tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52125024040880132742012-01-24T20:22:26.702-08:00Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.comBlogger3311100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-13917481100847265182011-12-30T16:08:00.000-08:002011-12-31T17:56:00.742-08:00

Barely a week past the solstice, but the chickens can tell the days are already getting longer - two eggs yesterday, another one today. We last got eggs in mid-November. I had to buy eggs to make pumpkin pies for Thanksgiving, and another couple dozen since. But the girls are looking all new and fluffy-feathered once again, and coming back into production. Hooray! I used the last of my stored

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-90894323045152096312011-12-20T22:40:00.001-08:002011-12-20T23:26:57.036-08:00

I plant one Habanero chile plant each summer. The peppers are so hot that I don't need very many - enough for a batch of hot sauce, a few more to freeze, and then a few to hang in a little ristra to dry, to grind into powder. I've learned that even those I have to harvest green, if full-size, can be left out on the counter in a bowl and will ripen to orange. This past summer my one plant did

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-75537444224402299382011-12-17T22:35:00.000-08:002011-12-20T23:17:52.868-08:00

 I've been learning a bit about beading and some simple jewelry-making techniques, and acquired a couple starter tools. I've also been invited to quite a few holiday functions this month at people's houses, and don't like going empty-handed. Now I'm the type of party-goer that wanders about, working the room, talking to lots of folks. I often set my wine glass down, forget about it for a while,

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-22919870643441723392011-11-23T09:23:00.001-08:002011-11-23T10:23:55.469-08:00

Pink banana squash is the best large winter storage squash I've found for growing in my high desert climate. I have the room to let the vining variety ramble, but both the bush and the vining varieties set 10 - 20 pound fruit that has time to mature in my 110-ish day frost free season. And the pink banana will keep in storage, in a crate in a corner of my bedroom, for at least 6 - 8 months - long

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-80329801614235515172011-11-21T17:11:00.000-08:002011-11-21T18:29:45.466-08:00

I recently spent a Soroptimist "girls weekend getaway" in a vacation rental house up at South Lake Tahoe. Arranged by our District Director as a planning retreat for Club Presidents and Presidents-Elect, each club was responsible for one meal or snack. We were assigned Sunday breakfast, for eight. the weekend was BYOB, and wine was pretty much the drink of choice I figured our Saturday

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-28330047754143826702011-11-19T16:37:00.001-08:002011-11-20T11:25:46.389-08:00

Aries' injured finger is doing much better. He got the cast removed, and the stitches out. He now has a molded rigid plastic splint wrapping around his palm, held on with Velcro straps. He can remove the splint periodically to exercise the fingers, and is slowly regaining the ability to bend the joints. He can even tie his own shoes once again.He's still off work, for at least another 3-4 weeks,

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-10559595655985676342011-11-16T16:25:00.000-08:002011-11-16T17:05:43.660-08:00

We very rarely buy furniture new. Other than the electronics, just about all of our furnishings are second-hand or thrift shop finds, worn classics/antiques that Aries cleans up and refinishes, or pieces I sketch out and he makes for me.We have an old floor lamp that I honestly can't even remember when or where I got it. I think it made the move from Colorado with me, 25 years ago, but I really

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-51881104376317764932011-11-03T23:32:00.000-07:002011-11-03T23:51:52.053-07:00

I got out today, and gathered up the rest of my hoses. It was windy, but not too cold, so the hoses were still somewhat pliable. I don't have room to store them inside anywhere, so I coil them up into piles on a couple of pallets on the north side of the shed, and then cover them with a tarp for the winter.The storm moving in tonight was expected to bring rain, turning to snow before morning. I

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-26878681070487811912011-11-02T22:36:00.000-07:002011-11-03T11:09:14.464-07:00

We've shut down and drained the yard water system. I got some clean-up work done out in the garden this afternoon - rolling up hoses, stacking wire cages, and storing the metal stakes. I still have to figure out where to put the chicken wire I use to protect newly seeded areas, and still have hoses out around the fruit trees that need to be stored. Low temperature last night was 15F so I now have

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-67768890976277811772011-10-31T21:30:00.001-07:002011-10-31T21:49:57.238-07:00

Demons keep moving - this place is already possessed.No trick-or-treaters at all this year. Then again, the most we've ever had was nine one year; only two last year. We're a bit too rural for even the few families living nearby to bother with. Still, on Halloween I like having my lanterns out warding the door. The pumpkin seeds I soak in a salt brine overnight, to roast tomorrow. The pumpkin

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-89720430635867247922011-10-30T13:12:00.001-07:002011-10-30T15:41:58.377-07:00

On October 31, 1864, despite falling far short of the required number of residents, Nevada became the smallest territorial population to be recognized as a state. Towards the end of the Civil War, President Lincoln's political advisers thought that bringing another northern state into the Union would boost morale and add support for his re-election. In order to get the proposed state's

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-89281993345475454532011-10-29T13:05:00.000-07:002011-10-30T13:08:05.461-07:00

Don't you sleep better in a clean bed, after a nice warm bath?

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-39128200173107535052011-10-28T19:46:00.000-07:002011-10-29T21:12:57.981-07:00

It's that time of year. Boris, our German Shorthair pound hound, has been shedding quite a bit (and smelling rather doggy too). This morning, I decided it was bath day for Boris. I made a fire in the woodstove so it would be warm when we got out of the bathroom. Lots of treats, lots of towels to kneel on, and some tail-down shivering on his part (he's not a water dog), and I soon had a damp but

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-70936641213047266092011-10-27T19:59:00.000-07:002011-10-29T09:03:54.031-07:00

This is a bushy-tailed woodrat, minus half his tail. We found that a few days ago, stuck to a glue trap in the cellar (he'd chewed off his own tail to escape).And this is what he's been doing to the fruit in my cellar:You can read more about my vermin dilemma on my post on the Simple Green Frugal Co-op blog.

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-48131119991364770672011-10-14T16:18:00.000-07:002011-10-14T16:55:41.782-07:00

I usually start a couple of okra seeds inside in April, the same time I start my tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers. Sometimes they'll take forever to sprout, sometimes the seeds are up and growing quickly. Often they'll get too big and die back before the weather gets warm enough for them. The young plants are super-tender too. I've had little okra plants freeze inside their Wall-o-waters when

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-7457315857594378312011-10-13T20:00:00.000-07:002011-11-19T17:16:45.966-08:00

Our first hard freeze was looming last week, so it was time to bring in all the tender crops. Two days prior, I'd cut all the squash and cucumbers; the day before all the chiles, peppers, and eggplants. As I snipped apart tomato plants and hauled tubful after tubful of green tomatoes up to the house, Aries was busy clear-cutting the stripped-clean plants and hauling loads up to the chipper/

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-48612045723905818742011-09-09T13:59:00.000-07:002011-09-09T15:28:52.448-07:00

Today was bed linens fall laundry day. Here in the high desert, summers are hot and winters cold. In order to sleep comfortably, spring and fall I change the bedding. Right now, it's still warm enough that we're sleeping with the windows open, closing everything up by nine in the morning to keep the house cooler through the day. But come September, I'm ready to get my fall decor out - replacing

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-36460217152883396602011-09-08T11:35:00.000-07:002011-09-09T12:40:01.202-07:00

I'd pulled the soaker hoses off the rest of the onions a few weeks ago, and bent down those tops still upright. After a couple of weeks of drying and dying, I used a garden fork to loosen the soil, then my hands to scoop up the bulbs. I then wheeled them into the shade up by the house to cure.Onions need to be cured for storage. Set out in a single layer in a warm and airy spot, the roots die,

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-26457657632420136122011-09-07T14:03:00.000-07:002011-09-08T08:13:09.041-07:00

I heard a series of loud pops. I thought neighbor kids had set off a string of big firecrackers in the open dirt field across our north fence, over towards the theater. Ten minutes later, the dog started howling out on the deck, as siren after siren went by on the highway two blocks below. My first thought, especially this time of year, was a wildfire someplace. But a quick scan around the

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-78971207812707742712011-09-05T20:43:00.000-07:002011-09-05T21:50:00.074-07:00

I think every garden, no matter how large or small, needs a place to sit. Maybe just as a place to rest a bit, or your spot to enjoy the sights and sounds of nature, or maybe it's a secret hideaway. It could be a folding chair, the tailgate of a truck, an old bench, an upright chunk of log, a low stool underneath a bean teepee, or maybe even a swing. Extra points if you also have a table close by

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-81708934173905248902011-09-04T13:04:00.000-07:002011-09-04T14:02:43.674-07:00

I'm very happy with my Walla Walla onion trial this year. The plants, ordered in February, received mid-March, and planted in early April, did very well for me. According to the Dixondale day-length map, I'm in the middle of the intermediate-day section. I went with the long-day onions because most of those varieties have a longer storage time. The storage potential of the Walla Walla, at

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-7346149379285373782011-07-22T15:49:00.000-07:002011-07-22T16:18:11.801-07:00

This year's garlic has been harvested, cleaned, and braided. The braid is now hanging in the cutout between kitchen and living room, where the warm and gentle air circulation is perfect for curing the bulbs so they'll keep in my pantry throughout the coming year. This year, from a patch 2.5 x 4 feet, I ended up with a 2.5 foot braid, just short of 5 pounds, of 40 nice-sized garlic bulbs (plus a

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-52509944560391699802011-07-15T08:43:00.000-07:002011-07-15T10:02:21.374-07:00

When I first started gardening, I grew vegetables. I began slowly - little patches of lettuce and peas, then a tomato plant. Even though I enjoyed it, gardening was work. I wanted my energy out to result in energy returned. I focused on stuff I could eat.The garden got bigger whenever I had the time and the space. When I moved onto my own land, I could stretch my food horizon out to a longer term

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-88047674832714691542011-07-13T21:21:00.000-07:002011-07-13T22:04:46.934-07:00

I'm having some successes, and some failures out in the garden. That's usually the case around here, too. The garlic is looking good. The tips of the leaves were starting to dry up. When the top one-quarter had dried, a couple of days ago, I pulled the soaker hoses off and bent the tops over. Sometimes they'll just fall over on their own, but if they don't by the time 1/4 to 1/3 of the leaf tips

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-2815001443765833902011-06-06T12:58:00.000-07:002011-06-06T13:31:52.303-07:00

Last week still saw night temperatures below freezing, and even a couple of days with snowflakes swirling about. The plants I started inside spend the days out on the deck, and are now more than ready to plant. However, despite what the calendar says, I'm going to hold off a bit longer. Outside, the soil is still too cold for tender plants and warm season seeds.The cold weather plants are doing

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-27400729196213441922011-05-27T22:00:00.000-07:002011-05-29T16:26:52.357-07:00

A couple of months ago, we lost one of our chickens. And the bobcat sightings have since still been occurring from time to time around our neighborhood. Sometimes it's just a lone adult, but also a half-grown young one is around too. Since the female had to get pregnant somehow, it's probably safe to say there are now at least three in the area.Yesterday afternoon, I was out working in the yard

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-56801697032412820172011-05-22T20:14:00.000-07:002011-05-23T10:14:58.301-07:00

I've heard ants are attracted to electricity, but never seen any evidence until today. I started my tender vegetable seedlings inside my spare room a couple of months ago. Once they had germinated, I set them up under lights plugged into a timer. Today, I moved the plants outside for a bit, hardening them off in preparation for setting out after Memorial Day.Since the lights were no longer needed

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-35966200060493340552011-05-19T11:50:00.000-07:002011-05-19T20:46:03.437-07:00

Our home is just rural enough to be beyond the sidewalks, streetlights and sewer system; just urban enough that the parking lot lights of the businesses along the highway two blocks away light up the night sky. Unfortunately, all that eye-level light pollution makes it doubly hard around here to see the ground underfoot after dark.After 20-some years of marriage, Aries and I have a finely-tuned

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-66410481272058400992011-05-17T10:23:00.000-07:002011-05-17T15:38:24.294-07:00

A series of cold fronts coming through dropped our low night temperatures into the mid 20'sF. While once again frustrating my dreams of a bountiful fruit crop this year, it is completely normal for high-desert weather in mid-May (and sometimes, even for mid-June, perish the thought). What little bit - lettuces, spinach, peas, and alliums - I have growing out in the vegetable garden seems to have

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-12067618562903095662011-04-05T20:14:00.000-07:002011-04-05T22:18:02.519-07:00

I got my indoor seeds planted today. I've found eight to ten weeks is long enough to get everything up and growing and hardened off, ready to plant. Since I won't plant any of them outside until after Memorial Day, today was a fine time to get them started. They won't be as big as the plants you can buy in the garden shops in May. But I think my smaller plants undergo less transplant shock, and

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-361622657470341442011-04-04T20:00:00.000-07:002011-04-05T17:18:29.596-07:00

The plan for today was to get my seeds started inside. But when Aries' planned outing got canceled, I changed my plans in order to take advantage of the nice weather, superior muscles and horsepower now available. I got him to help me finish the garden reconfiguration.I've been working on this project for a year - starting with moving the chicken coop, so we could move the garden fence, and

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-60337965149679713802011-04-03T15:23:00.000-07:002011-04-03T20:00:37.025-07:00

It's time to start tender seedlings inside, to be set out in the garden after Memorial Day. But I was out of my seed starter mix, so today I made up a batch. Regular potting soil is too coarse, and doesn't hold enough water to get seedlings off to a good start. Curious, I looked at the tiny bags of seed starter mix in my local home improvement store. Not only would buying enough for my needs be

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-43990782790231226622011-04-02T21:12:00.000-07:002011-09-04T13:11:11.685-07:00

The earliest daffodils are blooming, and now today, the Shiro plum tree. A couple of blooms have opened on the apricot. Buds are swelling on the rest of the plums, and leaves just starting to show on the lilacs and the maple tree. It's starting to look like Spring! Yesterday evening, I finished digging and shaping two of my garden beds, and laid out the soaker hoses. So today was early season

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-38325423336285149022011-03-31T20:23:00.000-07:002011-04-02T21:10:30.601-07:00

I started a garden realignment last year, switching two "S" shaped garden beds over to three long straight ones. Aries ran the rototiller down the new beds last year in time to get them planted. But I don't like the job the rototiller does. It's good for breaking up new ground, but doesn't really go as deep as I like or sort out the rocks. So the past week, I've been out there diligently

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-25999162899111880082011-03-28T16:46:00.000-07:002011-03-29T17:30:43.034-07:00

There were feathers wafting about in front of the house today - not a good sign. I did a chicken roll call and Flopsy, one of our Buff Orpingtons, was missing. Further investigation turned up a half-eaten chicken carcass over in the neighbor's yard. From the evidence, the most likely suspect is the bobcat that's been seen here and there around the neighborhood lately. Darn! From the looks of our

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-50685581272027976842011-03-25T23:14:00.000-07:002011-03-26T00:29:16.339-07:00

The couple inches of snow we woke up to yesterday had pretty much melted by noon. A quick afternoon flurry while I was at work dropped a couple more inches of wet, sloppy snow, but it was gone by evening. And then, at nightfall, the real storm moved in. We woke up this morning to another six inches of snow, sunshine, and freezing temperatures.Aries had time to clear a path across the deck before

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-43744617716072288752011-03-23T10:34:00.000-07:002011-03-23T10:50:05.322-07:00

The only spot of color outside my windows are the finches sheltering underneath the snow on the bare branches of the lilac. But I have faith that Spring weather will come eventually. So it's time to start thinking about the garden.My onion order arrived last week, but I haven't even been able to get out to the garden yet. Depending on which day it is in our current weather cycle of the past three

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-53399898685754358072011-02-14T10:54:00.000-08:002011-05-28T10:32:40.384-07:00

I finished the herb garden cleanup today. The barometer falling, a chill wind had come up overnight, harbinger of the storm headed our way. But with the combination of hard work, weak sun, and protective house walls on the north and west I soon worked up a sweat.That area was once filled with massive spreading juniper bushes. I'd never really liked them there. The living room picture window looks

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-32878856262703162202011-02-13T09:00:00.000-08:002011-02-16T09:58:40.255-08:00

Snow is in the forecast for later this week, but today was clear, warm, and still. I decided to do a bit of spring cleaning in the herb garden outside my kitchen door.I gathered the necessary hand tools, fetched the wheelbarrow, set the solar-powered radio in the sun, and got to work. Spent stalks of last fall's flowers, left for the bees' last foraging, were clipped and tossed. A couple of the

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-73835770447521075942011-02-12T23:30:00.000-08:002011-02-16T09:00:05.601-08:00

Onions end up in just about everything I cook for dinner, quite often in breakfasts too, and many of my canning recipes. Despite numerous attempts, I've never been able to grow decent onions from seed. They'll sprout but just never have done very well for me, if they survive until the setting-out stage at all. So then I'd end up buying a couple of the little bags of onion sets, the miniature

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-18344136665428279732011-01-30T15:51:00.000-08:002011-01-30T21:52:34.384-08:00

I don't have children. I married rather late in my childbearing years, to someone who knew he didn't want children. I was ambivalent about the whole thing (I'm the oldest of five, so already knew quite a bit about the non-romantic aspects of caring for babies). So when it came right down to making the decision I was ok with agreeing to no children (truth be told, I'm probably too selfish anyway).

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-63313996342044679052011-01-27T20:16:00.000-08:002011-01-27T23:38:17.693-08:00

Whenever I find myself in a thrift shop, I gravitate to the linens section. I have a real weakness for hand-embroidered cotton - pillowcases, tea towels, tablecloths. I'll patiently go through stacks of polyester in hopes of finding something interesting. Sometimes, I get lucky.This thrift shop find - a strange little x-shaped piece of cotton lawn, beautifully embroidered, its scalloped edges

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-9010832159753658142011-01-19T10:02:00.000-08:002011-01-19T10:58:28.151-08:00

A couple of warm days, after weeks of snow and way-below freezing temps, and the snow has melted. Of course, seasonal temperatures are forecast to return later today, but in the meantime I got the chance to check on the garden.No sign of the fall-planted garlic or shallots yet. But, looking closely, I find the spinach and arugula have germinated. Broadcast last fall, watered in by the melting

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-28869529989213901282011-01-15T23:09:00.000-08:002011-01-16T01:10:42.709-08:00

During three seasons of the year, I spend most of my evenings outside. There's always something to be done in the garden or the rest of the yard. But in the dead of winter, when it's cold and the dark comes early, I end up in the living room, keeping warm close to the wood stove.Aries watches tv, and I like to read. But sometimes I'll be kinda listening and/or watching whatever he has on, and

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-26586517668821093472011-01-01T22:43:00.000-08:002011-01-01T23:52:08.919-08:00

I was out of carrots in the house, and wanted some for the black-eyed peas this afternoon. Time for a trip down to the cellar. We got about 4" of snow this morning, but I'd shoveled my paths and cleared off the cellar door earlier. So I grabbed my basket and headed outside for my weekly "cellar shopping trip". Let's see - I'm out of apples too, so pile in a few of them. Aries will like it if I

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-60011240189752981122010-12-22T13:55:00.000-08:002010-12-22T15:54:52.313-08:00

Heavy snow last Friday caused a friend to cancel a planned holiday get-together. Then, a break in the weather allowed her a last-minute rescheduling for last night. I worked yesterday, plus am trying to get a bit of daily exercise out walking with the dog each day (the little stars on my calendar signify at least 30 minutes activity - I'm really trying to make it a daily habit). This left me but

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-6189483548350743502010-12-19T09:39:00.000-08:002010-12-19T13:09:20.165-08:00

A steady drizzle of rain, starting last night and on into today, and the six inches of snow from two days ago is melting. Instead of shoveling, I'm out checking that my little drainage trenches keep the water flowing around the house instead of through my front door (we live at the mouth of a small canyon, on the downhill side of the street). So far, so good.Outside, there are no birds to be seen

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-17874588875223891852010-12-15T22:55:00.000-08:002010-12-16T08:43:09.119-08:00

It seems like the only time I've sat down to write about what I've been doing is when I send a newsy email to my Mom. Here's what I said today:My schedule has been crazy-busy since last week. I started working Tuesdays and Thursdays for a CPA in Minden; went to Christmas luncheons Wednesday and Saturday; a Board meeting Monday; volunteered for 4 hours at the Food Drive (mostly playing traffic

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-54932487747645881072010-11-24T19:30:00.000-08:002010-11-24T19:39:04.391-08:00

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-44577187069331422422010-11-23T23:00:00.000-08:002010-11-24T00:22:50.661-08:00

Snow storms have been coming through off and on for the last few days. Aries works, so I'm the one out shoveling paths to the chickens, woodpile, cellar, and mailbox. It's supposed to clear up, finally, tonight, but that means it's gonna get COLD! Eleven at night and it's 18F - it could go below zero before morning.But inside, we're nice and cozy. Between the wood stove and the oven, this house

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-34756671944017586142010-11-22T20:00:00.000-08:002010-11-23T11:12:38.059-08:00

Canning jars used to seal with a clear, ringing, PING! It was almost bell-like, and loud. I could hear it throughout the entire house. I'd take a load of jars out of the canner, and could count them off as each sealed, no matter what room I was in.I still use the narrow-mouth, two-part lids-with-a sealing ring I always have, the same jars, the same headspace. But now, whether due to probably a

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-34993371681511755242010-11-18T19:38:00.000-08:002010-11-18T20:36:25.524-08:00

Why open a can, when you can have homemade soup, with fresh ingredients, in less than 20 minutes? This is a good way to use up a little bit of leftover meat, and these veggies are at their best right now. Add a slice of rustic garlic bread, toasted and buttered, and we have a favorite autumn dinner. Tonight, I added a glass of Chardonnay; Aries had a glass of home-brewed dark beer. Hot food, warm

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-8535500871368990302010-11-16T19:22:00.000-08:002010-11-17T10:13:08.667-08:00

Once you start getting into the simple lifestyle, sooner or later you're going to want an apron. I have my favorite bib-style H-back one that I usually wear. But I like having a couple extra aprons around too - guest aprons, you might say. My sister and her family usually visit for Thanksgiving. She loves it when I offer her an apron to wear too. It just makes her feel more "in the spirit", she

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-66732039943573967142010-11-15T21:15:00.000-08:002010-11-16T10:15:20.668-08:00

The cupboards and pantry are filling up with jars containing this year's harvest. One of the pints of yesterday's tomatillo salsa didn't seal, so it went into the refrigerator, joining the jar that wasn't quite full. There was room in a top corner cupboard for the rest. That top cupboard shelf also holds my apple cider vinegar jar. It had been almost 2 months since I'd fed it, and as long as I

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-38314530392614644962010-11-14T19:06:00.000-08:002010-11-15T20:03:30.546-08:00

I've been trying to get the last of the garden harvest out of the guest room before family get here for Thanksgiving. I can't believe it's only a little over a week away! I still have tomatoes covering one table - most of them are finally getting red enough to process, so a big batch of tomato sauce is on the agenda for sometime this week. I went through what onions I was able to harvest,

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-63494677099650424782010-11-11T12:22:00.000-08:002010-11-11T12:30:49.225-08:00

To all our veterans: we remember, and we thank you.

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-21809697320866273852010-11-10T22:29:00.000-08:002010-11-11T00:09:51.862-08:00

The herbed potato chunks and chicken in the oven were almost done. I needed a quick vegetable dish. Darkness had already fallen (so early now, with the switch back to Standard Time), but there was enough light from the back porch light to let me grab a handful of Tuscan kale out of the garden. It only took a few minutes to saute some garlic and chopped mushrooms, clean the kale, and dump the

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-85653510506978209582010-11-09T22:30:00.000-08:002010-11-09T22:39:01.255-08:00

The weather is finally feeling more like November. Last night's lows were in the low 20's, and today, all day, was cold, gray, and breezy - not really a good day to be outside much. So I spent the morning on the computer, creating certificates to give to our Soroptimist Girls of the Month and scholarship recipients tomorrow.We've had the potted fig trees in the big wagon for the last six weeks,

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-92135382000583025612010-11-03T19:59:00.000-07:002010-11-03T23:46:30.539-07:00

I've been busy with lots of stuff lately, and keep thinking "I really need to write about that" but then I get distracted and another day goes by without a post here. To try and get back in the posting mode, I decided to just paste in an email I wrote to my mom earlier today [with a few explanatory edits added]:Hi Mom,I canned 16 half-pints of applesauce the other day. I picked through all the

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-21025972582415369302010-10-20T10:14:00.000-07:002010-12-19T10:17:10.178-08:00

As our cold weather season approaches, the warm weather crops must be harvested before the first frost. Dealing with the resulting glut of fresh veggies takes many forms around our house. The tomatoes picked green, set out on a table and covered with newspapers, will eventually ripen enough to be canned or otherwise processed; the cucumbers are pickled or fermented; the winter squashes and onions

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-9737464069632376112010-10-14T21:03:00.000-07:002010-10-14T22:11:37.227-07:00

I'm not a big television watcher. I'm bored by most programming today - I'd just as soon have music as my "background noise." However, there are a few TV shows I do like to watch. One of those is Survivor. I'm an adventurer at heart - I wonder how I'd "survive" (I'm too old and slow now - they'd vote me out first thing). I also like watching the personal interactions, the machinations and

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-4714409292675012392010-10-07T22:57:00.000-07:002010-10-08T11:18:58.290-07:00

I didn't get many jalapeno peppers this year. Summer was late, and then it never did get really hot this year (plus, our visiting Bambi reached his nose down inside the plant cages and ate the tops of the plants, spitting out deer-slobbered chewed peppers, until we finally got a tall enough fence up). But I did get a small bowlful, so started thinking about what to do with them.Last year, I

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-71663695028825913462010-09-29T15:41:00.000-07:002011-03-23T09:19:22.098-07:00

When I was a kid, I asked Santa for a ChemLab one Christmas - back then, a toy laboratory in a tri-fold tin box. The best part, for me, was the microscope. But playing with chemical mixing and reactions was fun too. I still like experimenting with chemical reactions. Only nowadays, I have a whole kitchen for my laboratory (plus now, my results are edible - well, most of the time, anyway).The end

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-89647708703390459692010-09-27T20:29:00.000-07:002010-09-27T23:26:33.833-07:00

The weather was absolutely gorgeous this past weekend, and both of us got the chance to be out enjoying it. After Labor Day, when the kids head back to school, the number of tourists visiting Lake Tahoe naturally drops - at least until snow brings the skiers. However, right now really is the best time of year to be out and about - the heat of summer gives way to pleasantly warm days, while the

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-81516668648055967392010-09-24T10:08:00.000-07:002010-09-24T17:27:52.790-07:00

I can't believe how time slips away between posts here. I've been doing a lot of seasonal chores, and some kitchen experimenting, and I know a lot of it would be interesting to my readers. I find myself composing blog posts in my head, and then never seem to find the time to sit down and type. I have taken some photos too, so will try to use them to rebuild a bit of my activity of the past few

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-65537615263965363992010-08-26T21:42:00.000-07:002010-08-27T10:27:39.297-07:00

I love being in the outdoors, and camping (speaking of camping, for my most recent turn to post on the Simple Green Frugal Co-op, I wrote about using a dutch oven to bake fresh, hot campsite treats). Luckily, living here in Carson City, there's beautiful camping country practically right out my back door. Much of the land around the Lake Tahoe shoreline, especially the western, California side

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-39067332426821735632010-08-23T21:28:00.000-07:002010-08-23T22:44:23.970-07:00

We've caught sight of our deer visitor a few times now. I first saw him when I went out to shut up the chicken coop, just before full-on dark. It's a lone 2-point buck, maybe a couple hundred pounds. He was in the garden, but hopped over the fence and headed towards the fruit trees when I came out the back door. I called to Aries, and we both watched as he went over our lot fence to the west,

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-78302113421467244412010-08-19T11:33:00.000-07:002010-08-19T13:03:31.511-07:00

They say a garden is always greenest in January - in your imagination, while paging through those beautiful garden catalogs. The reality though, in August, can often be quite different. And so it is here.As always, I had such high hopes for this year's garden. The new fence was doing its job - no ground squirrels or bunnies had munched anything. Reconfiguring the chicken coop and pen worked too -

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-30808431584793926202010-07-25T12:20:00.000-07:002010-07-25T13:11:17.775-07:00

Junior chicken, so named because she looks just like her mother, Missy (so does Baldy, if it hadn't been for the unfortunate head pecking she got as a young pullet her first day in with the rest of the flock), disappeared a couple of weeks ago. Missy used to pull that trick every summer for years, reappearing three weeks later with a newly-hatched clutch, so we haven't been too worried about

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-43656475749244993682010-07-17T14:22:00.000-07:002010-07-18T14:51:12.740-07:00

The Sugar Snap pea plants have shriveled in the heat, without ever allowing any of the few picked to make it into the house. I can't seem to catch the English peas at the right time. They seem to go from no pea in the pod to starchy overnight. But the Chinese pea pods, both the Mammoth Melting and the Oregon 2, are still hanging in there. I've been trying to get them picked daily to keep them

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-44751747436386210662010-07-09T11:06:00.000-07:002010-07-09T15:00:59.244-07:00

I really need to get better organized with my garden seed storage - not the actual storing of the seeds, but seed expiration dates. I know some of my seeds are too old. I find it hard to just throw them out, though. I also have seeds that I grew once or twice, and then they never seem to make the cut again when it comes to plotting out my growing space.Time to sit down and clear things out.

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-19009820795271777162010-07-03T01:11:00.000-07:002010-07-03T01:24:10.696-07:00

My Soroptimists Club is working a booth at a local Chili Cookoff this weekend, and since it's the Fourth of July we're going with a red, white, and blue theme. It's gonna be too hot for blue jeans, so I made myself a blue jeans skirt this afternoon. Since it's also my turn to post on the Simple Green Frugal Co-op blog, I took pictures of my little project and wrote a tutorial. I've been

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-70593403366044844492010-06-23T12:56:00.000-07:002010-06-24T13:26:22.675-07:00

Working for the Census for the past couple of months has given me a bit extra discretionary income. I decided to use some of it to catch up on a few health-related matters, so scheduled a few preventative medical exams. While I was doing fun things like getting poked with a needle for a blood chemistry workup, getting poked elsewhere for a Pap exam, and having a couple of suspicious-looking moles

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-91296243413916109372010-06-22T21:43:00.000-07:002010-06-22T22:49:03.755-07:00

Aries took the past week off as a vacation week, and having him around full-time always messes up my schedule somewhat. Plus, he had projects in mind, and they usually end up involving me too.First item he had on his agenda was paint the living room ceiling. Living in a home heated with a wood stove means it can get a bit dingy looking over time. So I looked through my home decor files to see

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-23383273480181203242010-06-12T20:55:00.000-07:002010-06-12T22:02:00.321-07:00

I spoke too soon, bragging about being able to grow such beautiful tulips earlier this Spring. About a week ago, I noticed some dirt thrown up on the edging of the herb & flower garden. I thought maybe the cat or one of the chickens had been in there scratching about, and just swept the dirt back. Not long ago, one of the fence-flying chickens had started laying eggs just inside the little picket

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-52162832004062404012010-06-06T22:37:00.000-07:002010-06-07T12:15:20.175-07:00

Once we got the chicken coop moved, the next step was to move the garden fence farther out both to the north and south. Moving it south meant taking out a big rabbitbrush outside the fence by the truck gate, and taking down the little fence around the old, failing, asparagus patch outside that end of the garden. There were only about four plants left in there, and if they survive I might move

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-65131130040776227442010-06-05T18:00:00.000-07:002010-06-06T14:27:34.122-07:00

The calendar says it's planting time. The day-length does too (we went up to Tahoe for dinner with some friends a week ago, and even though we left after 8 pm we still had enough lingering daylight for the half-hour drive home - albeit through a snowstorm). I've just been waiting for the thermometer to say so too.Finally, the last couple of days have warmed up enough to start thinking about

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-7246077241348840042010-05-27T10:15:00.000-07:002011-01-12T10:21:23.218-08:00

I've had my vegetable garden laid out in four freeform "S"-shaped beds for years. The long horizontal sections work as a terrace system on ground that slopes away to the east. But the curves are getting harder to reform each Spring, and are difficult to cover to stretch my season. I have one more bed in a separate area below the main four beds, but it's down by the fruit trees and the plants

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-20535231287277335682010-05-25T20:32:00.000-07:002010-05-25T20:36:17.586-07:00

You do have your towel with you, don't you?

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-15723684803173817382010-05-23T13:50:00.000-07:002010-05-23T14:27:51.481-07:00

Sometimes, doing crazy things makes me feel most alive. I went to two outdoor parties this weekend, and snowflakes were swirling on both. Now, it's supposed to be somewhat nice around here by the end of May, so the people that scheduled these parties weren't the crazy ones. It's all of us that showed up anyway :-)Friday was the end of our local Bike to Work Week, with a big after-work party

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-71280293069217790452010-05-12T22:21:00.000-07:002010-05-12T23:04:53.744-07:00

I'm not the only one dealing with an unseasonably cold Spring. Annette, in Virginia, wrote to me asking for frost-protection suggestions for her garden. I've prettied up the links, and am posting my reply to her to help anyone else looking for ideas:Hi Annette,I use Wall-o-waters on my tender plants. Home Depot had some this year, and sometimes Wal-Mart does too in early spring, or they can be

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-79414799438691945232010-05-10T21:02:00.000-07:002010-05-10T22:18:20.162-07:00

I have a feeling this is going to be one of those years where we go straight from wintry snows to summer heat. Is anyone else still getting snowed on in the middle of May?Of course, any gardener that's been here a while knows we can't set out our tomatoes until after Memorial Day. And even then, some sort of night time protection is usually necessary until practically the Fourth of July. But

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-4643661291803232982010-05-07T22:18:00.000-07:002010-05-07T22:45:59.396-07:00

I managed to squeeze in a bit of time this afternoon to pot up my little tomato plants - transferring them to deeper containers. Tomatoes will grow roots on any part of the stem when buried in the soil, and more roots on tomato plants means less stress once our hot, dry summer gets here. And happy plants mean a bigger, better harvest. To learn more, see my post on the Simple Green Frugal Co-op

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-79307657474531607282010-05-06T12:14:00.000-07:002010-05-06T13:31:29.309-07:00

I really should have gotten my peas and lettuces seeded by now, but this Census job has turned into a full-time gig the past few weeks. The weather has been iffy to work around too. It seems whenever I've had some time to work outside, it's either been raining, snow on the ground, or horrible winds. So I'm trying to get things done in bits and pieces when I get the chance.Half of the 50' long

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-80087681170380529142010-05-04T20:51:00.000-07:002010-05-04T22:20:03.847-07:00

I keep thinking I really should post something. I've been really busy the last couple of weeks, and will be for at least another week or two. I got hired for a temp position, working the US Census. At first, I was hired as an Enumerator - the person that goes around knocking on doors. Before any public contact, we had to go through four 8-hour days of training. But the week before my training

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-66509120591118644172010-04-30T22:54:00.000-07:002010-05-01T09:00:34.576-07:00

It's been a pretty busy week - things to do and weather-wise. Around here, especially this time of year, they say that if you don't like the weather just wait five minutes and it'll change. Since my last post about the fog, we've had sunshine up in the 70's, rain, horrific winds, and even another snowstorm.I love this photo, taken through my living room window. The rain and reflections on the

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-26453552410204454492010-04-23T21:54:00.000-07:002010-04-23T23:23:07.722-07:00

Yesterday morning's snow turned to rain by nightfall, melting the snow and giving us a rare high-desert sight to wake up to - morning fog. I was glad I wasn't out on the roads. They had to close the entire length of our new state highway bypass, both directions, for about 90 minutes this morning - the icy roads and heavy fog caused multiple accidents. Aries said his commute up to the lake wasn't

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-35367182641896350302010-04-22T22:33:00.000-07:002010-04-24T08:12:51.229-07:00

This morning, it was the tulips and hyacinths turn to get buried in snow. Here at the house we got about three inches overnight, just up the hill it was more like eight.When I went out to shovel off the deck, I found Dot, our old Golden Laced Wyandotte hen, dead under the steps, sopping wet and covered with snow. She was at least 10 years old, and had been a bit gimpy for the last year or so. But

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-47548898029927335842010-04-17T14:22:00.000-07:002010-04-17T15:23:41.898-07:00

Please don't tell my mom. As a child, the house rule was "if your bed isn't made before you leave the house in the morning, you're grounded for the rest of the day." During my earliest years, I shared a double bed with my sister - I was really good at making half a bed. A little later, we got bunk beds, and being the oldest, I got the top bunk. I quickly figured out the easiest way to make my bed

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-30024678264846858412010-04-11T20:34:00.000-07:002010-04-11T22:48:55.693-07:00

First, let me be very clear that I really don't care for helium-filled balloons as party decorations. I don't mean to be a party pooper, but I think there must be better uses for our resources than use-once-and-throw-away rubber sacks, and the steel tanks used to fill them. I especially don't like to see them used outdoors (such as the current ubiquitous attention-getters flying at all the local

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-19931409178936808612010-04-09T09:59:00.000-07:002010-04-09T15:33:17.090-07:00

It's so nice to see Spring moving in, even with its starts and stops. It means fresh change for our seasonal eating choices.The cellar has served us well through the winter, but most of those shelves are now bare. The last few carrots have been brought up to the refrigerator vegetable crisper, as have the last couple heads of cabbage. The kraut crock is down to its last inch, and as the weather

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-65004915477871457952010-04-05T21:04:00.000-07:002010-04-05T21:24:23.470-07:00

We woke up this morning to four inches of fresh snow. They say Eskimos are supposed to have lots of different words for snow, but so do I (no, and not those kinds of words, either).When I lived in Leadville Colorado, the high altitude and below-zero temperatures would produce the famed champagne powder - a light, fluffy snow, so dry it wouldn't even pack into snowballs. But in April in Nevada, we

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-19686338239443083332010-04-02T16:02:00.000-07:002010-04-03T09:27:04.390-07:00

(Try saying that post title three times quickly) I love having flannel sheets on my bed when it's cold. They're so nice and snuggley, warm to the touch as soon as you get into bed. So for six months out of the year, my bed is made up with flannel sheets.But flannel sheets are sold in "sets", and therein lies the problem. The fitted bottom sheet always wears out first. First the flanneling wears

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-40099620557340528262010-04-01T13:50:00.000-07:002010-04-01T14:31:58.885-07:00

I love hearing from my readers - both in the comments and via emails sent to my address in the sidebar. Most are questions about things I've written about - those I try to help, or tell them where they might find the information they seek. Others are requests for links or free advertising. Those, I'll consider regarding the applicability to the things I write about and the tenor of this blog. And

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-5821438062077914182010-03-31T12:34:00.000-07:002010-03-31T12:44:35.130-07:00

And so, March goes out like a lion this year - a drippy, wet, white lion. Roaring winds the last couple of days brought us snow last night, with a few last flakes still swirling about this morning.And the start of April, cruel April, isn't supposed to be much better. More snow is expected later on this week. I am happy to see the moisture. I didn't have to water my trees at all this winter - the

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-70647007608907796952010-03-27T12:42:00.000-07:002010-03-27T21:59:03.614-07:00

It's chilly but the sun is shining, so I want to get outside. But I thought I'd post a quick something now: one - because even though I've been plugging away at all the little Springtime chores, I've been very lax about getting things written here; two - because I'm going to try getting this household to go dark for an hour this evening.It's Earth Hour time again this evening. Beginning at 8:30

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-27691406271736873982010-03-21T18:29:00.000-07:002010-03-21T21:03:24.214-07:00

Pardon me while I rant for a moment: Generally, I really like people - I like working as a waitress, a bartender, a tour guide, because of the personal contact. I like talking to, observing, interacting with, and serving people. But, after spending a couple of hours this morning, doing our quarterly Adopt-A-Mile clean-up on the southern gateway to our city, I'm really upset with some people.I was

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-60140426567632156912010-03-12T20:03:00.000-08:002010-03-12T20:22:48.232-08:00

Knowing a wet winter storm was expected by nightfall, I filled up the woodbox before I left this morning. I love our woodbox. Despite having a woodstove as our only source of heat, I didn't want my living room to look like a backwoods hunting cabin. I wanted a woodbox that looked like a piece of furniture. So I drew what I wanted, showed Aries where it had to sit, and then he figured out how to

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-62242339672263673912010-03-03T16:29:00.000-08:002010-03-03T16:49:33.307-08:00

Ok, maybe I'm starting to feel a touch of cabin fever. There's a frigid wind blowing today, and every once in a while snowflakes swirling about in it. After writing about the Guardian of our hearth yesterday, when I got into the car to run a couple of errands this morning, Lizardo asked if he might get a turn in the spotlight too.So, bear with me: this is Lizardo, Protector of the Protege.

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212502404088013274.post-82520553309493911552010-03-02T14:46:00.000-08:002010-03-04T09:16:42.999-08:00

A grey brick chimney forms the center of our home. A wood stove backed up to the fireplace opening provides our heat. The hearth, quite literally in our case, is the heart of our home.Above the wood stove is a clock. Aries made it from a slice of redwood burl his dad gave him - sanding and buffing the prettiest side, hollowing out a space in back to hold the clockworks, gluing numbers on the

Sadgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01953324909028095434noreply@blogger.com7