Downtown Homestead

The Future of Solar PV (Photovoltaic) Energy 1. The Problem 2. The Solution 3. The Results 4. The Benefits 5. An Investment in the Future 1. The Problem: Traditional sources of electrical power generation are running out as production will peak in the next decade but demand will continue to rise. Energy prices will continue to rise at a higher rate as well as the number of outages during peak hours.  There is the obvious problem of the pollution we are causing to our environment. From my perspective, the world’s energy needs vary greatly; there is no clear single solution to the problem of supplying the world’s energy. All forms of energy production have issues associated with them, i. e. – 1. Coal – Pollution/Strip Mining 2. Natural Gas – Cost and Lack of Infrastructure 3. Hydro – Limited Availability/Environmental Concerns 4. Wind – Limited Site and Resource Availability 5. Solar PV – Higher Cost 6. Nuclear – Waste disposal 2. The Solution: Solar PV (Photovoltaic) sy

As a home gardener, fall should be a very special time for you. Fall is the best season of the year for plant propagation, especially for home gardeners who do not have the luxury of intermittent mist. The technique that I am going to describe here can be equally effective for evergreens as well as many deciduous plants. The old rule of thumb was to start doing hardwood cuttings of evergreens after you have experienced at least two hard freezes. After two hard freezes the plants are completely dormant. However, based on my experience it is beneficial to start doing your evergreen cuttings earlier than that. So instead of doing “by the book” hardwood cuttings you’re actually working with semi-hardwood cuttings. The down side to starting your cuttings early is that they will have to be watered daily unless you experience rain showers. The up side is that they will start rooting sooner, and therefore are better rooted when you pull them out to transplant them. To prepare an area in whi

Who doesn’t love sitting around a fire on a cool fall night, or a crackling fireplace? But what if you needed to start a fire for survival? Do you have the firemaking skills required for your survival? First thing is to know the basics of fire safety and fire starting: Always light your fire from the upwind side. Make sure to lay your tinder, kindling, and fuel so that your fire will burn as long as you need it. Igniters provide the initial heat required to start the tinder burning.   Firemaking skills fall into two categories: modern methods and primitive methods. Modern Methods for Firemaking Modem igniters use modem devices–items we normally think of to start a fire. Matches: Make sure these matches are waterproof. Also, store them in a waterproof container along with a dependable striker pad. Convex Lens: Use this method only on bright, sunny days. The lens can come from binoculars, camera, telescopic sights, or magnifying glasses. Angle the lens to concentrate the s

Here’s a cool weather soup that hits the spot. I grew up with pork and beans, and split pea soup, so I created my own recipe using a combination of both flavors to make this soup. It’s thick, delicious and filling and will serve 4-6 bowls of soup, depending on the size of your soup bowl. Even better it reheats wonderfully and like most soups or stews, the flavors will infuse overnight making the next day’s serving better than the first! I like this alone, with just some bread. There are a couple of variations that I’ve tried depending on my cravings that day. When you find a basic combination that you like, enjoy experimenting with the dish by adding in different flavors that change the texture and enhance the flavors. This soup is one of those dishes,I’ve added butterbeans for another texture and flavor. I’ve also creamed up some horseradish and added it into the broth for a spicy bite to this lazy day soup. Take a look in your kitchen and see what flavors you have waiting to be ad