- Mood:
- Weather:
Still tending the garden. The soil is very poor and rocky. So far, most of the herbs have shown a bit of growth. The cucumbers and peppers have not produced. The tomatoes have been scant, but flavorful.
The soil needs nourishment and care. I am hoping to improve it as quickly as I can.
Got red worms for vermicomposting from a woman in Corvallis. She was happy to give some away, and they were a vigorous lot.
They are still alive today, so I must not be too far off in following general instructions.
- Mood:
- Weather: Hot, but now cooling.
So far, I have rescued herbs, onions, strawberries, tomatoes, basil, cucumber and pepper plants that were the overflow from other people's starts, or the last day clearance of a local nursery.
The strawberries were in terrible shape. Many had bare roots that were already drying out when I got them. The other plants were root-bound in their nursery containers.
I applied all the plant first aid that I knew, teasing out the bound roots, pinching or snipping back to the strongest parts of the plant, watering them in gently and carefully.
They now sit in their freshly made beds. Some are struggling, Others have clearly sent roots into the new soil.
They are still green (or have gotten even greener).
So far, only one strawberry plant and one tiny basil plant have perished. ( More accurately, they could not be revived.)
My first 4 X 4 "square foot" bed is officially full, unless further casualties leave empty space.
One cucumber and half of the strawberries remain in serious condition.
Onions and oregano have been tucked next to the rose bushes.
- Mood:
- Weather: Balmy night
I finally got around to researching organic methods of fly control. Today, I made a soda-bottle fly trap - The kind made by cutting a soda bottle in two pieces and inverting the top piece into the bottom piece like a funnel.
The design works very well, but it's real success depends upon offering the flies a bait that they cannot resist, and will go to any lengths to seek out.
I watched carefully to see what the flies found the most attractive...
Yes, as a matter of fact that is a mutilated pop bottle hanging from my tree with a piece of dog crap in it...
- Mood:
- Weather: Overcast
I have cleared space in the back yard for three 4 x 4 raised beds. Most of the materials used to make the raised beds came from Albany Corvallis Re-use It group [ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/albanycorvallisReUseIt/ ] I bought only the corner braces, which were purchased new, since our local ReStore didn't have any right now.
I have completed two of the three frames and I am about 90% done with the square foot gardening grids for them. The third frame is about 50% complete.
I love to look out at them from the back door. The freshly turned earth looks as if it is just begging to be planted. Unfortunately, I still need to amend the soil and fill the boxes before I can do that.
The old abandoned flower bed by the front path has been gone through. The masses of overgrown bulbs in it have been removed and divided. It now has some herbs in it. They seem to be faring well, considering that they were a bit distressed before they were transplanted.
With luck, we will have rosemary, thyme, sage and oregano established before the fall weather.
- Mood:
- Weather: Overcast
So far, I have replaced 12 incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescents. I was able to get a very good price on the CFLs through eBay, and plan to replace the remaining 8 incandescent bulbs next month.
I also purchased two outlet strips with timers, and our television equipment is completely shut down at night, with no phantom loads. Computer equipment is on power-saving mode.
The weather has been clear enough that we have been able to line-dry our clothing, but we know that solar drying is seasonal in Oregon, so we had been looking for a back-up dryer. This was a fortunate month for us.
We acquired a nearly-free electric dryer through our online ReUseIt group. It needed a power cord replaced. Counting a courtesy and fuel donation to the friend who helped with transport, a new power cord from BiMart, and a vent hose assembly from Habitat for Humanity's local ReStore, we obtained a functional clothes dryer for less that $22.00.
If it is recent enough to have a working moisture-sensor cycle, it would be absolutely perfect. Hope to test that out soon.
- Mood:
- Weather: Hot!!
I realize that there is a media mania going on right now about "going green", but rather than being disgusted at how long that has taken, have decided that it is a good thing. If it makes more people re-consider their consumer habits, I'm all for that.
I remember my most committed "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" days. It was called being a single parent. with no cash. And it wasn't all that bad.
Over time, as my health changed, I began focusing on healthcare and disability issues much more than environmental issues. They hit the closest to home for me, and for many of my loved ones.
Over the last few years, the combination of low income, decreased mobility, and aging have all contributed to a gradual slide into complacency. About a month ago, I took a good look around me, and decided it was time for a change. I hate to admit it, but I needed a swift kick in the bum to get going.
Since I have never had any success in my attempts at changing the world, I decided to start with myself
I recently moved back into an area where I have recycle pick-up service. I joined the Change.org community and started taking a serious look at my consumer choices.
It blew me away completely when I started "seriously" recycling again. I found out that I am able to use the smallest garbage container that my service has, and still have room to share the garbage can space with a local friend.
Now, I can't wait to see what happens when I can really start composting.
I may be producing less than a paper grocery bag full of waste in a month if all goes well, because that appears to be about what is left over that cannot be recycled or composted.
I am not saving the world, but I am starting to feel much better about the world around me, and that has been a blessing in itself.
- Mood:
- Weather: Dark
Well, it's finally happened. The blog is here. Better late than never. 
Over the next few weeks, I will be going back to edit and revamp both the main site and the shopping directory. Bear with me as I slog through the massive updates.
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