

Kass, I have no stinging nettle. I enjoyed your Boston post, though!

Mmmmm, sally. Love asparagus.

Harper

Kassia,

First of all, Cambridge St leads to Cambridge, Brookline Ave. leads to Brookline, so I imagine Court leads to a Court (or the Court) and Dock Squ. leads to a dock, or maybe it did 50 years ago. They've been rearranging the waterfront as if it were a jigsaw puzzle! Same with Rt. 128. When I learned to drive, Rt. 128 went from Gloucester in the North Shore around Boston to the Cape and the South Shore. Then the Southeast Expressway (93) co-opted some of 128 N-S to be part of I-93 S-N. That's when you start going North and South at the same time. Then they had this idea of I-95 going all the way N-S along the whole east coast, which of course co-opted Rt. 128 for the portions they wanted. So yes, 128 S and I 95 S and I 93 N share a few miles. But the worst thing is the way they've screwed up the exit numbers.

Secondly, why are you giving Boston such a hard time? You're from Framing-ham!

And thirdly, do you really want stinging nettles? Some used to grow near my mother's house.

xxxxx, Carrie

edited to say whaddya mean, there's no "R" in our alphabet? What about a bright idear; Havaner, Cuber; baked budader; etc.

When I said wicked pissed in a post, I was censored!

This message was edited Mar 29, 2007 5:42 PM

I'd like a wind turbine. It's always windy here.

Andy, you may be seeing them in residential applications sooner than you think. They are now making vertical axis ones that are quiet, unobtrusive and not ugly. I don't know anything about the costs or incentives.

I love bostonians.... and since I have an accent I will pick on them!!!! I loved that thing!

When I first moved to this house I looked everywhere for solar... we have electric heat in 6 bedrooms house.... so I really needed.... what I found was so discouraging... but one day I am going to go solar...

yes, I want horsetail, nettles and comfrey...I am spending so much money in compost at new lloam so it makes no sense to me to destry that ...
night night!!!! I am falling asleep!!!!

I will go with the wind turbine. we get plenty up here on the hill. I will just tack it on top of the giant white pine tree out in the yard. It's the highest thing on this hill. If I paint it green, no one will notice it at all and it will run almost 360 days a year. I think that's what they should do with the wind farm they want to put out in the ocean near Martha's Vinyard. paint them all oceanic colors and they won't stick out.
Martha

Kassia very funny!
One correction: Nu Yawk faans are frequent winnahs.

Great "R" words, Carrie!

I work with a friend from Boston. I get a kick out of asking her to say: "give Peter some pita". It comes out : " give Pita some peter".
So she can pronounce an R but only if it doesn't belong!

Dave, even before finishing reading I could hear myself saying "give Peter some peter" lol..... I guess I abuse the R"... lol.....

Laughing over the R's. I only know the ''language'' from watching ''This Old House.'' DD finally got me to stop saying warshrag.

I'd like to go solar too. I love the look of the turbines, but I heard they make quite a whump noise.

Victorgardener, I do. Ignore the mess in the garden. It gets a makeover this spring. I have asparagus planted in the two blocked beds. The blocks are the old porch foundation from home.

Anyone have any suggestions for a replacement, well, we call it a burn barrel even if it is cement blocks. I need to move it out of the alley and make it permanent. These blocks crack every winter.

Billy,
Had to laugh when I saw the photo....I can here Kassia saying "Rip those shrubs out!!!" and using the "R" properly. LOL

Finally I got my camera fixed!!! (It needed batteries?) So now my crocus pictures, from days ago.

it's a good idear to warsh regularly wethah you need it a not?

xxx, Carrie

More...

xx, C

last ones.

It's too bad they're blooming so low (duh..) where I can't really see them from the wheelchair.

x.C

Laughing :() I'm going to hear the accent in my head all night!

What a pretty blue! Mine are from years ago. I think, a free gift from Michigan Bulb. I'm kind of getting tired of the color, but haven't thought of planting anything different. I'd like to get autumn crocus started.

you guys .... I would totally say it that way... lol....
Billy, I am using pressure treated wood for my garden .... not the most expensive but I am happy about it... one thing I hope to do is to plant things that will cascade over so it will cover the wood...

big day tomorrow.... I am so excited! my first attempt and really measuring the area and see what I really have to work with!

Billy,

If you tire, you could send a few to me! I finally got my DH to plant in clumps instead of rows, but they are lonely little clumps arranged in a circle. LOL He'll get it eventually. What could I send you?

xxxx, Carrie

Carrie, try to get DH to just toss the bulbs and plant them where they fall. I had the same problem with 'myself' LOL. now I look at things planted all in a row and think it's sad. we all have to start someplace.

Oh, I know, gram, but fortunately he does some of this without my presence! If the trade-off is circles of clusters, he's learning by doing!

The first house I ever owned was a 50's tract house with a small rectangular front yard. The former owners had done a bit of gardening. The right side of the path to the front door was dug up and mulched; it was fall when we bought the house or late summer. Next spring it turned out to be tulips, three rows of tulips, in three ruler straight lines, 12 in each row, 36 all together. And this is the killer; the row on the left was red, the row in the middle was orange, the row on the right was yellow. At least I know the guy passed kindergarten. Yikes! The first thing I did was mix up the colors a little, add some purples, disturb the rows. But this was all a lifetime ago, I was working and busy and stuff like that. We planted a flowering crab-apple tree in a corner of the front yard - and it is still there!

xxxx, Carrie

Today was Day 2 of the solar installation. Only inside work today. The inverter, which converts the DC output of the solar modules to AC to be used in the house or sold back to the utility, was mounted. The wires will go through the disconnect switch to the right and into the inverter. They also ran part of the conduit that will carry the wires from the roof to the basement. About two days of work remain before the required inspections.

When I plant bulbs now it's in clusters. Not one here and one there. I'd rather have only 2 good clusters than have singles scattered all over. It's hard to plant around all those single bulbs. You are always digging one up, accidentally.
If I can get away from this keyboard, I'll be getting my hands dirty this week. April first is when I remove most of the winter mulch. Some Iris and Day Lilies need dividing ~ bad. Lots of stuff to do.
The photo site is eating my time, too. 2 weeks today, doing well. Fun
More snowy Crocus from last Sunday morning. I took a lot of shots, lol.
Andy P