Roses and Poison Ivy

The garden is in! The roses are blooming , giving us a nice flower vase full for the table, regularly. The new growth is showing from the vegetable seeds and the bedding plants are looking good. The problem with something eating on the cabbage plants and collards made me break down and agree to spraying some with an insecticide. After last year of trying to eradicate the insects that basically consumed the tomatoes after trying every organic topical treatment I could find, made me more open to using chemical sprays this year.

I've found keeping up on the weeds early helps too. Bugs don't seem to be bothering the lettace, tomatoes or herbs yet. the beans have a few tiny nips in them so we'll watch them closely.

The neighbor brought his tractor over and opened up a larger area for our garden this year so we should have a nice selection for saving plenty of corn, beans and hopefully tomatoes. Nice of our neighbor. We offered a nice service in exchange.

So far the deer have kept to the area way across the adjoining corn field. When that commercial field come in it should keep the deer happy so they leave our garden alone.

After an uncomfortable dose of poison ivy a month back, from pulling and weeding around the house and trees, I've looked up , for visually identifying the species of poison ivy, oak and possibly sumac we have. I've sprayed a few areas and hopefully can reduce the growth here and there. It seems to be abundant in these parts around trees and in any heavy growth of shrubs. I've learned the oils are what to watch out for. It can get on gloves, skin and even in lungs if burnt, and the dead plants can still have oil that will cause a reaction for a few years. It's recommended to wipe the contact area off with alcohol before washing with soap and water, since soap and water can spread the oil more. So, something to be careful of. Here's a link to identifying the plants and viewing some horrendous cases of the rash. Thankfully we never have been effected to even close to this degree. http://www.poison-ivy.org/

Compost

We've started a compost pile. The soil here is sandy and also we like the idea of using what is available for improving the general conditions. Somehow I find it satisfying saving leftover egg shells, greens, scraps of cucumber skins, old tomatoes, tea and coffee grounds and carrying the tupperware container out to the pile and dumping it in. It's also satisfying chopping it up with a shovel and turning it knowing each day it gives us more to work with.

The weather has turned nice today, in the 70's. After driving into town yesterday on errands, it's nice to be outside cutting old branches, and raking weeds and leaves while the hawks circle overhead. Very peaceful. We planted some grapes, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries last week and so far they are still alive , as far as I can tell. It's a little early , but we'll see. The garlic that was planted in the fall is doing well. The green shoots are not yet drying. It's the first time I've planted garlic, a winter crop, but, I read after the stalks turn dry 1/3 of the way up it's time to harvest.

Money and other fine things

A word or 2 about money. Something we all could use more of. I left a very good paying position with the government. I now run a home based business . I buy and sell online. I buy real-estate and rent it out, usually. This is a part time job so I have plenty of time to do other things.

I've learned a lot about auctions, foreclosures, internet opportunities, domains, pings and income possibilities. This is the perfect kind of work if you are tired of the rat race of a 9 to 5 job. Anyone can do it. Enjoy being with your loved ones more and setting your own schedule.

I'll be saying more about this in subsequent posts. There really is no limit to what a person can do if they apply tried and true methods. It takes some effort and insight to get set up , then you really decide how much time you want to devote to the business.

I'm happy to share this knowledge. There is plenty for everyone.

Pigs , hogs and neighbors

After living on a traditional suburban street where everyone who is in their driveway or yard waves or ignores you when you drive by or walk the dog, and, after 7 years you still don't know their names, because, new people keep moving in and everyone is so busy they don't come out of their houses at the same time as you, being out on the farm is a big difference.

You don't look out the window and see a neighbor cutting their grass, which then motivates you to get out there and cut yours on a pretty day. Out in the country there are few neighbors. We have a neighbor. He lives across a couple acre field and we can see him outside now and then. He works for the forestry department and walks over now and then to chat. He's lived in this area his whole life. His family has lived out here too. His son and his family live next door to him. He's a nice guy.

We can ask him what grows, the history or the area, what the current burn ban is, and all sorts of interesting questions, like , what is that building he's putting up with his son. It turns out to be a smoke house for smoking the pigs they plan to smoke next week. This of course sparks conversation about our experience in this area.

I have seen one pig hung from a tree as a child in Florida, where my father was stationed. We had come home from eating out. The whole family, mom, dad and us four kids were pulling into the driveway . Dad told us to stay in the car. He had seen a wild bore run across the front yard. He went inside and got his rifle. I didn't know he had one. He was a Chaplain after all. I was maybe 10 years old.

He herded us into the house and we went to bed. Later that night I looked out the window after hearing some unusual sounds and saw my dad along with some other men of the neighborhood, with a bon fire, under a tree in the back yard , with a large pig hanging upside down over the fire.We ate barbeque after that.

My husband went to his grandparent's farm in Virginia each summer so he knows how these things work. He plans to help with the process . And maybe bring home a ham. Apparently there will be a large cauldron to scald the skin off. I prefer not to think too much about it. One of the largest hogs was found by our neighbor as a piglet wandering in the road last year. Its grown to close to a thousand pounds now. I imagine it will give a lot of meat. Bacon, hams and so forth. I'm not a vegetarian , but some things I'd rather not think about unless I have to.

Duct Tape

Enough can never be said about the benefits and uses of Duct Tape. Being out on the farm its never far from any work area. It covers, seals, supports , stays put, temporarily fixes( and sometimes longer than you thought) just about anything. While a "better" fix may be planned, Duct Tape comes in to play often.
This morning the winds are blowing and the forecast is for a drop in temperatures into the teens over night and again tomorrow. So out comes the duct tape and clear plastic to cover the back porch screen to prevent the high winds from whipping thru the laundry room door.
It works beautifully. Any other tape would come loose. When the weather turns nice again and they're saying by the weekend. Off it will come , to let in the warm breezes.
Duct tape is sealing a leak in our washing machine hose, around the leak on the water hose, was used for a seal around a cork for the drain pipe, and on and on.
If you live in the country, or are thinking about moving to the country. Invest in a supply of Duct Tape. We don't have to be as extreme as Jeff Farnsworthy implies in his humor about the South's use of Duct Tape , but its never the less a very useful tool. Let us know how you've invented a use for Duct Tape.
P.S. I need to make myself a note to look for investment opportunities in the Duct Tape industry.

Back to Basics

Since I was little I always wanted to get off the treadmill and live away from the rush and crush of noise, demands and traffic. In the late 70's I moved to a commune after going there on a field trip with a family life psychology class in college. This was in the Santa Barbara, Ca. area. I only had finals to complete a one year psych tech program and decided I never wanted to work in a locked down environment again. I moved during the night, hosted by a friendly gal from the commune. Single women were given some help in getting settled and I moved into a lodge with other single women. But the experience showed me some interesting ways to live. Making bread, growing organic vegetables, eating healthy. Some even made their own clothes. I never got regimented about it all but stayed around 8 months. Later I enjoyed backpacking and being outdoors in various ways. I enjoyed 9 years in Alaska in the 80's. Recently I've moved to country in NC with my new husband . This blog is a way to share some daily life stories , challenges and thoughts. If anyone else enjoys being in the country , please share your stories, tips and lessons.