the list

The March "Lion" is toying with us. Which, makes me a little stir crazy. It also means I'm getting frantic to garden. I spent some time yesterday looking at garden plans (not my own). The biggest thing I'm looking at right now is finding a few spots in my yard that have enough sunlight to garden in. Possibly the front yard. Likely the fence line in the back yard with the strawbale gardens again. And hopefully the driveway fence line (I really want to put in a few fruit trees there)

Last week I was toying with the idea of making a list of homesteading skills... For now, here's a list of the skills I WANT to learn.

Why? Well, once I started listing the things I could do, I started getting pretty cocky.

Animal husbandry: sheep, goats,
(with that, shearing, milking, cheese making)

chickens- how to brood/hatch

chop wood

hitch a team

plow/or better understanding of soil

spin (I heard I'll be learning this one soon!)

sewing machine sew/ follow a pattern better

other preserving techniques (pressure cooker canning/root veg cold storage/crocks)

whole food understanding

growing and milling grains (which I wrote as "milling brains" the first time, and couldn't figure out why it looked so funny on the list)

passive solar /solar power

cob/strawbale/earth building

I'm sure this list could should would be longer.

Homesteading

It's not what I thought it was.

I've been reading quite a bit lately about the idea of homesteading- in particular urban homesteading. Bedmates with green living. I feel like everything I read is an attempt to live the ideal set out in early editions of "The Mother Earth News". Things I've been trying to do, things I hope to do.

side note: we've really got to finish that TMEN documentary... I was reminded at the new years' eve collage party.

side notes' side note: the new years' eve collage party was great- and we've published our own little hand-bound book featuring our work. You can purchase a copy at the bookstore down town.

more notes: I finished two pieces I'm particularly proud of. One is silly- "all the single ladies" with two TMEN "positions and situations" ads and a few old articles from the Port Hope Evening Guide- articles from the 1890's... and another that I shouldn't call finished.

Today I was reading an article about taking stock of the things you're currently doing in your own way, and things that are on your wish list (to do list?) that take you steps closer to a homesteading way of life. I think I'm going to take some time this week to make those lists.

Making music must count.

Community building- I'm putting that on the list.

hm. maybe my list isn't going to look so homesteady after all.

Do the worms count?

photo diary (or) how to end up with too many vegetables

Once upon a time there was a girl with a little too much time on her hands.... um. ok, that part is a lie.
Once upon a time there was a girl who was really really good at starting projects, not so good on the follow thru, and who was a little over-extended. She liked starting seeds.... so she did. Until eventually her sun porch was filled with seedlings (and with pieces of the kitchen that still needed to be installed)


One day, a kind neighbour made the mistake of letting her into his yard.

For some time, she planted and tended.... planted and tended...

... until things began to grow.... out of control. weeds, heat,rain.

... eventually, mother nature was kind to the poor wanna-be-urban-farmer, and the garden began to pay off.... in truckloads.

.... now her only problem is what the hell to do with all the fruit flies.

The end.

cute rats.

I've had some squirrel issues in the past.

big ones.

1  and    2  and   3     

seems those "issues" have followed me to this house too. Perhaps it's the same squirrel all grown up? How long do squirrels live? This is nearly 4 years to the week since that first squirrel encounter.... Now, if you're reading this as a note on facebook- and not in my blog, you've probably been following the updates about the squirrels to date, and you're probably thinking this is redundant... get over it. I need something to complain about.

I've decided that since the landlord isn't selling the house out from under us, that I'd like to take a little time to work in the garden... and more specifically, grow some food for the bunnies and I.  I've managed (with a lot of help from the garden hobbit party*) to get the garden in working order- enough so that I've been able to move a bunch of the perennials out of the central bed- and have started a few veggies... combine that with the planters, and I've got a mini kitchen garden. (nearly a mini farm**)

last week the trouble started.

the squirrels dug up my lettuce. and chomped and dug up my cantaloupe plants. then just dug a bunch of holes in the beets and spinach. thanks.

yesterday, and twice today.... all of my beans have been eaten (they'd just been put in the ground)(I know, a little late, but the temps have been sooo cold) my zucchini seeds got eaten. the new cantaloupe plants were ripped out of their soil. chomped on the hubburd squash seedlings. The little broccoli plants had been tunnelled under... the fancy "fractal" broccoli seeds were dug up (uneaten) and the morning glories ripped out of the soil.

the only things they didn't touch (yet) were the winter squash, cauliflower, two types of carrots, and the pea plants.

I hate squirrels. 

* garden hobbit party:: a lovely group of people travelling from garden to garden, sharing the work load and some good food. I love my hobbits.

**there are mini cows to be had. I'm doomed.

no really.. just picture it... mini cows, babydoll sheep, pygmy goats... and giant bunnies.

 

not quite the 4-H

In my haste to not lose my train of thought, I loosed it from the caboose, and left thoughts behind... or ahead... or at the very least... lost.

Remember how I always say I wish my life was a musical? And then I proceed to sing for the next hour (month)?

So, I may or may not have said: "theoretically" if one were to try out for a musical what should one sing as an audition piece? (and I may or may not have said that just a few weeks ago). But I'm here today to dispel any rumour, any thought to the contrary...

I did indeed try out for a musical. 

And I did sing "Patricia" at the top of my lungs, from the bottom of my toes.

And I was given a part in the play.

And I did decide to do it.

And I did go to the first rehearsal yesterday after first meeting a chunk of the cast and crew at the director's place for a little par-tay earlier in the weekend.

And that was a run-on sentence (though small)

And I may have much love for most of the cast/crew already.