ECO ; After seeing some of the projects you have going, I've come to the conclusion you can do anything you really set your mind to. I don't think I mentioned it, but the boxes in the array all have to be on the exact same level to maintain the water level. Now I could put up some "worm" boxes at just a few cms higher level with an overflow on each one dripping into a common pipe leading to the "main water supply box" and really have something going on. The normal rate of evaporation would keep everything from overflowing unless we had a real frog-strangler. Then we'd need a storage tank with a pump. Solar powered, of course, Just like the one on my home-made swamp cooler in the greenhouse. I salvaged that one out of a wrecked car's windshield washer (12V). It''s that time of year when I shut down the cooler and repaint the North wall of the greenhouse with flat black paint to absorb and hold the sun's energy to conserve on the cost of heating it this Winter. We haven't heard from Pako in quite a while. If anyone is getting any PM from him, we don't have to know what they were, but it'd be nice to know he's still kickin'. They've had some fires not too far from him recently. We're having mornings in the low fortys (That's between 5 and 7 degrees C) all this week and the weatherman is expecting a cooling trend starting tomorrow. The Chooks are down to 1/2 an egg a day now. Between McDonny and Charlie we have a little over a dozen a week for ourselves. The leaves have been turning for the last couple of weeks and sometimes, when you're driving over the top of a hill they almost sing to you with their beauty. Gotta go finish making supper now. I've made a couple twice-baked potatoes and some beans we stripped from the garden and now I need to get in there and scare up the salad before Willie starts snacking. Love is the answer Uncle Ben and Auntie Willie
Haven't heard anything from Pak. Hope he's just having too much fun to drop by. Yesterday I braved the heat and humidity to spend a day in the garden. The chooks have been moved back to 'base camp' - the first of my main vege areas to get it ready (it's lamps time to plant corn again! Yum!). Which left an empty spot that is too far from the house to count as zone 1 but needs something in it. So - I spread seeds for sunflowers and chickpeas, and planted seedlings of rosella and snapdragons (just cos they make me smile!). The last two years I haven't got anything useful off the rosella plants. Here's hoping that the grubs stay away this year. I have stuck each one right next to a dripper and will do my best to keep the water up to them (if the tank holds out….) Everything has a generous layer of mulch to reduce evaporation. I also stuck two new passionfruit plants in. Thought I killed the old one - it is 5 years old and they don't last for ever, which I why I bought 2 new ones I spotted at a petrol station when I was filling up. (Plants are way cheaper than fuel….) When I had a closer look the old one is resprouting from the base - so it looks like I'll have another bumper crop of passionfruit next year. And mother nature was kind to me as we had a light rain overnight to settle everything in. More would be good though… Very soon it'll be in the low forties here - but not the sort you are getting Ben - the sort that melts all the candles in the candle holders. My boy is home visiting for a few days - which is lovely as he's an awesome cook (3 years of a chef's apprenticeship helps of course). I have missed having him cook for me. He made a really nice thing last night - some frenchy fancy name. Chicken thigh fillets rolled around pork mince, pistachios and herbs, then the whole thing gets wrapped in proscuitto and plastic and simmered in hot water to get it to set in shape then fried up to finish it off. He's not cheap to feed- but cheaper than buying it in a restaurant.
No word here either from Pak. Uncle look at buiding a rocket stove to warm the place up. Your planters look like a lot of work. Would it not be easier in the ground or raised beds? The plants do look to be thriving though. Eco I walked outside last night and felt rain drops. That was our lot, bone dry this morning. At the moment l am pumping water out of the dam here at*the quarry. 5 trucks are all doing the same thing and the water is dropping. 7.30 am and l am loading my second load.
a day of mixed feelings... sometimes i may feel that the current medical system is deserving of much revision, but as of this morning my oldest brother is still alive and hopefully in a lot less pain than he's been experiencing for the past few months (i didn't know he was having bad headaches until Tues morning when my sister-in-law called with the news that he was in the ICU). surgery happened yesterday, took out the tumor that was causing the pressure to build up, and the surgeon and head nurse said tumor looked pretty good (benign), but still has to be checked. hopefully, he'll be home in a few more days and his recovery will be ok. i think he dodged another bullet this time. my other brother is having a tough time (disabled, in constant pain) and each time he tries to get help it costs him so much more pain that he regrets it. he's in so much pain they have installed a pump in his body to deliver drugs constantly... and at times he still has to take more drugs. my nephew is having too many troubles and sounds like he could use a good swift kick in the pants, but i'm not into violence as much as the idea might appeal to me right now. he's certainly no help to my SIL when she could use it... grrr! ok, good news, my sister is finally getting her first new home built (after many years of planning and trying to get the money together for it). my new great-nephew who was born premature is putting on weight and doing well. my other neices and nephews are doing ok. on the whole, things are mostly good, but that sure was a hectic few days i don't want to repeat...
Thank you Songbird. I to hope l never lose my woodies lol. One makes me money and the other type gives me something to play with.
Brian, what are you doing with all that water hauling? where is Benjy? did he get lost in the snow? glad to hear you got some rain Eco! we'll keep Pak in our thoughts and hope things are going ok for him. i've seen a lot of rain hitting that area recently.
I've been "Locked out" of here these past few days and just now got back in. Not much fun, but I'm back. Sorry I missed the party, Brian. I hope it was enjoyable for all concerned. I hope you got lots of goodies and I'm with them 'bout your woodies Hope you still kick up your heels I've forgotten how it feels. Lots of happy returns of the day and that's all I'm gonna say 'cept........ that's my poem for today I'm not going to try to catch up with the goin's on since my last post. as it would take too long. Just hitting the high spots.. 1) Pako, Theres a real cold snap coming in the next few days accross the Alaskan islands, so, if you are looking in once in a while, Get prepared! 2) The voters won a victory in the battle with the liberal Democrats. I don't see it as a "for the Republicans" vote as much as a "Tired of the broken Democrat lies" vote. After all the damage done by Obummer and his wrecking crew, it'll take a while to get this train back on track, especially with the Chief wrecker still able to VETO any attempts at restoring Constitutional procedures.. 3) As soon as I can finish a few protectie devices in the garden I'll be turning the chooks loose in there. Willie says we're going to have to start battening down the hatches for the winter today, so it's off to tightening things up over here. Love is the answer Uncle Ben and Auntie Willie
there once was a breeder named Brian who learned how to keep woodies from dyin' keep them occupied.....with goodies inside and breedin's much better than buyin' Just checkin' to be sure I could get back in and post. Move along...Nothing to see here....
Why, thank you Songbird. It's nice to see that I was missed. But where's that 76 trombone band, the fireworks and the key to the privvy? (The loo, to you blokes and Shielas Down Under.) I've been in this dismal place called life, with doors to fulfillment, laughter and tomfoolery locked and bolted with unfeeling, cruel guardians snarling at attempts of gaining access. Did you know that before they would send a lifeline to my E-mail I had to answer the question "What is the last name of the person who coined the word "Permaculture"?" With five chances, I tried Mollison, Holmgren, Whitefield, Hemenway even Grahm Bell and it turned them all down. Finally, on the third day they asked the question with photosynthesis as the only possible answer and the ogres stepped aside and let me pass, snarling and gnashing their teeth all the while. (Oh! the Smell!!) You have no idea how frustrating and humiliating this last week has been. I even tried PMs without success. I get back in and you're the only one to show up at the airport. Bless you, Songbird Bless you, your children and your children's children yet unborn. I'll be back, if the site lets me pass later. I have to get to town before noon today. Love is the answer Uncle Ben and Auntie Willie
Uncle Ben, you were missed??? Where did you go? Only joking. I did notice you absent but thought you were busy like me. My grandson stayed over last night and my eyes are hanging out of my head right now lol. Thank you for the poem and birthday wishes. I don't understand you being locked out of the site. I log in automatically each time unless the wife has done a clean up of the computer cookies then I have to sign in again. Pak my have computer problems and can't log in. Not sure if anyone has an actual address where we could write to him. I only know his first name so that doesn't help. Ok my friends it is late again so I need to go to bed. Take care
I have replied twice before but the posts keep dissappearing after I lpost them in.. I may have to get that geek up here again
I've missed you all - but only cos I've been too busy to log in for a week. Flew to Perth over the weekend and back. That place is soooo far away that it should be another country not part of Australia. Except the politicians seem to like the mining royalties they bring in…. Dry dry dry here. Still looking to the skies each day - but I know from past experience that the proper rain won't come now until December or January. Fortunately I have my grey water system so at least there's always something to go on the garden. Happy birthday Brian - sorry I missed it. Did the missus cook you up a special meal?
Welcome back Eco. Thank you for the birthday wishes. Looking like it might rain here at Kingston. Could get an early day. Uncle Ben is having issues with his computer again. Pak is still missing. Never been to Perth and no real desire to go there. As you ssid it is far away.
So Good to hear from you, ECO. It sounds as though you had another satisfying adventure. Those were the days, my friend. I sometimes get bit wth the wanderlust bug and think of places I haven't been to yet that I'd like to fly off to, but then I turn over and realize I have the whole world lying right here beside me and whatever I've missed is really not worth chasing after. That Polar vortex is right around the corner and, by tomorrow mornng we'll be ten degrees colder than this morning. The day after that it'll be a few degrees below freezing. I've moved all the potted plants out of the garden and into the greenhouse. Willie wants to take a trip to the "farmer's market" today before the real cold weather hits. so We have to get out of here soon. She's getting ready while I'm posting this. My trip, yesterday, to the doc was uneventful. First xray since 2009 showed nothing that wasn't supposed to be there. The prednisone I'm taking for the polymyalgia has caused my waist to go frm 32" to 34" and my weight has gone from 137lb. to 153. That's the most I've ever weighed. The Doc says it may also be because I've been off the smokes for almost a year. I still reach for my breast pocket where I kept my smokes when I step outside. I really miss that first puff, but I haven't burned any more holes in my car-seats lol. Well, Willie's about ready, so, here's hoping this goes through. Love is the answer, Uncle Ben and Auntie Willie
Good morning (for me, that is). -5C (23F) this AM. Brrrrrrr. It may warm up during the next few days and then dip back down again for the weekend. After this next freeze I'll till up a few rows and put some onions and garlic in and mulch them over. The worms should have gone down deeper and won't be as apt to be chewed up in the tilling. If anyone has an address for Pako, or even his real identity, I, for one, would like to know if he is alive and well, or alive and ailing. Both Brian and ECO know where Willie and I are, and Packo is on the other side of the U.S. from us. We're on the East Coast and Packo is on the West Coast. Gotta go, folks. Love is the answer, Auntie Willie and Uncle Ben
