Aquaponics Video

Here is our aquaponics set up! I got the pump yesterday, so set it up and have had it running for 24 hours or so. It is a very exciting time in my ag program. The video does have a lot of umms and aahs for an ag teacher. I am supposed to be a better speaker than that! Stay tuned for updates.

On a letter writing note, I have been sharing progress of this project with my penpals, some of who might actually read this. If you do read this, please leave a comment so I know that someone is reading my pitiful little blog!

If 17 people see this, do I have to do it?

Everyone should try to do something EPIC in their life. I have been pondering what my epic adventure might be. Two days ago, when writing a letter to a penpal, it hit me what my totally awesome, life changing event ought to be (well, besides marrying the most beautiful woman in the world and having 3 amazing sons!) Get on my bicycle and ride to Mount Rushmore!

What do you think?

It is only 300 miles or so, across Nebraska and the South Dakota Badlands. Here is a possible map for the way up there.





I still have to work on a route home. I think it will involve the Mickelson Trail

I am setting up a separate bicycle blog. Two Wheels on The Dirt.

So You Want to Write and Send Mail?

Handwriting is a shrinking art. Handwriting letters is shrinking even more. However, a few intrepid souls are keeping this tradition alive. Here are some of my favorite sites for finding people to inflict my writing on:
Sendsomething.net - this beta site has alot of addresses of people to send a letter or in fact, anything to. I know that Leaving a Paper Trail has played around a bit on this site. I have found 2 penpals from there.
The Letter Writer's Alliance is another site to find penpals. They will pair you up with 2 or 3 people and you take it from there. So far, I have 2 correspondents for the LWA.
The Fountain Pen Network is where I first started on pen friendships. These people are obsessed with fountain pens, but, I have made some good friends there.

Happy Writing

Pigeon Hawk!

Yesterday I had one of those Wild Kingdom moments, smack dab in the middle of Holyoke!
I was riding my bicycle back from the grocery store when all of a sudden I start seeing what I first took as fallen petals from an apple tree, but then I thought, "No, those can't be petals, it is 22 degrees!" As I got right up to these whitish items on the pavement, I saw a merlin perched on top of a still moving pigeon. The merlin glared at me and then lifted off, carrying a pigeon that looked almost as big as it! It flew about 15 feet away and then sat back down and fixed me with its raptor's superior stare.
It was so cool!