Capsidadburn 2013 Less is more

Sawyer · Mar 19, 2013

It's great to see kids getting practical, hands-on experience. A sad memory of mine is of the day I asked a graduate student to hand me a Phillips screwdriver and just got a blank look in return. (A graduate student, no less. In experimental physics.)

Good luck to your son at the competition!

GA Growhead · Mar 20, 2013

way cool!

Bigoledude · Mar 20, 2013

What does your boy's vehicle actually do? Boy, I'd like to have some machinists equipment to show my grand sons some stuff. I always enjoyed watching the sons of other machinists work. They caught on sooo fast.

windchicken · Mar 20, 2013

Congrats on the Science Olympiad! I'll be thinking about y'all this weekend in San Antone...

That shop is so DANG SWEET! I can't even imagine having a place like that to build stuff...so envious!

I dig your son's AGV, and the old school Van's. You are a lucky guy. You must be so proud.

Nice shape on the quarterpipe...I was admiring the elliptical tranny on one of your old ramps...That was the direction I was heading with my designs back then, beyond the simple radius. (I still have my old drawings...I need to scan them.) It focuses way more energy on the lip, and frontside airs really pop!

capsidadburn · Mar 20, 2013

Sawyer said:
Good luck to your son at the competition!

Thanks Sawyer!

GA Growhead said:
way cool!

Thanks GA!

Bigoledude said:
What does your boy's vehicle actually do?

Bigoledude, The challenge is to predict the vehicles time to travel to a target that is not known until the competition. Anywhere Between 5 and 10 meters in 50 cm increments is a target distance that they will designate. Your vehicle must stop as close as possible to that target. Your predicted time to get there. The launch ramp has to fit in a size envelope and can be relatively tall but points are deducted per your vehicles height at launch. Lower height makes a better score in the final calculation. No electric parts are allowed such as radio control, etc. No spring propulsion. It is all gravity. When we got to Houston and saw all the ramps were over 3 feet tall we new we had a good chance. The distance at Houston was 8.5 meters.

windchicken said:
Congrats on the Science Olympiad! I'll be thinking about y'all this weekend in San Antone...

You are a lucky guy. You must be so proud.

Thanks Gary! I do feel lucky and I'll let you know how he does.

capsidadburn · Mar 20, 2013

Found three adult lady bugs crawling out of hibernation as I disturbed them last weekend in my raised beds. I have a somewhat amuzing story into my obsesive nature reguarding lady bugs that I will relate later today.
I have to visit the dentist now. :tear:

capsidadburn · Mar 20, 2013

I used to see "lady bug homes" for sale at around $75 a pop and I would scoff at the thought and the person who would spend such. I knew I could make my own if I so desired. A person can do most anything if they have the desire. I decided that I knew what a lady bird beatle wanted in such a home and started building one. Six months later I didn't have much done except a panel of crevices that "of course they would like". Not only did I want a fancy home for them I wanted to invade their privacy at my whim to observe them living in their "home". I covered one side of the highrise apartment panel with polycarbonate and a hinge panel to cover it. I made a compartment below the highrise to release them into so they could filter their way into the new digs and kick up their feet and take a load off and enjoy such luxury.

As I was building this amazing structure I noticed a similarity to a building we saw while vacationing in Hawaii. My daughter and I used colored pencils to recreate the beauty that was sure to attract would be tennants.

Here is a link to the Rainbow Tower of the Hilton Hawaiian Village.
http://www3.hilton.c...HVHH/index.html
In order to motivate the lady bugs I placed an image of their target in the home so that each day they could gather and focus their energy toward their united goal.

Finally a resident;

After one brutal season this is what become of the lady bug hotel;

I have learned over the years that the phrase "If you build it they will come" applys to lady bugs. I'm not referreing to the "home" that I built I mean if you provide Lots of plants they will recognize that as a place that is worth hanging around and raising some young ones. You can buy lady bugs and release them properly. You can coke spray their wings, only release at night, and just before it rains. What matters is what matters to us. Stability, shelter and food.

capsidadburn · Mar 20, 2013

First taste of sun for seedlings. Might have another dozen veggies and two dozen more peppers that seeds have yet to arrive.

Bigoledude · Mar 20, 2013

Dude! That is one elaborate house for some vermin devouring beetles. Did you ever have any Coccinellidae actually live in that tower of luxury?

Mike, it would be nice to see/link a short video of the competition. Just seems like a great kid. Ya oughtta be proud Brother!

Ray

capsidadburn · Mar 20, 2013

Ray, I let loose a bag full of them and none of them stayed. Probably a little more than $75 in effort for nil, except for the learning experience and laugh now. There is video from the Houston Comp. Including the score keepers jaw dropping Wow! exclamation at the smooth stop a few inches from the target. He told the first place kid that he was lucky as his vehicle slid into perfect position. My son could have had better time estimates. I told my son that there is always going to be someone with luck on their side. More practice.

I am more than a little technology challanged so getting my family to help me get the video on here has been like pulling teeth. When my son walked up to accept his medal, unlike the dozens before him, he stepped to the middle of the stage and pumped his arms in the air. I didn't have a camera, my wife and I were nearly crying with laughter. You can bet I won't leave my giant dinosaur digital slr at home this weekend!

Thanks Mike

Bigoledude · Mar 20, 2013

I went to Youtube, watched about 10 videos and freaked out! They actually have a mechanical brake to stop them. I was thinking they were gonna have to coast to the target. The only one that showed the braking system he used, used an all-thread rod with half a wing-nut to stop the vehicle. I called a couple of my grandsons over to come watch the videos with me, hoping that one of them would show interest. They thought it was cool but, the oldest one just made 9 years old. I guess they're just too young.

What kind of production and flavor did you get from the Inca Red Drop? I tried ordering some from Beth over at Peppermania and didn't get them with my order. She sent extras of other stuff. Must have slipped through the cracks.

The Manzano's sound like a great pepper. Thick, juicy and delicious flesh and some heat. Sounds perfect for just munching and especially for sauce-making. But, my location is below sea-level and hotter-n-hades. Trying to grow a pepper that enjoys high altitude and cool weather just seems an exercise in futility!

What seed-starting mix do you use and, do you bottom water?

capsidadburn · Mar 20, 2013

Ray,
I forgot to mention that the vehicle has weight restrictions of 1.5 kilograms max, around 3.3 lbs. All thread can add weight in a hurry. My sons vehicle uses a small shaft as an axle 3/16" diameter but we have a larger diameter of nylon material that is pinned to the shaft and threaded. The pitch of the thread and the circumference of the wheels allow you to determine the number of revolutions per meter distance. His vehicle and the pitch he is currently using will consistantly fall in a target diameter of twelve inches. Six long or short of the target. That is fine for the competitions he has been in so far. If he places in the top two this weekend then he will go to the state level competition in College Station a few months from now. The target distance are every 25 centimeters instead of 50. He will build a new vehicle with a larger pitch to reduce that consistant stopping diameter as small as possible. He may try and build a lower launch point on the ramp as well.
I had a little trouble getting him motivated to build the first one but he has seen the results now. My involvement has to be limited. He has to be able to answer questions that may be asked. I was terrible at math as a kid but love it now.

I love the Inca Red Drop. Its a low bush type plant a little sprawling sometimes. I'm not sure if my pods are true as others have mentioned a more pointy 1.5 to 2 inch long pod. They are great for pickling and medium thick flesh. They are prolific. The one overwinter I have in the first raised bed should be great. I'd be happy to send you some seeds if you like or I can just send you some pods. I expect to have some by late May on the overwinter. I like the shape of the pods I get. I'll find a pic.

I have to give up on the Manzano's too. I can buy them fresh at the Fiesta market in Austin. Maybe I can mail you some of those if I mail you fresh Inca's.

This year I used something from a famous nursery in south Austin called Natural Gardner. It was called Germinator. It was ok. In years past I have mixed 50/50 coco fiber and some other potting soil. Its not ideal though. The coco fiber is a great medium to work with. You can get the bricks just about anywhere these days. I definately bottom water the young plants and the germinating tray. Sometimes also the #5 pots as well out in the yard when I'm working.

Inca Red Drop 2012 1st year plant

capsidadburn · Mar 21, 2013

Here's a young plant pic of my favorite variety from last year. Quintisho. It is without a doubt the most citrusy pepper I've ever had. Plenty hot and prolific too. Marble size pears shaped yellow pods.

2012 overwintered Quintisho

germinated from store bought Purple Passion fruit

This is me in the late 60's. I never developed into the amazing fishermen my Dad swore I would, but no Crawdad or Perch was safe from my skills. I lived with my Mother then. I loved that bait box on my belt, but those shoes were long since tired. My Dad gave my this canoe many years back and I was happy to get it. I'll have some pics of my kids with it sometime later.

1974 Elk River, Noel Missouri my Dad caught this Bass.

I might post some more later.
Cheers Mike

windchicken · Mar 22, 2013

Great pix! Thanks, Mike...

capsidadburn · Mar 22, 2013

Thanks Gary!

Heres a link to a 26 page document on the health benefits of capsicum. Probably not news to anyone here and my apologies if it's been posted before.
http://www.nutraceut...df/capsicum.pdf

A pic of an early turn of the century medicine bottle. The manufacturing style for the bottle was widely used between 1890 and 1910. Somewhere I have an Eli Lilly book from the 1940's that has a similar product listing.

I'll replace this pic when I get a chance. The label says "Oleresin of Capsicum" I think.

Have a good day!

capsidadburn · Mar 24, 2013

Well we made it back from San Antonio regional Science Olympiad. My son took 3rd place in Gravity vehicle. It was a little disheartening that he did not place higher, but I think he learned a little from it. The greater accomplishment for his team, (Austin Area Homeschoolers) is that out of the eight competing teams they took home 1st place in both middle school and high school divisions. Now they will be going on to the state competition at College Station in early May. They competed against two public high schools and the rest were science academy type schools.

Adults and family were not allowed to be near or view the competitions, just the judges, score keepers, and individual competeing teams. That is a little bit depressing not to be able to watch but I think it is fair for the competition.

Here is a pic of both B and C division teams with their trophies.

Have a great day everybody!
Mike

windchicken · Mar 24, 2013

Awesome, Mike! Only the parents can say for sure, but I suspect the looks on the faces of those kids speaks volumes as to the value of all the work they did for this...

Sawyer · Mar 24, 2013

Congratulations to all involved.

capehog · Mar 28, 2013

Mike congrats to your son. I wouldnt even be able to spell some of the items he used and made. I have a question about your raised beds. On page 2 you have what looks like tree bark mulch. What is it and is all tree mulch the same?

capsidadburn · Mar 29, 2013

Thanks Cape! It is large size pine tree bark. I use the small size in my 5 gal pots. It helps keep the soil temps cooler but more importantly it provides a home or shelter for micro organisms to grow that are extremely beneficial to your plants. A shared relationship, symbiants I believe is the word. The plant roots give the organisms sugars in return for nutrients from the organisms.

I used to use cypress mulch but the large pine bark chunks do a better job. In our hot summer I have measured at least 20 degrees difference from the top of the bark to the top of the soil. Most of the pepper varieties will not produce well over 95 degrees F. Especially night time temps above 85. A few summers back we had a summer with a record 90 days over 100 degrees F.

I have also used shade screens over the raised beds for the brutal summer months Jul-Sept. The plants begin producing again after that.

Later Mike