• Apple Seeds Fall Far From the Tree
• A Twig in Time Saves Mine

With grafting, a single apple tree may grow more than one variety.

Tom Burford is a 7th generation orchardist from Amherst County, Virginia.

Grafting captures the best traits of the rootstock and the scion wood. For instance, the rootstock can control whether the tree is full-sized, semi-dwarf, or dwarf. It brings with it certain hardiness, disease resistance, soil preferences, and the like. The scions, however, control the apple variety, ripening season, and pollination characteristics. Some apple varieties require pollinating from another variety, while others can self-pollinate.

And what about those seeds that the child Burford collected? Those were used to grow new rootstock for later grafting.

Modern orchardists may use a scion or a bud to accomplish grafting. With scion wood, representative twigs are harvested during the dormant season, kept cool and damp until spring, then grafted on in the spring. With bud grafting, autumn buds are harvested and then grafted onto the limbs or rootstock prior to annual dormancy. According to Burford, grafting almost always will succeed as long as sound contact is created between the thin vascular cambium layer of grafted tissues and the graft is kept from drying out. The images below originate from the Cider Museum Hereford, in the heart of England’s cider region.

A sharp knife and manual dexterity are required for grafting. Image from the Cider Museum Hereford.

To learn more about apple grafting and heirloom apples, try the following links:
• Lucy Cook’s All About Apples featuring Tom Burford and apple-cheese pairings
• The Cider Museum Hereford
• Tom the Apple Man, another English site
• The Willow House Chronicles
• The Howling Duck Ranch

Enjoy! TPJ

Lotta blev visst lite nyfiken så jag får nog förklara mig. Jo vi har lagt bud för länge sen – och så igår, kanske jag mest skrivit om det i gamla bloggen. Budgivningen gick vår väg efter många om och men och avkrokar och vi har blivit med ett hus – till. Hamnade faktiskt UNDER utgångspriset trots budgivning!

Så, om allt går som det ska – och det gör det väl – så skriver vi papperna på fredag och sen har vi tillträde den 15 januari 2010. Så, nu förstår ni vad bloggen kommer att handla om framöver

Då har jag sju rum och kök att fylla med roliga prylar, en del har jag, mycket behöver jag. Blir nog både loppis och nytt skulle jag tro – nåja, ni får nog höra!

Pretending the lady next to you didn’t just lose her job – TWUP.

Nu är det ynka tre timmar kvar av helgen… ja om åtta minutras.
Om 19 timmar kan jag hämta min älskade Hanna på Fritte.
Saknar gör jag så in i vassen ju… men snart är hon ju hemma =)
I morgon knallar jag strax efter 08 till Korttis och hämtar hennes väska.
Synd att den inte får åka med till skolan och sen till Fritte.
Men om alla hade med sig sina Korttisväskor på Bussen
så skulle det blir trångt ju… Det är därför ingen får.. Synd.

Helgen har varit rätt så OK faktiskt…
Trots regn för det mesta men solen på Lördagen piggade upp såpass
att man klarar av några veckors regnande… eller?
Idag så hade det varit en tråkdag faktiskt…
Ja tills Paula meddelade att hon kommer och hälsar på i morgon.
Då vart denna dag genast mycket roligare…
Hon kommer också med en Gardinkappa som jag har beställt.
Den ska jag ha i Hannas och Marcus rum.. Det blir så fint där =)
Välkommen gumman och kör försiktigt!!

Det har inte varit så mycket planerat denna helg
utom en middag som jag och min familj var bjuden på… trodde jag.
Inbjudan kom ju för två veckor sedan… men sedan tyst.
Dom ångrade väl sig.. eller så menade dom inte någonting med inbjudan
Ja ja… så kan det gå ibland =)

I morgon så är det ju vardag och det är lika med skola. Skönt ju.
Det är ju inte så skoj när det är regn ute
då blir ungarna en aningens rastlösa… och jag med.
Hade man bil så kunde man ju åka iväg någonstans… men nada bil här.

Nu ska ni får höra…
Farmor Ulla ringde… den 1:a eller 2:a December… någon av dagarna.
Då kommer dom med sängarna som dom har köpt åt barnen…
Helt fantastiskt ju.. så generöst… så fint… så underbart!!!
Har inte tillräckligt med ord på mig om hur tacksam jag är för den gåvan.
Hoppas dom förstår att gåvan är som Gudasänd…
TACK farmor Ulla och Farfar Lasse!!

Elias vaccination har blivit framskjuten… Igen!!
Nu är det 1 December som gäller.
Fan vad trött jag blir på alla ändringar.
Hela den här vaccinationsgrejen är ju skrattretande…
Den är så illa skött… olika bud hit än dit…
Finns det någonstans som Elias skulle kunna få sprutan tidigare.
Om vi går till Vaccinationscentralen nästa vecka. Nekar dom honom tro?
Är det någon Köpingsbo som vet??
Vi alla är Vaccinerade utom då Elias och det känns inte bra.

Nu ska jag ta och packa ett par ryggsäckar och gympapåsar.
Lika bra att göra det nu så slipper man virra omkring på morgonen.
Har småplockat hela dagen och ska väl fortsätta med det en stund till.
Sen blir det dammsugning och skura köket och hallen..
om jag orkar och det inte blir för sent *Gääääsp*
Jaja.. vi får väl se hur långt jag hinner.

Ha en bra fortsättning på eran kväll!

KramKram!

Har inte fått något vettigt gjort alls här idag, diskussionens vågor har gått höga (nåja, vi var rätt överens ändå) och vi har lagt vårt bud till mäklaren. Några fler bud från våran sida blir det inte har vi tänkt. I så fall väntar vi tills något annat lämpligt dyker upp. Men nu blir det lite nervös väntan på vad de andra säger, eller det är väl egentligen bara en som kommer att bjuda vad vi vet – om den nu bjuder, det vet vi ju inget om!

Men nu börjar magen att kurra lite så det är väl hög tid att mata den med något gott! Får göra en snabb inventering i köksskåpen och se vad det blir. Något sånt här kanske?

…Welcome to Bud – the North West Coast of Norway.

If you follow the blog train – Blogging around the world – you should be coming here from Huntersville – North Carolina – USA.

Do you wonder where you have landed? …no, Norway is not the Capitol of Sweden. A couple of years ago a newspaper wrote that most American who had heard about Norway believed that it was the Capitol of Sweden. Let me show you the google map:

Even I have a hard time envision the map in my head and Norway is a tiny dot on the map. Let`s zoom in.

I have to admit that I never reflected over the fact that Canada is just next door:)

Surrounded by a lot of water you  will find the fishing village Bud. These days most of the fishing is done by the tourists. Tourism is about to become the most important part of our community. In November, December and January we have down time but in February we can feel the buzz again. We love that buzz. The visitors really enjoy their time here in the village and that makes us appreciate our village even more than we already do.

To take a picture outside my window this time of the year is a challenge. We have few hours of daylight and right now we have a little storm going on. Just in case I have made a collage of photos taken through out the year. You can see the collage at the end of the post.

But right now this is what I see outside my window:

Up the hill to the left just out of sight we have the nursing home for the elderly. From there you have the most beautiful view. The sad fact is that you don`t get a bed there before you are to old and sick to enjoy the view but it does make it a nice place for relatives to visit. For the few lucky ones who are able to manage on their own there are small houses were they are given the help they need. (The red house in the foreground is one of those houses).

When I moved here 6 years ago this was one of the things I liked about this place. They had made room for the old in the midst of the village. Not on the outside. I think that tells something about a community.

Inside it can be like this:

But, most of the time it`s like this:

And sometimes this mess creates pages like this:

I love to play with photos and beautiful paper and the dark season here in Norway is perfect for that.

It is time for the train to leave this station. Next stop is Canada were you will find JJ Soby – she is an accountant by day and scrapbooker by night, and she has a great eye for details.

Next Stop

If you would like to follow the train from the start you can go to: New Zealand and visit Helena

OK, so most NFL fans are aware of the fact that Tennessee Titans owner Bud Adams was fined yesterday morning by NFL Commish Roger Goodell. Now, Bud Adams is 86 years of age and was fined 250,000 dollars by Goodell for giving the bird to Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson, who is 91 years of age. Now 250,000 dollars is the third largest fine ever given out by the NFL. The first being a 1 million dollar fine to former 49ers owner Eddie DeBartolo in 1999 and the second being Bill Belichick (Still love you) 500,000 dollar fine. Now, am I the only one that finds this ridiculous? I mean, how are you going to fine an 86 year old man 250,000 dollars for flicking off a 91 year old man? Now I know they are both owners and that money is not a concern for either of them but I find the whole situation hilarious. I mean, I would be pumped if the owner of my beloved team would show the same enthusiasm and passion for a win as Bud Adams showed. My only argument relates to the amount of the fine. I mean, really? 250,000 dollars? It seems even more crazy when Chicago Bears defensive tackle Tommy Harris gets fined only 7,500 dollars for punching his oppenent while on the ground. I mean thank God Ed Hochuli was there to run shit. But ya what do I know, you watch and tell me which incident is worth the 250,000 dollar fine.

The Bird.

The Punch.

in my previous post (4 silicone earbuds) i said i was trying to get a set for around AUD$0.06, i lost it sadly.. afew minutes after the exact same thing came up again only AUD$0.06 i lost it again with a guy doing last second bids.. my max was AUD$0.21 thinking someone would do AUD$0.15 or something.. i was wrong they did AUD$0.22.

Now im going for another pair in 35ish minutes. I plan on winning these my max will be about AUD$0.80, making sure i win.

in the fullness of time she sprung forth

out of the rose-bud that sheltered her

form the noisy clamour of dust existences

perfected, suffused with the alabaster oils

that fall in their proper seasons

thus as ordained, she did grace humanity

with her fair visage

how that the sun conspired to have its way with her

and desired to banish the night forever

yet how the night wared with all his might

to see off his fairer and comelier adversary

both at war over her unmatched beauties

for who would it fall upon to take up as her cupbearer

ah! the towering gaze of her unassuming intellect,

married to that unmeaning yet singular oneness that is elegance

her sandled feet gently kissing the summers trimmed grass

arms gently stretched in reach of those fair gerbera

as the two engage in that ancient dance

in her bag are the charmed smiles stored

and dispensed to all she encounters

what large and unjeleous loves

From what I gathered from my Twitter feed over the weekend, everybody seems to be talking about the ACTA and how everybody seems pissed off by it. It would also seem that for once I got on the band wagon early because my cohosts and I discussed this in the middle of last week while we were recording the snow. There were a few other things we talked about but it seems that this is the one that people are the most concerned about, it makes me think that the segment concerning the ACTA should have been bumped up a couple of slots to the feature instead of the WTF of the week. I could use this space to discuss the ACTA at further length, but I feel there is nothing more I can say on the matter that hasn’t already been said. That and today has me feeling a bit tired.

I may or may not make this whole matter next weeks feature to shed some more light on it if people are still talking about it next week when I record. I agree, it is an important matter, but I won’t give said matter any more coverage if the short attention span of the average internet user and podcast listener has found something else to be concerned about.

I could also use this space to talk about NaNoWriMo, but after the first week I’m sure those of you who aren’t participating are tired of hearing about it. So if you care to see how I’m faring I encourage you to visit my writer blog

I hope you enjoy this weeks show, we’ll see you next week.

0:00 Intro
2:30 Front End Banter
9:00 NaNoWriMo and Brains
15:00 Break: Free Will
17:20 The PodCaster Triple Threat
18:15 One of the Funniest Youtube Videos Ever (according to Ben)
20:10 NVidia chip sets wont support USB 3.0 until 2011
27:35 The Movie Industry is still butt hurt about Piracy
39:40 A Study shows that chronically ill patients are happier if they give up hope
47:00 BorderLands and Other Games
52:10 Fail Of The Week: Blockbuster employee stabs self to skip work
59:00 Maine Says Yes to Pot No to Gay Marriage
1:08:10 Break: London Moon Thing (You’ll have to listen to the promo for this one, I forgot where it came from or what it is)
1:09:15 WTF of the Week: ACTA
1:32:05 Outro
1:36:54 End of Show

When preparing for the birth of a baby, many emotions come into play, including a deadline by which to get everything done. Anticipation is definitely in air, but common experience is anxiety and both are not acceptable while Experiencing first time. While learning about parenting, people also learn that being parents is very expensive.

Creating the perfect nursery for the new arrival can become quite expensive if the parents are not careful. Baby boy crib bedding sets , strollers, and cribs are necessary purchases that can take a big bite out of new parents' bank accounts.

Fortunately, with a little time in preparation before hand, costs can be kept under control. This holds true when you are choosing any decorative accessories for your baby's room, especially crib bedding. Doing extensive research will save you money when planning your little one's room.

Experienced shoppers know that prices vary for the same linens and will certainly opt to frequent the stores that offer the best bedding at the best prices. Crib sets are a smart choice, saving parents money and the hassle of matching each piece of the bedding separately.

After parents become familiar with nursery bedding costs, they can enjoy the process of selecting the perfect sheets and blankets for their baby. Because of the many beautiful sets and styles of crib sets in today's market, choosing can be more difficult than you might think. When feeling overwhelmed by all the possibilities, sometimes it is easiest to first choose a favorite color.

Purple crib bedding is frequently used by decorators due to the fact that it doesn't matter whether or not the baby is male or female, purple bedding can be used in any babies nursery. Want a bedding set that will give you a stunning nursery without a lot of expense? A purple-themed set is perfect for anything from ultra feminine flower motifs to beautiful animal designs.

Bryllupsfotografering er en kategori, som jeg IKKE kan anbefale enhver at begive sig ud i! For det første så er det ekstremt vigtigt, du først og fremmest har styr på lys. Da brud og gom som hovedregel er i hhv. hvid og sort, stiller det ret store krav til lysforhold.

Derudover stiller det krav til dine objektiver. Fotografering i f.eks en kirke, kan være en udfordring i sig selv, da lysforholdene ikke er de mest gundstige.

I think it’s only fair to warn you…

BTW: In case you didn’t already know this, “naked” = no clothes on. “Nekkid” = no clothes on and up to something. Hope that clears that up.

hey people, recently instead of smoking my greens i’ve been baking them instead. Now its not as straight forward or easy but its defenity worth it people. Once you start getting good you don’t even taste the weed in your food. Its better on your lungs and a different buzz.

This recipe I’m sharing here is still in testing but its working great.

So here’s the ingredients your going to need:
2 cups of water
1 cup of milk
1/4 cup of butter
2 grams of bud
10 oz of vodka

Here is the supplies:
Sauce Pan
Vodka Bottle
Tea Bags
Measuring Cup
Other Shit i left out

Now for the instructions:
Grind up the buds, Then Fill tea bags.
Pour water and milk into pan and simmer on low.
Add butter and add 4oz of vodka
Add and ster teabags for 2 mins
Put lid on and simmer for 15 mins
Filter into vodka bottle with rest of 6 oz
Add tea leaves and buds and chill in fridge for short time
Store bottle in dark place for at least a week

*If you use less than 2 grams decrease everything by same percent.

I hope you enjoy.
I’m probly going to post a more complete recipe as time goes on. Take care everyone.

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In all honesty, I thought Kazanjian would be re-elected.  Kudos to the citizens of Lowell for kicking him out along with Regina Fatcianti.  Even if the new councilors do absolutely nothing in the next two years, the council is improved simply by subtraction.  In the wake of the election, there are some clear cut winners and losers…

Bernie Lynch: Winner.  If Kazanjian, Lenzi, Mercier, Mercier, and Caufield stayed in power there was no way his contract would have been extended.

John Cox: Loser.  His influence is fading fast.

TJ McCarthy: Loser.  Was going to be the next city manager.

Chris Scott: Winner.  A stronger mandate with enemy #1 out.

Bill Taupier, Nick Sarris, George Berhakis: Losers.  Fatcianti, Kazanjian, A. Mercier, Lenzi means less of a chance that these dirt bags getting a reprieve from the school committee leaving the Bon Marche.

One Lowell, Move Forward Lowell: Winners.  Accomplished it’s core goal in changing the balance of power. 

Kendall Wallace & Lowell Sun: Losers.  Little influence over the election.  Bad predictions.  Irrelevant.

Lowell Shallot, Mr. Mill City, Left in Lowell: Winners.  People actually read these things and having other sources of news and opinion is valuable in a one (douchey) paper town.

Rita Mercier: Loser.  She’s made her dislike for Lynch obvious.  Now she’s in the minority with Bud.

Hairy Balls and rest of the state delegation: Losers.  Endorsing Kazanjian in the 11th hour?!  Dumb.

Good Olde Boys (GOBs): Losers.  Blowellians are part of the solution, not the problem.  The more that the old gaurd is pushed aside the better.

Citizens of Lowell: Winners*.  A step in the right direction and hope to change the petty insider politics of Lowell.  *Beware of Lynch and a vacuum of power from the city council.  Remember, Lynch is a politician looking out for his best interest.  He has his own cronies, favorites, and ambitions beyond Lowell.

October’s free, 140 minute twitter portrait winner is fini! This is Bud:

Bud's final portrait

I can’t lie to you guys. I went a little over the 140 minute limit…by about 20 minutes. But Maddie took about 2 hours even so I figured I had some rollover minutes from last month.

Here’s Bud as he developed on canvas, step by step….

Zee dog arteest wondering how she's going to pull this one off (turns out she couldn't!)

Initial sketch of grid and Bud

First strokes: Bud's outline

A big thank you to Dianne (@louisebear2) who submitted Bud’s winning photo after reading about my contest on Bark Magazine’s website.

The next contest…
I hope to hold the next contest at the end of this month or in early December. The holidays are pretty crazy in the studio, so I hope you’ll excuse me for being purposefully non-commital. But follow me on twitter in the meantime and you’ll be first to hear about the next contest. You can also read up on the contest rules and be all set to pounce once the contest is on.

And if you’re interested in having your own dog’s portrait painted, please take a stroll through my online gallery, aimeehoover.com and shoot me an email. I’ll look forward to hearing from you and seeing pics of your cute pup.

Thanks as always for reading.

-Aimée