More stuff for my dream-house

I tried having chickens a couple years ago, but we don't really have the space. Plus, raccoons ate them. They busted into my chicken tractor by main force. My daughter was devastated, and I was sad to have not provided safe enough space for my 'cuddle chickens'. (They liked to sit on my head when they were feeling nervous. It was funny.)

But, the dream still lives on.

For those of you who are dreaming, or can start making this a reality, here's some good ideas I found the other day.

Making a dresser into a brooder for chicks
You can use a dresser you find on the side of the road... And when it's too yucky to be used anymore, off it goes again. It's doing two of the Three R's all in one go!

A very cute 'chicken garden'
I'm not convinced about the pathway, but it will be pretty for one season at least.

I know it's strange to be in lust over a house...

But, I want an Earthship-type house so badly it hurts. I have spent countless hours researching them on the 'net, dreaming up ways it could work, doing my own modifications in my head... I have it all worked out.

Except for how to afford it.

That's a bit of a sticking point, really. As you might well imagine.

But, since this is a blog about all my innermost dreams and fears, here are some links for stuff that are Earthship-y and would be useful in and/or around an Earthship.

A rocket stove mass heater
(more efficient than a regular wood stove, so therefore great for frigid Canadian winters)

The Earthship homesite

A video showcasing how they're built

In my head, you could make a strawbale wall on the interior south-facing wall in between the outer, solar-collecting windows and the interior of the house. The exterior windows would keep rain off the strawbales and therefore avoid the CMHC's problem report showing the outcomes of mold in our humid summer weather (most prevalent on the north sides of houses where the sun never heats them up). There would be many windows in the interior strawbale wall to let in light (especially in the winter when the angle of the sun is lower), and the wall would help keep heat in during the winter, and keep heat out during the summer. Add to that a rocket stove/bench in the living room (vented to the outside) and everything would be peachy

Plus, a root cellar in the earth bank (with a door on the north-ish wall to keep it cool and damp), and a strawbale/earthship henhouse on the other side to keep the cluckers happy. They'd be chilly in the winter, but never freeze. And they survive that sort of existence just fine.

It would work. It would so totally work.

Unfortunately, my husband is married to his bicycle, and likes to commute to work. It's a noble, sustainable idea. But. Earthships can only be built in the country, not in the city. This is a Pushme-Pullyu sort of argument/discussion/angst session that we've been having over the years.
Also. He can't live without his coffee shops. Another thing you don't find out in the country.
He'd be happy in a downtown condo, riding his bike everywhere and drinking coffee in cute little coffee bars with sarcastic baristas. I hate traffic noise, and am getting seriously fed-up with society in general and neighbours in particular. My favourite thing in the world is silence and green spaces...

And, we can't afford to build one right now, and might never in the future.

*sigh*

What to do?

Taking a leap of faith

I'm really good at doing that... but, unfortunately, it's not always rewarded.

However, I can't see the downside of signing up for the University of Guelph Sustainable Urban Agriculture Certificate. If nothing else, I'll become even more uber at gardening, which is not a bad thing at all. I've got some veggies down pat, but others are a bit more touch-and-go. For instance, I have no clue why my climbing zucchini is withering and dying. It's just turning yellow/brown and almost literally melting. I've grown bush zucchini before and *never* had this problem. Maybe I'll get some pro-tips from these courses.

I have some grand ideas about offering my services to local co-ops who want to start community gardens, or upgrade them. I could give seminars on basic stuff, and go out to do soil testing, looking for the best sunny places to plant, and whatnot. Perhaps do little group sessions on how to grow veggies and herbs in your back/front yard.

It would be an enjoyable way of getting a bit of cash in the summer when I'm not at the library. There are so many books out there that it almost seems unnecessary, but not everyone is comfortable learning from that format, and I'm good at explaining things in a simple, helpful manner. This could be good.


Up the Local Organic Food Revolution! We have nothing to lose but our trowels!

Bruce Peninsula: Whale Island

Bruce Peninsula: Whale Island, a photo by Gaiagirlv2 on Flickr.

We went camping this weekend as one last, extended hurrah of summer. My husband enjoyed sleeping on the new cot we got him. It's apparently more comfy than the couch, so this is good. Perhaps I'll be able to convince him to go more often. Especially if we go to gorgeous places like the Bruce Peninsula and he can bring his camera. It's an Unesco World Biosphere Reserve for a Very Good Reason.
I even survived swimming in Georgian Bay. Once you numb down it's quite refreshing. It even felt really good on my back. I was a bit worried that it would cramp, but the cold water did wonders for the usual, consistent, minor inflammation.

Peach jam and pesto

Those are the items on the list today. I had to run to Home Hardware to get another couple of cases of jars. I seem to have run through all of mine this year. Perhaps I should start asking for them back from people...

Home Hardware is a dangerous place. I started by also picking up three clearance sale bags of onion sets, and ended off with an ice cream maker. All perfectly logical (of course). I've been meaning to get an ice cream maker for a while, as it will help me in my quest to reduce my food miles and garbage. The apple corer/peeler/slicer will help with the apple sauce I'm planning on making later in the fall. See? Logical. (and so were the towel rack, toilet paper holder, and leafy garden doohicky)

Ahem.

Off to make that jam now. Unfortunately, the tomato sauce didn't go off so well. It was too 'tomato-y' apparently, and a bit too acidic. Not sure how to fix that.

Cute monster: danger sign

Cute monster: danger sign, a photo by Gaiagirlv2 on Flickr.

I found my first Tomato Hornworm today. I'd only ever heard of them, and I didn't know what the cute little green caterpillar was when I found it clinging to the underside of a tomato leaf. So, it came home with me to be identified and shown to my daughter.

Much to my chagrin, it seems that my over-exuberant tomato plants are now a very large buffet. It's quite likely that the little green monster isn't alone. They never are.

The wiki article on them

The Birds and the Bees- of a different sort

A couple things really disturbed me today. Someone out there in the blogosphere mentioned that monarch butterflies are almost gone, and I got to thinking... I haven't even seen one this year. I'm pretty good at noticing stuff like that. I asked a few friends in different places, and they said they'd seen maybe one, two at most. One has a monarch caterpillar in her backyard on the milkweed she let grow for just that purpose. I've seen lots of cabbage moths, and one other butterfly. I don't know what kind, just that it was one of the orange varieties that isn't a monarch.
The other is that I have seen almost no bumblebees. I saw my first one last week. First one of the year.
Also, not so many flies. Of any kind. But, certainly more flies than bees.

Monsanto tried to discredit and ostracize Rachel Carson in the early 60's, when they were doing to nature what they're doing again right now.

We need another popular wake-up call like Silent Spring, but I'm afraid that people don't care as much about insects as they do about birds...

Ontario bee-keeper loses 37 million bees
A catastrophic year for bee colonies- The Globe and Mail
Loss of bees affects plant's abilities to reproduce- NY Times

They're actually so much more important.

Dead. Tired.

It's going to be a short one tonight, as we ran around a lot today, played with puppies for two hours, and made a 2 hour trip up to Vaughan to see the Bass Pro store that my husband's parents like to talk about. (That's 2 up and 2 back).

Honestly, it's more like a theme park than a store. Severe kitch and cheese syndrome. But, we did pick up a cot for my husband. He's never liked sleeping on the ground, so this might make camping less of a trial for him.

I'm feeling impatient with myself tonight. I wish I was in better physical condition. I'd really love to be able to go on a bike tour with my camping gear. It would kill me right now, though.

However, here is a short list of places I'd like to see/go/do:

La Route Verte in Quebec
and
The Iron Curtain Cycle Path

And I was right. The run and then fencing practice killed me... Dead.

So. Tired. Today.

Dog Days

This is my last week of summer before I'm back in the library. I'd better make it last. Although, getting a steady income again will be nice.

I discovered this morning that I can outrun my husband... but only when he has a mild lung infection. (Just you wait, Henry Higgins... I'm catching up.) My daughter still outruns me like I'm standing still. I may never catch up to her. And I'm perfectly okay with that. You go, girl!

Yesterday I dug out the bottom of the composter in our backyard, and then shoveled it all back into the top again, as it hadn't finished digesting. When we moved in the entire bottom of the thing was filled with shredded paper, and very little else. So, we cleaned it out a bit, threw some stuff on top, and left it to digest for a couple years.There were still some shreddies in there when I dug it out, and some very fragile eggshells (still in their halves, which I crushed). It was dry as a popcorn fart, too. So, I went in from the top, shoved everything down, mixed it up a bit with a pitchfork, and then watered it. That should get the everything working again. Air and water, and a bit of afternoon sunshine to speed up the thermal processes. Go, bacteria and fungi, go!

The soil in our area is pretty much pure clay, and this was worsened by the fact that the developer of our co-op stole all the topsoil (after he agreed to leave it, and we paid extra for that priviledge- he sure made off like a bandit that day. literally). So, consequently, the gardens in our backyard are not as nice as they could be. We've put in some compost, but it still dries and cracks in the heat. Hence, starting to kick the composter into gear. I expect there will be plenty of good, black dirt by next spring. Well, for one garden anyways. Probably the one that I grow my backyard veggies in. My community garden plot is completely set up after my dad's birthday gift to me of a small bale of topsoil. It's been fabulous this year.

Time to stuff some lunch into myself, and then off to the park to poke people with blunted weapons for a few hours. I'm going to be hella tired tonight after the run, and then this...

Can, can, can you do the can-can?

I went for a run this morning when everything was shiny with dew. Leaves glistened in the sun. It was quiet. A hardcore runner gave me a friendly wave of brotherhood and nodded at me. I replied with a cheerful 'morning'. That felt good. I don't like passing snobby runners who don't acknowledge your existence. Well, more like getting passed by and eating their dust.

I say 'going for a run' because it's a generic statement that everyone knows what you mean when you say it. Sort of like 'let's go out for coffee'. Even if you don't drink coffee, that's okay, because the act of going to a place that sells coffee is enough. You are socializing. So, I am 'going for a run', but it's really more like a dogged jog. With lots of walking. The rest-walks are becoming fewer and shorter, so I feel justified in continuing to say 'run'. I'll get there some day. Slowly. I get the feeling that I'll always be a racing snail. It still feels good, though. And that's what counts.

My kitchen is covered in fruit. I have so much canning to do it's insane. But, I am very glad to have found a Bernardin pectin that is gelled with calcium chloride (** edited to note: It's calcium ascorbate, not chloride. It's a type of vitamin C, not a salt. The salt is used in pickles.) instead of sugar, so I can make jam with my own preferred amount of sweetening. I tried peaches with nothing, but my dad, who agreed to be my guinea pig quite happily, says that it's not quite enough like jam. So, next batch gets some sugar. Just enough to make it sweet without rotting out your teeth.

There is one last batch of chutney to go, and then I'll make some tomato sauce for my husband and daughter. That's actually something that I miss quite a bit. Tomatoes make lots of things taste better, and they're a great meat tenderizer.

Ah, well. At least I still have pesto. Winter is going to be difficult, though. No fresh basil. I'll have to buy my pesto pre-made.

*sigh*

The Journey of a Thousand Miles

There's a gorgeous half-moon hanging in the almost-midnight sky. I'm up too late- way too late for someone who is by nature a morning person. But, I have to say that I'm frustrated. And worried. Trying to balance way too many spinning teacups; so many that I might be able to join the circus, except they're all in my head... and honestly, nobody wants to see that.

I'm starting this journal to bring some sense and clarity to my thoughts, without all the distraction of 'regular' social media. I get the feeling that Facebook is training my brain to be twitchy, random, and worried all the time. Sort of like a small rodent.

I need to start writing again. Last time I tried this I achieved great success through journaling. So. I'll try that again. Things in my life have come a long way in the last eight years. Building on that success is slow, and sometimes painful. True personal growth is rarely easy.

gnothi seauton- know thyself

This is also going to be a record and dumping ground for my eco-freak tendencies. There will be veggie gardens, organic soap and clothing, and home-made cheese. Also, paleo and extreme-celiac-friendly recipes. And, some grumbles about my learning disability when I'm feeling sorry for myself, which is less often, but it's still something I'm getting used to knowing about five years after diagnosis. Sometimes there are growing pains.

Well, the moon has moved a fair chunk since I started writing this, and I'm starting to feel tired.


Time for bed.