Ready to burn

It's done - we have the wood ready for this winter and next (actually starting the stock for 2010-11.
There is this winters pile - about 2 cords split and stacked in the attached garage - ready to burn in the Tulikivi (thank goodness for it, and its clean wood-saving burn).
We should make it through the winter with this - way less than 2 cords - and no furnace. We only supplement the back shower room with a boost from the electric heater occasionally before morning showers.


Stored in the back garage to finish drying over this winter. Dave built two woodbins that sit by the south facing windows. Using the solar design as a winter drying facility. Yet another use for the sun and our berms.

And outside is the beginning of the next pile - quite a system.


sharonbetts
tulikivi
passivesolar

Why I'm voting Obama

Why I, as a friend of the environment and a bermed home owning, blackberry gathering, educator, will not vote for any ticket with a member like Sarah Palin.
Because she:

• supported the Alaska Department of Fish and Game policy allowing Alaska state biologists to hunt wolves from helicopters
• disagrees with strengthening the protection status of the beluga whales in Cook Inlet, Alaska
• objects to the listing of polar bears amid fears that it would hurt oil and gas development in the bears' habitat off Alaska's northern and northwestern coasts
• ran on a "build the bridge" (to nowhere) and kept the money when finally cancelling it
• does not support the right to choose
• does not have enough experience to lead the country and would be sitting behind the oldest president in history
• does not attribute man in any way with climate change
• supports ruination of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
• has absolutely no foreign experiences
• tends to be too militaristic and does not have any diplomacy
• gets her health insurance through government, but opposes helping more than 45 million uninsured Americans get affordable health care
• wants to control what our kids learn in school about sex and about science - actually want to have more control over what our kids learn than any other time in history.
• does not believe in spousal benefits for same-sex couples
• believes that schools should teach creationism and intelligent design

Why wouldn't I support McCain / Palin - because they are NOT the right choice for this country.

Adding to the Harvest

The last several years we were working on our garden, which is still a work in progress. And Dave has been mowing strips through the berry areas on the lot to help propogate more harvest. Well, this year it is beginning to pay off. We had fresh veggies to eat most of the summer (carrots, lettuce, spinach, beets etc.) We also were able to fill the freezers with beans, corn and berries.

Not only were the blackberries great, but for the first time our elderberries also gave us a sweet crop. I made elderberry sauce, juice and jam - hope the healing properties are as good as advertised. Only one minor accident which "tinted" both Dave and my tees.

http://www.elderberries.com/

I had forgotten (from my growing-up years) how messy cutting of corn can be. Dave picked up a cutter - which worked pretty well, but we still had kernels all over the kitchen. But, in the end, we will be enjoying fresh corn this winter along with the beans. The cost and additives in grocery store food is going to make it more and more important that we go "back to the soil".


sharonbetts
elderberry
harvest

Friends, Family and Bedbugs

As you saw from the last post, we made a trip from Maine to Indiana for a family reunion. Stuck the dogs in the kennel and took off on a Wednesday morning. Since we moved to the foothills, this trip has extended another 2 hours and now averages about 16 on the road (to Ohio - base). The journey down was pretty uneventful with Dave and I taking driving turns. We landed at Mom's around midnight and after some greetings headed to bed. Spent Thursday and Friday gabbing and enjoying a look at the "old home-grounds" - I made a trip to the cemetery where my parents are buried.

Then Saturday - off to Indiana and the big day. Of course, the sky was black and stormy with some rain as we started out. Now one of the reasons I really don't want to move back to the midwest is the hurricane season - which Dave reminded me was now. Ugh.
But, wonders of wonders, we managed to escape the rain - just had to wade through a moat around the camp shelter for a couple of hours. We celebrated at Pokagon State Park in Indiana - a very nice place with shelters, hikes, horseback riding, nature trails and a medium sized lake. If you are in the area, check it out.

We left around 9 pm and started the trek northeast - stopped in Mentor at Motel 8 - where I slept deep and warm with the bedbugs. Really! Discovered a line of bites on my legs and one on my arm the next morning. Just a minute while I continue to scratch - never had anything itch so much unless it is our famous Maine black flies. I had read about hotels having trouble, but never thought...... Oh well, I survived and guess it could have been worse. We got back to our house late on Sunday and picked up the dogs the next morning.

Long drives - but great reunioning.
Enjoy
sharonbetts
bedbugs
pokagon