Jovanny, the groom

money dance

Ring bearer and flower girl

Grand daughters wedding

Karina and her dad, my son, coming in the door to go down the isle at the wedding.

HOMEGROWN REVOLUTION - Radical Change Taking Root

I love the Dervaes homesite. I doubt that I will be able to accomplish what they have but I'm trying to do something.

Christmas Lights.

My thoughts today were turned to the little antelope squirrels we have here as I heard on the news this morning about the new Alvin the chipmunk movie.  I watch these charming little creatures, though destructive, from my window as they cross the fence and steal the prickly pears and pomegranates.  They have even climbed the young persimmon tree to t to steal the very limited persimmons. 

I took a walk on the back 12 acres and saw the burrowing owl sitting beside his underground home.  I love these little owls.  I built a refuge/resort for them this year but I think rabbits took it over.  I will try again this Spring to revitalize the resort.  I have neighbors who have off the ground sheds and these little owls seem to like to build their homes under these sheds.  One summer they used my front driveway drain pipe for a home and I would see them sitting on my front gate.  That worried me because the monsoon rains come suddenly and could easily have washed them away. 

I have been harvesting my bamboo for the stacks.  I am planning on using them to create fence panels around garden areas for protection from the rabbits.  I learned as I harvested that the stalks have quite a bit of mulch material.  The leaves I cleaned off the stalks can be used for feed or mulch. 

Everyone have a thoughtful Christmas, enjoy your family and friends and remember this beautiful earth and all it's creatures  Let's go forward into 2010 taking care of our planet, planting trees, and finding ways to make a difference.  Peace and Blessings and enjoy my Christmas lights. 

Reforestation - Hope in a Changing Climate 1 (of 2) - BBC Our World Documentary

This video shows the amazing change that can come from planting trees of land that appears to be of no value.

Another good site to watch videos on this subject is at the edenproject.

Reforestation - Hope in a Changing Climate 2 (of 2) - BBC Our World Documentary

50 Million Trees and Counting: Trees for the Future

Here is a video showing how important tree planting is. People can survive where trees grow.

Urban Gardening: How to Build a Raised bed and Hoop House

The Garden girl has quit a set up in the city.

Cold rainy morning

 

It's a cold and rainy morning so the fire is going and I'm snuggled in. Since about the 4th of December we have had frost and also rain. The rain is large steady drops but not a downpour so the ground is able to soak it in. I feel very grateful for the good rain.

Pallet dish rack

 

pallet and shingle cabin.wmv

Pallets are a resource that can be recycled. Here is a cute little cabin made from pallets. I have the idea that one could build two of these facing each other only one to the side with 6' left on the front porch area.   This will create a patio area in back.  If the porch 6' x 6' area is closed off between the two cabins it could be a walk through bathroom with a toilet and shower. One living section could be a kitchen living area and the other section a bedroom/ storage area. Each could have a sink so wash up would be simple and since all the plumping would be in the central area of the 6' x 6' enclosed area you could have a door going outside and an ourdoor sink along the patio wall as well.  Two sections of fence which could also be pallets would enclose the 10' x 10' patio area, for privacy.  It could be used for gardening and have sliding glass doors leading from the kitchen living area. 

Pallets can be purchased by the truckload for about $2.00 each or gathered for free from local sources.

Just thinking.

Rain gutter growing area

I found this on the web. I thought it was a great idea and wanted to pass it on. Here you have a very nice salad garden growing in rain gutters along a wall. I think you would have to punch holes in the raingutter for drainage but you could water the top and then it might self water the lower ones. This could also be placed on a fence or other solid or semi solid structure. I'm thinking about putting some on my lath house walls and the dog kennel inside wall. I saw another very good idea, use toilet paper as seed strips. Roll out single toilet paper and lightly brush with flour water mix, place your seeds at the proper distance on one side of the paper than fold over. Lay your toilet paper strip in your raingutter planter on some soil then cover. Water, and watch your garden grow. I'm going to try this and let you know.

Protected growing area

Recently I was able to purchase this dog kennel, 6x6x6 for $75 from a local person. It has a nice gate and a roof. My plan is to use it as a nice growing area that the birds and rabbits can't get to. I am going to start putting soil amendments inside so that by Spring I can start a garden. I wish I could get some more of these kennels at that price. At Home Depot just one panel is $59.00 so getting the whole unit for under $100. is a big savings. In the forground is a newly transplanted palo verde tree and behind the kennel is the transplanted olive. The young olive was too close to where I am now parking my truck and was always in danger of being run over, so I moved it last week to behind the lath house. As these trees grow and fill out the will provide shade for the lath house and growing areas.

Frozen Moringa

Since Dec 4th we have had frost. This is a picture of the frozen Moringa before I harvested the leaves. I now have a nice container full of flash frozen Moringa leaves to use in cooking. I'm hoping the tree will come back and survive. The trunk looks healthy so hopefully next Spring it will but out new leaves and perhaps flower.

Fruit of Indian Fig

This is a repost but here is Indian Fig fruit ready to be eaten. It tastes like pears and melon to me.

Pruned Indian Fig in Luchia's Garden

Large Indian Fig

Potting Indian Fig

Yesterday when I was at Home Depot I saw pots of Indian Fig for $29. Today I pruned my Indian Fig, which it needed and I'm potting up these trimmings. I won't sell them for $29. but if I can get $10. that would be great. I picked another watermelon and it was good. This is a beautiful day, December 1st. Great to be out working. I potted up my new tomatoes and put them in the greenhouse. I also pruned the fruiting mulberrry to see if I can start some cuttings for next year. I'm going to start digging the holes for next years plantings. I want to start more Moringa trees and more native Palo Verdes on this property. Both trees are fast growing and both provide food. The palo verde is nitrogen fixing as well so they help the soil and bring up deep minerals.

My darling peahens got into the lath house and were giving themselves dust baths in the planted barrel. Shzzzzz. Always critters.

I read today that one of the biggest causes by almost 1/2 is eating meat. I hate the factory farms they use to grow meat but more than that we are creating global warming because of our need to eat meat. Palo Verde seeds are high in protein as are Moringa leaves. Trees can produce protein for us and how about nuts? I read recently that we could easily substitute nuts for grains and they generally are raised with less fossil fuel than grains are. I have gradually gotten used to an almost vegitarian diet and like it.