Author: Low Wattage

Expat Welshman, educated (somewhat) in UK, left before it became fashionable to do so. Now a U.S. Citizen, and recent widower, playing with retirement and house remodeling, living in Delaware and rural Maryland (weekends).

I Decided to Paint my Smallest Shed Today.

I was moved to paint my shed today, I know not why, idly surfing the net this morning I was overcome with an irresistible artistic urge to paint my smallest shed.

The smallest shed was acquired back at the end of last year when I was summarily evicted from the then exiting smallest shed (now the second smallest) together with my definitive collection of gasoline powered tools, THAT small shed has become a sort of shrine to the garden gods, odd potions, pots, bags of expensive dirt (sorry-potting soil) and chemicals mingling with the usual collection of hand tools, which inexplicably were allowed to remain.

Yes, that is a small refrigerator on the right, it holds that vital accompaniment to serious gardening , cold beer.
Continue reading “I Decided to Paint my Smallest Shed Today.”

A New Contest? – Creative uses for Corn Cobs

Well, even the natives looked a little askance at this item in our local paper today.
Corn Cobs

After a strenuous session of Corn Holeing (sp) on a hot spring day, I would say refreshments are certainly called for.

Well, what is it? A caption or two could help, or a creative description of the rules for the contest, in terms designed not to offend the delicate sensibilities of the Charioteers (or as suitable for mixed company, as my mother used to say).

No prizes for this, just the smug satisfaction of knowing what the country folks get up to on a Saturday afternoon.

Seventh Photo Competition – Results

A slow start but a fine group of entries.
I used the word “evoke” in setting the competition and just revisited one of the word’s definitions

“To produce or suggest through artistry or imagination a vivid impression of reality”

Stark though it is, Soutie’s photo of the new home for Autism Eastern Cape produced in me a vivid impression of the realities of the ongoing struggle in this area of care. A triumph of function over form, we see not a homely thatched cottage, but bricks and iron fences. Behind the facade, inside the doors lies the reality, hope and comfort for many.
Thanks Soutie you certainly raised my awareness.

The Baltimore Icon(oclast)

A good man died this week, William Donald Schaefer aged 89 was one time Governor of Maryland and prior to that the best mayor the city of Baltimore will ever have.

He really cared about the dirty, crime ridden wasteland that the city had become. During his time as mayor he revitalized the decaying inner harbor area and built lasting facilities that continue to attract crowds and money to the city even now. Baltimore’s Inner Harbor is now home to fine dining, a world class aquarium and is close to the new Baltimore Orioles home field at Camden Yards, all due in large part to Schaefer.

He was one of a kind, he cared little about anything but the city and the stories of his attempts to clean it up are legendary. His morning ride to city hall in the mayoral limo always followed a different route, when there he would seek out the police chief and tell him ” At Fourth and Pratt this morning I saw an abandoned car I would like it gone by the time I go home.” Later on he would simply say ” I saw another abandoned car today, find it and remove it” This in a city of 700,000 was quite challenge for the chief and pretty soon abandoned cars were hard to find in the city. Continue reading “The Baltimore Icon(oclast)”

A terminally boring post on the minutiae of a long boat trip

Technically it was a delivery run and not intended as a vacation, which would require an even longer and more boring post (want to see some holiday snaps?).
For those of you who missed the whole thing you can read all about it here or not as you wish.
The trip started at mile 803 of the ICW at Palm Coast, Florida and ended 199 miles north of mile zero (Norfolk, VA) at the boat’s new home. Total distance from the charts 1002 nautical miles, and allowing another 40 nm for deviations to find overnight anchorages the distance traveled was around 1040 nm or 1200 statute miles. (well I did warn you this would be boring).
Continue reading “A terminally boring post on the minutiae of a long boat trip”

To Deltaville, Virginia and on to the Magothy River, Maryland.

Not much to report for Saturday’s efforts, windy rain and thunderstorms, rocking and rolling up the Bay, known water for a change but changeable as a spirited woman (am I still permitted to say things like that?).

I tried to take a picture of the water breaking over the bow, but I could not time it right with all the jumping around that was happening, it is wet down there, right?
Continue reading “To Deltaville, Virginia and on to the Magothy River, Maryland.”

Seventh Photo Competition

Rising as always to the bait, and as OZ would say grasping the poison chalice, without (in this case) the joy of success in the previous. I set the bounds of the next as follows.

The subject is HOME (one I am looking forward to after three weeks on the water) anything that evokes it is OK.

To OZ a cave perhaps
To JanH the Somerset levels
To Sipu a palace
To Bravo an aeroplane
To CWJ that castle in Scotland
To Ferret (c’mon try it) a pencil factory on the north
To me a small and gentle creek.

Whatever and wherever it is let’s see it in colour.

No manipulation (cropping allowed)
No time frame, archival footage is OK
Closing April 20 24:00 hrs GMT

Good luck.