AllMorgan | Jason RSS

2011 Spring Honey Harvest

Mon, 06 Jun 2011 01:14:10 GMT

Robbed six, beautiful medium frames of spring honey from one of the hives over the weekend. The timing was right and I just cleaned up the extractor on loan to me from a friend. To my surprise, I got about 1.5 gallons of honey.

The bees were in a great mood. When I opened the hive, I thought I heard them humming in unison, come, take this honey, for it is good and we'll make more.

The honey was an off-white yellow and very clear, and very thick. The whole family had spoons and we filled our gift jars and put the stores away. I can't wait until all the hives are in full production and I hope for a late fall harvest.

Red River Gorge Annual Hike and Camp

Sun, 20 Feb 2011 17:43:54 GMT

On Presidents Day weeked, about 12 of us headed to the gorge for some cold camping. Planned, well in advance, everyone expected to be camping in the snow. But on the weekend of Feb. 19, our cold spell broke and we were given a sunny weekend for some awesome fun and awsome sights.

Some of us, including myself were a little disappointed we weren't able to do it in the snow, but after the time we had, and a few photos later, we're pretty sure we got our first glimpse of Spring. We had a great group of people ready for some trails, some camping and some good forest food.

On Friday, everyone met at the cabin to plan, talk some smack, eat and drink. After a good nights' rest, we packed up Saturday morning and headed for Cloud Splitter.

We're pretty sure if it had snowed, we may not have been able to hike on some of the trails we did, nor camp in the place we chose. Camp was made at about 1-200 feet from the peak of cloud splitter. There, we had the last rays of sun on Saturday and the first rays in the morning on Sunday.

Cloud splitter features a pretty laborius climb and some serious shimmying to get through a narrow crack and out to the over look. But once you're looking out the face of Cloud Splitter over the whole valley, you think it was worth the effort.

Using Paper Chromatography to Monitor MLF in Wine

Tue, 30 Nov 2010 21:42:34 GMT

This year, I grabbed 300 pounds of Petite Sirah grapes. I've found that these single varietal dry reds use quite a different process than fruit wines. The vineyard will wait to harvest the grape until it reaches the ideal brix for that varietal so to the winemaker the variables are a bit more controlled than that of a typical fruit wine where the variables are all over the place.

One of the things we do in red wine is undergo malolactic fermentation. This is where malic acid is converted to lactic acid... contributing to more rounded flavors and mouth-feel.

We need to know when malolactic fermentation is completed and we do this through the use of paper chromatography. In this video, I demonstrate the test and explain it as best I can. Hope it's helpful.

A story of Petite Sirah, from the truck to the carboy

Thu, 18 Nov 2010 00:25:00 GMT

Many have asked about it... others didn't but still got to hear me blather about it. Here's my story from the truck to the carboy. To appreciate it as I do, you must REALLY like red wine... and then appreciate that it's made right here. I just pressed the grapes off the skins today and it's rollin' in the cellar. I already can't wait to do it again next year. But next year, I think we'll shoot for a clean 500 lbs. Hope you enjoy.

The final grape crush of 2010 brings me 300 pounds of Petite Sirah

Tue, 09 Nov 2010 19:39:15 GMT

I hope to make wine from my own grapes one year, but until I do, I have to buy them. I've been growing grapes, planting a new row and variety each year, for about 5 years now. I battle with the deer, the black rot... you name it, about everything that has prevented me from bringing in the bounty. This year, however, I brought in my first lot of Concord grapes, but there wasn't enough worth making wine with, so we made pies and jams and froze the rest.

Speaking of buying grapes, I brought home the last bounty on Saturday. 300 pounds of Petite Sirah and I am very excited about this one. It feels almost like--ok, time to stop messing around and make some good, red grape wine. So, this Petite Sirah has been somewhat of a project for me delving back into books, picking brains and talking to people.

I really appreciated the help from my friend Dave whose been a student of winemaking lately as well. Dave makes excellent wine and so I wanted to really get a up-close look at his process. When I was in Art School, we were told to "copy the masters". Doing so may not make complete sense at the time, in fact it seemed like plagiarism, but looking back, I found that it brought me up to a plateau where I could look back down to where I really was to see where I did good, or bad. For me, I'm a quick study in most things, mainly because I have no problem admiting that I don't know it all and then asking someone to tell me everything they know.

Ultimately, I choose to stay on that higher plateau because afterall, it's the place to be, right? Knowing what i know now... is better then what I never knew. You heard that here first.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy these pics of the fine people I get to mingle with when we take off on a cold morning to smash grapes, eat pizza and drink wine! Cheers.

Harvesting and processing black walnuts

Mon, 08 Nov 2010 19:11:22 GMT

Processing walnuts reminds me when I was a kid... when my dad made us all help him :) All of us--my friends too. There was a time I felt I was in danger of loosing my friends because of all the "chores" my dad made them help with. Simple nostalgia drives often drives me to do the things I do. I told myself I wasn't going to step over the walnuts and forget them this year.

In our family, there was always a bowl of nuts on the table... through the winter. Maybe I did it just to have some nuts layng around. Black walnuts have a hard shell that takes a hammer (or a heavy duty cracker) to bust the shell. I recall using a hammer and my dads anvil to crack black walnuts and tediously pick the nuts out of the shells for hours when I was a kid. But the reward was something else. It is something I crave more now as an adult then I did when I was a kid. Here, in our my back yard... the best quality nuts for the taking, and all I need is the desire.

My dad would collect them when they were soft and mushy and would drive over them with the truck to loosen the hulls. I took a more precise approach. Here's the process I employed. I clamped a drawknife in the vise and rolled the walnut over it to cut the husk in half. Then, using both hands (with latex gloves on,) twisted either side of the hull in opposite directions. The greener ones came right out... the darker, harder ones took rolling them on the ground under my shoe.

Cleaning the gunk off is a multi-day process. Put them in a bucket of water and use a paddle on a drill or something to agitate the goo off. The water will be black. Again, this will stain your clothes and hands. I got some holes in my gloves and had black fingers for weeks. Still on my hands as I type as a matter of fact. Nothing will take the stain out, except time.

Afterwards, I put them under some screen or wire to let the sun hit them and dry out. After the hulls are clean enough, bring them in side and store them in a cardboard box in the corner... even near the fireplace. The nut will contract and be easier to get out of the shell.

Do this with your kid, but allow them to become bored and don't force them to appreciate this process like you do. It's only important to expose them to it, so that one day, they may look back as I have... and maybe take it up on their own. Afterall, us Morgan's become a little nuts over time. Take a look at the pictures to see the process.

How to measure acidity in wine using an acid titration kit

Tue, 02 Nov 2010 10:07:57 GMT

The home winemaker will typically use a basic acid titration kit to measure acidity in wine because other manners can be quite expensive.

While not 100% accurate, it's close... and it's a test whose results I do not ignore. You can rely on it especially when you have become consistent enough in the process of conducting the test. This video shows you how.

Just to clarify... once I have achieved the color change that is described in the video, I will subtract the amount of sodium hydroxide that remains in the syringe (3 cc's) from what I started with (10 cc's). So the result is 7 cc's and each cc is approximately .1% acidity (expressed as tartaric acid, TA)

So, we started with 10cc's and we consumed 7cc's, leaving 3 cc's. So that gave us an acidity reading (expressed as TA) of .7% for this white, Sauvignon Blanc.

Update: I said Cabernet Sauvignon in the video, but it's obviously a white wine. I meant to say Sauvignon Blanc :) Happens to the best of us, right?

Too much alcohol in that wine!

Wed, 27 Oct 2010 00:08:12 GMT

About everyone has heard me complain that my wine has too much alcohol. I should say *HAD* because I have refer to my latest wines as my "next generation" wines. My next generation wines are made with more care, criticism, thought and intention. All of them are made with the promise of not messing with sugar and letting the fruit shine through. I want to substantiate my self-criticism and feelings about my early wine with something I found on Jack Kellers blog today. It sums it all up perfectly. I like how I even used the same adjective to describe high alcohol wine, "HOT" - Here's the excerpt from his site;

"This was a great question, asked casually at a wine tasting in Alamo Heights, an incorporated area surrounded by San Antonio. The gentleman tasted a Pinot Grigio, made a face denoting displeasure, picked up the bottle and announced "Too much alcohol" while scanning the label. "Ah," he said, "14.6% -- too much." His companion asked, "What percent is too much?" His response was both illuminating and totally correct.

To paraphrase him, he essentially said there is no magic number, but 14.6% for a table wine is almost certainly too much. Certainly it is too much when you taste the alcohol over the fruit, when the heat from the alcohol burns the taste buds, and when the winemaker is obligated to sweeten the wine to attempt to achieve balance and fails in the attempt. What you have here is an overly sweet, hot wine. You have to search for the flavors, which in this particular wine were quite nice, he admitted, but you shouldn't have to search for them. The fruit, not the alcohol, should be up front.

The gentleman was absolutely correct. Alcohol creep began in earnest about a dozen years ago, when growers began letting their grapes hang longer to develop the full flavor of the fruit. The general consequences were higher Brix and lower acidity. In big reds, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, these can result in a rich, chewy wine, but one that can pack a whollop when the bottle is empty. In whites, the lower acidity can result in hot, flabby wines. I would not have called that Pinot Grigio "flabby," but it was "hot" on the tongue.

In home winemaking, one has a certain amount of control the commercial winemakers may lack. We can dilute a high Brix must or chaptalize a low Brix in areas where this is not allowed for commercial producers. When making non-grape wines, we have complete control over the chemistry, limited only by our knowledge and the means to achieve that control. Means in this sense refers to laboratory analysis and equipment.

Yet the greatest abusers of excessive alcohol tend to be novice or young home winemakers. The first group mistakenly believes that more is better while the second group is just seeking a quick buzz without regard for balance or any concept of what a good wine really is. I know. I was among them once, as were many other experienced winemakers. I'm not sure when one grows out of that phase. In my case it occurred when I tasted a truly great, nearly perfect Zinfandel and noticed the alcohol was a few decimals below 13%. For others it might occur when they begin competing and receive feedback from conscientious judges.

But to be fair, I know two local winemaker who have developed a taste for high alcohol wines in much the same way as another friend has developed a taste for moonshine. I do not judge them. They like what they like. But they know what I and most judges will say when we judge their wines."

2010 2nd Annual Apple Smash

Mon, 25 Oct 2010 10:49:54 GMT

The head count of the 2nd annual smash grew tremendously and along with many new families, we saw most of the Muddy Portage crew in attendance. It was great to see faces we haven't seen in a while as well as several new friends we've met over the summer.

There were enough people who pitched in to make the process go. As you can see, there are parts to fill with such an operation and without diligent help, it can go slow. Those apples didn't stand a chance.

I had mentioned we try to put together a video so that we can look back at how our families grow over the years. People took the "dressing for the part" quite seriously so I think we'll have some good you-tube fodder real soon. I have to say that my hat looked rather dumb compared to all the straw and cowboy hats correctly sported by others.

The apples "smashed" more difficult than last year. They were pulpy and it took more effort to extract all the juice. We have a rough estimate of about 28 gallons compared to the 47 gallons last year. While we're sure the dry weather had an effect, I felt the apples were a little too ripe (along with the fact that we had only a Gala, Winesap and Winter Banana mix - Not completely ideal for cider) Still, everyone had cider to take home and Glenn and I had plenty left over to make sure our other loves ones got some.

Thanks so much to Glenn and Mary Burris for not only providing a great venue, but going above and beyond to make this look like an event coordinated by a committee. The hay rides were an exceptionally nice touch and the kids loved it. A little background... the smash wasn't going to happen this year just due to how busy everyone has been. Glenn and Mary stepped up and said they were planning a fall party of some sort anyway and this was just the thing.

The apple smash means a lot to me because as a kid, I attended a number of these with my dad, along with steam-engine shows, berry picks, you get the picture. My dad refurbished this press and made all the wood parts, painted it and got it all ready to use. But, he never got to use it before a stroke in 2001. So, last year was its maiden smash... and this year was its second run. I hope to keep this going so that our kids can remember such things. I truly believe that by instilling the spirit of our fathers in them will make them remember, and even aspire to push it further... ultimately to become better contributors to society. I can still see and remember my first apple smash, and my dad heading it up, all to only be sure there was enough cider for everyone to take home. So, my heartfelt thanks go to Glenn and Mary for making this happen.

We'll be shooting for the first or second week of October next year. If you liked it, you might mark your calendar. The food this year was stellar. Thanks to all who brought something. That really made the food easy! We'll be thinking of ideas to completely eliminate the monetary apple overhead for the next time. It might be nice to get everyone to bring a sack or two of apples so that the apple purchase doesn't lie on one or two people. Bring apples, take cider! We're open to ideas. I hope you enjoy these pictures and watch for the video soon.

Love Susan, Jason and family

Why I'm a Capitalist Pig

Wed, 13 Oct 2010 21:53:48 GMT

Catchy, huh? Well, there's no false advertisement here. I'm afraid I fit this bill. I just kind of fell in to it really. In the last year, I've been able to catch up with a lot of old friends. You and I may have had a chance to sit down for some casual chatter. In some of this chatter, did you feel that akward moment where we realized some of our thinking was quite different? I did, but it's cool.

But then, there was the common understanding of being brothers-in-arms, both God's children, sprinkled with the times we're living in... and maybe a dash of similaraties that let us say, "dang, life is hard..." and we quickly looked beyond it.

We all sure have come a long way since 1990. All of us have had some of lifes toughest periods between then and now. I'm no exception.

I recall quite clearly that it only took me two years after graduating with my college BA to realize that I wasn't going to be able to work for "the man" the rest of my life.

Enter CAPITALISM.

While I maybe didn't realize it at the time, there was this environment... that was real conducive to letting a man pursue his dream. My first job out of college (around '92) was creating "virtual" video tours of college campuses that allowed prospective high school students to hit the library computer and swap a 16-disc set of CD-ROMS in and out to view campus tours of most of the colleges around the US. When the WWW was getting hot, the company started churning out 5, 10, 15, 30 and even 40 page websites. Some pages had images, others had audio and video segments. That's what we did.

I met my future business partner there. One day, we realized, man, this is stupid. We could do this better, faster... and even cheaper on our own. Yes, we were privey to what they were charging clients, and let me just say, it was a lot more than what we charge today! But trying to avoid the entrepreneurial seizure, I stayed the course a while.

One of my colleagues left and went to another company. Not long after, he called me up and said you need to come here and head this new department up. So I did. Things were good. The best way to describe it, was I was an artist-turned-programmer. The team I was on integrated the company intranet to its own satellite uplink (hence, sending a beep or text message to a pager)

In this company, I was at a corporate office, so my boss's boss worked there... and his boss, the VP was there too. This VP was cool. I mean too cool. He was an intimidating man who was ALL business. I very much respected him. Let's call him Mr. B.

I recall the day I met Mr. B. We were in his office (like 9 of us) and in his booming voice, he said "this is huge for us, let's not f**k this up" as he twirled a gimmicky-utility-knife, can-opener-looking thingy with a partners logo on it. There I am fresh meat, and him noticing I was checking out his whirl-i-gig. He was like, "you like this, here, take it" and he tossed it to me and I did the fumbly miss thing, and it dropped on his really beautiful, probably new desk, and it put a huge gouge in it. Silence, just for a second. He fingered it, and said "ah crap, that apparently is going to leave a mark"

What's the point of all that? I don't know, but I felt that the corporate environment was cool for a minute. Really, it was cool seeing such a successful business man, play it cool with me. Let me just say it was another moment I said to myself, man, I'm gonna be that guy.

So, between the transition from job 1 to job 2 out of college, the entrepreneurial seizure struck and Innersync was born. We were doing stuff out of the upstairs of my Price Hill home. We did it better, faster... and cheaper. Simple as that. What happened to my work ethic at my day job you might ask? Pristine. In fact, I was quite open about it with my employer because I respected them.

I would go home and work late at night and then report back to my day job the next day. It did get to a point where I was meeting clients over my lunch break and it ultimately got to a point where I was telling my boss (and as far as I'm concerned, my business mentor) that I may need to "put in my notice" soon. Little did I know, they weren't going to have it. They let me reduce my work days to three days a week. Mon., Wed. and Fri. Thats right, what ever they needed out of me, I gave it to them... on time, every time. My role didn't seem to require 40 hours a week. Sometimes, I had to "camp out" at the day job to do it, and I did.

Finally though, I had to quit as outside work was to a point where it needed all my attention and I put in my two weeks notice. When I finally left my day job, I had this "super computer" of the day that was a video work-station/DTP solution that required its own budget at the time. Mr. B said "take all that sh*t with you as we can't use it when you're gone. Just remember me when I need something later." ...and BTW, they cashed in and utilized my company services later and I made things right for them too... thanks to Mr. B's kind gesture. Here, a big corporate company calls on my little company to do them services. And let me add, that I provided them some very successful solutions at business speed. Business got done... on a hand-shake and in an ethical manner. In my case, it was done in a cost-effective manner too. At the same time, I managed to employ some people in the process.

In between all this, I became Power of Attorney for my father in November 2001 (after a debilitating stroke) and he became the first "kid" I ever had. I had just been married a month prior in Sept. (we returned from our honeymoon a day before the 9/11 attack). In 2002, I had my first child. The whole first year of my marriage was spent mostly rehabilitating my dad. Then, we had another child in 2004 and I thought, I really need to make some more money, faster. So you see, my vision required big success, faster than one might expect working for the man. It was these outside pressures that pressed me harder to push forward. The drive and desire was fueled by the necessity. It was kind of sublime to really believe it was possible.

While my company is not yet where I want it to be, it's getting there and I'm convinced that between our brave men and women in the military who fight for our freedom, and what's left of our capitalist environment is what has allowed me to pursue my own dreams. I believe it is people that can erode trust and integrity, and not capitalism. You can argue that capitalism is the fuel that feeds the fire, but I've not seen a better alternative in my own books or studies. ALL environments breed bacteria. Capitalism is what made this country a world dominator. I've always favored being on the winning team myself. Everyone here has the opportunity, but not everyone is up for the challenge. Even still, those not up for the challenge can still become a valuable part of the machine that does business, if they really care to. Those that ascend being that small gear in the box (a critical part of the whole) are called entrepreneurs. These are people who take a chance, and if all goes right, make big money. And I want them to have that money because the by-product is more jobs. We have a lot of broken machines right now, and I know some whose motivation to fix the machine is dying because there is no incentive to fix it.

I want so much for others, and even my own children to feel the surge of an entrepreneurial seizure and be able to act on it if they dare to, and consequently, be free to fail as well. Those who dare to take the gamble should get the pay-off. If those who succeed are anything like me, they will give freely back to society in the ways most important to them.

So in sum, I'm the one you may call a capitalist pig. I'm proud to say it. I take care of a great group of people and their families and I love it... and I will continue to do so for as long as I'm empowered. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm working on ideas to instigate world peace. Thanks for the ear.

Wine Grape Crush and Pickup in Loveland

Sat, 25 Sep 2010 22:58:43 GMT

Ran up to Loveland to pick up the first juice buckets to come in. I thought I'd take the camera and hand these folks back some images since I knew their hands would be too sticky to take some of their own pics.

There was over a case of various homemade wines that everyone brought in and by noon, I already had a buzz on. The knowledge gleaned just by listening to all the conversation was worth more than most classes. I learned a ton just by overhearing talk about acid, pH and starting gravity. It does matter depending on the grape varietal, and the wine style you wish to achieve. While everyone has their own beliefs, I think hearing them all and soaking them in is invaluable.

A dedicated group, they got the work done. I think the pics will show you there was some "BIG CRUSH" going on and I was happy to be a part of it.

I'm going back over the for Petite Syrah shipment. I'm happy to report I secured 300lbs, so by winter, I'll be back over 100 gallons of wine in various stages. I really need to get some bottling done. Anyway, all for now and Caio!

Made With Passion featured my wine making 'Back to your Fruits'

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 10:29:07 GMT

Just had to get this logged in my 'online diary' somewhere, right?

Exerpt from write-up.

'Jason Morgan makes homemade wine in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, from homegrown grapes, fruit, and honey harvested from his very own bee hive, and he passes on his traditional knowledge to the world through his website. He feels that one day we might all live a simple life again, if we remember how.

Jason’s enriching Internet blog is a great read for anyone interested in wine making, beekeeping, gardening, vineyard management, culinary arts, wood working, hunting, and other methods of self-sustenance. It’s pretty clear that once Jason becomes passionate about something, he makes it happen.'

Read the full article here:
http://www.madewithpassion.com/jason-morgan

Saturday visit to Jim and Cindy's Apiary

Sat, 15 May 2010 21:59:45 GMT

So, Friday evening around 6:30 or so, as I was cooking a fine Indian dish to take over to Rabbit Hash, I get a call from beekeeping friend Jim. He told me him and Cindy were going to go through the hives on Sat. wanted to know if I was interested in helping. Of course. It was supposed to be a great day and the timing was just right.

Glad I made it over because it was a great opportunity to see everything from newly caught swarms to some nice established hives. There was also a significantly loud/active hive. It was definitely the most diverse bee day I've seen yet. As you will see in the pictures, we saw everything from eggs, to larva in all stages. It was particularly significant for me to get a good look at some eggs as it showed me just what I needed to find in my own hives.

We also saw some queen cells, still capped, and one emerged. You can see these in the pics too. We marked a number of queens and even established a new hive with one of several swarms they were queing up for in future integration. Their logging practices are diligent and sharp and they go into each hive with a lot of information from the last check. Really, I can't see how you could do it any other way.

We scraped open some drone cells to check for mites. Clean, for now. The hives were really thriving and their bees are calm and nice :)

I quickly scurried home anxious to get in to my own hives as it was time to begin seeing eggs. Sure enough, eggs and all stages of larva is both hives... including capped larva. I didn't see EITHER queen today and I went through the frames twice! I am just destined to not find this mystery queen, but I am guessing they are both there since all the other signs are there. One thing I did note was that I have 4 queen cell cups startin in the weaker hive. I left them alone for now. That's all for now. Video will come later.

The day after I installed my bees, they tried to leave me

Thu, 06 May 2010 11:27:00 GMT

Sniff! So on Tuesday, day after my smooth install, I get a call at work from my wife saying all the bees are swarming up in the tree above the hives. I rush home and called Jim Orem from the bee club and he was gracious enought to meet me at home. Here's where we depart from the text books.

When I installed the two hives the day before, I noted that neither queen was marked. This is significant. I thought that was odd, but went ahead and installed them. First thing I did when I got home and before dealing with the ball of bees in the trees, was check both hives and sure enough, the bees were out of both of them. One queen was already released from her cage (presumably up in the tree now.) The other queen was still in her cage in the abandoned hive.

The cluster in the tree looked HUGE. It looked almost like MORE bees than most packages combined (but, I can't be certain) So Jim and I got them down and shook them into a single hive over a sheet. He believed they didn't like the plasticell foundation. We added in two drawn frames of his into each of my hives to maybe help retain them. Also dropped a few drops of lemongrass oil.

Here's the weird part. Jim saw a MARKED queen walk into the entrance and said he was sure. She was marked with a faint white dot. When most of the bees were in the hive, we noted a ball of bees still on the sheet. We poked through them... and sure enough the other, released unmarked queen. So, there were two queens up in the tree of this ball of bees.... with another one still in her cage! So, I picked up a third queen.

My theory... my bees maybe attracted a swarm? But why would my two hives abandon... and why would there be two queens in this ball of bees up above?

Jim's theory... he thinks maybe a marked queen was somehow shook in with one of the packages loose with the other bees. So, at the end of Tues. I had two hives, one with all the bees, a queen running loose... and another queen still in her cage. The other hive had a queen in her cage and a handful of bees around her.

Move to Wednesday. The bees went all day with no problem. They did start drawing out comb in the main hive. The other hive just sat there with her queen in a cage and a few bees to feed and keep her warm. When I got home from work, I performed part two of the plan.

In the strong hove, the queen that was released took dominance and the bees abandoned the one in the cage. I removed the dead queen in her cage. I removed two frames of slightly drawn comb with bees on it and placed it in the week hive next to the queen still in her cage. I made sure the released queen was not on these frames so she wouldn't be moved into the other hive.

Then, I swapped the two hives so that the foragers out in the field would come back into the weak hive. This is some pretty dramatic changes for two new hives, but so far, as of this morning (Thursday) things look ok. The idea is to get through the day without anyone leaving. If that all goes OK, I think we may be back to two reasonably strong hives. Will update soon.

Hived two packages of bees in 10 minutes today!

Mon, 03 May 2010 22:38:07 GMT

The post office called me at 6am and said my bees were in. After a rainy, gloomy weekened, I didn't expect to have them in by now. I ran down and picked them up and then hit up the weather channel to see what the day was looking like. "Partly cloudly!" Sweet! The sun was blazing down into the yard by 7:15 and I decided to get these babies hived before heading to work.

View some photos

It worked out perfectly. We will have rain tonight and that would keep them in there a little longer to get used to their new quarters. Everything went off without a hitch and the bees were pretty calm after 5 days of being caged up and shipped. They were dying to get out. I'm excited and can't wait to get back in to be sure the queen was accepted and is laying.

More later.

Spring 2010 Tri-State beekeepers Package Installation

Sat, 17 Apr 2010 21:13:11 GMT

Woke up Saturday morning after sleeping on the floor of the Hashienda in Rabbit Hash, KY. Socialized a bit, then loaded up the canoe and headed back across the Ohio River. Rising Sun, IN is just across the river from Rabbit Hash.

Grabbed some breakfast with the guys at Jacks and then headed to the tri-state beekeepers spring clinic. They were doing a package bee installation in Moores Hill, IN. They hosted a great event and I promised them these pictures back for their use.

An energetic and diverse bunch, I see a new face each time. It seems bees are the ones attracting us. I should be pretty prepared for my April 27th installations.

I headed back home and sunk another post to finish off the vine trellising behand the house. Got pretty much done Sat. and will finish off everything Sun afternoon.

A day for beekeeping

Tue, 06 Apr 2010 19:36:07 GMT

Spring has sprung and my own bees will arrive at the end of April (a little late). But, I thought I'd get a good primer in by assisting Doug Nelson of Nelsons Apiary the day after Easter manage some of his bees. I met Doug at the Creation Museum in Petersburg, KY and there he manages about 6-8 hives behind the lake. Totally cool. Doug also conducts bee workshops there and is arranging for a May 1 event at the Creation Museum for families to come and see live bees in action. I believe he is setting up an observation hive to boot. I took a bunch of pictures and video and promised to stage the pics for him.

I had a great experience and now I'm anxious for my bees to get here.

After we installed 4 packages at the museum, we cruised over to an outyard in Dillsboro, IN to check about 6 more hives. After all the excitement, I gained motivation and stopped at Lowes on the way home to grab all the materials to build my new hive stands when I got home. I actually got them in and done before is started raining. So, it was a good weekend and I accomplished way more than I expected I would.

I look forward to providing a number of summer updates with plenty of commentary on the beekeeping endeavors. Until next time, do something great.

Two new bee hive configurations arrive

Tue, 05 Jan 2010 17:38:56 GMT

View photo gallery
Video of basic hive components

I'm not a complete new-bee when it comes to beekeeping. Growing up, my father kept bees for many years. When I was a teenager, I kept a hive for a year or two myself. Then, getting serious about school, girls and "life's vision" got in the way. The bees either swarmed or died.

I'm almost certain that my own interests, if not genetically, are somehow how linked to my dads. I find myself drawn to about all the things he was into. Gardening, grape-growing, winemaking, woodworking, blacksmithing and of course beekeeping. After a few rare Facebook comments about beekeeping surfaced, I decided that the beekeeping equipment that has been laying around for year, has sat long enough!

The most common beehive today is called the Langstroth, named after Reverend Lorenzo Lorraine Langstroth (1810-1895). Langstroth discovered that if a space of 1 cm (3/8 inch) is left in the hive for the bees to move around in, the bees will neither build comb in the space nor cement it shut. This he called "bee space," and he revolutionized beekeeping by his discovery of it!

It only took one book to get me completely immersed in the thought of beekeeping. One only needs to read a book about honey bees to find the fascination. Hitting forums, I found other local beekeepers who I hope to catch up with at my first bee meeting at the end of January.

So, after such reading, I had two custom Langstroth hives built. An 8 frame hive and a 10 frame hive. Instead of the typical 2 deep boxes where the queen rears the brood, I went with ALL medium boxes in both hives. This offers optimum interchangeability of the frames. In addition, I am trying out the 8 frame hive for the thought of "lighter beekeeping". Keep in mind, a single box with 10 frames of honey can weight up to 90lbs!

Anyway, I plan to put together some more pictures of the hives just to keep you, my visitor, informed. I only have until spring when the bees arrive. In the meantime, here's a video.

A Tuesday revelation in life, teambuilding and finding our place in the universe

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 09:27:30 GMT

Life has been pretty tough lately. I'm finding I've had no time for things I really need to make time for. I run a company, handle every facet of my dads affairs, including his loony girlfriend, and I have a long commute every day before getting home often times after my kids are in bed. I'm not complaining... I could be in Iraq.

As life gets me down, I try to find purpose in everything I do, especially if it takes a significant amount of time from my life. I have often asked myself why I run my own company when instead, I could be working for the man, getting off at 6pm and forgetting about everything until I arrive the next morning. I reasoned today that the answer is because I want to have a bright future and the closer I am to a position where I can directly affect it, the better. It takes a lot of extra effort, and time, but being an optimist, I still have some in me.

As this economy gets you down (and I'm speaking here towards other business owners and entrepreneurs) you have to be real about what is what. We are either engaged or disengaged in the things we do. To be engaged, we must see meaning and purpose in our daily work. When we are truly engaged, big things happen.

In the current economy, when there is not a lot of meaningful work to go around, then we become disengaged. We are now tasked to bring more meaning to our work.

At my company, we refine processes, pay closer attention to what ails the customer, revisit forgotten tasks, fix legacy problems and invent. Yes, invent! We think about ways to make our standard processes better and faster. We did this in 2001, so why wouldn't we do it now? We sturdy our foundations, and position ourselves for that sudden launch. All this with the optimism that when the days get brighter, the cream rises to the top.

Now as a business owner, it's easier to see this vision, and that's what keeps me going. But how do you get your small team to rally behind the vision? After all, the company is the sum of all its parts. Most of the answer, I think, is to help your team visualize their position in your organization. Show them where they can go from where they are now? Make clear what our goals as a company are. Doing this will enable them to see how they will achieve their own dreams and goals [what matters to them]. When they find the true purpose in their daily work, it will help them connect to the same vision you have.

Maybe it's theory... but consider this. If I myself do not see the meaning in a task, then why would I expect anyone else to? A health and fitness guru doesn't go through the motions for fun, they do it to see results and the thrill of controlling those results. If I took a job as a janitor, I may work diligently and be happy for a stint, but after a while, I'm bound to ask myself, "where where do I go from here?" Would I really ask myself each day, "what could I do today to help move the company closer to its goals?" There's no chance if there is no purpose or vision. It is our challenge as a leader to get our team asking themselves, "what can I do today to advance the company vision," or "what can I do today to make myself a better person?" Should the janitor expect to advance to a more senior janitorial position? The more likely scenario is that he'll take a similar job for better pay elsewhere. For many, like myself, we need to be able to visualize our next step upwards.

This is my Tuesday contribution to society. It's a dump of experiences from the day that came to a pointed culmination during my commute home. Happy holidays, and may all our futures be bright, and meaningful.

Canoing from the Triple Whipple, to Split Rock to Rabbit Hash, KY

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 22:45:13 GMT

On a beautiful Sunday in November, a bunch of us grabbed some boats and put in at the Triple Whipple bridge in Rising Sun, IN and canoed down to the Ohio River. First, the Triple Whipple bridge in worth noting...

It is among the most important historic bridges in the country. The Triple Whipple Bridge was built in 1878, and on that alone it is significant, but it is actually the only remaining example utilizing a triple intersection Pratt system.

Not only is this bridge old, it is large! Any 300 foot span dating to before 1900 is very noteworthy. It is not known how many were built in the United States, but the total cannot have been large. The Laughery Creek bridge, therefore, is not only a rare survivor, it is a rare type to begin with.

We canoed from the bridge, down to the Ohio... then across to explore "Split Rock." We took a lunch break and realized that among us, we had some Pinot Noir and another white wine, several cheeses, pineapple/mango chutney on triscuits, crackers with chocolate and chunky peanut butter, hummus and sesame seaweed crackers, fine-assed coffee... and all this before the famed Rabbit Hash BBQ. It was a total river culinary experience. Thanks to Melissa, who made a recent trip to Finlay Market, for providing the most interesting stuff to eat :)

We jumped back in the boats and did a final 7 miles or so into the wind down to Rabbit Hash, KY. The blazing sun and wind in my face got me some chapped lips for the day. At Rabbit Hash, we heard some good music in the General Store, ate some BBQ and headed back across the river. Thank you God... for another great day on earth, with friends!

Correcting oxidized wine

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 22:45:04 GMT

If you are diligent in tending your wine, you may never experience ozidation. However, if you are like me and tend to experiment a lot, you might have more wine going than you can sometimes keep track of. Don't get me wrong--it's not at all that I put it off... I just have way more obligations than one man should have. As such, while wine generally takes care of itself, sometimes I may check in on it a little later than I should. Meanwhile, perhaps the S02 levels may drop while I'm not looking. But let me be clear, I definitely won't neglect my prize batches.

The reality of the situation is, I keep a cellar that is like a big test tube of experimentation. Tehy say a good winemaker has a lifetime of experience. I believe that. My goal is to pack in more experience in less time to produce a better wine, sooner. So I experiment a lot and log everything.

I have experienced oxidation a time or two. The best way to describe oxidation is to cut up an apple and watch within seconds while it turns brown. There are several facotrs that can contribute to oxidized wine. The two most common are too much headspace in your carboy, or too low of S02 levels in your wine. Be sure to mind these two things, and you may never experience oxidation.

Many people think when a wine has oxidized, its bad. Really, oxidation can be reduced, and in some cases eliminated by the use of powdered skim milk. Mind you, it won't win any awards, but it can become a good, drinkable wine again, reminicent of the base you fermented. That is better than dumping it down a drain. Try this before you dump it.

The procedure is as follows:

Calculate the amount of wine to be treated, in litres, and for each litre of wine measure out 0.5 gm of powdered skim milk into five (5) mL of cold water. Stir into a solution making sure all the skim milk is dissolved. NOTE: It is important that you use powdered skim milk, not de-creamed whole milk or malted milk/
Now bring the SO2 level of the wine up to the required amount with respect to the pH.
Stir the wine vigorously and while it is swirling, add the skim milk solution by making sure that it enters well below the surface of the wine. There may be a bit of foaming, but it will dissipate. Continue to stir the wine to ensure all the skim milk is well distributed. It is important that the skim milk solution enters well below the surface. If you pour it on the surface, little, or nothing, will happen. Once the skim milk is fully distributed, brown curds will develop in the wine and will ultimately settle out.
Replace the airlock and allow the wine to settle for 2-3 days. Meanwhile, prepare a fining agent for fining the wine.
After 2-3 days, rack the wine off the oxidase curds into a clean carboy and stir in the fining agent. Allow this to settle for about 10 days, then rack the wine off the lees. Add an airlock. Filter and bottle.

Make apple wine, a beginners guide to winemaking

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 23:30:18 GMT

A lot of people ask me questions about wine making and it frustrates me that I can't give them a specific answer. The reason is because the answers are not always the same.

Example, "how many apples or how much grapes does it take to make wine?" Or, "how much sugar do I add to my wine?" "What all equipment do I need to make wine?"

I use the leftover apple cider from our cider smash to make 3 gallons of apple/pear wine and at the same time, attempt to answer some of these questions. I also talk a little about acidity in wine, fermenting fruit and how the hydrometer can tell you how much sugar to add to your wine (must).

16 miles down Laughry Creek for my birthday

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 23:02:02 GMT

Got a lot of great shots on my birthday day trip starting with the early morning drive over to Darian's. The morning sunrise lit the sky in a dramatic display that I could best describe as beautiful pollution :)

We put into Laughry and did 16 awesome miles of some rapid moving water. I think it was running about 1.5 and it was definitely some fun water all the way down with two very small portage points from some fallen trees.

I was home by 5:30 or so to change the oil in the truck, meet the inlaws and have cake with the family. Another year down and I still believe less is more. No gifts or anything complicated, just a quick outing to air out the brain, then back to roll around with the kids and eat some wonderful wife food. Aside from thinking about an eminent vasectomy, life is good.

Video 1

Video 2

2009 Wine Cellar Pics

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:05:23 GMT

Here's just a little business in the wine cellar around the end of summer. All these pics were taken by my friend, Jimmy Kinker. Since I'm never in my own pics, I really dig it when he comes over on Thursdays and takes great pics of the goin's on.

Jim has a new found interest in the elderberry wine... maybe because he has access to a lot of real good ones! Together, we've rustled up enough berries to make a solid 10 gallons this year. Even after that, we had our "apple smash" that gave enough juice to make 20 gallons of apple wine.

As we nestle down for the winter, we can kick back and feel good that we truly harnessed the essence of the summer and fall this year, and we have the bounty to prove it.

I hope you and your family are maximizing your enjoyment of the present.

Pressing the Syrah Specter

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 21:59:40 GMT

A visit to Dave and Sara's made for a great food, wine and friendship experience. It's almost as if the fall saw us coming and gave a couple beautiful days to accomplish the tasks at hand. The pressing at the Specters was a good primer for the smash at the Kinkers.

After a very organized process or pressing the Syrah and getting it under airlock, great lasagna, jalepeno poppers and couple fine Pinots were on hand! I very much enjoyed myself as I helped a friend and knocked another notch in my knowledge post

All said and done, let not the most important bit of knoledge be forgotten. There's all kinds of ways to get the juice out of your media at hand. When you're dealing with grapes, you gently press. When you deal with apples, you violently destroy! In both cases, the end product is something to be hailed, enjoyed and most importantly, shared.

1st Annual Apple Smash yields 47 gallons of cider

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 10:11:35 GMT

The word for this weekend is most certainly "extraction" - that is, getting the juice from what mother nature has given us. Gently pressing, or violently smashing, it's all good. On Saturday, I helped the Specters press their grapes in Dave's refurbished grape press. On Sunday, we did our "1st Annual Apple Smash" using the cider press my dad refurbished but never got to use. Many years later, it finally did it's maiden smash. Two truckloads of green, red and yellow apples, a dedicated cart, wash, cut and smash crew, and we have 47 gallons of liquid gold. Everyone took home more then enough, and I have enough left to make 20 gallons of apple wine... and 5 gallons of Apple Jack.

Thanks to Dave and Sara Specter, Mark and Tracy Webster, Libby, the kids and my wonderful wife Susan. Special thanks to the Kinkers for providing the beautiful venue, the means, and some mysteriously good coconut curry soup.

With a week of gloomy, dank, cold rainy weather a week before, and a frost the night before, it turned out to be a BEAUTIFUL day and a perfect end to a summer with a very strange crop cycle. I look forward to doing it again next year!

A word about HighEd Web 2009 from a guy that wasn't there

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 09:23:58 GMT

I missed HighEd Web this year. But, I didn't *really* miss it. Here's the classic web 2.0 scenario where by following the tweets and rants of attendees and checking out the online presentations of the speakers, you pretty much get the ideas for free :) Lemme see... it's my guess that someone named Jared put on a REALLY bad presentation? Sorry buddy... I really do sympathize.

Innersync also had Steve Williams representing and his debriefing was a really positive one. We don't think of HighEd as a mechanism to net new customers. Sure, we go as sponsors, with a booth, but we never expect to walk out with a signed contract. We look at it as more of an opportunity to talk to customers, attend the sessions and stay on top of the latest trends.

Campusuite again turned heads because of the new features we've introduced since the 2008 HighEd conference. Most of those features were a direct response to the woes and needs of the people we spoke to last year. Like many products, our product evolves via the needs of our customers. "Less, really is more." I say it so much, co-workers roll their eyes. But when we set you up a demo and let you in to kick the tires, you immediately begin see how these tools let you do stuff... fast! You do it in a clean, easy-to-understand system and that's really what it all boils down to.

Steve caught up with several Campusuite customers, including Xavier University and Ross University and got some good feedback. He also, again met up with old colleagues that we look forward to seeing at each years conference. New partnerships were discovered and the latest ideas in the collegiate arena were shared. This is big for us, because now we have a pocket-full of new direction. We will more responsibly leverage the social movement, take a second look at customer and application security, and always keep the customers experience in mind. Each year, HighEd truly allows us to fill up with what ails the collegiate customer the most. And there's what drives us towards the next years conference.

After this years visit, we confirmed we're on the right path. We have a solid product that provides a positive experience, a well-documented support site, a base of loyal users driven by the desire to build a better web site. We want to thank our loyal patrons and partners and we look forward to a bright and prosperous future.

How I seasoned my entire cast iron cookware collection

Sun, 04 Oct 2009 09:27:02 GMT

I have all kinds of cast iron. Today, I decided it was time to clean and re-season all of it. There are a few key pieces that sit on my stove top and I've decided that it was time to break out some additional pieces. Particularly, a nice sauce pan with a lid and a double dutch oven (for lack of a better term). In all, there were two No. 8 skillets, a No 14 skillet (yeah, the big daddy) two waffle irons, two regular dutch ovens, the double dutch oven, an egg poacher, a cornbread pan, a muffin pan, and a star-shaped muffin pan. There was a sauce pan and lids for about each of them! I really needed another oven, or two, for the task. My oven was working at 250 degrees all day.

Anyone who cooks with cast-iron can never turn back. I'm ready to ditch everything else I have and commit to cast-iron cooking! Having your cookware properly seasoned and maintained only increases the performance of cast-iron. Here's how I did it:

Seasoning your cast iron

1. Clean your cookware real good. It's OK to use a mild soap as you scrape off any junk. I used a wire brush and scouring pad to get it as clean as possible. A wire brush is good for rust (also a clue that your pan is not properly seasoned.)

2. Preheat your oven to 250 degrees F.

3. Dry everything off real good. You don't want any water on it before the rub-down with oil.

4. Rub it down using a paper towel. You can use canola oil, but I used Crisco vegetable shortening this time. I have used bacon grease in the past. People have used lard, bacon grease or ham fat or any other saturated fat. Saturated fat will stay in your pan much longer so while it may seem weird, think of it as cooking breakfast in it. Each time you cook, your surface becomes more seasoned. Go crazy... season it with bacon grease, we're talking cast-iron!

5. Let it cook in the oven for 2 hours. After two hours, turn off the oven and leave the pans in it to cool in the oven. Now if you have to do multiple oven loads like me, that may not be an option.

When the pans come out, grab your hot mitt and give them another rub down with a cotton wash cloth or something that you can work fast with. Just shine it up and that's it folks. Repeat this process as often as you like. Even better, cook with it... a lot! Bacon and anything greasy or fatty adds to an awesome seasoned surface. Eventually, with proper cleaning, your pan will achieve a natural non-stick, smooth-as-glass surface.

Cleaning your cast iron

When you clean your cast iron, be sure not to use high detergent soaps. Some will argue it's OK to use a mild soap, but I do not. If you need some scouring action, throw a little kosher salt into the pan under your faucet and get a scrubby or something to grind up the junk. Soaps will de-season your cookware. It will take off the black and you will begin to see the silver of the cast-iron again. You want your cookware to maintain a nice, even black shine.

When done washing, give a quick towel dry and then put it on your stove burner to completely dry it out. Don't over cook the pan here! A minute or two should do it. Leave it on just long enough to dry out.

Company and Friends Pig and Paddle 2009

Sat, 19 Sep 2009 21:37:16 GMT

There was no shortage of people, happiness and fun on Sat. September 19 at the Brookville Canoe Livery. Brookville played host to our company pig roast, family, friends, and even the Boy Scouts. From homemade BBQ sauce, coleslaw and two styles of pig, to tons of desserts and other food, there was no shortage of appetite.

We had about 40 canoes down the 8 mile trip and most people stayed and camped. Naturally a campfire jam ensued. The fireworks display was the perfect end to a beautiful fall-like day. We appreciate everyone who came and thanks for leaving the campsites spotless!

Jim and Jay's 2009 Elderberry Wine

Mon, 07 Sep 2009 16:34:55 GMT

This year, I was able to get not one, but two batch's of Elderberry wine going. There's a 3-gallon batch and a 5-gallon batch both made in dramatically different styles. I've always wanted to make Elderberry wine, mainly because my dad always told me that it was one of his favorite wines. As a typical apprentice might do, I wanted to "copy the master," so Elderberry was on my list. But, where to get them?

My good friend Jimmy told me about his moms berry bush and how it was always busting with produce, so naturally, I urged him to allow me to help harvest them. Busting with produce is an understatement... After the de-stemming and washing, we had a cool 10 pounds of elderberries around 1am. We got that 3-gallon batch going that night.

Only days later, Jimmy called and said the bush was ready again. He brought over enough this time to make a total 18.5 pounds, so there was the start of the next 5-gallon batch.

Elderberries are small, about the size of a BB, these were a little larger. It's a job to get 18 pounds! So, thanks a bunch to Jim for making it all possible this year and the reward will be sweet.

The second batch was really something special. The 18 pounds of berries were macerated by boiling sugar water and allowed to steep overnight. The next day, I hand-strained through straining bags to get a dark, inky elderberry juice. The is the first batch of wine that I didn't allow the berry pulp to ferment in the primary with the must. The result has been a vigorous fermentation and it worked over the course of 7 days. I'm preparing to put this in the secondary already.

This is a real treat to have two good-sized batches going both processed in their own style. Of course, the logs have been maintained so I know what process is better. We'll just have to let next years cellar event do the talking.

Click here to see some pics.

Videos coming soon.

Fred and Anna Banks Recption

Sun, 16 Aug 2009 16:30:55 GMT

Our friends Fred and Anna Banks had an awesome recption in St. Leon on a hot and sultry Sat. night. Plenty of food, friends, family and fun were abound while the Mt. Pleasant String Band performed into the evening.

There may be a hole in the yard under the tent.

I think there may well have been 5 different people running around with cameras, so I'm expecting to see a bunch of photography from the event. I've put mine up and you can see it by clicking the main image at right.

We've been looking forward to the event for a while now. While our summer has been very busy, we looked forward to getting the kids out to play (and dance) with other kids. Fred and Anna provided a great venue for the occasion. We appreciated being included in their special occasion and it really meant a lot to us to be there. We got to see a lot of people we have not seen in a long time... and as well, we saw a lot of people all together for the first time in a long time. Yay for Fred and Anna, we love Fred and Anna!

Thanks for a great time and we hope to see you on some of the local waterways soon!

July 2009 for the Morgans

Sat, 25 Jul 2009 23:34:14 GMT

July was busy month... both for business, and personally. I'm glad I got to slip back up to Michigan City with the family. It's such a practical place for us and those who know me, know I am *Mr. Practical*.

Serious, I still maintain that the Great Lakes offer just as much beach as any coast. Then, again, I'm more of a snowy mountain guy than a sunny beach :) Still, it's just an awesome 4.5 hour drive from home. I don't even leave Indiana. Many people argue that the Great Lakes have colder water, but to me, it seems insignificant. It may be true, but it's freshwater and the "beach community" we stay in is something out of a Walton's episode. It's like people come here to love one another. Does that sound strange to you? You must feel it to believe it. Find some trip photos below.

The garden is running at approximately 75% and we've been pulling produce from it since we've returned from vacation. We have had our first tomato's and in less then a week, we'll be making salsa and canning so they don't go to waste. I've also harvested all the garlic. See it in the garden photos below.

The banana trees, fruit trees, grapes and berries are all doing well. The peach tree has been a total wuss this year. Had to cure it of peach leaf curl first thing this spring and I had it pumping out the serious foliage since then. However, it seems to have another "leaf dropping" ailment that I'm still diagnosing, but I'm not worried. The goal is just to get a good year of vegetational growth this year. My cherry trees are going nuts. They look text-book healthy.

Well, that's about it. Another update soon. From our family to your, we love you.

July photo albums:

Michigan City July 2009

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:19:20 GMT

We took another trip up to Lake Michigan to refuel for 2009. It feels like we gained a week back in our life after this trip. We love the lake because it's not salt water, and the "community" where we stay is awesome. It's perfect for kids and just a short scenic walk to the lake. It feels just like the beach to us. Most of our friends have already heard us ramble about this place last year. We took two trips last year and just did our first one this year. We're already thinking about a possible weekend trip back up later this summer.

Brian Hensley and Jeremy Ostrow rode their bikes up for the day on Sunday to check it out. Since it's only about a 4.5 hour ride up, it was a good trip for them. We fed them dinner and sent them on their way. We're told it was a worthy trip for them.

The rest of the week was good to us. There was plenty of sun and a slightly overcasted day right in the middle of the week so we could take a break from the sun and hit the local scene to check out the outlets.

We really can't wait to go back soon. Since it's relatively close and totally cost-efficient, we echo again that the lakes are to the midwest like the Rockies are to the west.

Grape variety is a major factor for success in Indiana

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:16:41 GMT

Check out this paper just released from the Purdue Agricultural Extension by Bruce Bordelon. I consult with Bruce... and he actually responds to questions from home-boys like me. I appreciate the efforts of his team and want to echo their efforts to other growers in SE Indiana!

Selecting an appropriate grape variety is a major factor for successful production in Indiana and all parts of the Midwest. There are literally thousands of grape varieties available. Realistically, however, there are only a few dozen that are grown to any extent worldwide, and fewer than 20 make up the bulk of world production.

Consistent production of high quality grapes requires properly matching the variety to the climate of the vineyard site. This publication identifies these climactic factors, and then examines wine grape varieties and table grape varieties. Tables 1, 2, and 3 provide the varieties best adapted for Indiana, their relative cold hardiness and disease susceptibility, and their yield performance at two
test locations in the state.

Grape Varieties for Indiana

by Bruce Bordelon
Purdue Horticulture and Landscape Architecture
www.hort.purdue.edu
All photos by Bruce Bordelon and Steve Somermeyer

It's officially summer when you make ice cream

Sat, 20 Jun 2009 23:06:53 GMT

On Sunday, we'll celebrate Hannah birthday a little early before we go on vacation. Strawberry ice cream was our test run Friday night. We'll do it again on Sunday with all the other kids and chocolate and butter pecan is on the menu.

We used this same ice cream maker when I was a kid. Yeah you have to hand crank it, but that's the point. The kids tend to tire out a little early, but when I take over to finish it off, I think back when my dad did this same thing with us. Our electric maker just collects dust. They make things so shitty now days. Plastic and thin metal for the canister. This ice cream maker has a solid, heavy metal canister with a lid. The point is so the ice and slat can cool it so cold, that the ice cream actually sets up. It gets harder to crank and you know, it's almost time. We added in the fresh cut strawberries and cranked it somemore.

Finally, on a sultry, sweaty hot night, the whole family about busted in to song as each of us felt the essence of summer.

Thinkin' this thing is going to come out a lot this year!

June 2009 Grape Update

Sat, 20 Jun 2009 14:24:01 GMT

Some varieties are doing ok... but the Catawba has been hit with black rot. I'm about to throw in the towel with these. I've been diligent in cleaning out the vineyard last fall... spraying early... before, at and after bud break... Did Captan once...waited two weeks and been on a regimen of spraying 1-2 times a week with Stylet oil. I have done cluster thinning, canopy thinning to let air blow through... all to no avail... The black rot is HIGH-PRESSURE around here this year. I am suffering like a mo fo.

I'll be contacting Bruce Bordelon at the Purdue extension next. I just went in and plucked clusters... and rotten berries to get out everything I can. I have it clean now. Thinking of spraying again. Right now, it's latched on to my Catawba the hardest (not as bad last year) The others are OK but I'm still picking leaves and things off as I see them.

See the pics. Here are the questions I'm posing to my experts.

1. Is it true I should be pulling out leaves, clusters... and whole stems that I see are infected? Just don't want to overdue it for the storage of needed carbs over winter.
2. True that we want to pull leaves to give wind and sun a direct route through?
3. If the pressure is high and black-rot is eminent, what do the experts try?
4. Regarding pruning: Would like training suggestions on what to do with some of my double trunks... and lower cordons. I'm seeing that lower cordons are just a direct transfer of rot from the ground to higher up. I have cut them off of some

Growing grapes is a task. I respect vinyard managers. I would like to think as my vines mature that they would build up an immunity to the rot in future years. Will report again next month.

Images of Spring 2009

Tue, 26 May 2009 17:43:07 GMT

For us, spring is a busy time of the year, not just with all the work and school stuff going on, but the needs of the garden, grapes and other horticultural rituals we love to do. There is grape pruning, garden tilling, seed planting and bringing out the bananna trees. I have a habit of propagating anything I prune off my grapvines and jade plants even if it is to hand out to friends. I'm not yet sure of the significance to me of why I do it, but maybe it's just a friendship thing... from our house to yours. If that grapevine takes off and becomes something significant, someone might say, "we got that from the Morgan's back in the spring of 2009."

Hannah did her school play "Jack and the Beanstalk" and we've already been down to Louisville the weekend of the Kentucky Derby to make derby pie with Andy and Debbie... who by the way, made it up the very next weekend to do the canoe and camp trip.

Between the wildlife and floral and fauna in our back yard... to the images of all things renewed, Spring just rocks.

Am I possibly Panderer Number 1?

Mon, 25 May 2009 16:37:15 GMT

I just got the new Panderers CD, Mucho Diggo in the mail today. I popped it in and listened to it in its entirety and "I dig it much." Some old songs renewed, and some new songs crafted in that famed Panderers style... and a neat corn cobb printed on the disc. Another helping delivered with mucho expression and love.

I pre-ordered the album a while back and forgot all about it. It arrived today and much to my surprise, it was hand-labeled AC#001. Additionally, a mysterious card with only a zero in the middle and a one in the corner... more evidence that this could be the first disc bestowed.

Could I possibly be Panderer #1? And what does AC stand for? "Awesome Cat," yeah... Awesome Cat #1?

I just wonder. The Panderers are known for ultra-smooth things like hand numbering their CD's and printing corn-cobbs on the disc. When I bought the first album, I was #23. Have I moved up the food chain? Is there maybe an AC#01 or even an AC#1?

We might never know, but maybe Scott might stop by one day and let us all know.

Spring 2009 Vidal Blanc and Swenson Cuttings

Wed, 20 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Just a quick note on the spring cuttings. I took cuttings from my own Vidal Blanc and Swenson grape vines and had a 100% success rate. By that, I mean... all of them took root and sprung leafs. Heck, most spit out clusters of grapes that I quickly snapped off.

Here was my process. I pruned my grape vines as I usually do. From those, I took at least 30 cuttings from each. I took thicknesses from anywhere between a No. 2 pencil and 3/8" and old wood of course. I never had much success from green cuttings.

I trimmed the cuttings to 3-4 buds per cutting, with one bud cut exactly in half at the bottom. It seems the roots callus and spring out like mad from here. I dipped in water, then into your basic rooting hormone and then right into a good starter soil about 2" deep on the bottom of those Rubber Maid plastic garbage cans with a lid. Mine had the translucent white sides that allowed plenty of sun in. I don't snap the lid on tight, I just sit it on top. I sprinkled a little water in and this creates a terrarium effect. It's important not to overwater... just keep the soil moist. I check them every day because you while you are watching the leaves sprout, you also want to watch for mold that can happen in such a closed container.

After the shoots were about 1-2" long, I shook the entire container to knock the soil loose and then gently pull them out and plant each in it's own pot. See the pics of the good healthy roots.

Top the new pots up with soil and water them... then stick in a partial sun/shade area and let them get stronger. Questions? Just let me know and have fun!

Morgan's Ft. Ancient Canoe and Cabin Trip

Wed, 13 May 2009 23:07:15 GMT

We shook it up a little this year for Susan's birthday. She usually likes to canoe and camp on her birthday and we usually go to the Brookville location. This year, we tried the Ft. Ancient location since it has been so long since we visited there. We also wanted to pay our visit to the June Morgan River Sanctuary.

It was good to see all my cousins and my uncle Bob who I usually only see during the holidays or other significant gatherings. We stayed in the cabins at Riverside Campground and the place looked beautiful. Upon arrival Lori was weeding the flower beds and Dirk was making picnic tables. It's clear the Morgans go out of their way to provide a fun-filled experience with the grounds pleasing to the eye and hospitality equal to down south.

We were driven up the river to put in at the Livery. Cousin Randy opened the door of the van and greeted us while Gary gave us a tour of the livery and the upstairs museum. I'm so glad my family are the chief proprietors around these parts. They have collected knowledge of the area and responsibly documented it as well as organized fossils, points, stones and other artifacts for display and education. The Morgans truly are the keepers of this land and river.

The canoe trip was as scenic as ever. We stopped at Junes Sanctuary and talked about her pioneering the efforts to clean up this once polluted river. The weather was beautiful and we soaked in the scenery and even caught some turtles basking in the sun on a log (see pictures).

After the trip, I ran into my uncle Bob at Riverside campground and got to catch up and update him on my dad. Then, Dirk showed us a tree that was leaning over a little too far so he jumped on the tractor and pulled it straight. Sunday morning, I watched (with some guilt) Dirk pounding rocks and dirt around the planter to stabilize the tree that we straightened the day before.

Later in the evening on Saturday, Dirk and Lori gave us a tour of their home and we finally got our glimpse of the famed turtle rock as well as the other awesome artifacts in Dirk's personal collection. Later, they set up a corn-hole tournament at the campground that thoroughly entertained us and our guests. It's been a long time since I've been able to slow down and forget about work and responsibility and I want to thank my family for welcoming us and our visiting friends from Louisville and helping us forget about things for a while. For those of us over-worked and under-paid, it really goes a long way and means a lot. After our friends Andy and Debbie were stuck on I-71 for an hour and a half on their commute up on Saturday morning, it really meant a lot to them as well.

These pictures should capture the trip just fine. Enjoy, and we really want to go back soon!

Thanks and much love, Jason and Susan

10 Bottles Of Wine You Can’t Afford To Uncork

Wed, 13 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

No liquid beyond water is more storied than wine. It’s the subject of literature and art, legend and myth.

Good batches are part science: climate, grape genetics, yeast growth, water impurities and otherwise. The best wines are an almost indefinable art, an essence, feeling or quality that many try to bottle, but few ever uncork.

To celebrate those wines that have become legendary to collectors around the world, here are the 10 most expensive bottles of wine in the world.

Read this story on StyleCrave

New spring plantings The Corot Noir Grape - From Cornell University

Fri, 08 May 2009 16:38:30 GMT

I put in two more rows of grapes in the back yard vineyard this spring. I chose two varieties that I'm real excited about. Marquette, and ‘Corot noir’™ (pronounced “kor-oh nwahr”). Both of these vines are hybirds genetically modified to be more disease and pest resistant in SE Indiana.

Isn't that something? We can mess with our grape vines and make them "better." Particularly, I find the Corot Noir very interesting. These vines showed up with a pedigree that details how Cornell arrived at this particular specimen. Totally cool. Cornell gets a .50 cent royalty for every Corot Noir grape vine sold anywhere. My vines were about $7.50 each. That's cheaper than going in to a Lowes and buying a typical Concord.

Corot Noir is a mid to late season red wine grape suitable for either blending or the production of varietal wines. The wine has a deep red color and attractive cherry and berry fruit aromas. Its tannin structure is complete from the front of the mouth to the back, with big soft tannins. The vine is moderately winter hardy and moderately resistant to fungal diseases.

‘Corot noir’ was developed by the grape breeding program at Cornell University, New York State Agricultural Experiment Station. It is a complex interspecific hybrid red wine grape resulting from a
cross made in 1970 between Seyve Villard 18-307 and ‘Steuben’ (again, see pedigree). From 250 seeds, 160 seedlings were grown in a nursery then transplanted to a seedling vineyard in 1975.

Wanna know more about this neat-ass grape? Hit this PDF.

2008 Wine Grape update for the SE Indiana Area

Sun, 26 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

By Bruce Bordelon, Ph.D.
Viticulture Specialist

Purdue University

Production 60% of normal due to Easter freeze
Early harvest prevented lady beetle damage

The 2007 growing season was unusually warm and dry across much of the Midwest. The year's most significant event was the "Easter Freeze" that hit much of the region. After record warm temperatures in March, early April brought several days of below freezing temperatures. Many fruit crops across the region were severely damaged. Most of Indiana's vineyards had shoot growth of 1 to 6 inches at the time of the freeze, and were damaged severely. Fortunately, secondary buds on most varieties were highly fruitful and a reasonably good crop was produced. Overall production was about 60% of normal.

The summer months were hot and dry. Growing degree-day accumulation was about 25% above average. Rainfall was about 75% of normal in most areas, but less than 50% of normal in southeast Indiana. Grape disease pressure was minimal, due to the dry conditions. Powdery mildew was the only disease of any concern.

Harvest dates were about normal for early grape varieties, but the season was compressed, with many of the mid- and late season varieties harvested one to two weeks earlier than normal. The multi-colored Asian lady beetle was not a problem this season, because the early harvest occurred before beetles began to move into grapes.

Fruit quality was excellent overall. The 2006-07 winter was slightly warmer than normal, and winter injury was minor. Coldest temperatures occurred in early to mid-February, and ranged from 0[degrees]F in the southern half to -12[degrees]F in northern Indiana.

Demand for Indiana-grown grapes continues to outpace supply, which has led to a modest increase in acreage. Most of the new plantings have been in the premium hybrids, but some vinifera varieties are being produced on the best sites. Indiana currently has 36 wineries, with several expected to open in the near future.

Indiana wine sales exceeded 700,000 gallons in 2006. Welcoming more than 1 million visitors each year, the Indiana wine industry contributes more than $34 million to the state's economy, and is the state's No. 1 agri-tourism destination. For additional information about the Indiana wine industry, please visit indianawines.org.

My ideal employee... someone with good character, motivation and desire

Thu, 09 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

I co-founded my company, Innersync Studio, in 1998 with the desire to build a better web site. We recently celebrated our 10-year anniversary and over these last 10 years, I realized we have evolved into a completely different animal than the one we were when we started. Whether it is the nature of our business, or the economic down-turns we have seen between 2000 and now, we are different. We think differently and we do things differently. When we started our company, we neither had established processes, nor an employee handbook. Heck, we didn't even have insurance. We formed our LLC and got right into the lifestyle.

But as time went on, the lifestyle turned into a liability. Instead of making money, we may as well have been burning it. But now, we have a process. We have a single way of doing something and we do it at a very high level. When we hire a new employee, we show them the process and ask them not to tell anyone. When the person understands the process, a lot of things can go without saying. Eventually, that same employee can show another new-hire the process.

You catch my drift... without an established road map, you are blind... or at minimum, wandering aimlessly... and burning up my money. It's my job as an employer to tell you how I want something done. If someone deviates from my process, I have a basis to scorn them. If I didn't have a process to begin with, I just need to shut up. So I now arrive at the main point I wanted to make. As an employer who has hired and fired my share of helpers, I have a thing or two to say about who I consider a good employee... and more to the point, when we realize we are exiting this recession, the type of person I will look to hire.

I consider the stage we are in as a natural cleansing. When the economy picks up again, it's true that web designers and programmers will again be sought after. However, what it will NOT be for me is business as usual. I will not be looking for fancy resumes with certification labels. I will not be basing my decision on someone's experience... and believe it or not, I will not even base it on the quality of someone's portfolio of work. Sure, these will all be considered, but here are a few of the things I'll be looking for:

I don't always mind training someone in the software and technologies we use if I they are someone who will take notes and learn it without making me have to explain it again after a weekend of partying.
Someone who knows how to manage their time. In a small company like mine, you will have a lot to do. Your successes and failures will be very noticeable and they directly impact profits and losses. I will admit, I am still climbing this mountain myself. I am hard on myself for this and sometimes, I find myself making up lost time in the evenings.
Someone with a strong work-ethic... where without any suggestion from me, will go back and tweak it one more time to make it right before they bring it back to me. Someone who takes charge and accountability for their task and they will check things and make sure they look and work good so I do not have to come behind them and clean up. This person is aware that sloppiness costs someone money, and it's usually the company.
I like creative and thoughtful people who will make suggestions to me about a better way of skinning the cat. I'll point out my process again. I put it in place so that everyone can use it as a road map. I demand that everyone follow it. However, if someone wants to change the process by suggesting a better way, I want to hear it and in fact, I will begin to favor a person who is thinking about the good of the company like this.
Clock watchers tend to be the types who overlook the details. They have come from big companies where their efforts have been buried by those around them. Overlooked details ultimately come back to me as a customer complaint. If it's approaching 5pm and you are on the last leg of a project, I ask, would it be time to pack up and bolt and lose that momentum, or might it be better to finish the project and make it right so that you are done and fresh for the next project? This type of person has my attention, and most-likely, a promotion coming.
Someone who has a genuine interest in being great and making big things. They will go the extra mile to make the latest project better then the last, despite having a full schedule. This is where desire and time-management come together as one. This to me signifies a person who is growing... intentionally.

These are only my ideas. It represents a paradigm shift in the way I look at and evaluate potential employees. I may go as far as... it's me voicing what most small business owners might be thinking. To some, it might sound like I run a sweat shop, but big success allows for much fun and celebration. To the right person, it's an opportunity to grow and feel like a contributor. Success can come as fast as you want it to in a company as small as Innersync. When there are only 4-8 parts, movers and shakers are needed to make it run like a well oiled machine.

Thomas Family Winery, Madision IN.

Fri, 03 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

We grabbed a group of friends and headed to Madison, Indiana to visit the Thomas Family winery and attend the "Hot" Luck dinner. It's apparently an annual event that is free 'o charge and all are welcome to bring a dish made in the "spicy tradition." Everything was "hot." There was cayanne pepper in the fudge and my favorite was the chocolate lamb curry. There was so much food and all of it was awesome.

Of course the old vine Zinfandel was what I most looked forward to. I hear they are 100 year old vines. They definitely have a better grip on the red wines but I thought the whites were very average. They tasted similar to my own wine... that is still being mastered.

Overall, great food and wine and a good round of friends can't be beat. I'll be looking forward to heading back next year and I think I'll bring my white bean deer chili... whith some heat added.

Making sense of the vast and expanding social-sphere

Mon, 30 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

With all the networks and tools emerging in the web 2.0 cloud and competing for your attention, do you find yourself challenged by sorting out the options, making the most of, or simply keeping up with them all? There sure are a lot of social networks popping up these days, and for every social network, there are a dozen more free tools just waiting to be utilized. How you choose to use these networks and tools should be considered your blank canvas... your picture waiting to be drawn.

Even novice web users are familiar with Facebook and Twitter, but you name the theme, and there's a list of social networks to support it. Some networks are more professional than others. Some more playful.

I recently found Plinky, where you answer a weekly prompt to spark digital discussion in your own creative way. All these tools are just other ways to express yourself. From Google docs and webmaster tools that support business on the web, to sites like Aviary that bring you Photoshop and Illustrator-esque functionality for next to nothing or totally free, these cloud tools are coming out of the woodwork or falling from the sky. Now the question is, "which ones should I use" and "how can I leverage these?" The answer is simple: use the ones that work best for you. Only trial and time will tell you for sure.

Here's how I manage my own time when it comes to qualifying, utilizing and not being ovewhelmed by these tools, which if you're not careful, can become a full-time job in just keeping up with them all. The first hour of my morning consists of the following:

1. Hit Google Reader where I have all my subscriptions to my favorite feeds. These feeds consist of tech news, design trends, individuals blogs... the list goes on. I have over 100 subscriptions that consolidate massive information into the reader for my quick scanning.

2. I will 'favorite' or 'share' the best entries in Google reader, and it will automatically update my Facebook account. I also add links to Delicious so I and my team members can see what I'm pushing to the front. In fact, we use a common company account for Delicious so that all of the people on our team can collaboratively add relevant links ranging from hot design trends to the latest jQuery snippets.

3. If I'm really excited about an entry in Google Reader, I'll Twitter the link, which shows that I'm sharing knowledge and could create some followers. This in turn, also updates my Facebook account. Do you see where this is going?

4. In turn, for that brief moment on Twitter, I might respond to a few @replies or contribute to some conversations I see going on. After a while, you will notice your name showing up in the #followfriday lists (where fellow Twitterers suggest to all their followers the recommended people to follow)

5. I also have Flickr, YouTube, Last.fm and a couple other sites that I frequent and that add activity updates to my Facebook stream. So, in reality, I don't actually spend a lot of time in my Facebook account other than to upload the occasional photo album. However, it sure looks like I do!

6. I set up Google alerts to scan for my name, my company name, or any of my product names on the Internet. If something is being said, I want to know. I also have these alerts set up in my reader. So, while I'm purusing my morning news, I can see any of these alerts as well.

7. Next up, Twitter search. Arguably one of the most valuable tools on the net. I type in my name, company and products here as well. This lets me see who's talking about me NOW. While I'm there, I might see what's being said about my friends... or maybe my favorite wines. At this time, I might share another link on Twitter, that again, updates my Facebook account.

8. I manage my own personal blog and I contribute to my company blog. These RSS feeds can be set up to syndicate into a variety of places. I have a combination of my personal and company blogs being syndicated into my Facebook and LinkedIn accounts. This goes a long way. While I'm keeping my company site up to date, this valuable information is being recycled as it heads to my various other accounts. Other team members on my team do this as well so that our reach is increased even further.

9. Do you use a CMS to manage your website? We do, and our CMS is considered a Web 2.0 CMS that allows us to syndicate pages, blogs, RSS feeds and more. When we write a blog, we do it in our CMS. Of course, whatever blog tool you are use should have an RSS feed that can be syndicated. This is important. It allows you to move your ideas further from your site, which draws people back to your site.

This is only a smattering of what I'm doing now. When I dicover a new social site, I see it as my obligation as a web developer to take a test drive and understand how it works, and how it could integrate into my morning regimen. I tend to change it up here and there. Some networks, I let fizzle out so I can spend more of my time on the networks that work for me. Remember, I try to keep this consolidated to the first hour of the day and some of these tasks might be relevant to do on a weekly or monthly basis.

Take some time yourself to leverage the new media and turn it into a systematic approach that broadens your reach, sharpens your mind and strengthens your brand.

A comparison between money and stars

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 16:39:36 GMT

There's already been so many comparisons and attempts to put our federal spending into perspective that I found no harm in contributing one more. The point here was not necessarily to complain about our spending... but to illustrate a very interesting point.

I was recently looking through some amazing pictures taken by the Hubble, Hubble's Greatest Hits and, how can you not be amazed by, galaxies, stars and the thought of never-ending space?

Remember when we would read in texts about galaxies containing 100's of billions of stars and other quantities that you could never conceive, let alone try to count to?

It then occurred to me that our country has already spent more dollars than the number of stars in the M74 galaxy above. Hmmm... only about a hundred billion stars? That's tittly winks! I mean, this either suggests that space is small and manageable or our spending is completely out of control. Can this be true? Numbers we've never thought about growing up are now numbers we hear on a daily basis an need to understand how to manage.

What does this mean to us... to our children? I love life, and my country and I appreciate the small things I have and the little gifts life gives to me every day. Are these things going to be around much longer? Can I expect to stick my head out the door tomorrow and breath clean, safe air?

When I break things down like this, I just wonder. Could you ever have imagined a higher number than one that quantifies the number of stars in a galaxy? Just some rhetoric to get your thoughts flowing, maybe to help keep what means the most to you in perspective, or perhaps just my opportunity to squeak out a rant or two. Have a great weekend!

Worlds oldest champagne opened

Fri, 20 Mar 2009 16:39:53 GMT

...and I wasn't there for it!

The world's oldest champagne, bottled before Victoria became Queen, is still drinkable, with notes of "truffles and caramel", according to the experts.

An "addictive" bottle of 1825 Perrier-Jouet was opened at a ceremony attended by 12 of the world's top wine tasters.

Their verdict: the 184-year-old champagne tasted better than some of its younger counterparts.

There are now just two 1825 vintage bottles left - and Perrier-Jouet has no plans to open them soon.

Click here for the whole article on BBC.

My man, Felix

Mon, 16 Mar 2009 16:43:34 GMT

When you get a voicemail that sounds like this, what else can you do but post it for everyone else's enjoyment. This is my man Felix, a VERY incredible Nigerian sculptor. About 6 or 7 years ago, I was introduced to Felix by another entrepenuerial client who was always looking for ways to invest his money. He most enjoyed investing his money in people that he believed in and especially the creative types. Felix is one of those types. And he brought Felix to us to make him a web site that showcased his work.

We ended up going over to his house and shooting a bunch of his life-sized pieces of sheer BRILLIANCE to build him the web site.

We also got to shoot a bunch of pics of him in action with his wood chisels and blocks of wood that quickly became something of a miracle in front of our eyes.

Felix has sold his work to the likes of Bill Cosby, David Hasselhoff and many others. I was so in love with Felix's work. I remember wanting to work out a barter to maybe trade a sculpture for the web site. But alas, since his work was bumping six figures, it was obvious that wasn't going to happen.

The point of this post? Nothing more then to introduce you to my man, Felix whom I loved working with and still admire. He still puts on the occasional exhibition and updates his site for the next one. Visit his site to see some of the most fantastic wood sculpture you will ever witness and tell him Jason Morgan sent ya!

Cincinnati Wine Festival 2009

Sat, 14 Mar 2009 16:44:04 GMT

This was the 19th annual Cincinnati Wine Festival. It's grown to be one of the largest ones in the country. This year, over 600 wines and 130 wineries were present. If you are a wine enthusiast, this is the opportunity to sample hundreds of wines in one place.

Since I am always on the hunt to find wines I like, I've found it is very difficult without doing the tastings. The alternative is to buy full bottles which can get real expensive, real fast.

The admission for the event is pretty steep at $70 for the grand tastings... and another $35 if you wan to attend the master tastings. While it makes it a little less a attrative for the person only getting into wine, it's w ell worth it if you ar going for the reasons I do. You also get to bring home a couple $20 Riedel glasses after the event. Much of the funds go to several big charities so that too makes it worth it for me.

The food is gourmet. The Cincinnati State Midwest Culinary Institute was present with some amazing food and desserts. I got a few pics. I have a lot of respect for this school and the emerging chefs that come from it. I've attended several events that were served by the students and it makes me want to go back to school.

Overall, another great event. My wife and I were able to escape for the first time in a long time, and we had transportation to and from... so we we did it right.

Canoe & hike trip, turned bald eagle sighting

Mon, 09 Mar 2009 16:44:19 GMT

Met up with the guys for a Sunday morning canoe and hike. The typical type. We get together as often as possible just to catch up and air out the brain once a week. They mentioned to me in the past about some local eagles, but you know how you never really think much into it until you actually see one? Sunday, I was not expecting to see one. Between it and the other really awesome features of this planet that you don't get to see on the beaten path each day, it was a pretty potent visual experience.

Of course, pics do it no liberty, but I was running on dying batteries and I can't complain. It was kind of windy when we put in. The idea was to canoe up a tributary and then hike around the ridge on foot. As we approached the bank we would start the hike, the guys in the kayaks up front spotted the eagles in the trees. One took off immediately.

We were pretty far up the river at this point. We were very quiet and let the water float us down stream. Being reasonably still and quiet, let the bird get used to our presence. I was certain it would take flight, but, it sat there and even allowed us to pass.

I caught some acceptable pics. Also on the hike, we saw some large trees that in relation to the rest of the forest, escaped the logging industry. To see these giants nestled between all the smaller trees around them was beautifully insane. All in all, just another journal entry for a Sunday outing, but this is the kind of stuff that makes you happy to be alive.

Arther E. Morgan, the collectivist in the family

Tue, 03 Mar 2009 11:26:13 GMT

We Morgan's have some pretty interesting people, in our lineage. From Sir Thomas Morgan, knighted in 1658, who was awarded the original Morgan coat of arms, to John Hunt Morgan (Morgan's Raiders,) Daniel Boone (whose mother was Sarah Morgan,) and other Welsh dignitaries. We had royalty in our lineage, really. Just ask my wife who is the authority on confirming these awesome connections.

We've traced back 100's of years, and together, we truly do love discovering our past. But, you only need to go back to 1878 to find, Arthur E. Morgan (1878-1975). Arthur Morgan was a thinker, a scientist, hydraulic engineer, ethical leader, and was the key figure behind the Tennessee Valley Authority, a project he was called on by Franklin D. Roosevelt himself. He was the de-facto master in hydraulic flood control at that time. He was also president of Antioch College from 1920 to 1936. He was born in Cincinnati, Ohio and raised in northern Minnesota.

Arthur Morgan was a collectivist, with many social ideas. It was intriguing to me because today, there seems to be a hard line between liberals and conservatives. The word socialism is a taboo word today. It swims in the same pool as Marxism and Fascism, of which I understand as other shades of Communism.

To understand his thinking, we have to put ourselves in the context of life between 1878 and 1940. Liberalism was very different and socialism was not yet stamped with failure. Arthur found many social ideas appealing because of his strict, ethical principles. In 1933, he was astonished when President Roosevelt invited him to the White House and offered him the chairmanship of TVA. “I like your vision,” said FDR. Arthur Morgan dreamt of the perfect society, a utopia. Yeah, what we've all read about in school. He looked at his appointment to the TVA as a way to bring his visions together.

Morgan was famous for two things that might seem to have nothing to do with each other: building efficient dams for flood control, and believing in the perfectibility of humankind.

Reading his diaries and several other books I found on him, he was a genuine individual with good intentions. He believed in hard work and our responsibility to contribute to society. He was good friends with Thomas Edison, Charles Kettering, and he was at the "first flight" launch in Dayton with the Orville brothers. As you can see, his peers offered a lot to measure up to.

Morgan's TVA boasted low accident rates, high worker morale, and ingenious solutions to tame the wild Tennessee River.** However, he butted heads with David Lilienthal, another young director on the committee. David suggested to distribute the power produced by TVA would be better to let a network of local public utilities handle the job. Arthur argued that the TVA enter into an agreement with the existing private utilities to distribute electricity. It seems Arthur he just didn't like David and considered him a political opportunist. Arthur went as far to suggest to the president David not be re-appointed. The fighting went on for quite some time, and when it finally spilled into public view, Arther was asked to substantiate his claims, and either could not, or would not. This is another story in itself.

In the end, President Roosevelt suggested that Arthur resign, and when he refused, he was ultimately fired by FDR for insubordination. He was 60 at this time and most thought he was at the end of his career. But, he returned to Yellow Springs, and lived for nearly four more decades, and maintained a strong interest in Antioch College. He served as a trustee for many years and as a perennial lecturer. In retirement he founded Community Service, Inc., to promote recognition and development of the "small community." The small, self-sufficient community was the vision and desire of Arthur Morgan. He published a string of thoughtful books on topics ranging from the ideas of Sir Thomas More to dam-building by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. His last work, “The Making of TVA,” was released in 1974, just a year before his death at age 97. In it he documented the creation of the dream he had done so much to shape, but had seen fulfilled by by others.

I'm blown away by the accomplishments of Arthur E. Morgan and I've not even touched on them all. The point of this blog was to lay out a collection of interesting facts I have been dying to document as well as make a contribution to our Morgan genealogy. Additionally, it has again shown me the importance of while we don't always see things eye-to-eye today (and it's harder than ever today as life has become so complicated,) we should first seek to understand... and then be understood. I look back at a successful man by any standards we use today but I see some flawed visions that may not have been apparent by the standard of thinking during the time. Still, it's something to live up to and it reminds me that the role we play now is likely only the start of something bigger when we are gone. I hope we leave a legacy that our children will be proud of.

Internet Sources:

* http://www.tva.gov/heritage/visionary/index.htm
** http://www.phd.antioch.edu/Pages/APhDWeb_Prospects/arthurmorgan
http://www.harvardsquarelibrary.org/unitarians/morgan.html

Books I've read and have referenced for this article:

Finding His World, the childhood diaries assembled by Lucy Griscom Morgan
My World, Arthur E. Morgan
FDR's Utopian, Arthur Morgan of the TVA (still reading)
Arthur Morgan Remembered

My names not Cooper, but check me out!

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Look at me... I'm crazy. CRAZY! I took that barrel apart and scraped it and whupped it up. Then, I put it all back together again. I don't think there were any coopers in my family, but I put my wife, the hard-core genealogist who also whups it up, on that one :)

I have a good friend named Jay Cooper... whose mother was my 2nd grade teacher in elementary school. And yes, they had coopers in their history. With a name like that, you'd better.

But as of now, to the best of my knowledge, my father was the closest thing in our family. I inherited all his winemaking equipment back in 2000 and in it was several tools used by the cooper. Look at that band banger next to the bucket of beeswax. I promptly put it all to work. I've been making wine since 2000, and this cool little 5-gallon barrel that he had needed a refurbish. It was taken care of and it's become a sentimental thing to me now. These pics just show the process. I was successful in this event and I'd do it all over again. I'd whup it up!

Wine Cellar Event Sat. Feb. 21

Fri, 20 Feb 2009 16:46:13 GMT

On Saturday, we ate, drink and were merry with good friends. Over the last 2 years, I have really been digging the red wines. To me, reds *are* more complex animals and hard to figure out both in the tasting and making. But I drink what I like and it spans from sweet to dry. I look at the craft in the style of wine in reds more so than whites. It seems there’s more tinkering done in the cellar with red wines… and rightly so.

These are NOT all the wines that were available. They were this years, “featured selections.” My idea is to feature a diverse group of wines from sweet to dry and cheap to expensive, both red and white. People liked some, but not all. Seems my homemade peach wasn't so hot. In fact, it tasted soapy :( - But, I plan to play with it some more. You watch, I may just bring it around. My Plum wine however, was something to gett jiggy to.

Here was the official line up, but it didn't include many wines that were brought... and additional wines that were pulled from the cellar.

Reds

2007 Menage A Trios (a blend) - Folie A Deux
2007 Chianti – Ruffino
2005 Syrah Petite - Stags Leap
2005 Syrah - Columbia Winery
2004 Syrah - Red Bicyclette

Whites

2007 Voignier - Stags Leap
2007 Moscato - Sutter Home
2007 Gewurtztraminer - Chateau St. Michelle
2006 Savignon Blanc - Bogle
2007 Chardonnay - Bogle

Sparking

2005 Champagne - Valley Vineyards

My Homemade

2007 - Concord
2008 - Peach
2008 - Plum
2008 - Strawberry
2007 - Niagra Ice Wine (juice from a kit… real deal stuff)

Thankfully, my wife shares the passion enough to where we’ve sinfully set up a budget for wine-buying. The goal was to put some good stuff in the cellar, but it’s so hard to keep our hands off it! So the cycle repeats. We find ourselves being wine junkies to the extent of grabbing a quick bottle of the shelf to try something new. It’s cool when you find a good $5-10 bottle that you really like. The point of my featured selections is not to wow or woo. It’s to expose everyone to a variety of wines… and particularly, ones I’ve been drinking lately. Around here, we “drink what we like.” If you like it, and it happens to be priced right, remember who introduced you to it :)

Wine is fun and finding people who appreciate it the same is a blast. Thanks to all those who contributed something to the wine and food. What a great experience. So, see you at the next taste. Check out the pics from this years event.

Smooth move, Facebook

Wed, 18 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

I commend Facebook for realizing that the power and success of their social network is driven by the user-community. No one likes to be told what to do. They will turn on you just out of spite. As an internet developer who is passionate about technology, I love making my applications work with the social networks. Facebook has been a well-developed service and when MySpace was the craze, I admired Facebook. They have managed to tuck away the "porn-like" scum that you can happen upon on MySpace and it is actually taken as a serious service by professionals too.

A lot of people I know were smashed by the new TOS and claimed they were "done with Facebook." It was sad to hear. With all the other stuff in the world and economy, this was the last straw for many people. Reverting to the previous terms of service that didn't claim the very content that makes Facebook what it is... was smart. Good job, Facebook.

The virtual hand-shake, it's ok to mingle

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Everyone knows I like Gary V. and particularly, his practical approach to many things wine and life. His video below sums up most of our thoughts on social networking and "friending" people up on the internet.

Information is everywhere to be had, you only have to wade through it and follow what you like. When get an email out of no-where that says, "so and so wants to be your friend" don't get spooked out... dive in. The new, social web is about mingling, having fun, connecting with new contacts... and for me specifically, doing business. Thanks for this bit, Gary.

Funny thing happened in Rabbit Hash, KY

Sun, 18 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Another cold Sunday found us paddling over the rough, Ohio river waters to Rabbit Hash, KY. We meet at the public landing in Rising Sun to paddle across to see the best kept secret in Kentucky, Rabbit Hash. The General Store attracts many awesome musicians. I mean, awesome. It's almost like a rites of passage thing for any serious musician in the midwest area to play the General Store. If they don't play it free, it's very cheap. They are not playing here for the money, I'll put it that way.

We canoe over there, well, because we like to canoe anyway... and Rabbit Hash it right across the river from Rising Sun. A little walk up the bank on the other side, and you're right in the middle of Americana. Imagine this, you walk in, and you're greeted by the locals with a genuine welcoming smile, there's cornbread and taters on the wood stove, and a buffet of other country-folk food brought by the locals placed there to help yourself. No cover, no charge, just buy your beer, play nice and be merry. Be yourself.

A few friends of mine head over about once a month and I'm in attendance whenever I can. There's ALWAYS great bands that play in the General Store... sometimes in "the barn". Last time I was there, we watched the "Gregory Morris Group." Today, we saw "The Tillers." Just plain out good times, good friends, true music, the good people of Rabbit Hash and the best dutch oven corn bread this side of the Appellations.

But you know what made today's visit exceptionally awesome? As I was shaking hands with the locals and listing to the Tillers rippin' on the dobro and stand-up bass, I was bending over to ladle out a some chicken and and dumplings off the stove and I bump hands with... Jean Robert de Cavel, yeah, that one, the biggest chef in Cincinnati, and he has his little girl with him. And he wasn't the only one with a kid there. This place is essence of my most nostalgic place on earth.

Many of you know my love of cooking... and food/wine experiences, so I'm really interested in what Jean Robert is eating, or not eating. Last time I saw him was at Seven Days for SIDS at the Cincinnati State Culinary Institute... next to the likes of David Cook (Daveeds, in Mt Adams) and other culinary dignitaries. Seeing Jean Robert ladle out the same dumplings as me, is like meeting Donald Trump partying in a trailer park. This goes to show that a true culinary experience... has to be found, and it's alive and well in Rabbit Hash.

The General Store can probably only hold 35-40 people legally. It was shoulder room only and everyone is just happy. Happy on a Sunday. Happy in general. Man, it's really what the doctor ordered.

Rabbit Hash Barn trip to see Gregory Morris Group

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 00:13:26 GMT

We did a trip over to Rabbit Hash to see the last show in the barn for the year before they move things back into the General Store. We love Rabbit Hash. We meet on the banks of the river in Rising Sun, Indiana and canoe across the river... which is really a step back into Americana. In Rabbit Hash, the local pets run for Mayor and they insist on keeping life simple.

Imagine... instead of a long line to pay a cover to go inside a place that you really don't care for, we walk right in, no cover, grab a bowl and help yourself to the most delicious home-cooked food in Kentucky. The locals are awesome and anyone who knows the secret of Rabbit Hash becomes a regular.

On this trip, we saw the Gregory Morris Group really lay it down. Shoes came off, corn-bread crumbs hit the floor and the barn was shakin' - Cant wait till the next trip back to Rabbit Hash. Check out the pictures and videos. Sorry about the quality, we only went with what we could canoe over in!

Click for photos

Click for videos

The state must love me... for Jury Duty

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Jury duty... our civic duty. Something that each of us are supposed to do at least one time in our life. Maybe you've been called for it, maybe you've done it... maybe you've done it more then once?

Well, I'm only 36 and I've been called four times now. It's getting old being a whiner. Is that what I sound like? I know my obligation to this country is still lingering over my head since I've talked my way out of it each of the previous times. But, for good reason, in my opinion. Everyone knows I'm P.O.A. for my dad and if I'm not running across country to and from work, or busting late hours at the office, I'm trying to get a second to be a dad, and a decent husband.

Apparently my letters of woe have been taken seriously, because they just throw my name back into the hat to be called again... and the cycle repeats.

They tell you to bring a book, there will lots of waiting, and you will likely be presiding over something intensely wild, like traffic or seat belt offenders. It pains me to think that I could spend a week, or 3 days, or even a day of my life for $10 bucks an hour and worse, more time that I don't have to spare. Kids need fed, bills need paid and ailing dad needs assistance, family wants attention, feeling guilty not being there. Life is cruel sometimes. But, maybe these are the tests that if we pass, we're really are a man worthy of God's countenance upon us.

I think our system is broken, in many ways, but I'll keep it to one thought. If you can afford a lawyer dream team, it all comes down to knowing the granules of the law and having a set of people who want to save your ass, i.e. money. The jurers in there typically don't know the law enough, myself included I'll admit, to possibly offer any intelligence on evidence evaluation, proper ethics associated with the field, the list goes on. Others, arguably couldn't pass a 5th grade civics test. But, most of us with a shred of brain, feel that an offender who beats an officer's head in, or a son that wipes out his family, should be put away for a long time. Again, enter the dream team.

I know it sounds like I'm making excuses, but... I *really* am not interested. Ashamed, maybe a little... How life is right now, still not interested.

Flat Rock Canoe Trip

Sat, 05 Jan 2008 00:08:27 GMT

On a brisk, late December morning, the crack of dawn found the fellas and I heading to St. Paul to find some more Indiana water... and some scenery.

A couple of canoes, cameras and some MRE's provided a the fun for the day. The sights included an screeching eagle, a flock of wild geese dragging their wings in the water as they took off, loads of natural rock and river formations and some wild, very cold water.

Take a look at these fine photos and videos and you'll agree that winter is as beautiful as summer.

2007 Spring Wine Grape Workshop

Fri, 30 Mar 2007 00:07:18 GMT

A well-rounded, all-day workshop. We toured the facility, the vineyard, and watched Bruce Bordelon (Purdue University, Ag Dept, Small Fruit Specialist) prune several variety of vines. There was LOTS of wine tasting and trying it various glasses.

It happened at Ertle Cellars in Batesville, Indiana. This cellar and winery is a brand-new, state of the art facility. Energetic and determined winemaker, Brian Ahaus and and Gary Ertle, the seasonsed vineyard manager are running a very nice and clean operation with all areas well thought out. I plan to write up more here in the future, so check back.

February 2007 Ice Storm

Thu, 01 Mar 2007 00:00:00 GMT

I say ice storm because it was icey and cold and went on for a two week stint... not that I'm complaining. I loved it. We're talking natural tree pruning at its best. The weather conditions were ideal for enclosing EVERYTHING in a thick case of ice.

It made for great pictures, although the pictures do it no liberty.

I like the midwest because we get to experience all four seasons. I'm more upset when we have a warm winter with little snow. I even like being stranded at home for a while. I got to get the kids out for a little sled riding too.

Hope the season finds everyone happy, healthy... and warm!

Camping with Steve, Dick and Bill

Thu, 09 Nov 2006 00:00:00 GMT

No, not Tom, Dick and Harry... Steve, Dick and Bill... I was invited to share an evening with "the Dickel" on their annual camping trip with the guys. You haven't partied until you've had an evening around a fire with guitars, shischk-a-bobz, gin... and "the Dickel".

Fun times. Of course Bill was there to shed a little civility on matters. I wasn't even aware of the existance of a coleman coffe maker. Set it on top of some heat and it'll brew you a pot of fresh coffee in minutes. Between the coffee maker, the stovetop, the tent heater and lanterns, it was an evening of music, debachery, and expending cans of coleman fuel by the dozen.

The weather was jsut incredible... almost as if the sun came out just for us. The night was a little chilly but well worth it and it beats rain anytime.

Note to self... not to miss out next year. Dickle + gin + homemade beer + bill's coffee maker = one helluva good time an no dissappointments.

The WinePod

Thu, 09 Nov 2006 00:00:00 GMT

A friend sent me the most interesting link and I just had to blog about it. For the winemaking yuppy, try this on for size. A completely contained and integrated vessel for pressing, fermenting and making wine.

For me, the biggest challenge in making a stellar wine lies between tasting, interpreting and making changes. That is, truly understanding what you are tasting, making educated interpretations and ultimately the best decisions in changing the chemistry of the must now for your future award-winning wine. These interpretations are subjective in nature and you will not know how the decisions you make now will affect the wine several years down the road.

I could see using something like this to sharpen such decision-making skills... assuming one could afford it. However, once you own one, why would you need to learn anything since this thing will do it for you. It's probably not for me, but I love the idea of checking the temperature, pH, brix etc... from work!

The WinePod is a state-of-the-art tool for small lot artisan winemaking. The WinePod integrates fermentation, pressing, and ageing in one elegant unit yet it is simple and easy to use. The WinePod controls the heat of fermentation and maintains appropriate ageing temperature using electronically controlled thermoelectric heating and cooling. Your wine ferments and ages in a variable-capacity stainless steel tank with an integrated wine press. The WinePod collects and transmits fermentation and temperature data wirelessly to your PC where our software offers winemaking guidance and manages your processes and records.

You would think they'd at least make it resemble a barrel? If you haven't heard of the WinePod yet, you should in the next couple years as it will be marketed to commercial wine makers in 2007. All for now.

Spring 2007 grapevines ordered

Wed, 18 Oct 2006 00:00:00 GMT

I finally located the Vidal Blanc vines that I have been wanting. I found a pretty reputable place in NY, called Double A Vinyards. They grow pretty much every varietal you can think of. It's important that you get quality, disease-free vines. Handling is important. The grape-growing/wine-making forum I belong to highly endorses this place with the bulk of its members ordering from here.

While I was at it, I couldn't resist the urge to snag a few Swenson White vines. These vines will come in the Spring of 2007. Many varieties are already sold out. Gotta get 'em early.

These new vines will be added to my first-year Mars, Concord and Niagra vines... truly making the backyard, my backyard vineyard :)

In addition to the grape vines, I have two Mont Morency cherry trees, one Bing cherry with an additional Bing being added in the spring (for cross-polination) and 1 or 2 North Star trees.

I have made my first batch of Blackberry wine from my brambles also in the back. The goal is to have the backyard supplying I'll the wine fodder I'll ever need within 5-6 years. Caio till next time.

Ice Wine: CAN$30,000 for a half-bottle

Tue, 26 Sep 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Man, ice wine too damned good. And so, I'm actually making a batch of it. That is, I got a kit that has the juice of Reisling grapes that were allowed to freeze on the vine, then harvested pressed. 3-gallons for US$75.

It is a lot of work (with risk of failure) for a vinyard/winery to grow and produce ice wine. The government will not let anyone sell a wine labeled "Ice Wine" unless it has went through the true process. Instead, you may have seen it labeled (Iced Wine). Take a look at the difference in price, but you may still notice it can be higher then the traditional bottle of wine.

Ice wine is here to stay and people are paying big bucks for it. Naturally, I wanted to try it out at home. And I don't have to wait for the first frost to start it this time :) I'll follow up later with updates.

I'll let the link to below say the rest.

Wine and Beer... coasting in the cellar

Tue, 19 Sep 2006 00:00:00 GMT

I just got another batch of wine going Sunday night. Chianti. It's a red wine and more dry that I usually make. I thought it was about that time in my process to try something new and different. That makes a total of six batches of various wines and two batches of beer rippin' in the cellar.

In my efforts to stock the cellar, I started most batches in the spring. I did start another batch of Watermelon wine over the summer, but it was just too delicate and didn't survive the fermentation process. It smelled and tasted horrible. That was 3-gallons I dumped about a month ago. After much research, it turns out indeed that Watermelon wine is pretty difficult to make. It is usually better when fermented with another fruit that has more body. I'll try it again one day.

Most of the wines will be ready to taste around Christmas. But really, they'll be tasted, adjusted if needed and then bottled to do another 6 months or so in the cellar. I of course always hand a few out 'round the holidays.

I didn't want all the wines to be done at one time, so hence my efforts to stagger them. It's my goal to always have something new ready to be tasted, or bottled.

I have always been a fan of country wines i.e. wines made from fruit instead of grapes. I think it may be mainly because I don't like spending money on base ingredients. I get that from my dad. I am fine with buying my supplies etc., but it gets costly to always have to buy your base ingredients. I grow my own cherries and blackberries in the back yard. While I do have 7 grapevines of various variety going now, they won't be producing grapes for another year or so. I am planting additional grapevines (and a shitload of various garlic varieties) next Spring.

I did bite the bullet and bought 4 gallons of Gewurstiminer grape juice in late spring just so I could have a grape wine going. I have three other cherry type wines going. One of them also has blackberries in it. Damn that sounds good don't it? One batch is going on 4 years old. All the wines are going great and they are coasting. That's why I decided to start a red wine. Yeah, I bought that juice too, and that's all for this year I promise! Again, my reasoning was because I've never made a red grape wine yet and well, I guess you can't be a vintner without those under your belt.

Anyway, I have about 40 more gallon freezer bags jammed with cherries for other evil experiments :) Ok, that's all for now.

Lunchbreak thoughts of 9/11

Mon, 11 Sep 2006 00:00:00 GMT

I was thinking about life a moment ago and of all the things I love to do in this world. Things like, kiss my wife, chalk up the sidewalk with the kids, make music, sniff a bottle of un-corked vino, plant a garden and watch friends prosper. I was thinking about Sept. 11, 5 years ago... and then, all the things in life I take for granted. For a moment, things went quiet and dim.

Shit, life is fast today. You can miss a lot in just a wink. There's so much to think about now days that it's easy to forget most of it.

Today, I'm only urging everyone to do nothing, but contemplate what it means to you to do what you really love to do and to give gratitude to those who make it possible. There's so much I have to forget today, but NOT the people who mean everything to me... and NOT the people in this world who give what they give... to ultimately enable me to forget about life for a while.

Our 5th wedding anniversary

Tue, 05 Sep 2006 00:00:00 GMT

It was all Susan's idea. Of the many things she could choose from for our 5th anniversary, she wanted to do a canoe trip with just the two of us... something that has not happened since "before kids."

It was a great idea, and it turned out in a manner that is noteworthy. It was Labor Day weekend. The weather was already if'y. Since it was just the two of us, we didn't have to pack bottles, a ton of food and countless other articles. We simply took one dry-bag with our camera, a couple towels and a small cooler with some tuna salad and vodka and cranberry... of course.

We were ready and even expecting rain. We did get misted on a little but I think it made it all the better.

It was a great trip and I wouldn't have changed a thing. It reminded me that we are still capable of taking a lightweight trip and willing to take whatever Mother Nature intended.

By the time we got off the river, Greg had some people setting up the field for a huge fireworks display. These were genuine Class 6 works (see the picture of launch tubes) - They took the whole day to set up and the field was staged for a huge, private display. There couldn't have been more then 30 people (family) here watching this awesome display.

The show lasted longer than the WEBN fireworks and of the same caliber too. The picture here does it no liberty, but my accompanying video does.

These guys just got back from Japan to "test out the latest" at the canoe livery. It turns out they struck a barter (canoe and camp for fireworks display)

I couldn't think of a better way to celebrate 5 years with my lovely bride.

The Spring plantings are complete

Tue, 25 Apr 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Everyone heard me blathering about planting grapevines this spring. Well, the promise is delivered. I have three hybrids: Mars Seedless, Concord Seedless and Catawba. In addition, I planted two more Sweet Cherry trees (North Star and Bing) to add to the two Mont Morency Sour Cherry trees that will bear fruit this year.

What's more you may ask? I did establish the asparagus patch this year as well as strawberrys and a blueberry bush. I hope that in a year or three, I'll have a nice selection of wine, pie or canning fruit.

"Sweetie" launches website

Fri, 21 Apr 2006 00:00:00 GMT

To showcase odd videos, pics and music, Sweetie thought it may be cool to assemble a site to put it all together. Watch out, it's really unpolished and strange. Thanks to Brian Faust for the rippin' logo. He threw this together for Scott a while back.

The reason for the site was that we seemed to be able to get together once a week and have some fun... and coincidentally, pull a gig once a month. So, it made sense to put something up so people could see where we might be. At the same time, we have put together some goofy photos and even a video on an original. It's all low-fi and crude. Please, lower your expectations and then click the link below. Till next time...

More progress on the wine cellar

Tue, 28 Mar 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Yet another weekend of workin' the wine cellar. It's getting down to the exciting, yet frightening part. Frightening in that one wrong cut and I can screw a lot of things up. The latest pics show the plank paneling about done. There's still a little more to put up. You will notice I have the 8 holes cut for the smal 3" cans that will circle the perimiter of the wine racks. These can be aimed down towards the racks and will provide the mood one needs when retiring to the cellar to bust open a bottle of the finest.

Still to do... the lower sofit under the racks. I expect this to be the most difficult part and the part that can make the whole plan work... or suck. I also need to plumb in the stationary tub. I've been aching to do this but I've held off so that it does not get in the way of the other millwork happening around the room. This thing has been waiting to go in since Oct. 2005! The last things to do are finish the tile behind the sink, install the racks and put up the crown molding. The crown molding will set this space off like nothing else. I'm telling you, it will be on fire! I got my sights set on some awesome crown molding and I'm holding off until my budget allows. Yes people, I'm talking musuem-like crown molding. This is the stuff you just can't justify putting in many places.

Stay tuned for the next update in a week or so.

Happy Mother's Day!

Wed, 15 Mar 2006 00:00:00 GMT

In the spirit if all mother's in my life, I have planted a clematis in the back yard. To me, it represents longevity, renewal and beauty.

Just something to remind me that without my mother, I wouldn't be who I am today. I am confident that my loving wife and mother of my children will play the same role in the lives of our little ones.

Another hit on the wine celler

Mon, 13 Mar 2006 23:58:40 GMT

Over the weekend and a half day on Friday, the wine celler took a big step. Oh if I only had another 1-2 days on it. After extensive preparation and re-preparation within the walls, I got the 1/4" ply walls up and all the tonge and groove cedar planks installed.

I set the racks in the room just to get an idea of where it's all heading. Not bad. I hope to finish this thing up by the end of March. Stay tuned for the final pics.

Talls Stacks '06 and Old Crow Medicine Show

Wed, 15 Feb 2006 00:00:00 GMT

I love Old Crow Medicine Show and it was even sweeter to see them in such a setting. River boats along the Ohio River... imagine that. I was thoroughly bummed about missing the Aug. show in Louisville. I was full of shame... then I found out they were playing Tall Stacks. I was originally in disbelief, but the moment it was confirmed, we snagged some tickets for a cruise and said screw it's on. Susan and I were able to get out and take a cruise on the Belle of Cincinnati and then catch Old Crow at 9pm.

The weather was perfect. I was so giddy, I was taking all the pictures I could, video too. Tall Stacks in Cincinnati has become quite an event. I'm looking forward to the next one already. The charm of cruising a riverboat (the ski club was also in attendance,) coupled with a great night of music was just the thing we needed. Huge thanks to my mom for playing both baby sitter and chauffeur. It just wouldn't have happened otherwise. Mom's so great!

Boarding the best of the west

Tue, 14 Feb 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Today is the last day of a fine adventure out west. The last 4 days have been nothing but shreding in some of the finest conditions I've done. The sun is blazing and my face is burnt. I love it.

After wrapping up a couple days at Park City, one day at the Canyons and one at Brighton (the BEST so far) we wrap up this trip with a visit to Snowbird. I've never been here and I look forward to it. I hear it's better then Solitude, which we were pretty impressed with!
One of the sweetest things about the Park City area is that you can rip a half hour from the Salt Lake airport and take your pick from 6 or 7 different resorts.

Ok, let's top off this coffee and get moving. Pictures coming in a day or so!

Park City, Utah, here I come... again

Thu, 26 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Only 3 weeks left. On Feb. 10, I'll head to Utah to board some of the best powder in the US. A friend/client of mine invites my partner and I to his condo right on the slopes each year. I took him up a couple years ago, but popping out kids makes it difficult to make it every year. After taking a year off to help my wife with the birth of our son, Nic, I'm finally heading back.

You can never prepare enough when it comes to the proper workouts leading up to a ski trip, but I try. It has literally been just over 2 years since I strapped a board on. However, I've had longer stretches before. While there is fast access to over 5 resorts, I'm looking most forward to Solitude again. It's a boarders paradise and a place that in one day, you can get almost a week's fill. Solitude is not packed with the tourists. I think it's more of a local favorite. Its altitude is higher than the other nearby mountains and when the snow is heavy, the pass is sometimes closed and you can't make it up (Argh!).

This all said, I still need to get out the board and tune up, move a shit-load of work off the platter and countless things around the house. More later.

My wine cellar is prepped and ready to install racks

Tue, 17 Jan 2006 23:56:50 GMT

For a wine lover, a cellar is nice to have. For a winemaker, at least one who has turned out just over 100 bottles a year for the last two years, a cellar is a necessity. Otherwise, all that wonderful juice just sits in large carboys or demijohns all year.

Don't get me wrong, I buy my share of wines just out of curiosity. Fine wines are worth paying for if you can store and eventually serve them in good condition. It is this reason and the fact that I make my share of wine that led me to build my own wine cellar.

The principles behind storing wine are neither difficult to understand nor to achieve. If you can't achieve all factors, then some are better than none.

If you're interested, here are the factors to consider if you are going through the effort to build a private wine cellar... as I am.

10 basic things you need to make wine at home

Thu, 12 Jan 2006 10:30:05 GMT

I've had a few people ask about the equipment to make wine. So, while I have pushed this in other areas of the site in the past, it's time for an official blog entry.

I was lucky to inherit much of my dads old equipment, but to your surprise, you would probably have 5 out of the 10 basic things you need to make wine. You can get all 10 things for under $75 if you bought it new. Take a look.

10 Basic things you need to make wine at home

Tis the season for Holiday E-cards

Mon, 09 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Sorry for the late post everyone. For Christmas 2005, Innersync decided to develop and send an interactive e-card to all our clients. How appropriate for an interactive company to demonstrate how saavy we are. Anyway, it did get a lot of attention and was truly a hit.

Here's some press:
Mail Chimp People
Check it out here:
http://www.innersync.com/happyholidays05

Wine racks are assembled and ready for install

Sun, 08 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT

After several hours across 3 days, I have the wine racking assebled and ready for install. Thanks to my ever-faithful helper on alternating Saturdays, Brian. I am still working on the walls of the wine cellar and plan to have these buttoned up soon. After that, I have to build the upper and lower sofits of the wine racks before they can go in. This will be a job and one that will make or break the aesthetics of this project. Stand by for fun.

Tasting of the Dandelion Wine

Sun, 08 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT

I bottled up the first bottle of the dandelion wine for my brother the other day.

Of course, I couldn't help tryin' a little taste for myself. Mmmmm, not too bad for the first attempt. Check out the photos so you can see how the cloudy mess of before has turned into the sparkly delight it is now :)

Building your own wine cellar

Wed, 21 Dec 2005 00:00:00 GMT

The principles behind storing wine are neither difficult to understand nor to achieve. If you can't achieve all factors, then some are better than none. I have set forth to build my own wine cellar and here is what I have learned.

Since wine is alive, it reacts either positively or negatively to its environment. How it is treated will determine how fast or slow it ages and how it will turn out in the end. Wine wants to be kept in a clean, dark, damp place with good ventilation, where it can be stored, vibration free, at a constant temperature.

Temperature is the most important factor that should be sought after above all others. The ideal temperature is 50 to 55F. You will get different opinions depending on who you talk to. However, any constant temperature within 40-65F will do.

More important than the actual temperature you will be able to achieve, is the degree and speed of temperature fluctuation the wine is subjected to. A slow change of temperature of ten odd degrees between winter and summer is not a big deal. But this kind of fluctuation on a daily or weekly basis will cause damage to your wines and age them prematurely.

You will notice damage of this nature from the sticky deposit that often forms around the capsule. In time, as the wine expands and contracts, it will damage the integrity of the cork. When this happens, small quantities of wine may make its way alongside the cork even allowing oxygen back in.

Wines kept at too high a temperature will age faster than wines kept at a cold temperature. Theoretically, wines kept at 68F will age twice as fast as those kept at 50F. At 55F wines will age so slowly--with ultimately greater complexity--that you will never have to worry about them. This is not to say the colder the better. Wine that is stored too cold can develop deposits or other suspensions in the wine. White wines are affected far more than red wines by temperature problems.

Moderate humidity is important so as to keep the corks in good condition and thereby preventing them from shrinking. A relative humidity of 50-80% is the acceptable range, but about 70% is recommended. Excessive humidity will not harm the wine but will cause the labels and any other paper products--like cardboard cases and boxes--also present in the cellar to rot. Insufficient humidity may cause the corks to dry out, lose their elasticity and thereby allow air to get into the bottle. Bummer, especially on a $500 bottle of cabernet that I don't have... but would like to try.

Light will prematurely age a bottle of wine. Naturally, clear bottles are most susceptible to this problem, but ultraviolet light will penetrate even dark colored glass. Ultraviolet light can even give a wine an unpleasant aroma and ruin it. Extra care should be given to sparkling wines as they are more sensitive to light than other wines. It should be noted too, that incandescent or sodium vapor lights are better for a celler than fluorescent lighting.

Calmness... Believe it or not, constant vibration from machinery or even a nearby road disturbs a red wine's sediment and can be harmful to all wine. This is not a common problem in the average home as extremes are rare and obvious... not to mention bad for the wine. It should be remembered that excessive sound creates vibrations that are harmful as well.

Wines should be stored in such a way that you don't have to move them around to get at a particular bottle. Once a wine is laid down, it should stay there until it is opened.

Clean and Airy... Keep your cellar clean. Extraneous smells can enter through the cork and contaminate the wine. Proper ventilation will help with this problem and keep the cellar from giving the wine a musty taste. Finally, debris that could be a home to insects that might infect the corks i.e. untreated wood, food, etc. should be removed. Never store fruits, vegetables, cheeses or any other food that is capable of fermenting.

Angle of Storage... Table wine is stored horizontally so that the wine stays in contact with the cork. This keeps the cork moist thereby preventing air from entering the wine. Fortified wines other than port, are stored standing. If bottles are stored with the labels up, it will be easier to see the deposit of sediment that forms on the opposite side of the bottle when it comes time to open it.

This is it for now. These ideas are my thoughts, some of my experiences and even factual information about wine cellars gathered via the wonderful Internet. I plan to maintain this information through time and I will update you along with pictures of my process over the next year.

Lawrenceburg Home 2005 Photo Collection

Mon, 12 Dec 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Check it out folks. This is a collection of photos that I have taken around the neighborhood over the last three years. These simple things in life remind me of how good it is to be alive and... how much I love this country.

Basement carpeted

Fri, 02 Dec 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Three months of carpet shopping... bringing swatches home... taking material samples to and fro... just to find the right one. Now after 5 weeks of waiting for the carpet to arrive, it is down. This marks the end of all the "necessary" major purchases to finish the basement.

Processing a deer

Mon, 14 Nov 2005 00:00:00 GMT

As we comb the history of the Morgan's we see many repeating traits. We were "dwellers by the water," and "at one with nature," and "hunters." We know that the land and being in harmony with our environment has been a very important thing. I see these same traits in many of our newer generation too. Sure, there's lots to instill in our children, but it was right around when I turned 30 when these inborn traits emerged. I found myself interested in many of the same things my father was in to like, antiques, gardening and growing our own food, things that are home-made and just ideas that keep life simpler.

While only a handful on the newer generations get out to hunt, I try to make myself one of them. Alas... not this year. Thanks to my friend Scott for nabbin' one for the freezer this year. These pics are not for the faint, but if you like deer jerky, and steak you might be interested in the process.

On life when we were kids

Mon, 24 Oct 2005 00:00:00 GMT

These are not my words, but I was struck by how true these words ring true for me. I know that the world is different today and we can't let our children run about without keeping tabs on them. Can you remember those days?? The following at least allows us to remember something sweet from childhood and still sheds light on some of the things we do need to restore in our lives today.

Up until the 70's, life was considered more simple, and therefore able to be enjoyed to its fullest. Now, it seems we can't step outside for fear of sunburn.

We survived being born to others who smoked and/or drank while they carried us.

They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes. After that trauma, our baby cribs were covered with bright colored lead-based paints.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking.

As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags. Riding in the back of a pick up on a warm day was always a special treat.

We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle.

We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this.

We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank soda pop with sugar in it, but we weren't overweight because WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on. No one was able to reach us all day. And we were O.K.

We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.

We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 99 channels on cable, no video tape movies, no surround sound, no cell phones, no personal computers, no Internet or Internet chat rooms ....WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents.

We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.

We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes.

We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just yelled for them!

Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!!

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!

This generation has produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever!

The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.

We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL!

We're so lucky to have grown up as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated our lives for our own good, before predators stalked our children and before the sick seem to somehow, outnumber us. What's happened in the world today?