Monday, December 9, 2019
Ball Park Grass Seed
I'm not a baseball fan. I don't follow any team. But I'm enjoying my little container of Great American Ball Park grass.
Scotts apparently made samples of the variety grown at the home of the Reds available. It's probably a promotional piece of some sort. Tom found it in a bargain store and picked it up. Trouble is, it was dated 2011.
"It'll never grow", I told Tom. Grass seed doesn't last that long. In fact on the Scotts website they say grass seed remains viable for "two to three years". There's no knowing how this kit was stored. And it's eight years old. "Give it a chance," Tom said.
Germination of grass seed can be anywhere from 5 to 30 days depending on the variety, moisture available and temperature. Having eight year old seed sprout in eleven days is pretty remarkable; it should have died years ago,
If I can get it to last till spring I'll move it to a bare spout in the yard. In the meantime I'll "mow" it regularly with scissors.
Later ...
First "mowing"!
Scotts apparently made samples of the variety grown at the home of the Reds available. It's probably a promotional piece of some sort. Tom found it in a bargain store and picked it up. Trouble is, it was dated 2011.
"It'll never grow", I told Tom. Grass seed doesn't last that long. In fact on the Scotts website they say grass seed remains viable for "two to three years". There's no knowing how this kit was stored. And it's eight years old. "Give it a chance," Tom said.
11-07-19: Just planted and watered.
11-18-19: Hey, there's one seed that's sprouted!
11-20-19: There's a handful of seeds growing now.
11-24-19: It's not exactly a carpet but it's improving steadily.
12-09-19: Just over a month of growth and I'd call it a successful crop.
Germination of grass seed can be anywhere from 5 to 30 days depending on the variety, moisture available and temperature. Having eight year old seed sprout in eleven days is pretty remarkable; it should have died years ago,
If I can get it to last till spring I'll move it to a bare spout in the yard. In the meantime I'll "mow" it regularly with scissors.
Later ...
First "mowing"!
01-07-20
Sunday, December 8, 2019
Livingston Taylor concert
I got an early Christmas present from Tom: a ticket to the December 4 Livingston Taylor concert in Cincinnati. We got there about an hour early and had ice cream in a quaint shop across the street.
The ice cream was great and the shop is an original. Very nostalgic. Click here to read more about them.
The concert began at 8 pm but Tom had ordered tickets in advance and we had the option of picking them up at 7 pm. Seating was by section, first come, first serve so there was an advantage in being early. 20th Century Theater information is here.
Taylor put on an excellent show. He has excellent rapport with the audience. His guitar playing and voice is certainly similar to his brother, James Taylor. He had a former student of his (he teaches performance at the Berklee College of Music) open for him: Rebecca Loebe.
After the concert, Taylor mingled with the crowd. He seemed like just an ordinary guy. But what we saw on the stage says he isn't.
For more information:
Livingston Taylor
Rebecca Loebe
Aglamesis Brothers Ice Cream
Montgomery Road - Cincinnati
The concert began at 8 pm but Tom had ordered tickets in advance and we had the option of picking them up at 7 pm. Seating was by section, first come, first serve so there was an advantage in being early. 20th Century Theater information is here.
Taylor put on an excellent show. He has excellent rapport with the audience. His guitar playing and voice is certainly similar to his brother, James Taylor. He had a former student of his (he teaches performance at the Berklee College of Music) open for him: Rebecca Loebe.
After the concert, Taylor mingled with the crowd. He seemed like just an ordinary guy. But what we saw on the stage says he isn't.
For more information:
Livingston Taylor
Rebecca Loebe
Destination Moon
On December 4 Tom and I attended Destination Moon at the Cincinnati Museum Center (Union Terminal). I've seen a few moon rocks over the years and even attended Neil Armstrong's Homecoming in Wapokoneta just after the Apollo 11 moon landing (click here) but I don't think I've ever seen any of the actual hardware that flew to the moon. So this was the big chance ... and perhaps the last one. Apollo 11's command module (Columbia) will return to the Smithsonian this February and a trip to Washington might be the only option.
Arriving at the Cincinnati Museum Center at 2:40 PM, the first quarter moon was visible in the sky over Cincinnati. It's just above and to the right of the flagpole in this picture. For the actual moon landing in July 1969, the moon was still two days away from its first quarter.
A large display of LRO photos of the moon was part of the exhibit. Apollo landing sites were shown. For more info on the LRO click here.
And two view of the spectacular ceiling inside the Cincinnati Museum Center.
It was an expensive venture. Senior admission was $15.50 each and parking was another $6. I don't easily part with $37 but this was one of those things that I didn't want to miss.
By the way, Tom and I went to the Armstrong Air and Space Museum in Wapakoneta, Ohio in November 2015. You can read about our visit by clicking here.
Arriving at the Cincinnati Museum Center at 2:40 PM, the first quarter moon was visible in the sky over Cincinnati. It's just above and to the right of the flagpole in this picture. For the actual moon landing in July 1969, the moon was still two days away from its first quarter.
A page from the Apollo 11 Flight Plan
Apollo 11 Command Module Columbia
The hatch, removed on landing, is part of this display, too.
Interior view of hatch
Exterior view of hatch
Heat tile is made of a honeycomb structure
Information on F-1 engine Injector Plate (part of the Saturn V)
F-1 Injector Plate
F-1 Injector Plate (opposite side)
Five F-1 engines make up the first stage of the Saturn V rocket. Read more about it here.
Sample return case - moon rocks
Buzz Aldrin's space helmet and gloves worn on the moon
Back view of prior picture
Me beside Columbia
Tom beside Columbia
Apollo 11 Survival Kit
Apollo 11 Medical Kit
Full view of moon by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter
Full view of moon by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (far side)
And two view of the spectacular ceiling inside the Cincinnati Museum Center.
It was an expensive venture. Senior admission was $15.50 each and parking was another $6. I don't easily part with $37 but this was one of those things that I didn't want to miss.
By the way, Tom and I went to the Armstrong Air and Space Museum in Wapakoneta, Ohio in November 2015. You can read about our visit by clicking here.
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