Reduse, Reuse, Recycle

My yard is a work in progress. No, it will never win the prize for "House Beautiful" largely because I wouldn't have a clue as how to get it there. I love the flowers I have, but they are randomly distributed wherever an empty spot opens up. I guess you could call me an opportunistic gardener.

That goes for my garden structures as well. I've been using rainwater for my gardening needs for about a year and have found that the garbage cans I bought leak. They will be put to other purposes now...maybe I can grow worms in those or store extra compost. My solution to storing watershowed up on Craigslist. The above barrel cost $10 and took about 20 minutes to modify it so as to make it workable for my needs. I felt a little like a blacksmith as I hammered out the top of the barrel to create a fitted lid and felt a good bit more respect for those people as my biceps and wrists started complaining. The top of the barrel gave itself up easily to my reciprocating saw though the steel ate the saw blades at roughly one blade to 3 barrels. Still, it's a cheap, er, a , frugal way to store water.

The potting bench functioned as a bunkbed just 2 days ago. My neighbor left the wood pieces on the curb for the garbage men to pick up and I beat them to it! It went together as if someone had cut the pieces to fit and the only cost was that of the screws I used to secure it.

I 'adopted' the pallets behind the potting bench from the side of the road. Much easier to handle than stock fencing, it also provides a little bit of a screening though I'm not too concerned about that.

I like getting my supplies for nothing. Yes, I can be a little cheap and I won't deny that. I also really like the idea of second and third uses for everything. Newspapers make great ground cover bases for my raised beds. Baling string works well for trellis netting. Manure is out there for the asking and sure beats petrochemicals for conditioning the soil for long term success and nutrient rich crops. And in just a month or so, Central Florida trees will give up their leaves and I'll start collecting them too.

Come to think of it...tomorrow is yard waste pickup day. Maybe I'll just take my little utility trailer out and see what we can come home with !

I Love Autumn!

I love the Fall. I love it when the cold fronts slide through Florida and we can pretend we actually have seasons for a few days. These are the nights when I can get out my fire pit and build a fire out of the wood I've gathered out of my yard in the past year. I've been wanting to go camping but after building my fire and roasting a few marshmallows, I'm kind of glad I get to sleep in my own soft bed.

There's something fascinating about fire and the embers it leaves behind. I can understand why early man thought it alive. I watch the embers ebb and flow, glow and fade, with a rhythm all their own. They draw me in with their dance and pull me back to a time before TV and before electric lights. To a time when nighttime conversation was how people passed the time before sleep. Fire meant connection, protection and safety. For me tonight, it means a peaceful night's rest after a very pleasant hour talking with my husband and enjoying the pleasures of times past.

Celtic Thunder

These are The Celtic Thunder!!! Rich and I went to listen to them at the UCF Arena and the show was great.

The "little guy" below is Damian, the youngest of the group. He has a great sound, a big teenie booper sound that all us old ladies love.

This is Paul, the pure Irish tenor. Wow, what a voice! You can tell he's classically trained and can hit the high notes like nobody's business. Pure and clear and lovely.

This is George, the Scot. He sings the ballads that make you cry and is the oldest of the five. He seems very fatherly, especially to Damian.

This is Keith. Keith sings a more folk flavored music. I believe he's Irish.

And this is Ryan, the Bad Boy!! He can make you believe that he is the darkest lover boy in the world...you should have her the ladies screaming for him!!!

The only bad thing about the whole concert was the temperature in the facility...it had to be over 80 degrees. Still, we had a great time and bought a couple CD's to remember a really wonderful night with.

That Time of Year

When people find out I live in Florida, one of the first things they say is, "doesn't it get hot down there?" The honest answer to that question is, you dang tootin' it does!!! From July to September, Central Florida can be miserable...hot, humid, sometimes stifling.

Ah, but the rest of the year makes it all worth it. Come October, the temperatures and humidity drop, the sky clears, the sun shines golden instead of hazy. It's gardening time!!!

There are green beans crawling up my shed with broccoli bordering it. A nice little strawberry patch beginning for a spring harvest. The very bottom picture has cucumber, eggplant and squash. And, a sample of a days' harvest.

It always amazes me how these little bitty seeds manage to take in moisture, warmth and sunlight and become these lovely plants that provide sustanance for us puny humans. I planted petunias too (picture to come soon) and the miracle magnifies. Those seeds resemble the period at the end of a sentence! How can such lovely flowers rise out of such a tiny beginning? It's a miracle I never tire of.

Visiting My Past

This is, uh, was my house when I was in elementary school. The color is about the same. The maple tree, the kind with the pink helicopter seeds, is gone but there are trees in the backyard that weren't there 40 years ago. My room was the window second from the left. I like that it's been kept up. When we moved here from Charleston, my parents bought this house...BEFORE it was built. We lived with friends for 6 months until it was finished which was fun for me because I was 8 years old. I think it was fun for my mother because Pat was her best friend. Anyway, my father would stop by the building site every night after work before he came home to critique the construction. More than once he had the carpenters redo something that wasn't up to his standards. I daresay we had the best build home on the block!!

This is Plaza Middle School formally known as Plaza Junior High. It was my privilege to attend this then state of the art school, complete with 2 college type lecture halls, 3 gymnasiums and a planetarium. The teachers expected us to live up to our environ and I think we did for the most part. The plaque below says the school opened in 1969. I attended the '71-'72 year.

This is the commons area. It hasn't changed a bit. Very dated I know, but also very comforting!

Rabbit Poo

I hit the Jackpot!!! No, not the Lottery, though I would love to win that too. No, THIS Jackpot is a little more down to earth. I found....a source....of RABBIT POOP!

Ah, rabbit poop...the ultimate in organic gardening fertilizer. High in nitrogen (part of what makes plants green) but not "hot." You can put those wonderful little pellets right next to your plants and it doesn't burn the plants at all. And PELLETS!!! It's like nature pre-packaged those little buggers just for us dirt bums. They are light weight (no more hauling tons of horse hockey) and the earthworms love them too.

So like I said, I not only found a source of rabbit poo, I found a SOURCE. This woman has 300 of the furry little poopers going at it all day and night. I filled my trailer and maybe cleaned a tenth of the area she had "under bunny." So next time I may even gather enough to cover my lawn with an inch or so...no smell, no clumping so why not? I may have the greenest weeds on the block!

Faye Part 3....the Aftermath

I told you about the rain that Faye dumped on the Florida pennisula. The 18 inches in my backyard drained fairly fast. The 3 feet of rain in other areas are slowly draining as well. And it's all draining into the St. John's River.

The news reports of flooded roads and homes shocked most of us as we usually don't receive so much precipitation in such a short period of time. My view of the river first hand humbled me more than I can say. Yes, homes were flooded, but I didn't think of the wildlife and the ecosystem as a whole. They were also devastated and nothing brought it into such focus as the plight of the marsh bunnies. In a little bitty area of 100 by 10 yards, there must have been 100 bunnies. They didn't run when we approached....they had no place elso to go. It's hard to see the bunnie but the glowing eye gives it away.

I took these pictures the end of August. My husband says the river is still flooded.

Our Beautiful September Days

Living in Florida can be challenging at times. Brutal summers and relentless hurricanes make some people crazy and they move away, thankfully! Still, September brings a new spring for us. This is the time to plant the big garden, the time when bug populations diminish and temperatures moderate to not only bearable but pleasant. When sunsets become golden instead of steamy, I remember why we stay in Central Florida.

This morning I took my trailer and gathered a load of grass clippings from a nearby neighborhood. I will put them in my compost pile so that I can continue to improve my soil for my little garden plots. I guess in the grand scheme of things this isn't much. Still, I can't help but believe that if everyone did just a little, Mother Earth would be much eased in her distress. I'm not convinced about human induced global warming. I am convinced that we are to be stewards of the land, responsible for her wise and compassionate use.

Goober Peas (Peanuts for the Uninitiated)

I see from the comments to my last blog that there are some of you out there that are a little out of touch with the natural cycle of life. You guys need to watch "The Lion King"...you know, the Circle of Life! Stuff has to rot and decay for other things to grow. That's just how it is. We will all eventually go the way of the worm and return to the Earth's embrace.

So, for y'all that are a little queasy, today's blog is on peanut butter. Last year I grew my first small crop of peanuts and harvested a couple of pounds of good Virginia peanuts from my southside raised garden bed. I roasted them and today shelled them in preparation for the great smushing. My blender made short work of the legumes but I had to add a bit of peanut oil to get it to smooth out. That's okay. As the peanut butter sits, the oil will rise and I can pour the extra off. A touch of salt brought out the flavor and it tastes just like the freshly ground product you can by at a local health food store. Fresh and organic!

It takes some time to do stuff like this and I don't think I'll try to grow enough for my PB&J needs for the year. Still, it feels good to know I can.

Sustainability

My word for the year is ....sustainability. I've started shredding my newspaper and adding it to my compost along with the coffee grounds I get from Starbucks, horse manure I gather from nearby barns, grass clippings from my neighbors' yard and any sort of vegetable waste that comes out of my kitchen. The plan is to take the resultant compost and use it to fertilize my garden, the results of which end up in our tummy!!!

Well, I had a new use for my compost reveal itself yesterday! As I stirred the upper layer of newspaper with fresh grass clippings, I noticed some little crawlie things squirming in the compost material. I picked one up and low and behold, I'm growing mealyworms in my compost pile!! Just so happens my chickens LOVE mealyworms. I guess it's a little gross picking mealyworms out of rotting crap but I'm saving on chicken feed now and my girls come running whenever they see me scavanging in the pile. I feel so loved.

Hhmmm. Since I eat their eggs everyday, I guess I'm eating mealyworms too!! And if you think that's bad, just try not to remember what part of the chicken from which the egg comes out.

Hunter, aka Super Destroyer

I've just had the pleasure of spending 4 days with my daughter Sheri and her almost 2 year old son, Hunter.

Hunter, in my opinion, is very appropriately named. This little man would be at home with a little loincloth and miniature spear. His energy and curiosity is a delight to watch even though it can drive his mama a little nuts.

On one of our little outings, Sheri needed to do some shopping alone so I followed Hunter around the mall. He never stopped running. I followed him around the atrium, down the upper level to Sears, to the back of Sears and then all the way back to the atrium again. If we didn't cover 1/2 a mile, I'd be surprised. Why he didn't drop from exhaustion only confirms my impression of him. After an organic chocolate milk, he was on his way again!!!

I love to watch my grandchildren grow. Not being the primary cargiver gives me a chance to observe a little more objectively and to see nuances that I missed with my own kids. When there are loads of laundry to wash, dinner to cook and dishes to wash afterwards, there's just not so much time to observe their little minds at work. I didn't think I'd fall for my grandbabies like I have but they are just so darn cute and smart that I just can't help it!!!!

The only problem with this is that they all live so darn far away!

Faye, Faye, Go Away....part 2

Yes, I know Faye is mostly gone. She's traveled her way north and we are slowing drying out except for our normal afternoon thunder bumpers. Her effects are still here though. The St. John's River (one of the only rivers in North America that flows north) is still cresting. The communites along the river and it's associated lakes are flooding. It's a mess.

But I have some good memories of Faye too. Yes, I did the walking thing and admired the prodigious amounts of moisture that continually bombarded my neighborhood (final score, 18 inches in 4 days!) Even better, I got to do my very favorite and dreamed of storm activities this time.

I washed my hair in rainwater AS IT WAS RAINGING. That's how hard the water came down....I even got all the soap out of my hair and it felt SO soft.

AND, I washed my car in the downpour. That's right folks, I soaped her up, scrubbed her down and let Mother Nature rinse her off. For this Earth Mama, I loved the fact that I didn't have to turn on the hose!!!

Now, our attention is on Gustav and Hanna. I wonder what's in store?

Faye, Faye, Go Away!!!

Okay. I love a good storm. I was raised walking in hurricanes and it's a special connection I have with my Mom. I love the feel of wind through my hair and on my face and the fresh rainwater dripping thick enough to drink. My feet naturally hunt for puddles and my "little girl" has a blast.

But Faye has pushed even MY love for rough weather to the brink.

I mean, hurricanes are supposed to blow through the area in about a day or so. The wind blows, roofs get damaged, rain falls, limbs break off,.... you know, standard stuff. After the storm is gone, you clean up. Simple, right?

Faye didn't read the rules. She has been hanging out in Central Florida for FOUR FRIGGING DAYS!!!!! I mean, enough is enough already. My rain gauge (an empty straight sided bucket) tells me we've gotten 16 inches of rain already with 6 more expected tonight. And we haven't even had the worst of it. Parts of Melbourne (southeast of us) has had 26 inches of rain. People have water up to their waist there.

By the way, my hens have grown webbed feet.

Mama's New Pull Toy!!!

I've been thinking about getting a little trailer for my Sonata for a couple of months. I like to haul things....like manure, hay (for garden mulch), potting soil, the occasional sheet of plywood and yard waste from my neighbors. Yes, I steal people's garbage but only if it's bagged leaves or grass clippings. They combine to make great compost, especially when I combine them with shredded newspaper, coffee grounds from Starbucks and the manure from a nearby horse barn.

Most of the time I call my lovely daughter, Carley, for a car swap. I take the truck, she drives my car. For the most part I don't think she minds and she's never been anything but accomodating. Still, with both of our schedules and lives being as busy as they are, sometimes the swap times are just a pain in the patootie.

So today, I got my trailer, or my Pull Toy as my husband described it. I have a hitch on my Sonata that should discourage anyone from rear ending me. I mean, it extends a good six inches and an extention raises the ball up a bit. Hhhhmmmmm.....anyway, another car will get hurt if it bumps into me. A truck would just laugh and plow through!!

As you can see from the pictures, I hauled plywood today. That wood will be used to create a solid floor on said trailer as well as solid sides and gate. It's just not good manners to track manure over public roads. I will paint it black to match my car and I will love it and pat and feed it and it will have a wonderful life with me.....so much manure, so little time!!!

On Grandma's "Farm"

It's been almost 2 weeks since I've shared my life with you. But I have a good reason!!! I've had my oldest daughter and her two children (MY grandchildren!) here for 9 days. They flew home yesterday and I sure miss them. Still, I have the memories of a ton of fun!!

Alex and I both love to be outside so this trip, I introduced him to some of my hobbies. If you notice, in his right hand is a claw tool, just his size. He used it to dig up that which is in his left hand...some nice juicy earthworms that had taken up residence next to my compost pile. Notice the chickens? THEY got the benefit of those nice juicy earthworms and had no problem eating out of Alex's hand. It didn't even stop him when they accidentally pecked his fingers a bit.

"Mom" got into the action too and I think between them, they gave my birds a good meal!

High and Dry in Central Florida

So, I've been looking for a piece of land to buy...2 or 3 acres somewhere near enough to Orlando to get to work within an hour, dry with a road. Yep. That's what I've been looking for.

The first piece lay south of Groveland which lies west of Orlando. The ad said, "park like acreage, wonderfully isolated rural land. Large mature tree canopy." The agent said that half of it was dry. So one morning, Rich and I had "an adventure." We drove out for over an hour, turned left on route 33 and drove another 15 miles, made a right on some little country road, made another right at the group of mailboxes, and drove VERY carefully over the dirt road whoopti-doos til we came to the FOR SALE sign.

Well, she was partly right. It was lovely. Big trees. And it would have been nice and dry if we were willing to bring in about 250 cubit yards of fill dirt for the house area. The creek on the right side of the property was the kind that drained the surrounding area into a larger swamp downstream. A good hurricane would leave us bogged down for weeks.

We explored another plot (in our price range) today. The owner said there was a hunting road that led to the property but that she'd never been there herself. Still, the aerial pictures looked promising. I could see individual trees and then paler green that I assumed were grassland (and we all know what ASS-U-ME means!!)

So, Rich and I had ANOTHER adventure. We found the entrance to the hunters' "road" tucked close to the HWY 50/HWY520 intersection. Rich parked the truck well on the shoulder of the road and we got out to see that the road was blocked by a welded steel gate with a nice lock on it. Didn't really matter. They did us a favor by preventing us from driving back there. I don't think our little Ford Ranger would have made it through the water on that "road." At any rate, we started walking. Figured we would walk about a mile in and find our land and it would be nice and dry with wild Florida grass pasture...Yep.

We did call the phone numbers on the gate to let the hunters know that we would be walking on the road (and please, don't shoot!) I got the answering service for both numbers though one was kind enough to call back. He just wanted us to know that he had killed a couple of wild boars back there and that there were also bear. Oh, and he'd recently killed a couple of pygmy rattlesnakes within the first few turns on the road. Just be careful, he warned. I looked at Rich and he said don't worry, all the animals slept during the heat of the day. Okay.

So armed only with my trusty camera, a half pint of water and my cell phone, we forged onward. After a half mile (and 10-12 "low spots" on the road where the land was about knee depth below the level of the standing water) the trees finally gave way and we saw what I thought was pasture....WRONG. It was sawgrass. Sawgrass grows in water. Water is NOT high and dry. Though we never got to the surveyed plot, we felt it pretty safe to turn around and go back. On the way back, Rich took the time to point out some animal tracks....raccoon, deer and, oh yes, wild boar! He did manage to bag one speciman of the wild while we were there...a mosquito about as big around as a quarter. You know, the kind that splats with YOUR blood when you hit it. They never bothered me at all.

I emailed the property owner and told her I didn't think this would serve our purposes.

Something to Look Forward To!

If I'm not mistaken, I'm the Old Woman of this little blog group. Having just turned 50 (and grateful for it, I must say) there are experiences that I am privileged to have that for which you youngsters will just have to wait a few more years. For instance, I'm freer to be friendly with young men because they know that this old lady means nothing by a little flirting.

Today I 'jumped the gap' for sure.

As per medical advice, the 50th year of life is also the first year of certain intrusive tests, ie., checking for polyps in the plumbing. For some of you, this may be too much information and for that, I apologize and suggest you stop reading now. But if you can't laugh at a colonoscopy, what's the point of these Golden Years?

The last two days have been filled with white grape juice and laxative tablets. No food, no red or purple anything, no milk. Clear broth, slurpees (woo hoo!!) clear juices, water. The recommendation is that one stays near the "facilities" during the cleansing and I found out that this was indeed, excellent advice.....because you just never know when....well, you know!

Actually, I had it pretty easy. The protocol used to use something call GoLitely, a foul (from what I hear) nasty gallon of "cleanser" that you had to consume on a schedule. The pills my (very handsome) doctor gave me were a piece of cake to get down. Oh, did I mention my very handsome young doctor? Of East Indian descent, his English is impeccable and his features all the best of his ethnic inheritance. It's a pity he has to deal with the back ends of people all day.

So my husband took me to the center this afternoon. I checked in, paid my bill and they took me back. Of course the first thing to do is ....take off the clothes and put on the gown. I felt rather chilly but then this angel of a nurse dropped a heated blanket on me. AAHHH. Looking back, the IV in my hand was the worst. I could feel the blood drain from my face for a minute or two but I recovered quickly. Are you ready for the good stuff?, they asked. Only if I'll wake up again, I replied. She smile and pushed down the plunger . At first, nothing and I got worried. And then the most delicious warmth spread over me and I was gone. Out.

The next thing I know, I am waking up and expelling that which they used to inflate my colon for a better view. I guess some people are a little shy about that because they kept encouraging me to...continue. They don't know me very well. I don't need any encouragement to.....continue. I got dressed and was wheeled out to my waiting car and husband. Lunch at the China Buffet started with won ton soup. I feel much better now!!!

I'm feeling a little foggy still and will take it easy today. The whole experience went well and my apprehensions were foundless. And of course, the drugs were great! So, you young whipper snappers, eat your fiber, lots of whole grain and plenty of vegetables. Remember that broccoli acts like little scrubbers in your pipes. Oatmeal too.

And remember...you, too, have something to look forward to!!!

The Search is On

I am a woman of obsessions. Or perhaps I should say that I am true to my astrological sign, Taurus. Once I get my mind set on a course of action, it takes a small miracle to disuade me until I am simply tired of fighting. I'm just a little bull-ish.

So my current dream is that of property. I know that there are a couple acres of land out there that belong to me, I just have to find them. Today Rich and I drove out to Clermont to see a promising piece of Florida. Described as "partially cleared" with 3 of the 5 acres suitable for building, I was prepared to allow Mother Earth her portion of "my" property as 3 acres is really quite enough for me. A little lowland was okay.

Getting to the lot wasn't too difficult. Newly paved Route 33 gave us hope, especially since the engineers included a bike lane through the whole stretch of road. Wow! We could live in the country and still have access to biking! We took the right turn at Oil Well Rd...okay, not too bad. Some cleared land but the land seemed to be getting a little lower. At the group of mailboxes, we took another right (because the dirt "road" wasn't marked!). We carefully drove over the whoop-de-dos, the kind that are a blast to go over on a motorcycle but that could bottom out your car if you pushed too fast. And then, there it was....that lovely partially cleared plot.

We could tell it had recently been bushhogged and explored as far as we could. This plot was definitely slanting a bit toward the creek that ran through one side. Creek? I mean swamp. The high and dry part of the plot ran along the neighbor's fence, about 200 yards back but only 60 feet or so across. As long as the weather stayed relatively dry, we would be okay. But we would be up an 'unsanitary tributary without a visible means of locomotion' if a hurricane dropped 10 inches of rain...not unheard of here in Florida.

So, I just figured it out. In order to raise 2 of these acres 1 foot, we would have to truck in 10 loads of clay at 40 cubic yards each. Having purchased ONE truck load for my yard a few years ago, I know exactly what kind of work we would be looking at. Even with unlimited monies, it would be formidable project. But the fact that I figured out how much dirt we would need testifies that I'm STILL obsessing over this land!!!

Keep me in your prayers. I'm disappointed but I know God's will will be done. And I'm still very keen for the hunt!!!!!

I am domestically challenged.

Actually, I just hate housework...always have. I tried all kinds of things to keep my house habitable, especially when my children were growing up. When it was time to wash the kitchen floor (which should have been everyday but was actually maybe once a month), I threw a bucket of lightly soapy water on the floor, gave my kids rags to step on and told them to have at it. The floor became acceptably clean and the kids had a little fun. I did have to clean up the dirty water but had a Rainbow vacuum at the time which made it easier.

I even tried this index card system where you have something that gets done every day and they you file it in the back of the pile. So I would do floors on one day, dust on one day, clean the bathrooms...you get the idea. It was a great system too but like anything else, it only works if you work it. I have a neighbor whose house ALWAYS looks good....I mean ALWAYS. She laughed at my system because I guess to her cleaning is just second nature.

NOT!!!

That being said, it's understandable why my husband made such a big deal out of the way the house looked when he came home yesterday. He normally does the vacuuming because he enjoys it and frankly, I'd rather mow the lawn, but his work has picked up and mine has slowed down so it's only right that I should pick up some of the slack at home. The house IS a little cleaner than it used to be, mostly because there are 4 fewer people living in it. I still make more than my share of messes. But yesterday, I just wanted to clean.

Yes, I know, totally out of character. But that kitchen floor finally got to me and I couldn't clean the floor without cleaning the mats and after the kitchen floor looked so pretty, the livingroom carpet just had to be vacuumed which led to my bedroom where I was reminded that the sheets were grungy and wanted a bath too! Wow, that really doesn't sound like much when I write it down, but it sure took most of the day. As I look around I do feel a certain sense of satifaction and the place smells fresher too.

I had fun doing making my home prettier yesterday. It felt good. And I'd STILL rather mow the lawn!

A Good Day....continued

After waxing poetic about my fun day shoveling dirt, I forgot to put the icing on the cake!

As my previous entry said, I had a wonderful time playing in my yard yesterday. Digging, raking, hammering, wheelbarrow-ing. After I completed my new growing area, I had enough light (and energy) to mow the lawn. I figured, if I had to bathe, I might as well be good and filthy before running the water!

So as finished the last row of grass in the back yard, the first raindrops started falling. I hurried and put the mower away then ducked into the house before the main storm it. Then I stopped. I listened for thunder and watched for lightening and saw none. I could feel a grin build up from the inside out as I went into the house....to take off my shoes, remove my glasses and put my phone out of harms way. Then I went back outside JUST as the rain started pouring. Cooling rainwater poured all over me, softening my hair and skin and bringing a child(ish) giggle to my lips.

It seems fitting that found myself playing in the rain yesterday. Today is my mother's birthday and my love of storms is one of her gifts to me. As most of you who read this already know, my mom would have been 83 today. She passed on 7 years ago. Still, every time I walk in the rain or stomp in the gutter puddles, she is alive for me. Happy Birthday Mom!!!

A Wonderful Day (or Two)

Some people relish a day in front of the TV. Others save their time to work on models or scrapbook or any number of worthy hobbies. Me? I love dirt!!

My dream is to buy a couple of acres of untouched land, clear it and make it mine. I would slowly clear the underbrush (with the help of my small herd of goats that I would buy as soon as the fencing was up!). Then I would go through the trees and decide which would serve best as fuel and take them down. I would plant fruit trees suitable for Florida (fig, avocado, sand pear, maybe a Florida apple variety), kiwi vines, blueberry bushes and blackberry thickets. My garden would supply us with most of our vegetable needs, the dairy goats would give us milk and keep the underbrush down. Chickens for fresh eggs and IF I got courageous enough, I would try to raise meat rabbits. The courage would be for "harvesting" the meat.

AAHHHH....to dream!

My reality isn't all that bad though. I live on a fifth of an acre, have a great house (big enough AND small enough), good neighbors and as much financial security as anyone these days could expect. Living here for 25 years has its benefits. I've spent 25 years bringing in compost and improving the soil in this largely sandy area. The oak trees in my yard shield the house from the worst of the summer sun and our yearly average electric bill (considering I keep our nighttime AC at 73 degrees) is very reasonable.

So, my job is to create my dream right here! Yesterday I shoveled about a cubic yard of sand and well rotted horse manure. I was in heaven! My body loved the exercise and my mind loved the "zen" of hard labor. The goal? To build a raised bed in my front yard! That's right, the FRONT yard. That little square patch of land has been left largely unscathed by my escapades mostly because I am not a pretty gardener. I am a vegetable gardener. I like FUNCTION. This will be my new challenge.

I've laid out the landscaping timbers and secured them in place. The manure is all snug in its new 'bed' and will have to rest a bit before it receives plants. I don't want to burn their little tootsies! The crescent shaped bed is 16' long and about 3' at its widest. Along the front I'm planting some colorful fall flowers, maybe impatiens because I really love them. Broccoli will stand proud in back (until I cut they little heads off!!! HEHEHEHE) and perhaps bush beans to fill in the middle. I wonder if squash will grow there. I can't seem to grow it anywhere else!!

It comes down to this...if I can't have my place in the country, I'll just have to bring the country to me...and my neighbors and husband will have to deal with the smell of horse once in awhile. And coffee. Starbucks gives away old coffee grounds and they make great fertilizer! Today I got a bonus in my 30 pounds of grounds...two small stainless steel pitchers that they use for milk. So for the next few days anyway, the smell of horse hockey and coffee with mingle in the air...HEHEHEHE!!!!

Solar Oven....the Conclusion

So I'm sitting down to dinner, eating my solar cooked bbq chicken. The result? Tastes just like I'd cooked it in the house oven except perhaps a touch more moist and tender. After all, it cooked for 5 hours at about 275 degrees. I started it frozen solid and as soon as it was thawed enough in the plastic bag, transfered it to a glass pan.

I'm going to bake cookies on the next sunny day that I have at home. And maybe bread. Yummm.

Solar Powered

My husband and I spent a couple weeks building a solar oven. It seemed like a perfect fit, after all, we DO live in Sunny Florida. Except, it has rained every day since our project's completion.

But today, there is sun. And the water in my oven is a piping hot 200 degrees. So today I am cooking our dinner in a small black box in my back yard. I put frozen chicken in a rectangular pan and will let that cook until it looks almost done. Then I will add bbq sauce and let it go. No heating up of the house and no trying to air condition a heating oven.

Not that this whole thing is not without problems. The inner sides of the oven are pulling away from the insulation as I type this. We may have to secure it with bolts and washers. Also, if it starts to rain, I have to put my oven away. Still, it's a start and it's fun to boot.

My dream is actually to be energy self sufficient. Solar panels and wind turbines would go a long way in providing energy for my home. The hitch is...the cost. Enough solar panels to provide 50% of the power that I use in my house would cost over $80,000 after rebates and tax credits. The turbines are less expensive and I will be looking into those as I go. If I ever build a house from scratch, I would like to be almost off the grid if possible.

Actually, in my dream of dreams, I see myself in the North Carolina mountains in a cabin off the grid. My water would come from a combination of rain and well supplied. Heat, a wood stove and both passive and active solar power. I would have my flock of chickens, a small herd of rabbits, a couple dairy goats and maybe a steer for beef. Oh yes, a pair of Morgan horses to help with the hauling.

I wonder though....do you think A T & T have cell towers out there????

Bertha Made a Right Hand Turn....Rats!!!

I know most sane people would rather a hurricane NOT hit their state. In 2004 Central Florida received visits from Charlie, Francis and Jeanne. I hate it that many people lost their homes or had substantial damage to their property. People who live on the west coast of Florida had a bullseye on their butt (it seemed) and for 6 weeks we lived "on alert." Every other weekend had us pulling out the generator and using flashlights for almost a week at a time.

Still, the storms in a diluted form can be a lot of fun. Charlie came through at night and we watched out of the window as the power transformers blew, one at a time. Such a beautiful blue green glow! Francis came through during the day so Mike, Carley and I put on our roller blades, held sheets between us and did some land sailing down the street. We looked like we were having so much fun that my normally rain-avoiding husband joined us!

I guess my love of storms came to me honestly. My fondest memories of my mother involve long walks in Virginia storms, biting wind and pounding rain forging our bond. She loved the occasional snows we got in the south too. One winter night in Charleston SC, she woke me up at 2am so I could watch my very first snow fall. Her friends couldn't understand why she did that....I do. We built a snowman together out of the quarter inch of snow. It took up every bit of snow in our yard but we did it!!

Mom wasn't afraid to slide on the ice either. I feel like I'm pretty young for my age and Mom was too. She was probably around 45 when an ice storm hit Virginia Beach and we spent the morning together taking running starts and sliding down the slick road we lived on. We came in the house after a couple hours, wet from sweat and snow and melting ice, our cheeks red as apples and giggles bubbling out for hours after.

So, this is my trip down memory lane. I love storms and my kids seem to as well so we've passed it down for one more generation...but wait! Alex and I have already gone "crik stomping!" Yes! Mom, your tradition lives on!!!!

My Daughter Made Me Do This

This is the beginning of MY blog. I've so enjoyed reading the blogs of my 2 oldest kids so I thought I'd join the fun! I don't know how to put pictures or anything on this so be patient with me. The learning curve gets rather step after you turn 40 and I'm 10 years past that. Penny has promised to help me one day at a time....and today is not the day. Maybe tomorrow.

My kids like to tease me about my hobbies. I like to ride my bike. I really like to ride my bike with a trailer hitched to it to shop. I like to collect horse manure to put in my garden. I raise worms in a container in my backyard and feed them the manure too. They reward me with worm poop and I put that in my garden too. So if you eat veges from my garden, you are eating recycled POOP! Enjoy! It's better than eating petroleum fertilizers.

So, this is the beginning of my publicly viewed life. My kids roll their eyes at me at times but they still call on a regular basis so I guess I haven't shamed them too badly.