newyorkette

The idea is that if the water levels are at equal levels (from the floor) at the outset, the tree will drink the water from it’s reservoir, causing the water level in the reservoir to lower, which in turn will cause the tube to suck in more water from the number 2 reservoir automatically. It’s basic physics!  All you need to do is check the water level in the reservoir doesn’t get too low for the trick to work.  Put a mark at the good high level. My tree seems to drink it down to about a quarter inch below that marker a day.

The hardest part is getting the water to go through the tube and into the tree reservoir’s pan without an air bubble. To do this, suck the water from reservoir 2 into your mouth (just a little, no need to chug it), then quickly block the end of the tube with your thumb without allowing an air gap, then insert that end into the water in the tree reservoir’s pan. Pin it under the tree trunk if there’s a little space there, the opening needs to be in the lowest part of the reservoir. 

Check on the water level every now and then.

UPDATE: it works! the water level in reservoir 2 has gone down by a quarter inch. Success!!!

NEW UPDATE: put the tree trunk in a bucket of water the first night — it really drinks like crazy the first night or two. Then put it in the tree stand.

ALSO: if you notice the water is not moving in the tube once the water gets to a certain level, put a towel under the tree stand, and fill the reservoir to a point a little higher than the tree stand. This will cause it to overflow very slowly onto the towel. By slowly, I mean you won’t be able to perceive it if you watch it. Go take a shower or something. When you come back, just skim off the excess, and it should be sipping away fine for the next few days.

Look familiar?

I was only 6 years old, but I’ll never forget Iron Eyes Cody’s very beautiful 1971 “Keep America Beautiful” public service announcement. If you’re too young to remember it yourself, click on the image for the video.

Get Iron Eyes Cody’s book, “Indian Talk” from the Akta Lakota Museum and Cultural Center, here.

As for Thanksgiving, I give thanks every day, thank you! (See?)

(Here’s the legal link to two versions of the PSA in case the link to youtube has been taken down again for copyright violation. Unfortunately, it only works for people with Windows Media Player, not for Mac.)

(and yes, this is a semi-repeat of last year’s Thanksgiving post, because I never tire of this PSA).

(click on the image for larger version, which also contains a few extra, edited here, stray lines — I’m not used to drawing with a ball point pen!)

I have some friends upstate who are goats. I like to feed them from the little candy machine that dispenses goat kibbles for 25 cents a handful. Oh, the congenial welcome! Oh, the little velvet muzzles against my warm palm! Oh, the laughing, coin-slot pupils! Oh, how delicious with carrots and potatoes! 

We’ve finally made it into the 21st century!  Obama is the first bi-racial president of the United States.  I am emphasizing that he is half white and half black, and this is why: I am half hispanic, and half white, with a little Jewish thrown in.  What does that make me?  That makes me American. And that’s how I related to Obama.  I related to him as an American. Even though he was forced into choosing black over white for political purposes, he is multi-racial, and that is the future of not only the USA, but also of the world.  Which is good, because it means love is prevailing!

Welcome to the 21st century! The future is finally beginning to look like the future, and not the past!

Now! Where’s my Jetsons space-car?  :)