Tomato Tips

Although this is my first season growing tomatoes (Organic Brandywine and Big Beef) there are a couple valuable tips I learned on my way to having a successful harvest (I have many green tomatoes now). Thanks to my family and friends for providing so much info on tomatoes and gardening during my first summer in our new home.

Staking: I made the mistake of staking later than I should have. Even though my plants were only about 8 inches tall when transplanted into the garden, I should have staked then because this prevents damage to the root system. My crop is turning out fine, but I wish I had realized this sooner and staked earlier.

Weeds: I found that a couple layers of wet newspaper held in place by a few wood stakes or rocks stops a lot of weeds. Pour some more compost or soil on top. A few more weeds will come through the newspaper, but weeding a few out is better than weeding a lot out . . .

Pay attention to the weather. Always water at night/dusk because this allows the water to soak in rather than be burned off by the sun. Also, here in new england we tend to get thunderstorms on a hot day around 4-7 pm, so I like to see if we're going to get that drenching shower before I head out to grab the hose. This can save you some $$.

Zip-its, fixing small holes in wall

If you want to hang a large mirror or heavy wall decoration, studs are always the best spots to drill large screws into, but your mirror doesn't always allow it depending on the spacing of the hang spots on the back. For hollow walls, I recently discovered metal anchors, or "zip-its." They say "zip-it" on the top. Bought a pack of 10 at grossmans b.o. for 1.99. I had used the plastic ones before with limited success. You just press the point into the wall a little (or use an awl) take a philips screwdriver and screw it into the hollow wall all the way. Then with the screws provided in the pack of zip-its, screw it in to the desired level. Bingo.

One thing about these zip-its is that they are wide. If you ever have to pull one out, you'll have a decent hole in the wall.

To fix this hole or any hole in the wall smaller than 1 inch wide, take a clean, slightly wet putty knife and spread spackling paste over the hole, pressing some into the hole as well. go over it a few times, clearing up any putty around the hole. A few hours later or the next day, repeat.

Then when dry, lightly sand with fine sandpaper until the wall is perfectly smooth. Paint over.

This is the Diamond Light

Welcome to the Diamond Light where we may share peace and information and enjoyment and absolute absurdity at times.

Have you ever noticed that when you go to clap a fly with your hands, and miss, that the fly is not dead (no black fly gook in palms) but seems to have completely vanished?

Jack, Summer '56

He slept on a wooden bunk with a rope mattress in the sleeping bag Snyder helped him pick out in Oakland. To amuse himself he baked rye muffins, played a baseball game with a pack of cards that he'd invented when he was a boy in Lowell, and picked a few sprigs of alpine fire and a wild flower every day to put in a coffee cup on his desk. Jack wrote at the desk facing away from looming Mount Hozomeen on his north, the dark, naked rock of Hozomeen coming to symbolize for him 'the Void,' with its clouds and thunderstorms, the two sharp peaks of Hozomeen looming in his window as he lay in bed, 'the Northern Lights behind it reflecting all the ice of the North Pole from the other side of the world.' During the long afternoons he sat in his canvas chair facing 'Void Hozomeen,' listening to the silence of his cabin and making up haikus.