Earthlanguage.blogspot.com

There's a great blog about West Texas area Terlingua called Earthlanguage
http://www.earthlanguage.blogspot.com/

Check out the photo's

Pioneer Couple

I enjoy this step back in time video

Solar heating - hot shower using bottles

Here is a very simple hot shower system for a remote , off grid homestead.

Thoughts On Life

I just recently added Michael Moores page to my Twitter page.  http://www.twitter.com/cactusandquail
Some people don't like his message but to me he is against Big Corporations and Greed along with mindlessness.  We humans harm for status and self importance as an everyday matter and without thought.  Greed is so interwoven in our everyday lives we hardly even notice, yet it is said greed is one of the 7 deadly sins. 
Sometimes I think about life the way it is and wonder.  What if every child were given a plot of land for their home that was not too large but large enough to plant a food forest as in.  http://www.happyearth.com.au/
or the Darvaes of California.  Imagine not having to get a job but making your home your job, doing odd jobs to make up the slack and not having a mortgage?  Imagine not  till your 60 or 70 to finally have your mortgage paid off.  Imagine walking out in your yard and finding breakfast or lunch.  Perhaps there could be a community area for raising small animals and grains.  Imagine not having a BIG government but small community meetings and governance where people meet to discuss what is needed and how to get it done. Kind of like church congregations but without the dogma.  A place where the sick are remembered and supported and the discussion of the next barn raising  or community project or potluck.    No politicians to hate, no politicians going to Washington to make decisions for us.  Yes, I'm a dreamer but wouldn't you rather see young people working in a garden than on Meth? 

I saw a video on a reforestation project and after the intital advertizing of the project whole famillies walked to take part and brought trees and tools to plant.  It was amazing what was accomplished when so many people participated.  So, lets just say we were charged a tree tax or our tax fee was a tree to be planted on tree tax day in an area that was decided that needed to be reforested.  Everyone comes with a tree to plant and plants their tree.   Smaller, closer communities could accomplish a lot working together and most likely have less waste and much  nicer communities if they would just work together. You'd know your neighbor and probably need much  less stuff. 

Yes, I guess I'm a dreamer but I do think smaller is better and cooperation is better than greed.  Think about it.  I don't lkie the moneyed society myself. 

Fungi

The last couple days have been just beautiful and I have enjoyed working outdoors.  Last night my dog began growling and I heard this terrible banging on the front porch. When I got up and looked out it was very clear that the wind was back. Really blowing.  This seems to be the pattern of weather in the Spring here in the desert.  Days of paradise and days of wind. 


Today, I am indoors mostly and checking out some permaculture information.  The previous video on how mushrooms can save the world is really interesting and worth a watch.  Paul Stamet who is doing the research has a web page called fungi .com.  There is a link to his live boxes that start fungi and forests.  I'm going to do more research on his products but I do believe mushrooms have potential to heal our planet.


On my twitter page I also learned of another permaculture resource   http://www.permaculture/tv

One thought was that if each permaculture enthusiast/warrior could recruit or inspire 10 more people we might soon have a real change on this earth, a regeneration.  Something to think about. 

Would you run to the store every day if you could find what you need to eat in your own yard? 

While I was working outdoors yesterday my neighbor across the way was out with her little weed can spraying every living thing she wants to control. These are nice people but I grew very weary of our conversations when every time we speak she tells me about every weed she has worked so hard to kill while I celebrate life and yes weeds that will become soil and fodder for life.  I'm sure in her eyes my hodge podge is not very appealing and her way is the proper way, so guess we are polarized. Yes, she loves fresh organic food but not in her yard. 

My brother told me that in the retirement home they purchased they are not allowed to grow vegitables in the front yard.  He's either got to fight for change, accept it, or move to somewhere that respects his ideals.  These proper folks are killing our planet. 

Paul Stamets: 6 ways mushrooms can save the world

THis is a very informative video

Bamboo tree protectors

I have a problem with rabbits stripping the bark off of the trees. Some trees have died from this. Here I took 12 3' bamboo poles and tied them together then I tied them around the tree trunks of the newly planted California peppers. I made 4 of these and placed them around trees today. I will need to cut more bamboo stalks to make more but I think this is a very good solution to protect my trees.

New shelf in lath house

I brought the portable shelf into the lath house for more seed starting.

Seedling trays in Lathhouse

I'm having so much fun starting seeds in the lath house.

Permaculture in Action - Greening The Desert

I have added "The Greening Of The Desert" to help visualize how food forests can be started in desert. The three videos prior to it is about dryland permaculture.

Dryland Permaculture Strategies - Pt3

Dryland Permaculture Strategies - Pt2

Dryland Permaculture Strategies - Part 1

Here is a three part video on dryland permaculture

Greywater reuse - revisited

An interesting grey water system. I think it is in India. They also grow rice from the water that is recycled.

This is how I grow new Fig Trees

Good video on starting fig trees

Grafting and Root Cuttings Details

Here is a good source of starting new plants from root cuttings .

Freedom Tree Farms - Budding and Grafting

Here they show how to make more trees from root and branches. Big production. Looks like they use pieces of root and pieces of branches.

Back pasture framed by mountains

Anna Apple tree

Dwarf peach tree

Apricot tree

Grandma Bottle Village: The Art of Tressa Prisbey

This is very interesting!

Grandma Prisbrey Bottle Village

Here is another bottle house video, a village built by a woman in the desert.

Beer Bottle House "Empty bottles. Full life" -ecoideasnet

Here is a video about a house made of bottles. It says scrap iron and I was thinking old bedframes? In a country town where I used to live a little store/bar had one wall that was built of bottles. It was very interesting, especially in a country town.

Aoricot tree in bloom

One little apricot tree in full bloom. This one has really beautiful bright orange fruit and is usually loaded even though the tree is only three.