Microphones, Pot, Trees, And Running Dogs

As I said before, I have used a headset microphone to dictate my books for a long time, and a while back I decided I needed to upgrade so I purchased a Blue Yeti Nano standalone microphone. It took a couple of attempts to get it set up properly and it works, although it’s not perfect. But then again, what is? At the same time, I also bought a Zoom H4n Pro recorder/microphone, which was highly recommended by some people who know a lot more about these kinds of things than I do. I have been trying to learn my way around it the last couple of weeks, knowing that it’s a very sophisticated piece of equipment, and probably overkill for me.

Being Gadget Boy, at first I was very impressed with it, then I segued into being very confused because it has a lot of different options and settings that I will never use and cannot quite master. In fact, just yesterday I told Miss Terry that I thought I might return it before the time to do so expires in January because it was too confusing to work with.

The big issue I had was trying to get it to connect to the computer and make it work properly. It seemed like there were more steps to go to than was worth the effort. Then I looked at a couple of YouTube videos that explained the process much better and using their method I was able to plug it in and get it working pretty quickly. In fact, I’m narrating today’s blog with it.

One problem I have discovered is that I need a longer USB cord to connect it to the computer because all I have is a short one and I am using it with a USB extension cord. It seems like if I even look at it sideways, it loses the connection. When that happens, I have to choose the profile in Dragon all over again and go from there. I guess that will be one of the things I order the next time I’m on Amazon. I have until the end of January before I have to make a decision whether or not to keep it, so I’ll work with it a while longer and see what happens.

When I mentioned in the blog the other day that Terry was growing herbs in her AeroGarden, someone suggested I want might want to grow my own pot. No thanks, I don’t use pot, and since my RF nerve ablations six months ago, I haven’t even used the medical marijuana oil that I have. But there are people who are quite successful in growing their own weed in hydroponic setups.

It’s nothing new. Early in my newspaper career, many years ago, I owned a big Victorian house in Washington state, and the third floor was a massive open attic. A good friend of mine was a narcotics detective who had busted some major hydroponic marijuana grows, and he was helping me upgrade some electrical wiring. We had to go up in the large attic which was fully floored and could have been finished and used as a living space if we needed it, which we didn’t. My friend looked at all that space and then at me and said, “If we could get enough fluorescent lights up here and I could get enough stuff out of the evidence room, we could become gentlemen farmers and retire in a couple of years.” He was kidding, of course. I think.

I have been watering our citrus trees every day, as recommended by Lindley’s Nursery for the first month. The only days I have missed were when it has rained, like yesterday when a large system came in from the West in the afternoon and really dumped on us. As they say, it was a gully washer, so no watering was required. Saturday marks a month since they were planted, and then we switch to watering every other day for a week, and then every third day for a week after that. Then I will water once a week and see how things go.

I’m looking forward to seeing fruit on the trees, though I know that won’t be for quite a while yet, but I think our neighbors are looking forward to it more than we are. Every time I’m out doing something in the yard and see one of them passing by, they tell me that I should not be surprised if I wake up some morning to find the tree stripped bare. Yeah, that’s why we went to all the time and expense, so they could have fresh fruit. I’m a wonderful neighbor. 🙂

It’s Thursday, so it’s time for a new Free Drawing. This week’s prize is an audiobook of Dog’s Run, my mystery set in a small Ohio town in 1951. I have 33 mystery novels out, as well as 10 nonfiction books, and I have to say that Dog’s Run is my favorite. It’s a gritty tale that is loosely based upon an actual crime that took place in that part of the country when my father was a young police officer there, and I warn you in advance that there’s some rough language, but it’s appropriate to the time and place. To enter, all you have to do is click on this Free Drawing link or the tab at the top of this page and enter your name (first and last) in the comments section at the bottom of that page (not this one). Only one entry per person per drawing please, and you must enter with your real name. To prevent spam or multiple entries, the names of cartoon or movie characters are not allowed. The winner will be drawn Sunday evening.

Thought For The Day – I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.