Butterfly/Hummingbird Garden

We keep a feeder out year round for our local hummingbirds. They're fun to watch and quite bold. But I was hoping to add a little something to keep them and some other nectar-drinkers-slash-pollinators happy. So, why not plant a butterfly/hummingbird garden?

We have this huge round thing I am assuming was once a trough in the front yard. Why is it there? I have no idea.

 The green thing in the middle was once a decorative windmill. The windmill part broke a while ago. Now I pretend it's an abandoned oil derrick.

Anyhow, I've been putting some compostables in there and covering it with hay, so! Move the hay out of the way.

Rough up the soil a little.

Add some seeds.

Water gently.

Make a mental note to buy a new hose.

And then cover everything lightly with hay for protection.

Hopefully in another week or so we'll have something more interesting than dirt and old hay in there. This past week has swung back and forth between cool and rainy and sunny and warm, so hopefully the plants are happy.

Finally, here is a picture of a bee sitting on an old paint can. The unusually warm weather means all the little critters are out and about early this year. You can see how much pollen she's gathered already!

Beetastic!

IT'S ALIVE

While I'm working on the garden I realized now would be a good time to start some seeds. We've had a very mild (and regrettably dry) winter. The beds aren't ready and I don't have a fancy seed-starting setup. What's a guy to do?

How about stuffing some potting soil into Dixie cups and setting them on top of a warm satellite receiver near the window?

 

Not the most elegant solution, but it could work, right?

It totally worked.

As of now I have some salad mix, sweet basil, and cucumbers sprouting. 

Growing plants is like magic. You put these stoney looking things in the ground and add water and in a few days a plant shows up! And if you tend that plant well and let it grow you can eat it!

I occasionally confuse science with magic. In my defense, both are awesome.

Power Outage

Just as I was finishing up my shower yesterday our power went out. It was windy so it wasn't unexpected. It did throw a little kink into my usual morning routine, but it wasn't an unwelcome one.

My usual morning routine involves rolling out of bed. Sometimes there's a shower, sometimes there's breakfast right away. Usually I turn on the computer and plop down. I intend to do some writing, maybe review some homework. I inevitably end up chatting with my girlfriend Carrie (when the one you love is several states away you talk as much as you can), browsing Facebook, poking Pinterest, scanning Imgur, reading my blogs...basically anything other than what I intended to do. This either goes on until I have to leave for school or until I realize I really REALLY need to get to work outside.

Yesterday there was no power and no computer. So I dried off from my shower and admired the silence of the house while I got dressed. There's a constant hum of electricity in a house you don't notice until it stops all at once. When it comes back on you don't understand how you ever ignored it. I opened my bedroom window for some extra light. I changed the sheets on my bed. I picked up a few items I've been meaning to get rid of and put them in a bag to take to the thrift store later this week. I put away some freshly dried clothes. I swept. I sat down and counted the change I've been saving. All that in the span of an hour.

Then the power came back on and my routine went back to normal. Computer on, breakfast in front of me, planning to to do some writing and some homework. Instead I ended up on Facebook and got caught in a conversation about which The Lonely Island band member was tallest.

I love having electricity. I love the internet. I love the ability to stay connected to people no matter how far away they may be. But I think, maybe, I could use a few more power outage mornings.

I got out last night with my new-as-used tripod to try and capture the cloud halo around the full moon. I took a dozen pictures, but the very first was the very best (but still not that great, I need more practice).

My Dream Farm

School and outside are keeping me busy. Just had my first test of the semester last week. Got an A. Take that, chemistry! I'm still working on the fence for the garden and pictures will be coming soon. In the meantime, I've been daydreaming about my ideal farm.

The goal is to be as self-sufficient as possible. To have what we need and use what we have. I don't want a lot of wasted space or a large house I have to try and maintain.

I've been looking at some "tiny houses" like those featured at Tumbleweed Tiny House Company and Texas Tiny Houses and I think something like that would fit the bill. What I've noticed from looking at these incredibly small dwellings is that they are laid out to make use of every last square foot. I've also realized I don't need a ton of space. Now when kids come into the picture my opinion might change, but even then I see no appeal in a 3200 sq. ft. McMansion. I far prefer the charm of old Victorians, Queen Annes, Craftsman bungalows, and these purpose-built tiny houses.

When I think about my farm I picture something from the old Charlotte's Web animated movie. A sturdy old barn shared by multiple animals, each with their own space and their own purpose. They would have shelter when they want it and sunshine when they don't. I'd also like several acres of pasture so I can set up a good rotational grazing system. The animals that benefit from grass should be able to be out there as much as possible.

We'll help conserve water by using rainwater collection and a greywater recycling system to water our gardens, and as much solar power as we can. I don't feel the need to be entirely off grid but I figure every little bit I can do helps.

My girlfriend is more the plant person in the relationship and I'm really hoping she'll take up a lot of that. I'm fine with the labor portion but she has the real skill. She knows what to plant and where and when and why. Hopefully she can  keep me from messing things up too badly.

Livestock is what I get excited about. First of all I have this romantic idea of using a draft horse instead of a tractor for most things. I don't know how feasible that is, but a Suffolk Punch is so much cooler than a tractor.

amandabhslater via Flickr

And on the topic of working animals, a stock dog and a livestock guardian or two would be okay.

NatalieMaynor via Flickr

There would be Dorking chickens for eggs and meat.

cranneyanthony via Flickr

And some miniature cattle for milk and beef.

florador via Flickr

Stephen&Claire Farnsworth via Flickr

And some American Chinchilla rabbits for meat and fur.

And some adorable sheep for wool and adorableness (I don't have any fondness for lamb or mutton, but hey).

michaelcobballen via Flickr

It's fun to dream.

A Reminder About Working Outside

After a couple of days of rain the ground was soft and the sun was out. It seemed like a perfect day to get the beginnings of a garden fence going on. It was so pleasant I was only wearing a baggy t-shirt and jeans.

And I managed to get sunburned. It's not bad, but my face and one of my shoulders are just a little pink today.

Remember you can get sunburned even if it's cold. Even if it's cloudy. Cover up or wear some sunscreen!

Adventures in Composting

Yesterday I built a compost bin. I'm so proud of myself! I think I succeeded in building it because I started with low expectations and decided I wasn't going to drill or nail a single thing. So how do you build a compost bin without drilling or nailing?

Pallets my friend. With pallets.

 And bailing twine.

  And some made-up knots.

 

 

 

Yeah, that'll probably work.

 And maybe if you're feeling ambitious a staple gun and a little bit of screen.

Throw it all together and what do you get?

 

BOOM. A compost bin. Well, close enough. Given my general lack of abilities I think this a perfectly serviceable solution for my composting needs. I'll be getting more pallets eventually and adding a second compartment to the left as well as a "door" for the front. 

Alright, so we have a compost bin. Now what should we put in it? HORSE POOP.

 

OLD EGGS.

STRAW.

FIGHTER JETS.

Okay, not fighter jets. I saw two of these guys (or ladies, hard to tell from such a distance) flying around this morning and snapped a picture for you, my five dearest readers.

In addition I got some barn cleaning done, let out the horses and chickens for some grazing time, and got all my laundry done. I feel like a Successful Adult (tm).

Procrastination

Things I Have Done Today Instead Of The Work I Should Be Doing:

• Slept in late.
• Ate hotdogs.
• Chatted.
• Checked Facebook, Pinterest, and an assortment of message boards.
• Daydreamed about playing in the dirt.
• Stared wistfully out the window while taking a picture for this post.
• Made tea.
• Wrote this post.

Work is hard.