These past couple weeks have brought a whole new level of neglect of communication. The messages on the phone, the emails in the box… both of those things require me to be inside of my home to receive and respond to and I just have not been. At least not for any duration that allowed for such activities. I always know when my son refers to the laundry pile as “Skull Mountain” that it’s gotten way, way too high.
I have been gardening my face off. Trying to keep my mother’s day fruit trees alive, so far so good. Scott tells me if I kill this lot, they’re the last. I am now fretting over some rusty looking spots on one cherry tree and some brown dead leaf tips on the plums. The black bugs have eaten my pak choi already and almost all of my heirloom tomatoes got frostbite and I’ll be shocked if they make it. And they’re not even in the ground yet, heavens. Nature does abhor a garden, Michael Pollan you are right again and again.
Below is a picture of Scott holding the Meeps after running his first 10k. Have I mentioned how insanely, rabidly proud I am of him?
I haven’t been running races, but I have been running my tail off. Made lotion specifically geared towards tattoo healing. Appears to be working great on my back and Scott’s ribs, which are both seriously soaking up some nice black ink. Made the most delicious ice cream the other day. After multiple failed attempts to get the whipper snipper started, I found a Gerry Can of gas and some oil and managed to get our push mower to start. Cutting grass so tall you could bale it means the mower bogs down and stops. While it fires up in a couple hard pulls, after what was surely at least a hundred cranks on it, I can hardly use my right hand. At least the edges of our lawn look beautiful now. Fixed the giant gates on our back pasture so I could put the new four month lambs out with the goats.
I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again. Sheep sound like people making sheep noises. Honestly.
Our goats are being nicer to them than I thought they would be. I thought it was going to be 9 goats chasing 2 lambs in endless circles around the shed. So far the majority of the butts they’ve received (and there have not been many) have been from the Nubian/Boer babies who are the lowest on the totem pole. Like somehow the other goats higher up the totem pole are too important to be bothered with the business of these new stupid sheep.
I am posting the following picture because I have had several people tell me to ” just plant trees” when I talk of neighbours installing multiple industrial wind turbines beside our property. Unless I am transplanting a fleet of Mighty Sequoias, no tree is going to buffer us from the 100+ meter tall turbines. We are having a public information night at the local Davidson Centre June 24th with speakers starting at 7pm. Please any Kincardinites, mark this on your calendar and attend. These things are not green and they are not safe. Optioned, contracted, or just curious, this information night is for everyone.
Here are the children playing in a pile of topsoil. The Eisen lads cleared the topsoil off the spot where we put the 20×24 foot pad our playset sits on. The kids love that topsoil. And I love having the Eisens over. These guys are punctual, polite and hardworking. They are also quite attractive and well, it is summer… so Kincardine housewives, you know who to call for any landscaping needs, OK? You will not regret your decision, I assure you.
Here’s Bob doing a crazy monkey dance in front of the pig tractor Scott built today. And the kids pretending to be pigs inside of it. And one of a few dozen handfuls of grass the kidlets deposited in it. Thank you Richard for your innovative and afforable design!
I am reading Will Ferguson’s Beauty Tips from MooseJaw. I got the book because (1) Bob loves the word MooseJaw thanks to Alligator Pie and (2) it’s about Canada, eh. While I find his humor a little soft in spots, I have to admit I am inspired to do the following: (A) read more of his titles including Bastards and Bonehads, Canada Glorious Leaders Past & Present (B) go to Churchill and have a polar bear encounter before we kill them all.
I am getting into taking Vega. Scott has been taking it. It’s pretty incredible. It is spectacularly full of of vitamins and minerals, vegan, gluten & soy free and here’s the best part: it doesn’t taste like you are cleaning our your child’s fishtank with your mouth. At least, the berry flavour doesn’t taste that way. Scott would go so far as to call it “delicious”.
I am going to go to bed now. And try to sleep through the BAA-ING that is going on practically underneath my window. Wish me luck, eh.
Vega is awesome! They also have a “smoothie infusion” blend that is really good. I love it.
until i read about your turbine worries, i didnt know anything existed like that. there are turbines where i used to live (Bowling Green, ohio) but they were placed in the middle of fields, by the landfill!! no one lived near them. I definitely agree – trees wont “fix” that.
So the pig tractor is like your chicken coop? It gets shuffled along? Will pig be able to get outside, like, is there a fenced area surrounding it?
Queen Maggie Meeps of the Meepsians looks great with bare legs, this is how I know it really is springtime!
For some reason those turbines are made close to where I live (Saline, Michigan) and driven over to Ontario (which I miss dearly). I see trucks go by with a piece at a time almost every day. Those turbines are HUGE!
The last time I was near you (I was up in Goderich back in 2003) there was only one turbine and I thought THAT ruined the beautiful views up there. And that’s not even taking into account the detriments to people’s health you’re talking about! They’re ugly AND dangerous!
I hope something, anything, can be done so they don’t get built. I send up a silent apology to you whenever a truck with a turbine part drives past.
Caitlin – yeah it’s portable. The truck cap is nice and light, it could be lifted, but I think we’ll drag it behind the riding mower. We’re going to put in a bit more permanent fence. We’ll either rotate them within that using electric, or use just electric… we have a solar fence charger we would really like to put to use, though I am just worried about the kids with it. I like to neglect them outdoors, it’s the only way I can get shit done and I know I have about 10 minutes of pure neglect before they’d get to the road. 10 blissful minutes. Which would be reduced severely with the presence of electric fence. Though I suppose, they’d only touch it once.
Heck yes bare legs! I’m bare legged today, WOO!
Ally – yeah they sure suck viewscapes. In the UK the stagger them in groupings so it’s not a nonstop turbine assault. I wish the government would subsidize small, sustainable wind turbines… you know, the type that may actually reduce our carbon impact. Instead big business prevails. Suncor is Sunoco is PetroCanada and Enbridge owns the largest crude oil pipeline in the world. These are all carbon offsets, mondo sham.
Hi girl, I followed the links from SG to see what you’re up to these days. I loved the sets shot on your farm, so it’s great to see you living the rural life! I can’t wait to see the progress on your Kali backpiece – powerful woman right there
I was at Sydney Writers Festival and there were some blokes from Canada on a panel about Climate Change, renewable energy and evil chemicals in everyday products (the writers of Eaarth and Slow Death By Rubber Duck), you know of them perhaps? One man started waxing lyrical about the wonderful “community owned” wind turbines in Ontario and I though of your blog and was enraged! I wanted to tell him about the lack of consultation, testing and the fact that they’re owned by a South African company (I think??), but there were too many people wanting to ask questions and I didn’t get a look in. Maybe you could hunt down this smug know-all and tell him a thing or two!
I like the sound of that Vega stuff. I want to try it but I am put off the price because I am cheap. Okay, my husband just corrected me… I’m not cheap, I am just poor. But I think I’ll save up and try it because my ulcer is much better now and I am eating less and loosing weight, but I want to keep off that weight and eat better again so think this might help kick start things for me!
Poplar trees do grow very tall very fast.
Okay so I’m getting a session in on my sleeve today (that I totally forgot about) so if you could like, catapult some of your homemade tattoo jizz to me now, that would be WONDERFUL.
The sound of sheep and goats is wonderful!!
Beats the sound of hookers fighting with their pimps and drunks in the alleyway. . but hey it’s city living…
I just put in my own garden, so pest watch is underway…
I thought of putting one of those car “canopies” around it to keep my crackhead neighbours and the raccoons out of my yard.
Those wind turbines are stressing me out just reading about them!
But, YAY for warm weather and being outside all the time! That’s what makes me miss visiting North Idaho where my family lives.. Here in SoCal the only time I’m really outside is to water my plants or go on a hike.
I’m interested in your concoction for tattoo healing.. I have never had much luck with the natural oils from the local market.. They are always too strong and I’m never sure how to mix them.. Of course I haven’t done any research either so there you go.
I’ve been using Tattoo Goo.
lol- Skull Mountain! Your kids always seem to be so happy.
I would love some of you tattoo cream!!! (the bee bottom balm gets used every day on anything I damn well please) I have dubbed my laundry pile as an “evil thing that likes to mock me”
Love the comments about the Eisen boys….so very true!
That Vega stuff looks awesome. Do you order it online?
We get it at Shoppers Drug Mart. My mom buys it for us with her nifty seniors discount!!
Oh and buy the BERRY flavour, whatever you do!!!!!!!
Hey Ashley, I saw a dead coyote on the side of the road near my house and I thought of you
Are you planning on spinning wool yarn? sheepskins? carded wool? if you do decide to sell any wool, please let me know-i need a good source for doll making-due to freyas polyester allergy I have decided to give in and start making her and the girls toys myself-i have spent the last two weeks felting thrift store wool and cashmere sweaters to make her some Ugly Doll style toys for her birthday…and I am going to try to make a few play fruits as well.
I love all the pictures, it’s fun to see how the kids are growing.
Awesome. I’m going to go look tonight! Berry it is. What do you mix it with?
Arkay – call my friends at Philosopher’s Wool: (519) 368-5354
Gillian – Scott mixes it with water, thus getting the full benefits of the tremendously low calorie count. He swears he likes it. I mix mine 50/50 with any juice to make it more palatable.
I bought the small tub last night ($45!) and mixed it with some water. It was chalkier (and more green!) than I thought… not bad. I think I may have to mix it with some OJ in order to make it better. I kind of wish I drank milk, because I feel like it’d make it less chalky. I’m going to give it a whirl, though. I hate packing lunches and it seems to be a good option every once and a while.
Yeah, I use a bit of juice, it helps. Make sure you have a good shaker container to blend it together, helps with the chalkiness.
Ooh I’m going to try and track down Vega, it sounds amazing. Been trying to take Maca on its own but it just makes me gag so badly, snuck it into soup, porridge and juice but my taste buds seek it out and reject.
Could do with some Eisen lads shipped over here please!
Vega = DEATH.
HATE IT. Thankfully, Shoppers took it back. I just couldn’t COULDN’T do more than two sips. Ugh, no way. Just awful!