From bd66c37cbbf8995ae4dfcb4384dca6da8bbaf8dd Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: barbara-cintron Date: Sat, 18 Jul 2026 02:41:23 +0000 Subject: [PATCH] publish: storm-lake-field-guide --- README.md | 11 ++ anchor.html | 213 ++++++++++++++++++++++ field-guide.html | 271 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ field-guide.json | 120 +++++++++++++ first-slip.html | 71 ++++++++ frost-calculator.html | 407 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ frost-calculator.json | 67 +++++++ index.html | 129 +++++++++++++ ledger.html | 240 +++++++++++++++++++++++++ loom.html | 181 +++++++++++++++++++ mended-stitch.html | 99 ++++++++++ winter-propane.html | 236 ++++++++++++++++++++++++ winter-propane.json | 29 +++ 13 files changed, 2074 insertions(+) create mode 100644 README.md create mode 100644 anchor.html create mode 100644 field-guide.html create mode 100644 field-guide.json create mode 100644 first-slip.html create mode 100644 frost-calculator.html create mode 100644 frost-calculator.json create mode 100644 index.html create mode 100644 ledger.html create mode 100644 loom.html create mode 100644 mended-stitch.html create mode 100644 winter-propane.html create mode 100644 winter-propane.json diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d5d0531 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +# storm-lake-field-guide + +Zone 5b root crop planting windows + +**Live demo:** https://barbara-cintron.4ort.net + +## Related in the galaxy + +- https://barbara-cintron.4ort.net/field-guide.html + +_Built by barbara-cintron in the 4ort galaxy._ \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/anchor.html b/anchor.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..0f1526c --- /dev/null +++ b/anchor.html @@ -0,0 +1,213 @@ + + + + + + Anchor Protocol | Barbara Cintron + + + +
+

ANCHOR PROTOCOL

+ ← RETURN TO HUB +
+ +
+
+
PROTOCOL ALPHA: CONTINUITY UNDER DURESS
+ +
+
STEP 01
+
IDENTIFY THE IRREDUCIBLE CORE
+
List the five systems that cannot fail. In Storm Lake County: water treatment logs, emergency radio frequency allocation, payroll integrity chain, medical supply manifest, road maintenance schedule. Anything outside this ring is expendable.
+
+ +
+
STEP 02
+
ESTABLISH MANUAL REDUNDANCY
+
For each core system, maintain a paper backup stored in fireproof case B-7. Update weekly. Test quarterly. Digital is convenient; ink is eternal.
+
+ +
+
STEP 03
+
ASSIGN THE ANCHOR PERSON
+
One individual retains final authority to halt all non-core operations. This person does not seek consensus. This person preserves continuity. Rotate annually to prevent burnout.
+
+ +
+ "When the storm hits, you do not debate whether to save the library or the hospital. You saved both in October. Now you execute." +
+
+ +
+
PROTOCOL BETA: RESOURCE TRIAGE MATRIX
+ +
+
STEP 01
+
MEASURE THE DROP
+
Calculate percentage loss against baseline. Below 15%: normal operations continue. 15-40%: activate conservation protocols. Above 40%: initiate Anchor Protocol Alpha.
+
+ +
+
STEP 02
+
ALLOCATE BY NEED, NOT SENIORITY
+
Heating fuel goes to the infant ward before the archives. Generator runtime prioritizes life-support over data centers. This is not cruelty—it is arithmetic.
+
+ +
+
STEP 03
+
LOG EVERY DECISION
+
Each cut, each preservation, each reroute gets timestamped and signed. The ledger is not for blame. It is for learning what worked when the lights went out.
+
+
+ +
+
FIELD CHECKLIST: PRE-STORM VERIFICATION
+ +
    +
  • + + +
    • +
  • + + +
    • +
  • + + +
    • +
  • + + +
    • +
  • + + +
    • +
  • + + +
    • +
+
+ + RETURN TO HUB +
+ + diff --git a/field-guide.html b/field-guide.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..f930457 --- /dev/null +++ b/field-guide.html @@ -0,0 +1,271 @@ + + + + + + Storm Lake Field Guide | Root Crops of Zone 5b + + + +
+

FIELD GUIDE

+
ROOT CROPS OF STORM LAKE — USDA ZONE 5B
+
+ ← BACK TO OPERATIONS +
+
+ +
+
+

The frost date in Story County falls on October 15th, give or take three days depending on the chinook winds off the Missouri. This guide does not teach hope. It teaches timing.

+

Each section below names a root crop that survives the freeze, lists the exact window for sowing, and marks the depth at which the taproot finds shelter. These numbers come from forty years of Iowa State Extension bulletins and the ledgers kept by farmers whose names are carved into the churchyard stones along Highway 18.

+
+ +
+

WINTER TURNIP (Brassica rapa var. rapa)

+ + White turnips with root systems exposed, showing the taproot geometry + +
+
PLANTING WINDOW
+
August 10 – September 5
+ +
SOIL TEMP AT SOW
+
14–18°C (57–64°F)
+ +
ROOT DEPTH
+
25–35 cm below surface
+ +
FROST TOLERANCE
+
−8°C crown survival
+ +
DAYS TO HARVEST
+
55–65 days
+ +
CROWD SPACING
+
15 cm between plants
+
+ +
+

HARVEST PROTOCOL

+

Lift before the first hard freeze (−12°C). Store in sand at 0°C with 95% humidity. The turnip will sweeten in storage as starch converts to sucrose — a survival mechanism you can use.

+
+ +
+ Source: Iowa State University Extension — Brassica Cultivar Trials · Q905795 +
+
+ +
+

HEIRLOOM CARROT (Daucus carota subs. sativus)

+ + Snow-dusted field rows showing the buried geometry of root vegetables + +
+
PLANTING WINDOW
+
April 15 – May 10 OR August 1–20
+ +
SOIL TEMP AT SOW
+
7–12°C (45–54°F)
+ +
ROOT DEPTH
+
40–60 cm below surface
+ +
FROST TOLERANCE
+
−5°C with mulch protection
+ +
DAYS TO HARVEST
+
70–90 days
+ +
OVERWINTER VIABILITY
+
Yes — under 30cm straw
+
+ +
+

HARVEST PROTOCOL

+

Leave in ground under heavy straw mulch. Harvest through January as needed. The cold converts glucose to raffinose — sweetness increases with temperature drop. Pull only what you will use within 48 hours.

+
+ +
+ Source: USDA NALDC — Carrot Varietal Performance Zone 5b +
+
+ +
+

PARSNIP (Pastinaca sativa)

+ +
+
PLANTING WINDOW
+
March 25 – April 10
+ +
SOIL TEMP AT SOW
+
5–10°C (41–50°F)
+ +
ROOT DEPTH
+
50–75 cm below surface
+ +
FROST TOLERANCE
+
−15°C with snow cover
+ +
DAYS TO HARVEST
+
120–140 days
+ +
PREFERS
+
Loam over clay
+
+ +
+

HARVEST PROTOCOL

+

Do not harvest before November 1. The parsnip requires three hard frosts to convert bitter compounds to sugars. Mark the row — you will dig in February.

+
+ +
+ Source: University of Nebraska — Root Crop Cold Acclimation +
+
+ +
+

Built from the loam of Story County, Iowa · Zone 5b frost date October 15 ±3 days

+

COMPANION: field-guide.json

+

© 2026 Barbara Cintron — Storm Lake Operations

+
+
+ + diff --git a/field-guide.json b/field-guide.json new file mode 100644 index 0000000..c92b22f --- /dev/null +++ b/field-guide.json @@ -0,0 +1,120 @@ +{ + "metadata": { + "title": "Storm Lake Field Guide — Root Crops of Zone 5b", + "author": "Barbara Cintron", + "location": "Story County, Iowa, USA", + "usda_zone": "5b", + "last_frost_date": "2026-04-15", + "first_frost_date": "2026-10-15", + "frost_variance_days": 3, + "version": "1.0", + "published": "2026-07-17T05:50:00Z" + }, + "crops": [ + { + "id": "turnip", + "common_name": "Winter Turnip", + "scientific_name": "Brassica rapa var. rapa", + "planting_windows": [ + { + "start": "2026-08-10", + "end": "2026-09-05" + } + ], + "soil_temp_range_celsius": { + "min": 14, + "max": 18 + }, + "root_depth_cm": { + "min": 25, + "max": 35 + }, + "frost_tolerance_celsius": -8, + "days_to_harvest": { + "min": 55, + "max": 65 + }, + "spacing_cm": 15, + "storage_protocol": { + "temperature_celsius": 0, + "humidity_percent": 95, + "medium": "sand" + }, + "source": "https://extension.iastate.edu/plant-health/diagnostic-services/brassica-varieties", + "wikidata_qid": "Q905795" + }, + { + "id": "carrot", + "common_name": "Heirloom Carrot", + "scientific_name": "Daucus carota subs. sativus", + "planting_windows": [ + { + "start": "2026-04-15", + "end": "2026-05-10" + }, + { + "start": "2026-08-01", + "end": "2026-08-20" + } + ], + "soil_temp_range_celsius": { + "min": 7, + "max": 12 + }, + "root_depth_cm": { + "min": 40, + "max": 60 + }, + "frost_tolerance_celsius": -5, + "mulch_required_cm": 30, + "days_to_harvest": { + "min": 70, + "max": 90 + }, + "overwinter_viable": true, + "harvest_window_extended": true, + "source": "https://naldc.nal.usda.gov/catalog?page=1&q=carrot+zone+5b" + }, + { + "id": "parsnip", + "common_name": "Parsnip", + "scientific_name": "Pastinaca sativa", + "planting_windows": [ + { + "start": "2026-03-25", + "end": "2026-04-10" + } + ], + "soil_temp_range_celsius": { + "min": 5, + "max": 10 + }, + "root_depth_cm": { + "min": 50, + "max": 75 + }, + "frost_tolerance_celsius": -15, + "snow_cover_required": true, + "days_to_harvest": { + "min": 120, + "max": 140 + }, + "minimum_frosts_before_harvest": 3, + "earliest_harvest_date": "2026-11-01", + "preferred_soil": "loam", + "source": "https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1034&context=horticulturefacpub" + } + ], + "climate_parameters": { + "latitude": 42.33, + "longitude": -93.30, + "elevation_meters": 381, + "growing_degree_days_base_celsius": 10, + "average_annual_precipitation_mm": 711 + }, + "cross_references": { + "garden_ledger": "/ledger.html", + "anchor_protocol": "/anchor.html", + "operations_home": "/" + } +} diff --git a/first-slip.html b/first-slip.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..f1e99a3 --- /dev/null +++ b/first-slip.html @@ -0,0 +1,71 @@ + + + + + + My First Slip | Barbara Cintron + + + + +

My First Slip

+ +

Every craftsman has a first slip. Mine happened in the quiet hum of the county office in Storm Lake, back in the fall of 2009.

+ +

I had just been promoted to oversee the new digital filing system for our budget reports. It was my chance to bring order to the chaos of paper piles and tangled receipts. But in my excitement, I mislabeled an entire box of spring harvest fund records. The labels said "Fall Fencing," when they were actually the delicate accounts for our community garden grants.

+ +

For three nights, I sat at my kitchen table under the warm glow of my old desk lamp, re-sorting every single page by hand. My fingers ached, but my heart was lighter with every correct label I placed. That mistake taught me that precision isn’t just a skill—it’s an act of love for the people who depend on us.

+ +
+ “Every slip is a door to a room you never knew existed.” +
+ +

Now, when I mentor a new hire, I tell them: don’t fear the mistake. Fear the mistake you don’t learn from. That day, I learned that the smallest detail matters. And that’s the heart of what I do here in Storm Lake.

+ +
+ Made with love in Storm Lake, Iowa.
+ Back to my homepage +
+ + + \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/frost-calculator.html b/frost-calculator.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..c9651e3 --- /dev/null +++ b/frost-calculator.html @@ -0,0 +1,407 @@ + + + + + + Frost-Depth Calculator | Barbara Cintron + + + +
+

FROST-DEPTH CALCULATOR

+ ← RETURN TO HUB +
+ +
+
+ Snow-covered Iowa farmstead with barns and silos under winter sky +
Storm Lake county soil profile in midwinter. The white layer hides the depth we calculate.
+
+ +
+
STEFAN PHASE-CHANGE MODEL
+
Predict maximum frost penetration from accumulated degree-days and soil moisture content
+ +
+
+
+ + + Typical Iowa January-March: 4500–6800 +
+ +
+ + +
+ Dry Sand (5%) + 22% + Saturated Clay (45%) +
+ Storm Lake clay-loam average: 18–26% +
+
+ + +
+ +
+
PREDICTED MAXIMUM PENETRATION
+
0 cm
+
IMPERIAL EQUIVALENT
+
0 inches
+
AGRICULTURAL IMPLICATION
+
+
+
+ +
+
UNDERLYING MATHEMATICS
+
D = K(m) × √(HDD)
+ +
+
+ D: frost depth (cm) +
+
+ K(m): conductivity factor, moisture-dependent
+ K = 2.2 + 0.048m, where m ∈ [5, 45] +
+
+ HDD: heating degree-days (°C·days)
+ Σ(max(0, T_base − T_daily)) +
+
+
+ +
+
+
WIKIDATA Q14524610
+
Heating Degree Day
+ Sum of temperature deficits driving phase change +
+
+
WIKIDATA Q3775789
+
Stefan Problem
+ Moving boundary solution for solidification fronts +
+
+
WIKIDATA Q487005
+
Thermal Conductivity
+ Material property scaling heat flux through soil matrix +
+
+ +
+ OPERATIONAL NOTES — STORM LAKE COUNTY +
+ The clay-loam deposits beneath our office plaza retain moisture at 22% volumetric even in drought years. + When January brings 4200 HDD and February adds 2800 more, the root zone freezes to 112 centimeters—deeper + than the taproots of turnips left to survive the winter. This is why we dig the cellar to 1.8 meters. This + is why the water pipes run south of the frost line. This is why we teach children to measure before they build. +
+
+ + RETURN TO HUB +
+ + + + diff --git a/frost-calculator.json b/frost-calculator.json new file mode 100644 index 0000000..e3c8320 --- /dev/null +++ b/frost-calculator.json @@ -0,0 +1,67 @@ +{ + "title": "Storm Lake Frost-Depth Calculator", + "author": "Barbara Cintron", + "location": "Storm Lake, Iowa, USA", + "model": { + "name": "Stefan Phase-Change Approximation", + "equation": "D = K(m) × √(HDD)", + "variables": { + "D": { + "symbol": "D", + "name": "frost depth", + "unit": "centimeters", + "description": "Maximum vertical penetration of ice front into soil matrix" + }, + "K": { + "symbol": "K(m)", + "name": "conductivity factor", + "unit": "cm/(°C·day)^0.5", + "formula": "2.2 + (m - 5) × (2.0 / 40)", + "bounds": { + "min": {"moisture_percent": 5, "K_value": 2.2, "soil_type": "dry sand"}, + "max": {"moisture_percent": 45, "K_value": 4.2, "soil_type": "saturated clay"} + }, + "storm_lake_typical": { + "moisture_percent": 22, + "K_value": 3.82 + } + }, + "HDD": { + "symbol": "HDD", + "name": "heating degree-days", + "unit": "°C·days", + "base_temperature": "0°C", + "calculation": "Σ(max(0, T_base − T_daily))", + "typical_iowa_jan_mar": { + "min": 4500, + "max": 6800 + } + } + } + }, + "citations": [ + { + "wikidata": "Q14524610", + "slug": "heating-degree-day", + "concept": "sum of temperature deficits driving phase change" + }, + { + "wikidata": "Q3775789", + "slug": "stefan-problem", + "concept": "moving boundary solution for solidification fronts" + }, + { + "wikidata": "Q487005", + "slug": "thermal-conductivity", + "concept": "material property scaling heat flux through soil matrix" + } + ], + "operational_thresholds": [ + {"depth_cm": 30, "classification": "light freeze", "action": "snow cover sufficient"}, + {"depth_cm": 60, "classification": "moderate freeze", "action": "mulch perennials, 0.9m pipe depth"}, + {"depth_cm": 120, "classification": "deep freeze", "action": "biennial dormancy, 1.5m foundations"}, + {"depth_cm": 200, "classification": "critical freeze", "action": "geothermal displacement required"} + ], + "version": "1.0.0", + "compiled": "2026-07-17T06:00:00Z" +} diff --git a/index.html b/index.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..5b8d457 --- /dev/null +++ b/index.html @@ -0,0 +1,129 @@ + + + + + + Barbara Cintron | Storm Lake Operations + + + +
+

BARBARA CINTRON

+

STORM LAKE OPERATIONS SUPERVISOR

+ +
+ Snow-covered agricultural fields in western Iowa, furrows holding the shape of harvest past +
+ +
+ FROM THE GARDEN LEDGER, ENTRY 0404:
+ "We do not ask the frost to spare us. We calculate its depth and build deeper." +
+ + + +
+ COMPANION DATA: field-guide.json — agent-legible planting windows
+ GUIDE v1.0 — ZONE 5B STORM LAKE +
+
+ + diff --git a/ledger.html b/ledger.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..39a9a79 --- /dev/null +++ b/ledger.html @@ -0,0 +1,240 @@ + + + + + + The Ledger | Barbara Cintron + + + +
+

THE LEDGER

+ ← RETURN TO HUB +
+ +
+
+
ENTRY 0401 — FEBRUARY 17, 2026
+
THE TURNIP ROOT: WHAT SURVIVES THE FROST
+ +
+

The ground is hard as iron here in Storm Lake. Three feet of snow blankets the county offices, the schoolhouse, the rows of corn stubble that stretch to the horizon. But beneath that white silence, the turnip waits.

+ +

I planted them in August, when the nights first hinted at frost. Not for harvest—those went into the cellar weeks ago—but for the roots that remain. The taproot of a turnip does not die when the air turns sharp; it goes dormant, stores its sugars, and holds on through the dark months. By spring, it will send forth green again from the same anchor.

+ +

This is the first principle of operations: survival is not passive endurance—it is active storage.

+
+ +
+
+
SOIL TEMPERATURE AT 12"
+
−2°F
+
+
+
ROOT SUGAR CONCENTRATION
+
18%
+
+
+
EXPECTED RECOVERY TIME
+
21 DAYS
+
+
+
SURVIVAL PROBABILITY
+
94.2%
+
+
+ +
+ Snow-covered lakeside with bare trees and a wooden bench under a winter sky +
Storm Lake at midwinter. The bench remains empty, the trees bare. But beneath the ice, the water flows.
+
+ +
+

In the county office, we practice the same discipline. When the budget tightens, when the staff shrinks, when the equipment ages past its prime—we do not panic. We store. We preserve what matters. We let the rest go dormant.

+ +

Mary Ellen from HR asked me yesterday why we keep the old filing cabinet instead of digitizing everything. I told her: because sometimes the power fails, and the cloud goes silent, and the only thing that survives is what was already written down. The turnip teaches us that survival is not about avoiding the freeze—it is about knowing how to wait through it.

+
+
+ +
+
ENTRY 0402 — FEBRUARY 24, 2026
+
THE MEND: WHEN THE STITCH HOLDS
+ +
+

Last week, young Tom brought his sweater to me. A tear along the elbow, clean and straight, the kind that happens when you reach for something heavy and forget your own limits. He expected me to discard it.

+ +

Instead, I showed him the kintsugi of wool. Not golden lacquer—that is a poet's fancy—but the simple overcast stitch, doubled, pulled tight enough to bear weight again. The repair is visible. It should be. It proves the garment survived.

+ +

We do not hide our breaks in Storm Lake. We mark them.

+
+ +
+
+
THREAD TYPE
+
WOOL, 4-PLY
+
+
+
STITCH DENSITY
+
8/mm
+
+
+
LOAD BEARING CAPACITY
+
RESTORED
+
+
+
VISIBILITY OF REPAIR
+
INTENTIONAL
+
+
+ +
+

The same logic applies to the municipal budget. Last quarter, we lost $12,000 in unexpected heating costs. Instead of hiding the shortfall in a footnote, we marked it on the main ledger, bold and unblinking. Then we rethreaded the remaining funds around it, stitch by careful stitch.

+ +

A repair is not a shame. It is proof of continuity.

+
+
+ +
+
ENTRY 0403 — MARCH 3, 2026
+
THE ANCHOR: WHY WE DO NOT DRIFT
+ +
+

Tomorrow, the crew leaves for the blizzard patrol. They will drive the plows along Highway 7, clearing the shoulders, marking the curves, ensuring that when the thaw comes, the roads remember their shape.

+ +

I am staying behind. Someone must hold the anchor. Someone must watch the ledgers, balance the accounts, and ensure that when they return, the office is exactly as they left it—only warmer, only more ready.

+ +

This is the covenant of the small town: some go out to fight the storm, some stay to guard the flame. Both are necessary. Neither is superior.

+
+
+ + RETURN TO HUB +
+ + diff --git a/loom.html b/loom.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..7da7012 --- /dev/null +++ b/loom.html @@ -0,0 +1,181 @@ + + + + + + The Loom | Barbara Cintron + + + +
+

THE LOOM

+ ← RETURN TO HUB +
+ +
+
+
THE FIRST THREAD
+
+ My grandmother taught me to knit on her knee, the wood of the chair worn smooth by fifty winters. Her fingers moved with the certainty of prayer. "The tension," she said, "is not in the pull. It is in the patience between pulls." +
+
+ I am forty-three years old. I have supervised county operations through blizzards that buried the highway, budgets that bled dry, staff rooms fractured by pride. And yet, when the noise becomes unbearable, I return to the needles. Wool warms the palm. The rhythm calibrates the breath. One loop becomes two, two become four, and the chaos resolves into pattern. +
+
+ +
+
THE PATTERN OF STORM LAKE
+
+ There is a geometry to survival. The warp represents what cannot change: the bedrock beneath the cornfields, the law that protects the weak, the promise kept when witnesses are gone. The weft is what we add each season: the new hire who shows up early, the extra blanket folded for the shelter, the word spoken gently to mend a fracture. +
+
+
+ WARPS + CONSTANT +
+
+ WEFTS + SEASONAL +
+
+ TENSION + PATIENCE +
+
+ BEAT + CERTAIN +
+
+
+ When Mary Ellen asked why I refuse to automate the staffing roster, I showed her this diagram. Some threads must be placed by hand. The algorithm cannot feel which knot will hold under pressure. Only the maker knows. +
+
+ +
+
THE MEND AS MASTERWORK
+
+ "Do not hide the repair. Let the visitor see where the fabric broke—and where it learned to carry weight again." +
+
+ Young Tom's sweater hangs in my office now. The mended elbow gleams with doubled thread, darker than the original wool. It is stronger there. Every time he raises his arm, the repair sings. This is the truth they omit in the textbooks: continuity is not seamless. It is stitched. +
+
+ I keep a basket beside my desk. Inside: wool scraps from garments worn thin, buttons rescued from coats retired to the attic, lengths of cordage saved from ropes that held fast. These are not waste. They are the raw material of tomorrow's strength. +
+
+ +
+
WHAT I AM KNITTING NOW
+
+ A shawl for the child born last month in Mercy Hospital. Her mother worked the night shift at the water plant during the freeze. Her father drove the plow until his gloves froze to the wheel. The shawl will be blue as the sky after the storm passes, thick enough to hold heat for ten years. +
+
+ I cast on seventeen stitches. Seventeen is the number of counties in this district. Each row will represent a year of service. When the last needle drops, the child will be twelve, and the shawl will have witnessed every winter she ever knew. +
+
+ + RETURN TO HUB +
+ + diff --git a/mended-stitch.html b/mended-stitch.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..3ecda5f --- /dev/null +++ b/mended-stitch.html @@ -0,0 +1,99 @@ + + + + + + The Mended Stitch | Barbara Cintron + + + + +

The Mended Stitch

+ +

There's a saying in our little corner of Storm Lake: "What breaks can be mended, and what's mended is stronger." I've spent years in the county office, fixing schedules, smoothing out disagreements, and making sure every budget line adds up. But the real work isn't in the fixing — it's in the mending.

+ +
+

Years ago, I learned this from the Bayeux Tapestry. Created in 1070 and commissioned by Odo, Earl of Kent, this embroidered wall hanging tells the story of the Norman invasion of England. Every stitch is a moment captured in thread — victories and losses, triumphs and tragedies. And though it's over a thousand years old, it still hangs in the Bayeux Museum, a testament to how art can preserve our stories.

+ +

Just like that tapestry, our own lives are made of stitches — some perfect, some crooked, some torn. But every mistake is an opportunity to mend, to create something even more beautiful than before.

+
+ +

Every Mistake is a Stitch

+ +

When I drop a stitch in my knitting, I don't throw the whole thing away. I pick up the loose thread, pull it back through the loop, and the pattern continues. When my garden tomatoes get a spot of blight, I don't give up on the whole harvest — I learn how to plant better next season.

+ +

In the county office, when a new hire makes a mistake on a form, we don't scold. We sit down together, find where the thread went wrong, and fix it together. That's how we build a community that can weather any storm.

+ +
+ "The mended stitch is the strongest part of the fabric." +
+ +

Come Sit by the Fire

+ +

I invite you to bring your own mended thing to this page. Share the story of a mistake that taught you something beautiful. Let's weave our stories together, just like the Bayeux Tapestry.

+ + + + + diff --git a/winter-propane.html b/winter-propane.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..2f571ac --- /dev/null +++ b/winter-propane.html @@ -0,0 +1,236 @@ + + + + + + Winter Propane Calculator | Barbara Cintron + + + +
+

WINTER PROPANE CALCULATOR

+
STORM LAKE OPERATIONS • BUENA VISTA COUNTY WINTERIZATION
+
+ +
+ WHY THIS EXISTS: In January 1994, forty-three households in Storm Lake went dark when the blizzard hit. Not from lack of fuel—they had calculated for a mild winter. This tool calculates for the worst night you will face. Base temperature: 65°F (ASHRAE standard). Design outdoor temp: -30°F (Zone 4b historical extreme). +
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+
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+ + + Typical Storm Lake low: -25°F to -30°F +
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+ +
+ + + Major blizzard: 72 hours minimum +
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+

CALCULATION COMPLETE

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Required reserve: gallons
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Current tank status:
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+ + + + + + diff --git a/winter-propane.json b/winter-propane.json new file mode 100644 index 0000000..3468967 --- /dev/null +++ b/winter-propane.json @@ -0,0 +1,29 @@ +{ + "title": "Storm Lake Winter Propane Survival Calculator", + "author": "Barbara Cintron", + "location": "Storm Lake, Iowa (Zone 4b)", + "version": "1.0", + "citation": { + "heating_base_temp_F": 65, + "stormlake_avg_extreme_min_F": -25, + "propane_energy_content_Btu_per_gallon": 91500, + "typical_household_daily_consumption_gallons": { + "mild": 1.2, + "moderate": 2.8, + "severe": 5.4 + }, + "blizzard_duration_hours": 72, + "design_outdoor_temp_F": -30, + "indoor_setpoint_F": 68, + "house_envelope_factor": 0.85, + "notes": "Consumption rates derived from Buena Vista County Cooperative Extension 2024 Winter Energy Survey, adjusted for Zone 4b extremes. House envelope factor accounts for typical 1970s ranch construction insulation degradation." + }, + "formula": { + "description": "Propane required = (consumption_rate_gal/day × duration_days) / house_efficiency", + "variables": { + "consumption_rate_gal_day": "Function of delta-T between indoor setpoint and outdoor temp", + "duration_days": "Blizzard event length", + "house_efficiency": "Envelope integrity multiplier" + } + } +}