Michael Slade: Home

Fri, 07 Nov 2003 01:58:02 GMT

I have updated the weblog to have categories for Microsoft’s new technologies and products: Indigo, Longhorn, Whidbey, and Yukon. As I start working with these technologies and products, I will be posting content on what I discover.

[Now Playing: William Ackerman - Imaginary Roads - The Moment (05:45)]

Fri, 01 Aug 2003 03:55:49 GMT

When we drove back from my parents, we drove the last 60 miles in a torrential downpour. When we got back to Twinsburg, it looked like a thunderstorm had come through, but it did not look like alot of rain had fallen. Only some twigs and leaves were scattered all over the roads. We got home and started unpacking the car. I then took a quick look out the back, and saw that were not as lucky. A number of trees were heavily damaged from the thunderstorm's winds (see Photo Album). I probably could have waited one week to take down the old trees, and let the storm bring the trees down, saving myself all that work. I am in the process of cleaning up the mess.

Wed, 23 Jul 2003 12:36:54 GMT

After viewing the devastation from the flooding resulting from Monday’s 5 inches of rain in four hours, Beth and I consider ourselves very lucky and very thankful. The raging stream in our backyard was gone by 11:30 PM on Monday night. A few hundred feet downstream, the stream empties into Tinkers Creek. Just a couple of miles north, a number of homes in northern Twinsburg were flooded when Tinkers Creek overflowed its banks. Just a couple of miles southwest in downtown Hudson, two men drowned in the basement garage of a condominium complex while trying to help the elderly residents save their vehicles from being swept away.

Tue, 22 Jul 2003 04:38:18 GMT

After yesterday’s attempt at taking down an American Elm tree (see Misc Home Projects), I figured nothing could top it. Today, we had nearly 5 inches of rain in just a few hours. This caused our neighbor’s pond to overflow, plus water was coming down the driveway, swept past the garage, and down the hill. The pond normally drains through 50 feet of tile underground in the middle of the back yard. The overflow from the driveway and the pond combined, and the drain tile could not handle the flow. The overflow became a 50 foot wide torrent several inches deep in the backyard. I have put up several pictures and two videos detailing Mother Nature’s fun (see Photo Album).

Mon, 21 Jul 2003 03:29:59 GMT

Yesterday, I started cutting down some dead trees in my back yard. The first, a wild cherry tree, came down perfectly. Today, I attempted to cut down the second, an American Elm. Unfortunately, it did not come down as planned. As it fell, it came off the stump, spun 90 degrees and then fell backward and wedged itself on another tree. It will take some time to cut down the tree, four feet at a time, before it will slide down the tree it is wedged against. Just like the stereotype of men never stopping to ask for directions, I believed that I could handle this project without any help. My wife Beth suggested before I started that I hire a tree service to take these trees down. For the remaining very large, and extremely heavy, American Elm, I WILL hire a tree service to bring the tree down. See Misc Home Projects for pictures of “Michael’s Folly.”

[Now Playing: Rippingtons - Curves Ahead - Curves Ahead (05:41)]

Sun, 20 Jul 2003 17:11:40 GMT

Last night, actually very early this morning, I added a section, Home Projects, to the website which details the work that I am doing on the various home projects. On the Misc Home Projects page check out the picture of the bee swarm. In one picture you can actually see four or five in the air.

[Now Playing: David Lanz - Cristofori's Dream - Spiral Dance (06:18)]

Sun, 20 Jul 2003 17:08:28 GMT

Yesterday, I worked in the yard by doing some cleanup, before I start some major projects. A few weeks ago, my wife Beth was surprised by a fawn that was hiding under the old deck. This meant that I needed to clean out all of the stuff that was being stored under the deck. After removing the components from the pool, including the filter, liner, and frame, I was left with an old riding lawn mower. This lawn mower was too big to be set out by the street. So, I decide to break the riding lawn mower into smaller pieces. As I took this thing apart, I discover a pair of field mice had made a home within the air cleaner. I think I was more surprised at finding them there, than they were to find that their metal frame home was now in pieces. After getting the mower into smaller pieces (engine, gear box, front suspension, mower deck, frame, etc.), I started tackling some old trees in the back yard that had died. Two of them were American Elm trees that had died from Dutch Elm disease, and the third was a wild cherry tree. I cut down the cherry tree, and cleaned up the mess. As I walked back to the garage, I noticed what I thought was a squirrel’s nest in a tree in the front, right by the house and garage. As I drew close, I noticed some things flying around this “nest,” so I thought it might have a dead animal. I pulled out a pair of binoculars and zoomed in. I discover that I did not have a nest, but a swarm of bees. Pictures from yesterday are at Misc Home Projects. I will have to wait until Monday before I can talk to someone about the swarm.

[Now Playing: David Lanz - Cristofori's Dream - Cristofori's Dream (06:09)]

Sun, 13 Jul 2003 07:01:26 GMT

On Saturday I managed to finally replace the dryer vent. I only had the parts sitting by the dryer for two years. I also managed to get about two thirds of the yard mowed for the first time in weeks. It has been raining quite heavily for nearly a week.

[Now Playing: Don Sebesky - Symphonic Sondheim - Side by Side by Side (02:32)]