Satellite, E-Nature, and Etsy!

Good news! I finally was able to get satellite service out here in Big Sandy Mush after being on a waiting list for quite a while with the company Wild Blue. So I have been busy catching up on the ole' internet, but somehow the thrill of the virtual world is gone (cause Lady Ga Ga on youtube just doesn't do it for me anymore)... being online is a great functional tool though. Like check out this awesome nature website where you can type in your zip code and find all the native nature (plants, animals, birds, reptiles etc...) of your area - and in the birds section you can listen to the sounds they make!!!! (My favorite is the screech owl because I hear them at night and it makes me feel really happy and calm.)
My new satellite internet allowed me to create an Etsy store today too! So something to look forward to (in addition to The Oko Box organic clothing updates) will be handmade, crafty, primitive and eco minded etsy projects made by a few peeps who live in Big Sandy Mush (including myself.)
:)
Yay!
xoxo

Black Ant Carrying Moth

This ant was hauling butt with his good find. The only way I could get him to stop long enough to get a picture was by banging the pole he was climbing in order to cause a vibration and make him pause for a second. Nature has an elegance that never tires. If you ever feel tired, sad or bored go outside and take a look, it's total awesomeness everywhere.xoxo

Golden Spotted Box Turtle

I found this turtle slowly walking through my bean garden in between furrows. I really reallllly really love turtles - I feel terrible about scaring them cause inevitably I have to pick it up and examine all it's neat shell patterns. The golden orange spots on this turtle's armour look alot like hand prints, paw prints and leopard spots... it's too neat for words so here's some pictures:
XoXo

North American Moth (Grey, Black and White)

Anyone know the scientific name of this little fighter pilot? Fantastic markings, big wings, fuzzy helmet head (perfect circle on top) and a good disposition. :)

xoxo

DIY: Tree Bark Purse/ Satchel/ Container

Here's a rad way to make a completely natural, 100% non toxic, primitive hand bag out of tree bark. I don't think this project was meant to be as adorable as it is but somehow it took functional to the edge of beautiful and gave it a shove. This bark purse is perfect for berry picking, going out with friends, collecting specimens & treasures in the woods, and lugging around just about anything you want to shove in it - cause it's dang versatile & sturdy!FIRST: Find a downed tree (from a recent storm), tree limb, or cut down a tree that's growing too close to a larger tree to make a life of it's own. We used a small hickory tree on Bort's property - hickory smells really good and is supa' easy to work with. (I have read in numerous books that Native Americans used Birch bark for these kinds of projects.)

SECOND: Cut the bark down the middle in a straight line and carefully peel it off WHOLE, like in one whole piece. Try not to crack it - if it's too dry, try soaking the log in water first.

THIRD: Once you have your whole piece of curled bark ready, you will want to cut out a paper shape as a stencil for carving into the middle of the bark. Place it as seen below and using a knife or other sharp object make an indentation in the bark following the shape of the stencil. DON'T accidentally cut all the way through - you just want a place to later bend the wood with ease.

FOURTH: Stick the bark piece with the stencil carving into a bucket of water for a few hours or over night to let soak.When you take the bark out of the water it will fold out flatter and look like this....

Using the indentation you will see you can now easily fold the bark at the markings to make the basic shape of the container. (See below)...

FIFTH: Poke 7 holes in the sides of the bark along the seem lines on both sides. These holes should be even (parallel) like the holes on your shoes, to lace up with- making 14 total on the left and 14 holes on the right of the purse.

Then you can take thin strips of the bark, which have soaked a little in water and lace it up to the top, finishing by tieing them in a knot on the outside and using the leftover pieces sticking out to make a handle.

LAST: Bort (pictured above) did most of the work showing me how to make this thing, but I got really into making the handle (that's me below)... I tied the two lacing sides together, then I took wet bark strips and layered it thick by wrapping them tightly and repeatedly around the thin lacings.

The finished purse... undeniably bad...freaking...ass!

XoXoooo

Tracking: Watching Animals Without Seeing Them

The skill of professionally tracking animals is not mine, but for some reason I think there is a natural instinct there, a knee jerk thought process that feeds you information about the life around you. Including life unseen or not easily noticed. When I am walking in the woods I tend to look at the ground alot, and only look up occasionally to get the bigger view - that's how I started noticing tracks in the wet mud. I am not hunting the animals, but I love animals so much I can't help but get excited knowing they have this secret life going that I don't always see.
*
This first pic is a track from a deer. Since I don't have a guide book on animal prints (yet) I learned by the slow process of following the tracks for a few weeks before actually seeing the deer about 20 feet away. The tracks pictured here are alot smaller then the deer I saw before and are in a new area - maybe some little bambies?!
Next I saw this infamous bump pictured below, I am pretty sure it's the digging job of a ground hog, which makes the mud hill up and crumble in a tunneled way. A ground hog that ate most of my red bean crops last night. :(

All throughout the woods are little circular holes where some animal is busy digging up goodies to eat - could be a raccoon, opossum or ground hog (all of which live here). There are also areas nearby where the wild turkey's scratch holes too. I am pretty sure I'd have to be out there hiding at night with a flashlight to find out who it is. Next is where I saw a mystery animal which I think was a small bobcat. It spotted me long before I spotted it and when it heard me walk too closely it hauled up the hill behind those trees. I first assumed it was another dumpy ground hog until it turned back to look at me and the sun shone directly on a very large cat shaped face... we stayed locked in a stare and without making a noise, without my eye leaving the tree, this creature snuck out of my sight like it had vanished. Pretty awesome and not very ground hog like. In this exact area I had seen what looked like a bobcat print in the mud about 2 months ago.

After the bobcat mystery sighting I was all hyped up to everything moving around me and spotted a little chipmunk tail swooshing in between the giant rocks, where the pink arrow is pointing below. Good hiding spot. The more shelter you have, the more animals you have.

This last animal track is my most favorite because it was made last night in the wet creek bed where the rain water usually runs and then stops just long enough to make this goopy junk perfect for animal prints. Look at those freaking CLAWS! My first instinct is that it's a raccoon, what do you think?

xoxooooooo

Wolf Spider: Babies On Board

From a distance you might think this was one hairy mo' fo' of a spider. Not only are they already huge in general, they are so on the go they carry their egg sack whenever they scatter to, and then this... carrying ALL their babies on their back after they are born! This wolf spider was at the window inside my house trying to find a way out so I caught it in this large glass to get a closer look and then release it outside. I think there were about 5 babies that fell off in the process (sorry little guys) and if you are arachnophobic you would have pee'd yourself when you saw how the baby blob would move around in tight waves when touched... holy freakiness!

XoXo

Organic Seeds On The Cheap

I am all about getting the most out of my organic food - not just by stretching meals but also by replanting & gutting some of those veggies to get seeds out of them. Check out this neat little trick... I take the bottoms (with the roots attached) of onions, the tops of turnips, rutabaga and parsnip, and the thick stalk bottom of a cabbage and I stick them in the moist ground.
The magical thing that happens, like in these pictures, is that the plant takes root and continues it's process of life. How unstoppable and rad is that? Once they get in the dirt they just keep on going where they left off, which is usually right before they were going to seed - you end up with pretty flowers, some extra edible greens on top, and after they've been pollinated and dry out you have yourself more then a pack's worth of organic seeds!

*Pictured at the top is an organic purple cabbage bottom that grew to make nice muted yellow flowers (for seeds), second is an organic turnip which if planted later in the summer goes right to seed but in the spring will make you HUGE turnip greens first to eat, and the last picture is the root of the (organic) red onion planted in the ground which makes these delicious green stems (great for stir fry and cooking with beans) plus goes to seed in the shape of a beautiful round ball of tiny flowers.*

One more seed tip: For a grand variety of winter squash & pumpkins, simply save the seeds from the (oh so expensive) organic ones you buy at the store. Let the seeds dry out on a plate or napkin, then store them for next year... 2 little butternut squash seeds can make you over 16 more butternuts to eat- that is bang for ya' buck!

xoxo

What Baby Organic Veggies Look Like

There's some tiny food in my garden! It's cute like seeing a tiny kitten or tadpole. This is what I have so far:
*
I have organic summer squash, this is the yellow crookneck kind.
Then there are itty bitty organic green beans - which were pollinated by two big bumble bees and other flying things (I haven't seen one honey bee yet this year.)

This organic pickling cucumber is 2 cute 2 be true - so spiky it looks like an ocean plant!Lastly I have a wide variety of winter squash growing, so wide I have almost no idea what I've planted except for this guy who is an organic pumpkin (the yummy pie kind).
xoxo

DIY: Organic Fruit Popsicles

In the early 80's my mom used to make us Popsicles by mixing orange juice and yogurt in a pop mold to cool us down during hot New Orleans summers. Homemade Popsicles are so much better then store bought ones cause you have total flavor & health control over what you are eating (AKA making it organic and free of artificial dyes). All you need to make your own pops are a Popsicle mold (or cups and sticks) and some type of fruit like berries, apples or peaches.
*
STEP ONE: The more fruit the better! Put a ton of berries in an oven safe bowl full of water - the ones in the pic are black raspberries picked fresh off the bush so I only had this many to work with, add more if you have it.

STEP TWO: Stick the fruit bowl in the oven and cook on 350 degrees until the water becomes dark, syrupy and smells super fruity. The longer you cook it and the more fruit you add the thicker and sweeter the juice will be for your Popsicles! If you like yours to be super unreal sweet then add some rice syrup or honey to the bowl, but the fruit is sweet enough for me.STEP THREE: Pour the liquid (and berries if ya like it chunky) into your Popsicle mold and stick it in the freezer.

Then eat it!!!! Fast... or it will melt all ova' your hand.

XoXOooo

Rural Entertainment: Wrestling In Big Sandy Mush

I knew this was going to be bad ass as soon as I rode my bike up to see that the grassy parking lot was full of cars, midget ponies were tied outside the building, teens were taking drags on their bad bad for them cigs, and AC DC was blaring outside the door. I didn't have any cash on me and had to scrounge 5 dollars in nickles, dimes and quarters to pay admission at the door -which turned out to actually be 7 dollars, but the management was kind enough to let me in anyway, because having rode my bike miles to watch wrestling took "dedication"! (Ya best believe it does!)

The whole thing got started fashionably late... and I say fashionably with deep meaning, cause I know now that the wrestlers were backstage getting in costume! When the flyer said there was amateur wrestling, I had no idea this was going to be a WWF Holk Hogen-esque parade of glittered and leathered manhood... NOT at all what I expected, because it freaking ROCKED better then the major WWF championship wrestling match I attended in Baton Rouge Louisiana back in 2000. Ya here me, our local wrestlers are better then the WWF.

*

This is who came out from backstage first. To raging rock music this beefed up mad man came out already angry, proud, pointing fingers in our faces and yelling at woman and children taking his picture. The crowd boo'ed with smiles and enthusiasm.

His opponent was obviously the 'nice guy', high fiving and slapping kids hands, smiling and being as sweet as you can be while remaining tough as shit & prepared to get a beating. I had no idea what I was about to see, but my ass was literally on the edge of my seat.

These guys totally pulled all the wrestling moves you want to see - throwing, slamming, choking, elbowing, jumping, stomping... and the venue was just small enough that everyone in the house really had a front row seat.

Yowsers!The dude who came on next took it to the next level...from regular wrestling outfits to dang sequined speedos and sparkle boots! He also was the holding champion, wearing the official belt (see below). Oh, he also was my favorite wrestler of the night (not because he was incredibly good looking, with graceful moves and the shiniest outfit or anything.).

More of the good guy VS. evil psycho type agenda here...

I totally thought the champion would win... even just by virtue of having the best boots....

His butt totally got pinned though and then it really started gettin' CRAZy!

Other dudes from their own teams started jumping in to defend each other, the ref was throwing out all kinds of violations ( and for all I could tell profanities too.) It was like mayhem - men jumping in and out the ropes, rolling, body slamming, breaking rules.

Then the doozy. The fight came thiiiiiiiiiiiis close to turning into the ECW (EXTREME Championship Wrestling) when Mr. Nice Guy brings in a folding chair to threaten the lord of evil from continuing to beat on his poor pulverized partner.

Regardless evil seems to win alot when it comes to wrestling! Cause they took the championship belt from my glittery hero.

In all the fights the side that got boo'd was always telling off the crowd. Flexing, strutting, and using fingers like they were daggers into the hearts of their followers.

The Rebel team above fought the "Hillbillies" below... oh man, it was good.

The Hillbillies got the action all mixed up with comic relief - their opening song was KC and the Sunshine band's "I'm Your Boogie Man" ... rather then the hard rock testosterone splurge the other wrestlers opened up with. I wanted to dance. I think they should let girls dance in the middle of the ring after they are done. I also think they should hire girls (me) to walk around holding signs up in between games. ;)

The Iceman had no prob turning around to show me his butt for a pic.... In case you think I didn't really go to this, here is the proof below...HOT!!! Oh and BTW, there's another match coming here to Big Sandy Mush on July 25th! XOXoxoxoooo

Experimental Make-Up With Berries and Beets

I got carried away with my skin dying discovery. And I have my reasons.When I was diagnosed with Celiac Sprue in 2001 I was shocked right out of my punk rock identity as the doctors told me I had to take all my glitter nail polish off and would never be able to wear gluten containing make up again, PLUS it had to be hypoallergenic- which meant with all my chem allergies & lack of info from cosmetic companies I began the unthinkable for a southern girl... I went completely make up free for the last 8 years. Even if I had a zit. The artist in me loves color still though... so I like to try things out, just in case I want to look like David Bowie or have seductive lips.The following pictures are of beets and berries sliced and squished that are raw and have not been put through a blender. I do think that for the fullest opaque and longest lasting dye on your skin blending it very smooth and mixing with a little olive oil would work well.

THIS IS BEFORE ( & is my best supa' model face):
THIS IS AFTER (with beet slices rubbed on lips and layered with olive oil- oh so natural looking):

I put black raspberries on my eyelids and it made them look so huge it borders the hyperthyroidism of most Disney character's eyes. But I like it.

This stuff would be a really safe way to do halloween & theatre make up, especially on children who are susceptible to toxic dyes in cheap face paints. You can get varying opaque qualities by layering, making sure your skin is dry before applying, and also by blending very concentrated amounts. I simply mushed the berry in my fingers and rubbed it's juice on my eyelids so it's a more translucent and lighter shade. Another bonus is once you get to the sink, it washes off easy. It won't stay on your skin forever!
This last pic is my mug shot. After a few hours covered in berries plus summer sweating and not having used a thick layer (or the oil) - it began to morph into something part zombie, something part domestic violence. I look like I got in a fight ova' a pack of cigs & a thunderbird at a 7-11!!! Yeah bra - somebody come bail me out so I can take anotha' spin in ya' camero.

XoXo

White In The Woods

Sometimes it feels like colors have their own season. Like everything yellow blooms, then everything purple, then everything white. It's white time in the woods right now... these are pictures of white wild flowers & one marshmellowy mushroom growing along the trail. I saw the white tail of a deer too, after following it's tracks but it ran away fast and hard.

XoXo

What Blue Bug Is This?

Sparkles here didn't like it's picture taken, but man... look at how amazing this little bug is! It was sunning itself on top a big squash leaf- (I wish that it would eat squash beetles). Does anyone know what kind of insect this glitter monster is? It's fancier then a slutty sequined dress on the Hollywood red carpet. :)

xoxo

Tadpoles With Legs

In the words of comedian Eddy Izzard (British cross dresser)... "I've Got Legs!"

xoxo

Chicken Homicide: Who Done It?

My disabled chicken family has sunk into death like the freakin' titanic. I hadn't even gotten to take them over to my house yet cause the hen (with the funny cough) was sitting on a batch of eggs while my rooster (with the funny crow) was standing guard. Chickens are better then watch dogs, they will cause a HUGE fuss at the slightest provocation and I knew something terrible was happening when I heard a chorus of hen panic typified by rooster screams... I arrived to find this... Freaking gross! My broody hen had been murdered & was covered in stupid shit flies, her eggs were cracked and all that was left of my handsome rooster was the white feathers pictured behind the baby chicks (see below).

Of course some Sherlock Holmes and Watson action was required, with knives ready (cause who knows WTF animal it was) we searched around for evidence. We followed a trail to a neighbor's house to check their dog for feathers or blood, but found nothing. A hawk could have swooped down but the rooster feathers were all over the place like he'd been shook. Plus there was this...A bump under the fence and two wet looking rooster feathers on the outside right in front of the fence bump. Mmmmhmmmmm. Bobcat? Raccoon? Coyote? Neighbor's Dog?

My whole down trodden chicken family gone in one swoop. :(

xoxo

Farm Candy:The Mantis Tiller

My mom prays the rosary and watches late late night TV, sometimes sci fi and sometimes infomercials where she discovers brilliant inventions like the Mantis Tiller. Thanks Mom! I just got the gift that keeps on giving, cause unlike most after midnight inventions (not speaking of the snuggie of course) the mantis tiller is completely totally perfectly awesome in every way a tiller should be. My neighbor Cody came over and put the whole thing together in about 15 minutes... continuely chanting mantras such as "bad ass", "sweet", and "thank your mom for me personally"!

Everyone wanted a piece of dat' mantis...everyone! It's like the opiate of small farming, the best thing since sliced bread, the yummiest candy in the barrel, the ultimate adult toy.

I, of course, am scared to use it. I have to warm up to machinary, I have to watch others be tossed around, I have to build up the nerve - I am terrified the vibrating will give me a seizure. In the meantime the bonus is I am now the most popula' girl on da' farm with the best tiller on da' block ;) ----> Ehem... but oh the thing can till! Ya'll it was busting through grass like it ain't no thang but a chicken wang, it was making chunky soil turn smooth and well ground like sand. It turns an all day job into a 30 minute job and if you hold it right it can even make furrows (rows) for you! Tillin' in a free world!

PS- For those with chemical sensitivities, there is a mantis tiller that is electric with no emissions! ! !

GO Mantis Go!!! xoxo

Scooter Ride and Gluten Free Cookie

Today I went for a ride on an eco friendly scooter (the battery can be charged up electrically and it gets 100 miles to the gallon!) I felt like I was in some kind of romantic movie where the silly (national lampoon) Americans are touring the European countryside via moped... breeze blowing through your hair, bugs flying in your face, dirt in your eyes, hugging the driver tightly as it speeds up, and waving at every local passing by. Except this was just in my 'hood. These two old buildings at the end of Willow Creek Rd. would be the perfect place to have a thrift store. Right now it's a handcrafted broom studio.

I thought this beautiful tiny car was just my size! It said on the side it was a "midget".

Ya'll, if I wasn't excited enough about the awesome donkey I found yesterday, I found a whole 'nother donkey buddy today! She ran right up to the fence to greet me with her horse friend... I think I am a donkey magnet. It felt very beast master. (Please Gawd, send me my very own donkey.)

This barn and rickety silo are on Big Sandy Mush Rd. - it looks like a tower from a fairy tale. I want to climb to the top and let down my hair, or at least pretend to be prisoner. Oh Rapunzel!

These rocks are on the side of the road on Early's Mountain... it's sedimentary my dear. ;)The local dead reside here....

I ended my scoota' ride with gluten free cookies made with wild grown black raspberries!!! I picked the sweet berries right behind my house and used a Namaste cookie mix. Holy cow they were freaking good... mmmmm.

PS- Scooters (and cookies) are way better then cars. XoXo

Wrestling and Dancing

This is what I am looking forward to... ...the two best things to do on the weekend that anyone could have eva' thought of! Don't worry I will be bringing my camera & I am gonna sew a dress special for the dance. ;)
xoxo

Tractor Crossing

Where I come from, there are no tractor crossing signs. This sign is the coolest road sign I have ever seen. :) And here's some other stuff down the road from my house...

My new crazy donkey friend who I am sure felt our instant BFF connection as I did - I have been dreaming of having a small horse, mule or donkey to ride on as my main form of transportation. I can wear a blue sheet on my head and pretend to be the virgin Mary while I go to town ... jus' kiddin'. About the virgin part. And the mary part. Not the riding to town part.

See how twisty the road is, makes alot of people feel like they are going to barf trying to come see me. You can't see in the picture, but right on the road there was a dead corn snake.And apparently the teenage cows down the street are vampire zombies...don't look in those eyes, you will turn to stone!

xoxo

DIY: Native American Mat Loom

I am so excited about this native american craft project, cause not only was the mat loom freakishly easy to build and use - but it was free & works so well we've already made a few bad ass floor mats since yesterday! This primitive loom requires more then one person to operate because of it's size - 2 peeps or more is good.

BUILDING THE LOOM:
We built ours out of bamboo since that's what's growing around the house - some other type of wood or rods could be used also. The other materials you'll need are some kind of twine (string, fabric strips, hemp, jute, or whateva' floats ya boat) and something to make your mat out of (vines, grass, hay, bamboo husks, corn husks, cattails, dried reeds, ect...)

Step one: Hammer in six 3 ft high poles in a straight line- each one being 6 inches apart (Like in the pic above).

Step two: Hammer in two more 3 ft. poles 6 feet across from the other 6 poles. These should be totally even with the other poles creating a perfect imaginary rectangle (kinda looking like a tiny bed). VERY tightly tie on a cross bar to the two poles (as shown in the pic below).

Step three: You'll need 12 pieces of twine total. Tie the first six from the cross bar to each pole in the line of 6 (see pic below.)

Step four: Tie the remaining 6 pieces from the cross bar to another pole, stick, or rod (AKA "movable warp") - (see pics below of the process for reference, this is the thing that'll move up and down). These pieces need to be tied much further out then the poles because that twine will be used in making the mat - if your loom is 6 feet then tie the "movable warp" twine about 10 feet long.

MAKING YOUR MAT:

We used bamboo husks that fall from new bamboo shoots and organic cotton fabric scraps tied together. The possibilities are endless with what materials to use, so check and see what's available around your house.

Step one: One person needs to operate the "movable warp" (the part that moves up and down), and another person starts at the opposite end by shoving in the husks. Working with me here is Nikki and Bort - they are placing the husks in between the organic cotton strings and holding them tight while the "movable warp" stays up. Once it's in, the "movable warp" comes down. Pulling it very tight and firm, which weaves the husks into place.

Step two: This is how it goes...hold warp up and shove in husks...hold warp down to the ground and shove in husks...hold it up and shove in more husks...hold it down and shove in husks...

Keep repeating this with steady flow.
What happens is as you build on this pattern you'll see your mat quickly being woven - it isn't a long or hard process and it's especially fun to do while listening to the classic rock station on the radio. ;)
Step three: Once you get to the end of your loom, all that needs to be done is cutting the strings and tie off the ends. Cut them loose from the cross bar and from the "movable warp" like in the pic below.

This is what the mat looks like in the raw before trimming the edges to be uniform and straight. Me and Nikki are the farm hand version of Vanna White... Ta-da (the sounds of wind chimes and wheels of fortune!)

If it's good enough for Toots, then it's good enough for me. I am sitting on this soft cushy mat as I type this blog. :) Yay!

XOXooooo

Dragonfly (aka Mosquito Hawk)

In Louisiana dragonflies are called mosquito hawks... since they eat tons of mosquitoes. The sucky part is in New Orleans they also spray pesticides like hell from these trucks driving up and down every street to kill all the mosquitoes, which ended up killing the dragonflies too. I am assuming in the end of this lame equation you end up with the same amount of mosquitoes.

Mosquito hawks in the smokey mountains of North Carolina seem a little smaller then the big ones flying in the southern swamps (maybe since they aren't mutated by constant chemical spraying), but the butterfly like colors on this one are something I have never seen before! I love it. I hope it saves me from a few mosquito bites... ;)

XoXo

Bean Seeds: Buying and Planting

Buying beans in seed packets doesn't really get you all that many beans, especially if you are growing a garden that is supposed to feed you throughout the year. The neat thing is you can go to the bulk section of your organic grocery and load up on dried beans because those are the actual seeds for planting bean plants too. Ya end up with WAY the heck more bean seeds for crazy less money then buying small packs. You also get to choose from a huge bush bean & legume assortment not offered in seed catalogues, plus they'll be certified organic. :)

These won't come with instructions but generally speaking most bush beans only need to be planted 2-4 inches apart, and just give them a good cover of dirt not more the 1 inch deep. Watering seeds as you plant them can give um' a head start on germinating and just kinda seems like a nice thing to do for ya new little ones. This year I am growing kidney, black eye pea, mung, lentils, great northern, pinto and christmas lima beans...another reason to love bulk bins at the health food store. :)

XoXo

Toad, Prince In The Making

Well, Hello. (Clears throat...) My name is Cornilius Boobabum and if you kiss me I will not only be a prince, but in my regal human form I will continue to make this smug ass expression throughout our life together. Pick ME!

LOL. This toad really is almost cute enough to smooch if ya look at him in just the right state of mind, I mean check out those cool patterns, colors and camouflage markings. Not to mention the adorable way he holds his hands together (is that two thumbs down)... & nice frog legs.BTW- that's a boy holding the toad, not me. I am not that flat.

xoxo

Garden Upcycle: Building A Stone Path

I must have thrown a thousand pounds of rocks out of the tilled garden... terrible but true I kinda like watching someone else till a rocky area so I can giggle a little everytime it lurches forward on some big stones. If I had been the one steering the beast, I probably would have vomited from motion sickness and exhaust poisoning.
I am not a straight forward farmer, I have elaborate artistic ideas of turning every space into some magical fantasy garden... this one starts with upcycling those rocks back into the space by making a primitive looking pathway, a little cobblestone-esque place to walk through.

It looks like it might be easy in the pictures, but I swear to gawd this is some manual labor that takes tons of time and strength - carrying individual rocks, buckets of rocks, lifting, hauling, placing each one like some manufactured puzzle piece meant to fit together. And they do fit together somehow, like the whole mess was waiting for you to put it back together.It took me a few days to complete the stone path and I am pretty sure I now have super strength rivaling a comic book heroine. Don't mess with me. ;)
I would love to border the entire path with flowers and herbs, and maybe some kind of ground creeper - does anyone have any suggestions?

Check out the finished project... oh yeah! --->

xoxoooo

Swallowtail Butterfly

Of all the butterflies around here this one is the most difficult to catch on camera, I pretty much had to find one that was slightly distressed to get near it. Normally they are flitting high in the air, like little striped birds... swooping over the roof, over the bamboo, around the silo and far away from me. Have you ever seen the movie The Last Unicorn?? These tiger patterned swallowtails are like the poetic butterfly who briefly speaks to the unicorn, jabbering only in riddles, prose, and scrambled stories- (EX. "have you seen the muffin man the muffin man the muffin man").

xoxo

Brown Box Turtle

Turtles have some hardcore armor. I was hoeing the ground in a thick patch of weeds and didn't see this turtle at all, until my ho slammed down hard on his back and clang off it like I'd hit a hollow rock. His head was still out and he looked at surprised as I was. A brown box turtle, just like I had in New Orleans when I was 11 years old (Tippy was it's name and it ran away during one of the many summer floods.)

In this very bottom picture you can see where I accidentally chinked it's armor, on the lower left hand side of the shell. Tough turtle... it waited for me to walk away before casually creeping off to a safer place.

xoxo

Baby Chickens are Teenagers now...

There's about 8 baby chickens next door from the incubator hatching. They have cute little colorful wings now, but still have that fuzzy baby look on the rest of their body. The big black hen is the broody mom who's adopted them all as her very own. My neighbors are going to give me a rooster with a funny crow (he's not quite mature) and a hen who lays eggs but has a persistent cough... to make my down trodden bird family complete I am hoping to steal away the one baby chick who has the deformed foot too. ;)

xoxo

Da' Tiniest Toad Eva' !!!

Oh My Gawd! I have never in my life seen a froggy this small... ever! It's so micro sized that it makes my eyes water to even look at how flippin' cute it is. At first sight I thought I was looking at a baby cricket jumping under the rocks I was lifting, then I realized it was a jet black baby toad (or frog... or whatever amphibian it may be?) Possibly a decedent to the huge plump toad I found in that area a few days ago.

Just as a note to it's size- my hand it also super small, probably 1/3 to 1/2 the length of whatevs' your hand is. This little hopper was smaller then my pinky fingernail!xoxo

Trash To Treasure: Pitchfork

Ya'll, I love trash to treasure junk! Inevitably when you till dirt on an old farm you will unearth various rusted metal pieces... like this bad ass little pitchfork we found. Even as a kid growing up in New Orleans there was buried treasure in the shape of crusty shoe horses, signs of a pre-suburban time that really wasn't that long ago.The rusted little pitchfork had no handle anymore, so Bort attached a piece of bamboo to it. You can use glue, pine pitch, or just ram it in there at the right tightness and you have yourself a new tool again. He used a large drill bit to make the hole in the bamboo just the right size. Farming tools with wooden handles break way too often, especially these days where everything is made cheaply (AKA with pine). It's good to be able to repair tools instead of just falling into the trap of chucking it and buying another one just to get a new wooden handle. Check your tools out when you purchase them to make sure they can be fixed later on (some companies indent the metal so you can not pull out the old wooden handle, which is exceptionally lame and un-eco).xoxo

Farming & Flip Flops Don't Mix

I have been running around in tilled dirt like it's beach sand in Destin, Florida. Instead of acquiring a sock line tan I have gotten this flashy V line on the top of my foot, some serious mud under my toe nails, water loggin' wrinkles, and a magic outline in black for emphasis. :) Seeing flip flops worn during farming is like being made to watch a bad couple bicker, they really should break up but play out their painful coupling anyway... somebody has to stop me & my flip flops!
The real reason not to wear flip flops though is to not lose a toe or few.
PS- Does anyone remember when flip flops were also called "thongs" or did I dream that ???

XoXo

Butterflies!

Ooooh pretty... The white butterfly up top was on a turnip flower (go little pollinator GO!)
This orange speckled dream machine below is on a purple clover flower (aren't they edible, have any of you ever eaten one... the flower not the butterfly!?)

And this slow moving battered swallowtail was resting on a burdock leaf in the sun.

xoxo

Wasp Wrestling

I have already been stung twice this spring by the aggressive wasps around the house. It's almost a relief to see them fighting with each other instead of flying up my skirt (which has happened three times in my life so far).

xoxoooo

Jus' Tillin'

Here's my gardening theory about tilling versus hoeing: I think if ya have a huge space go ahead and till it the very first time, and then maintain with a ho from then on. If ya' pay the ho enough, she'll probably even use your gardening tool and keep the weeds down for ya. ;)
Just teasing. I am pretty sure that my theory is backed up by those studying organic agriculture- who also suggest various cover crops to keep the soil healthy. My style of gardening is usually companion planting in order to keep the soil from being drained of nutrients while stuff is growing - just like in nature certain plants work together really well.
The rain has been boggling us here in Western North Carolina and tilling was put off the very day it could be put off no longer, the one magical sunny weekend! We tilled into the black of night, which is kind of a hysterical thing to do. Bort wore a head lamp like a miner and I ran around in the dark grabbing big rocks and throwing them out of the way, screaming into the loud noise of the tiller "watch out for those spiders, they aren't running fast enough!"... the tiller is not only loud but it also stinks like a freakin' go-cart track at a shitty school fair. By the time it was all over I felt like I had just given a pint of blood and was happy to think about all the beans, squash and potatoes I am gonna grow.

xoxo