Mill News : Jackson's Mill is Off the Market. For details of previous sale listing click here. LATEST MILL NEWS IS AT THE TOP - CLICK LINKS ABOVE FOR PREVIOUS MILL NEWS UPDATED January 13, 2007 - Welcome to Jackson's Mill Mill News – Going off the Grid Mill Contest Update – We have a winner!! Mill Race Gives up for the Winter (Maybe) January 1, 2007 Happy New Year from Jackson’s Mill! If this is the first time you have received Mill News, you probably have no idea what this is about (arguably that makes two of us). For past issues of Mill News click links above. Click on images to enlarge. Update - Mill Contest!! What was that??!!? Refer to www.jacksons-mill.com for details of the Grand Mill ‘What was that??!!?’ Contest as set out in ‘Mill News – November 17th’ Final entries to the ‘What was that??!!? contest received since 4 December. (www.jacksons-mill.com and the Miller accept no responsibility for the opinions expressed below by contest entrants. Apparently some of the entrants accept no responsibility either). Harry in Hong Kong: The "badge" on the boiler as appears at the front of the train... Dave in Hong Kong: It’s not as interesting the second time. Gary in Manila: Definitely a Yeti… wearing a black work boot and jeans Lindy in Auckland: it's a baby deer of course Anne-Rose from Holland: WHAT it is, is obvious, but what causes it is more interesting. So in my opinion the question should be, what is it going to be? My guess is that it is the first tiny sign of something which wants to escape from mother earth. A geiser perhaps? Or if you are 'lucky' it is oil or gas. Wait till it gets bigger! The Miller Replies: When last reported, the Miller and his sister Dr. Ruth were cautiously exploring the theory that “What was that?” was probably a skunk. With Milling largely shut down for the winter, the Miller had time to search the internet, consult with Scott a local wildlife expert and write to a skunk expert in New Mexico. No solutions offered, although Scott felt it probably wasn’t a skunk. One of the books that we often refer to here at the Mill is the excellent ‘Tracking and the Art of Seeing’ by Paul Rezendes. Although there is nothing in the book to indicate any possibility as to What was that??!!?, the Miller wrote to Mr. Rezendes at his Studio in Maine, and received the following in reply: I looked at the pictures of the dirt mound. I think that it was done by a mole. I know you said you dug down and didn't find anything, but it can be deceiving. The soil under the mound can be really packed hard, and it may take some digging, a little more than you think, to find the mole tunnel. Look really well, because the tunnel too, may be packed up and no longer a tunnel. I have seen this happen. If it's not too late, check it out again. Let me know what you come up with The Miller and Dr. Ruth had already rejected the possibility of moles, suggested by an early entrant to the contest. However, we are always willing to admit error here at Jackson’s Mill. So it was out with the shovel and back to the trail. No tunnels, but… the dirt was exceptionally loose and the original eructation was spotted in early November, so there has been plenty of time for the tunnels to collapse. The final clue came from a book presented to the Miller by Dr. Ruth for Christmas, shown below with relevant photos taken at the Mill From p 25 (Animal Tracks Peterson Field Guides Third Edition) So, Moles it is, and the Winner? Kate from Luanda, Angola (from an e-mail sent 20 November) ‘Piles of stuff look like a cross between a mole hill and a moose. Tell me it was something exciting like a yeti or an anteater!’ Well Kate, you got it (half) right with the first guess. Congratulations therefore to Dr. K.T. Bailey, MBE, of London, Hong Kong, Rio, Bombay, Manchester, Manila, Aberdeen and (lately) Luanda, winner of the Grand Mill ‘What was that??!!?’ Contest. Kate, you have won a FREE DRINK WITH THE MILLER AT JACKSON’S MILL. Of course, you have to get here to collect. Bring Pat, I’ll buy him a drink too. Or two. Or three. Dr. Bailey replies: We shall be with you tout suite or even faster to claim the magnificent prize......  Happy New Year You did however leave Kongsberg, Manchester and Hanoi out of the address list. Tsssk. And to all of the rest of the contestants, thanks for entering. By way of consolation, you are all entitled to a FREE DRINK WITH THE MILLER AT JACKSON’S MILL if and when you get here. Is there a pattern here? Before someone else beats me to obvious punch line, I suppose the main pattern is that this whole Mill Contest thing proves what people have been saying about the Miller for decades:   IAN, You have got to stop making Mountains out of Mole Hills!!!                    Next Mill Contest:   What was that??!!? (Shot at the bottom of the garden in January  2006. There have been three animals through this photo, moving away from the camera and the two on the outside should be familiar to regular readers of the Mill News. They were just as interested as the Miller, who freaked out when he saw the trail in the center). Here’s a couple more views (you can see the Miller’s boot print in the upper left photo for scale): Moving away from the camera Moving towards the camera There you go, it sure spooked the Miller last winter. Same rules apply, keep those cards and letters coming folks!   Going Off the Grid This article was intended to review the options for small scale hydro power generation at the Mill, as in Going off the Grid. Here, for example, is an overview of the theory and technology involved and here’s something the Miller really wanted for Christmas. In any event, even in the Winter there is Milling to do so this article will have to wait for a future edition of Mill News. You might say the Miller has gone off the grid. Mill Race Quits for the Winter The Race stopped running on December 16. It’s anyone’s guess when it may start up again. Now you see it Now you don’t Final Note – the Mill is Off the Market The Real Estate Listing for the Mill expired in early December and has not been renewed. Officially the Mill is off the Market. We will re-evaluate in the Spring. In the meantime, here’s hoping that everyone reading this had a Merry Christmas, and here’s best wishes from Jackson’s Mill for 2007. Watch this space! Ian The Miller at Jackson’s Mill You are receiving this e-mail because you have expressed some interest in Jackson's Mill at some time in the past. Or maybe the Miller had too many eggnogs over the Holidays and stumbled across your e-mail address while cleaning out old files? If you wish to be removed from this list please e-mail back and let me know. Mill News' is published on an irregular basis whenever the Miller has something he thinks is interesting as regards Jackson's Mill or the area. If you wish to be removed from the Mill News circulation please e-mail The Miller