Author: chogan@directresearch.com

G23-048: Uncooked mustard. Handle with care.

 

About mustard, the condiment, I know nothing.  I follow recipes.

I’ve now tried making two batches of mustard, from seed I harvested a little earlier this year.  You can look at recent prior posts to see how I went about harvesting, threshing, and winnowing the mustard seeds.

Continue reading G23-048: Uncooked mustard. Handle with care.

Post #1822: How much mulching could you do, for the fuel currently used for fall vacuum leaf pickup?

 

Suppose my town cancelled fall vacuum leaf pickup and disposal. 

Would the fuel saved by that offset additional fuel burned to run mulching lawn mowers, to take care of those leaves, in-place?

Best guess:  Yes.  Every lawn in Town could get an estimated five additional mowings per year, for the fuel currently used to vacuum and dispose of residents’ leaves. Continue reading Post #1822: How much mulching could you do, for the fuel currently used for fall vacuum leaf pickup?

Post #1821: Fairfax County staff recommend discontinuing fall leaf vacuuming.

 

True rumor

Source:  clipart-library.com  To me, the original for this seem as if it were genuinely old.  But I got it, presumably without copyright restrictions, from that source.  If this is new, kudos to the creator for the look of it.

Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services (DPWES) employees recommended discontinuing fall vacuum leaf pickup. Continue reading Post #1821: Fairfax County staff recommend discontinuing fall leaf vacuuming.

Post #1820: Dribs and drabs of Town of Vienna historical data.

 

Today I stumbled across the dollar value of the 1961 Town of Vienna operating budget, in an old Town of Vienna newsletter.  It seemed small to me, even after considering inflation.  So I decided to compare a few key statistics for the Town of Vienna, 1960 (ish) versus 2023 (ish).  And, in fact, it was small.

N.B., one U.S. dollar, in 1960, was worth just over $10, in current (July 2023) currency.  Actual silver coinage (90% silver coins) did not disappear from U.S. circulation until 1964.

Town of Vienna, VA:  2023 versus 1960

Population:  43% increase

  • Per the 1960 Census:  11,500
  • Per the 2020 Census:  16,500

Dwelling units: 100% increase:

  • Per the 1960 Census:  2,750
  • Per the 2020 Census:  5,600 (est).

Persons per household:  26% decrease.

  • Per the 1960 Census:  4.1
  • Circa the 2021 Census:  3.03

N.B. 2 x .74 = 1.48, so even though the data above come from different, independent data sources, the math very nearly reproduces the actual increase in population (44%, not 48%) over the period.

Median house price:  Roughly five-fold increase.

  • Per the 1960 Census: $18,400
  • The 1960 price in 2023 dollars:  $189,000
  • 2023 median (estimated), all houses: $900,000.
  • 2023 median, listed for sale:  $1,030,000

Town of Vienna operating budget:  Roughly 10-fold increase.

  • Per the June 1961 TOV newsletter:  $462,000.
  • The 1960 cost in 2023 dollars:  $4,800,000.
  • The 2023-24 actual cost:  $50,000,000

Most of the operating revenue for the Town comes from real estate taxes.  To reconcile the 10-fold growth in house prices, and the five-fold growth in the cost of government, you have to know that the tax rate per $100 of market value fell by roughly 50% over this period.  In 1961, it was $1.35 per $100, assessed at 32% of market value, or (1.35 x .32 =) 0.42 per $100 of market value.  That, from the June 1961 Town newsletter.  Currently, the rate is just over $0.20 per $100 of market value, per the 2023-24 Town budget.

References:

1960 Census of Population and Housing:  https://usa.ipums.org/usa/voliii/pubdocs/1960/pubvols1960.shtml

2020 Census:  https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/viennatownvirginia/PST045222

Town of Vienna 1961 newsletter:  https://www.viennava.gov/engagement-central/newsroom/vienna-voice-town-newsletter

Town of Vienna operating budget:  https://www.viennava.gov/your-government/town-budget

Inflation calculator:  https://www.usinflationcalculator.com/

Post #1819: Fire and rain

 

Today in Vienna VA we have rain.  And forest-fire smog.

This seems unfair, somehow.

This post asks two things.

Does rain clear the air?  That is, remove dust, pollen, and fine particulates?  And if it does, then why is my AQI in the 80s for fine particulates, after it’s been raining overnight.

On the flip side, does forest fire smoke generate rain?  That is, does the smoke in the air increase the chance of rain, as cloud seeding does?

Bottom line:  Rain clears the air.  But only a bit.  A typical value for PM 2.5 reduction by moderate rain might be 25%.  Forest fire smoke doesn’t appear to make it rain.  But if the atmosphere is already primed for rain, there is some evidence that a high load of smoke in the air will intensify thunderstorms.

Continue reading Post #1819: Fire and rain

Post G23-046: Winnowing seed and making mustard

Bottom line:  A weak little computer fan is just right for winnowing mustard seed.  Optionally, roll the seeds down a tray to separate out the last little bits of chaff.

After cleaning some mustard seed in that fashion, I ground it in a cheap spice/coffee grinder, then used a recipe that promised to produce something like French’s yellow mustard.

I achieved neither the color nor the consistency of French’s.  But I think it’s recognizably mustard.

I’ll need to wait a few days for the taste test.

At the very least, this went a lot better than last year.  A box fan is way too large, and way to strong, for winnowing tiny mustard seeds.

Details follow.  See also:

Post G23-043: Threshing mustard by combing it.

Continue reading Post G23-046: Winnowing seed and making mustard