Trail Camera Comes Through Again

The trail camera comes through once again.  I thought this was a striking photo with the morning sun light filtering through the trees.  This was taken on what was once an old logging trail that I now use to access our firewood on the other end of our lot.  Who ever put it in probably had no idea it would later be used again by us.  There are trees that they cleared along its way that look like they were chopped down with a very large ax. Other stumps are charred which tells me the road maker either burned the debris or a wild fire came though many years ago. I have run the metal detector over the road and its area and have found parts and sections of old fencing that apparently separated the logging road from what adjoined it.  Just across the road from us is an old foundation so it could have been the back/front of someone's land divided by a fence.  If that is so they were living a lot more remote than we do now.

This deer and the back ground just ended up being an excellent photo.  

Deadly Catch -vs- Firewood gather

If anyone has watched the Deadliest Catch on the Discovery Channel you know that the crew and ship captain when they are on the crab do what is known as the grind.  They work non stop until they get all the crab pots in, the crab sorted and stowed away and reset the pots for the next run.  Well, we are now into the firewood grind.  We have almost but not quite enough firewood for the next snow season.  We wake up in the morning thinking about firewood; we go to bed totally exhausted at night thinking about firewood.

We are almost there in quantity.  It has been a grueling firewood season but as you can see in the photo above we have a lot of firewood already cut, split and stacked.  If you click on the photo you will see the firewood fairy in the photo. Like those seamen on Deadliest Catch we are bruised, sore, worn down, but will not stop until the firewood is in.  If we stopped gathering firewood now we would most likely have sufficient fuel for next winter but it is always best to have more than we might need in case of a severe winter.  If we don't have enough we would have a real problem as available firewood would be under 4' + of snow and hard to find.

So for us the grind is almost done but not quite.  We'll get there if we don't give out or up first and another firewood season will come to an end.    

Happy Memorial Day........

Change of Pace For The Wife

Carol said she was tired of being in the house and working at getting firewood in for next snow season.  She said she wanted a change of scenery so I hooked up the trailer  and took her for a ride down the driveway and  around the back of the house.  It was a much needed break from the routine of getting our firewood in for the year.  As you can see she is having a really great time.  Husbands, take a lesson...its those little together moments that count the most.

Actually I had just put new flooring in the trailer and fixed it up from being the beaten up trailer it was.  She came out to check on me because it took much longer than I thought it would and she said take me for a ride so I said sure, and here we are.

Log Splitter Part Two

Out of the crate, assembled (less than one hour), moved into location and put to use.  We ended up doing a quarter of a cord (of splitting) in about 15 minutes, working together makes it a cinch.  Started up easy, functioned smoothly and cost less than other comparable splitters.  The big bonus is that it is made right here in America and when assembly  was taking place you couldn't help but notice the attention to design and detail that you only find in the USA.  Another bonus is that it cost $300.00 dollars less and shipping was free.  All I had to do is drive into the True Value in Alamosa and they loaded it with a front end loader right into the back of the truck. Part one tells of how we got it off the truck.  Before you buy one I would suggest you figure a way to get it out of the back of your truck or off your trailer.  It weighs 600 pounds and you can't muscle it around.  In fact you can't budge it by hand.

Click on the photos and they will enlarge.  Now back to work splitting another cord of firewood.

Log Splitter Part One

Getting a 600 pound log splitter off the back of the truck in its crate proved no problem.  Two come a longs did the job just fine.  Winch it off one inch at a time and then use the other winch to tilt it back so the truck could be driven out and the ramps put away.  That is the nice thing about having a wood mill - milled 2 X 6's that would support another truck.  Having the right equipment helps to perform tasks like this.  Next uncrating and assembly and put it to use.

Weight Loss Program

What does the above comment have to do with weight loss?  Short answer - nothing but I thought it was a good saying.  

For those following this blog you will know I started on a weight loss program in February 2012.  I decided to cut back my sugar intake, avoid deserts as much as I could and to exercise.  Weight goes on slowly so taking it off the same way just sounds prudent.  Last weigh-in I was 195 pounds which was down from the 205 I started with. My goal was to lose a pound a week if possible.  Most folks like to see it come off faster than that but in my way of thinking a pound a week is a sensible approach.  

I was afraid that I had a set back as I developed an infected sebaceous cyst  on my back in exactly the spot where it affected my working out with weights on my weight bench.  When the cyst had been treated and  healed I fell and hit my head on a tree and it took 6 staples to close the wound.  Therefore I did not work out on the weight bench for a total of 6 weeks.  

Turns out that didn't slow the weight loss down one bit. I just got off the scales and weigh in now at 189 pounds which is well within my normal weight requirement.  Cutting and hauling 2-4 cords of firewood, cutting down and hauling several dead trees up to 20" at the base, cutting and trimming tree limbs, mulching those limbs, moving large rocks out of the way, shoveling very heavy spring snow more than made up for not working out on my weight bench.   

So I can report that cutting back on sugar, cutting out deserts, exercise, and watching what you eat does take weight off slowly.  Carol cooks healthy meals and watches carefully what we eat so that helped. It is alright to have an occasional desert but not on a regular basis.  Now that the weather is better and the snow gone helps since I am outside working most of the day.

I would like to lose 5 more pounds but at my age I'm at a good weight presently.  I will continue on my regime and hopefully keep the weight from coming back.   Hooray!!!!!!

Happy

Want to find out what puts the happy in the Happy Homesteader?  Then check out my newest blog in Mother Earth News at http://www.motherearthnews.com/the-happy-homesteader/what-puts-the-happy-in-happy-homesteader.aspx

Mulching Tree Limbs

Every winter we have tree limbs break off due to the weight of the snow and trees die.  We cut some of the dead trees down and cut the limbs off and give the tree away to those friends who need firewood.  Such was the cast this year and we ended up with several piles of tree limbs.  Enough limbs to spend two days mulching them.  We put the mulch on wet spots in the driveway to act as filler.

It is a dreaded job as my thumbs and hands ache for days after I mulch limbs.  Not sure if it is the vibration of the limbs being fed through the chipping machine or the constant gripping of the limbs and feeding them one at a time.  Our mulcher will take limbs up to 4" in diameter and convert them to usable mulch.  Not much goes to waste around here.    What ever the reason my hands become sore I'm always glad to have it over and out of the way until next year.  Any more limbs need disposal I'll carry them to the burn site and let others dispose of them next winter when brush piles are burned.  

Trail Camera - May 2012

It is pretty early for deer and elk to congregate in the back yard.  We have had a bear close by which Carol observed two mornings ago.  It was only a couple hundred yards from the house.   Both deer and elk seem to like it in our back yard as it is safe and they can see for a long ways and detect trouble.  Yesterday morning at day break when I took the dogs out for their first of many potty breaks I hear a turkey gobbling not far from the house.

Its that time of year when it is best to look out back and make sure it is clear before letting the dogs out.

Modern Conveniences

As I observe people walking around with cell phones held to their ear I reflect back on a time before cell phones.  When I was a child we didn't even have a phone of any kind  but that was okay as we didn't have anyone to call anyway.  When we finally had a phone installed it was on a party line that multiple people used.  That meant if you picked up the receiver to make a call  and someone else was using the phone on your party line you had to wait for them to finish.  People back then were respectful and courteous and if they would hear someone else pick up they usually cut their conversation short.  Hmmm, wonder how that would work today with cell phones?  We had those who would pick up and listen to your conversation but there was nothing you could do about that.  You knew the call was for you depending on the rings the phone made.  For example two long rings, a short ring, and another long ring would be for you and therefore you would answer.  Other combinations of rings would be for others on your party line so you would ignore the call.

Then there were areas that when you would pick up your phone all calls would go through an operator.  You would tell the operator the number and they would connect you to your party.  Phone numbers were part word and part numbers.   Like our number was Ivanhoe 55512.  So I marvel each time I can use our cell phone and the technology that went into making it. The old phones were usually centrally located in the house so every family member heard every word you said.  Now you can stand in the middle of a market and everyone can hear your end of the conversation.

Then I think of the other things that have evolved.  Like being able to PVR television shows to watch at a later time.  I remember being around 10 years old when my dad came up the walk carrying this large box looking thing and I asked what it was.  I was told it was a television.  He plugged it in and attached these rabbit ears to it and there was a moving picture.  Back then TV was only one local channel that was grainy at best and it was only on from 8:30 AM until 7:00 PM each day.  I recall getting up the next morning and watching test pattern for about an hour before programming started. Anyone that will watch test pattern sure has to be amazed with 24 hours of TV and more channels than you could watch on a given day.

Now we take steam irons for granted like TV and cell phones.  We had a flat iron that was electric but didn't have any features except on and off.  When I would iron my school clothes if I wanted the wrinkles out of them you would use a RC Cola bottle with water and  a sprinkler head to get the clothes damp and iron the wrinkles out.  You could pick up a sprinkler head at any hardware for a few cents.  I recall when I first saw a steam iron and thought what a great idea that was - no more RC Cola bottle filled with water.

Or when I drive one of our vehicles that has all the computer components that tell you when your blinker is left on to long.  When I first started to drive we used arm signals out the drivers window.  The headlight dimmer was on the floor next to the clutch and you used it with your foot.  Windows were cranked up and down with a handle.  Windshield washers were not put on cars yet. You could work on your car yourself instead of having an electrical engineers degree. Now when I look at an engine I have no idea what I'm looking at.

So we have sure come a long way.  Times when you came in from playing when the street lights came on.  When neighborhoods raised a child.  You couldn't get away with anything unless one of the neighbors would see you and report you to your parents. Then the neighbors were always right and you weren't.  While the good old days were really pretty good and people interacted and respected each other. They talked to each other face to face instead of with a cell phone to your ear.  I marvel at what we have now and how people take it all for granted.  If you haven't seen the evolution you really can't appreciate all the advances we have today unless some old timer tells you about how it was and even then you probably wouldn't believe it.

Affordable Property In Southern Colorado

I just published my last blog in the series - Ft. Garland, Colorado - Part 6.  It has been fun to post that many topics on our local area which has a population of less than 400 people. The more I published the more that came to mind but you have to stop somewhere.  Hence Part 6 is the stopping point.

The above photo was taken by Leland Dirks and used with permission.  How would you like to look out your front window and see this view every day.  It adds a wholly new dimension to purple mountain majesty if you ask me.

Part 6 is about the affordable land surrounding our area and a basic description of the different properties and activities.  If you read this blog and are looking for good affordable land check out the Mountain Property For Sale under our Favorite web sites on the right of this page.  That web page is as good as they come and has not only affordable properties for sale but is a wealth of local information.

This has been a fun series to do and I hope you will go to Mother Earth News web site and read the earlier topics including this last topic:   http://www.motherearthnews.com/the-happy-homesteader/ft-garland-colorado-part-6.aspx

If you click on the photo above it will enlarge - it is even more beautiful that way.

Proud To Serve

 I just published Ft. Garland - Part 5, in the Happy Homesteader topic of Mother Earth News.  To view it go to: http://www.motherearthnews.com/the-happy-homesteader/ft-garland-colorado-part-5.aspx
It tells of one of the reasons our area is such a good place to live.  The mountain views, fresh air, pure water, and healthy living are all good to have but what makes the real difference are those who are neighbors in Costilla County.  Good honest hard working people who you see at the post office, grocery, Post Commissary or other places that make up your neighbors.  In the end it is the people who make the real difference and the clean living is just an added bonus.

It was the people who show their care for those who have served that made this park possible.  When we attended veteran's day ceremonies at our local school our U.S. Congressman who was one of those who gave a speech at the dedication of this park told us in detail how his father served and valued this country and home county.  It was a personal story and there was not a dry eye in the auditorium.   His brother is now our current Secretary of the Interior for the country. Sending those in our county to State and Federal government with down home values can only improve government.   There are many special people in this county and area but when we see them they are just our neighbors.  We have a State of Colorado congressman who lives in our community.  He is unassuming and to meet him  you would never know he held such a high office.  He takes the community values with him in Denver and recently showed what our community was like.  When budget items are being cut for lack of funds - he stood strongly against our legislators voting themselves a travel cost  increase.  Home town values in big government both State and Federal makes for a better life for everyone.  Its just that kind of place to live - where people are raised with values and take them out into the world to make it a better place.

That is one of the reasons we like it here.  You could be talking to your US Senator like he was your neighbor which he just could be. When we send them to Denver or Washington we know we are sending someone with good down to earth values and we are confident they will do right because we have seen them do it with our own eyest in our midst.   Values and integrity count here.  A good place to live.

Join the line and become a follower.  

Ft. Garland, Colorado - Part 4

Check out my latest blog about the fine dining in Ft. Garland, Colorado at:
http://www.motherearthnews.com/the-happy-homesteader/ft-garland-colorado-part-4.aspx

Confused

As we woke up this morning to three more inches of snow we are as confused as our radishes in the garden boxes reflected in the photo.  One day they bask in nice warm weather and sunshine and then next it is hovering near freezing and they are covered with heavy wet snow.  It is Mother's Day tomorrow and gardens should be safe from this type of weather by now.  If the forecast is accurate we are in for more snow today - 70% - and 5 more inches.  Alright already!!!!! Lets move on to "No Snow Season".

Being in the clouds

 This is what we refer to as being in the clouds.  Some people would call it fog but we have watched the clouds keep getting lower and lower until we are enveloped in this cold damp mist - as the clouds drift past us and slowly surround us.   The top photo is a photo of the woods next to our home and the bottom photo is one taken of the driveway looking toward the road.  If you click on the photos they will enlarge.  Looks like a cold damp day here today and a good day to get the wood stove going and stay inside.

More on the subject of Ft. Garland, CO.

Here is part three of my latest blog for Mother Earth News on the topic of Ft. Garland, CO.  You would think that a town of less than 400 could be covered in one paragraph instead of 5 blogs (this is #3).  As the reader progresses through the series I believe that you will find Ft. Garland is probably one of the most ideal places in the Country to live for a multitude of reasons.  A few of our friends have what I would consider an ideal life - like Mike and Pat; but for most people this community is something to strive for.

For more on Ft. Garland, Colorado, go to: http://www.motherearthnews.com/the-happy-homesteader/fort-garland-colorado-part-3.aspx

May 8,2012

 When will snow season be over?  My radishes in the earth boxes are wondering why they are outside.  In May in the mountains it can be 75 degrees one day and 30 degrees the next.  Snow is far more common than rain this time of year.  Don't put away those winter coats yet and where are those snow shovels at????

 The hummingbirds are buzzing around wondering why they ever migrated and where did the warm weather go.

 A photo off our deck showing Mt. Mestas and La Veta pass looking East towards Walsenburg.

I thought this was a unique photo with the snow attached to the wire fence.  If my rough figures are any where accurate we have had so far this snow season 340" of snow. That is 28.3 feet of snow so far and we could get more.  Often it is difficult to state with certainty the amount of snow as it will compact or drift making measurement difficult.  Frequently we will leave home and find other area's a few miles away have no snow or less snow.  At our house though, we have give or take a couple inches, around 340" of snow.  Glad I got my seeds planted and hope when the snow melts that my radishes (started inside) survived.  When the sun comes out this will be gone in a couple days.

Hard to believe we were out getting firewood in shirt sleeves a few days ago sweating due to the heat.  We are now burning that firewood to keep warm.  In the mountains you just never know when it will go from bare ground to a foot of snow unless it is after July 4th when we can be pretty certain snow is over.

-

Check out the latest blog on Mother Earth News about our local grocery store.  It is just one of the great  features of living near a small town.  Click on the photo to make it enlarge. 

  http://www.motherearthnews.com/the-happy-homesteader/fort-garland-colorado-part-2.aspx

May 7, 2012

Ft. Garland, CO

Here is the link for my latest blog for Mother Earth News.  I read in one of the other blogs that finding land to settle on that was affordable is difficult to locate.  Therefore I plan to write several blogs about Ft. Garland and the affordable land that is adjacent to the small town.  It makes for a good read:  go to: http://www.motherearthnews.com/the-happy-homesteader/fort-garland-colorado-introduction.aspx

Happy 5th birthday, Bozwell!!

Current Photos

Here are two photos since the sun has come up;.  Top photo is the brush pile I planned to mulch today.  I just thought the bottom photo was a pretty view with the sun showing through the trees.

Things Change Fast In The Mountains

Here is the last of the photo cam photos from last year.  It is about time I can put the photo cam back out again for more photos.  It looks much the same today as it did last Fall when this photo was taken.  Yesterday the ground was dry where we could walk on dry ground down to the swing at the end of our property and sit and swing and enjoy the quiet and a Bud Light, together.

This morning there are three inches of fresh wet snow on the ground and it looks much like the photo above absent the deer wading through the fresh snow.  When the sun comes out this snow will melt away and in a few days we will have dry ground again.  In the meantime we will wait so it will be safer to work outside.  We have already cut some dead trees up into firewood or lengths where they can be handled.  The limbs which come from the dead trees and those that have broken off over the winter are all in piles to be mulched.  That will have to wait for another day with the new snow.

Not much goes to waste around here.  That mulch will be used on wet muddy spots to stabilize the ground. The dead trees will be cut for firewood.  We have already provided a full load for some friends and have  two more sets of friends that will come and get more firewood (weather permitting).  It gives those who heat with a wood stove like us fuel for next year and it removes a source of potential wildfire hazard for us.  We have enough dead trees to supply a dozen folks and more die each winter. The supply of potential firewood is almost endless.

It has been nice to walk on dry ground and work outside but waking up this morning to three inches of fresh snow tells us that 'snow season' is not quite over yet.  Hope my radishes which I started inside and replanted in an Earth Box outside survive the wet snow and 30 degree temperature.  Also have a starter box of carrots to plant outside but timing here is everything and I may have jumped the gun on the radishes.  When the sun comes up I'll see if they survived the sudden cold blast.  Fortunately radishes grow quick so if I have to replant that will be okay.  The whole list of outside projects scheduled for today will just have to wait for the snow to melt away. Mulching up wet limbs is a messy chore so today is a day to give the body rest and time to recover from all the work outside this past week.  Key to happily living in the mountains is to be flexible and patient.

the clothes line is back up...yay!

The aspen leaves are on their way! - posted by Carol

Today was one of those days.  Spent the morning getting the windshield replaced from the recent storm damage.  Very nice and competent people. Took longer than I thought but it is now free of cracks.   Didn't want to watch TV, no books or magazines to read so waited, waited, and waited.  Picked up a few groceries and back home.  The above saying sure is true.  Not sure how to know when you are done when you don't do anything.

Here is an important addition to what I wrote earlier about carpet cleaning from a very good friend.  Her husband owned a Servpro franchise and is a chemist.  This is very good practical bit of advice and worthy to share.  It is too long for a comment and to important not to share.  Pat's husband - Dave, was my best man at our wedding and these have been our very good friends for 30 + years.  Thanks Pat for sharing this for readers to profit from. I have never seen this information reduced to such valuable form and content, plus such easy to understand information.  Thanks to Pat for sharing this.  

Bruce – Good article today…

I have a Hoover Steam Vac… I do our own carpets because I don’t want just a steam truck mount to go over the carpets once and leave. I want the bristle action of the rotating brushes.  Since we were in the business, I know how to clean the carpet better than the steam truck man.

Here’s the BIG deal… After you clean the carpet, rinse the carpet with clean water. I rinse it at least twice, and the traffic areas I clean heavier and rinse more. That gets the shampoo out of the carpet, plus the remaining/residual dirt. Rinsing is SO IMPORTANT so the carpet doesn’t re-soil from shampoo – even the new shampoos that say they won’t re-soil, will… Even the best shampoos are chemical compounds, and if you don’t rinse them, you are leaving them in the carpet… And the truck mount man doesn’t rinse.

I only shampoo our carpets twice – maybe three times a year, but then we don’t have heavy traffic through the house and the main walkway is hardwood. The grandkids who live here in ATL are grown to where they don’t track much in, and I am always barefoot in the house. Dave is my only culprit – and he does know how to make a mess.

Today was going to be the day (funny, you chose today to post this!)… but the weather is iffy and the humidity high, so that’s another reason to own your own carpet cleaner… If the weather doesn’t work, you’re not tied to a rental or a scheduled appointment… You can clean when the weather suits you!

I can do without a lot of things, but not my carpet machine… Like I said, I KNOW I do a better job than a service, especially now that truck mounts are all the rage… I like my shampoo and rotating bristle brush action…

My carpets are now 11 years old, and other than doorways – which still look pretty good – the rest of the carpet looks brand new, especially when freshly shampooed.

P.S.  I clean traffic areas by first lightly spraying with a butyl cleaner, like Fantastic or 409, then I take a plastic-bristled scrub brush and brush the cleaner in. Then I shampoo with the machine and rinse, rinse, rinse – yes, it foams and I have to empty the waste – but it does a great job on heavily soiled traffic areas and spots. For oily spots, try Spot Shot solvent cleaner (spray can). I also spray stubborn spots with Oxy-Clean spray – does NOT hurt the carpet.

BLOOD:  Saturate the spot with cold water and blot with a clean bath towel… Repeat, repeat, repeat. For any blood stain remaining, first try Oxy-Clean, and if that doesn’t work try S-32 (in a yellow bottle, not a spray—contains tri-sodium phosphate and sodium tri-poly phosphate). It’s kind of my last resort, but it sometimes – only sometimes – will work on stubborn stains when nothing else does. Oh yeah, rinse in between all those chemicals.

If you have Stainmaster bullet-proof carpet that’s supposed to be bleach-proof, you could try a little hydrogen peroxide on blood… BUT TEST IT FIRST by pulling a few fiber strands out of the carpet and dunking it in the hydrogen peroxide… Wait a while to see if it changes color. DO NOT TRY HYDROGEN PEROXIDE on less sturdy carpet as it will definitely bleach the color…

P.P.S.  My Hoover Steam Vac is at least 10 years old – could be more:  10 years x 2 cleanings/yr x $200 (minimum) = $4000 potential professional cleaning cost. Cost of Steam Vac at Sam’s, about $300… Easy to do the math.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/blogs/blog.aspx?blogid=1510

Check out the new blog on allergies and allergy prevention at : http://www.motherearthnews.com/blogs/blog.aspx?blogid=1510

After years of trial and error we determined that prevention is better than the cure.  Allergies can be a difficult problem to cope with for both human and canine and prevention is a very good start.  

Ouch!!!!!

Sometimes the unexpected happens.  Like this morning when I was trimming limbs from some dead trees that I had cut down a few days ago.  As I worked my way down the tree knocking off limbs my feet got tangled up in some limbs and I lost my balance and fell backwards.  Lucky for me as I fell backwards downhill a nice firm aspen tree stopped my momentum with a loud cracking noise.  I think the aspen tree was harder than my head.

After a quick call to the doctor we headed right into town where 6 staples later the wound was closed up.  From home to treatment to home again was an even three hours.  There are advantages of living in a small town because three hours was all that was needed from start to finish. Two of those three hours were spent driving.  From what I hear in big cities the emergency room wait can take 6-8 hours.  Another small town advantage.    

Challenges Of Gardening In The Mountains

For my most recent blog on Mother Earth News pertaining to the challenge of gardening in the mountains go to: http://www.motherearthnews.com/the-happy-homesteader/growing-a-garden-at-high-elevation.aspx

Unforeseen Situations

Time to report on my weight loss process again. Sometimes things can throw you for a loop and interfere with your best intentions. Those have to be taken in stride when they occur. Such has been the case for me lately in my weight loss program. I started in mid February and my goal is to lose 20 pounds over 4-5 months. I added those 20 pounds over two years so taking it off radically was not an option for me. I proposed to lose the weight by exercise on my weight bench and cutting out as much sugar from my diet as possible in a slow progressive way.

The first month I lost 4 pounds and and the second month I have lost another three pounds. Working out with weights makes taking off pounds more difficult as muscle is more dense than fat. So building muscle and losing weight at the same time is slow and the dramatic results are not seen as fast.

Then circumstances happened to slow down the exercise. I developed a sebaceous cyst on my back and the more I worked out on the weight bench the more it became irritated. I called for a doctors appointment and before I could get in it became sore and infected. Intervene a 5 foot plus snow storm that took us 4 days to shovel out. In the meantime it became the size of a tennis ball and was very painful before I was finally able to get in. Then the treatment every other day all last week and again today and the exercise routine was totally disrupted.

The healing is going to take at least another week or two before I can go back to working out. To have lost any weight with this intervention I consider good. Since it is exactly where my back rests on the weight bench there is going to be an interruption in the process. So we'll see if my program works but not as soon as expected. Further reports to follow. Set backs should be expected and that is no reason to abandon the program.

Seeds

Seeds are started inside and will be ready to go when the snow melts. On the left are radishes and in the tray on the right are carrots. Starting to get the fever to get my garden going even though the garden boxes are still buried in snow outside. I also grow in earth boxes that I put on the front deck. They have to be covered with either screen or hardware cloth to keep the squirrels and chipmunks out of them. It is always a race to see who gets the veggies first us or the critters.

Spinach, lettuce and swiss chard I plant directly into the garden boxes in seed form as they are fast growers and don't need the extra time. I will have to wait until the snow melts however and I can work the soil. Trying to start a garden here is always a challenge and as long as I win on occasion I'm happy. I regret to admit that our squirrels and chipmunks are all pretty fat though. We usually get about 10-20% of our raspberry patch and the critters including birds get the rest. What I'm really looking forward to is rhubarb pie and that is one plant we don't have to worry about as the critters don't seem to like it at all.

I read in Mother Earth News that seeds last for several years depending on the seed. Leaf vegetables like spinach and lettuce can last for up to 5 years. Carrots and radishes can be good for up to 3 years. I keep our seeds in a cool dry place and I have found that to be a pretty good estimate as to their usefulness. Looking forward to getting that garden in now that the weather is getting nice.

Topic Rules

A regular reader and contributor has reminded me that the rules for this blog need to be clarified. First I never lay claim to being right and I do not publish topics that I know are provocative or wrong. As administrator I always welcome opinions that differ with mine and over the years I have learned a tremendous amount from those differences. No one is right all the time and that applies to me especially. Just like two halves make a whole two somewhat different opinions can make a better and more wholesome thought process.

We really only have one rule for posting comments and that is the comment is directed to the subject and not against any person. Recently I did not post a comment that was a personal attack on me. I try when possible to post photos that verify the topic posted and to be as factual as possible. When I am not sure (like the measurement of our last snow) I say so. Inappropriate allegations will not be posted if they attack a person or attempt to destroy them.

Differences of opinion are welcome and will be posted. What will not be posted will be attacks on any persons truthfulness, their integrity, honesty, ethnic background, motives, race or religion. If a comment is aimed at demeaning a person they will be omitted. I also will not publish comments that contain vulgar language.

We receive comments that are also sexual in nature and some originate from other countries. Those will not be posted. I hope to learn from readers comments and I hope they take a bit from mine as well. Comments are always welcome and I hope the above rule will help readers understand why some comments are not posted. In the future I will not address vulgar or demeaning comments and it will be as if they don't exist. For me to address them is equally improper. I hope that makes clear why some comments are not posted and some are.

Also I am not that savvy with computers. Like this morning for example when I found several comments that had been presented but not yet posted. I apologize for that and if I don't post a comment it could also be due to my negligence in knowing where to find it. I also have a proclivity to sometimes posting the same comment twice. I'm not sure how that happens. I try to work the bugs out one at a time as I find them.

Bullying - Part 3

The last in a series of topics. This has been a thought provoking challenge as I have struggled with how do you compare children in Honduras living in poverty with affluent bullies in Colorado? Actually I have only found one comparison but many differences. So let me proceed on with bullies and those who desire to control and manipulate other peoples lives. Personally I would rather not deal with bullies and bring a smile to a child’s face instead; however, bullies are a reality.

When I was doing research on toxic herbicides two questions kept repeatedly coming up. Why do people use highly toxic chemicals to kill weeds while exposing themselves to compounds that will slowly kill them, their children, their pets along with others when they fully understand the risk? Is killing weeds that important? I never found those answers and am still looking for something that would make sense. Comparing children living in poverty in Honduras with affluent members of my own community has been a challenge but what I came up with is why do so many affluent people treat each other as nastily as they do when it is totally unnecessary? Instead of being a bully wouldn’t it be better to bring some happiness to a child that won’t experience it if you don’t do anything? That is something that child will carry with them the rest of their life and what really is important.

The one comparison I found between impoverished children in Honduras and my community is that both are bullied but somewhat differently. In Honduras there are gangs and drug lords that bully impoverished people just because they can. Here in my community there are those that bully their neighbors just because they can. Beyond that however I see a lot of differences. Those in our community bully out of fear that their poorly formulated ideas may be challenged so they build defensive walls and excuses around themselves and come up with a litany of preventions to keep people at arms length. They bully out of being inwardly fearful people themselves. The crime bosses and gangs in poverty stricken areas are already powerful and don’t fear anything. They bully only because they can and no one can stop them. In reality I don’t see much difference between the two; a bully is still a bully.

People in poverty have very little to protect or things that a bully would want, so they pretty much roll with the punches when bullied. They have little to lose if what they have is taken away and are pretty powerless to resist anyway. People of affluence also have little to lose so if they lose a right or freedom or two they too will roll with the punches. They have much so won’t miss a small item or two. In that respect victims are pretty much the same and bullies go on being bolder and bigger bullies. While much recent attention has been drawn to bullies in this country it will have minimal impact as in my experience until people get their nose bloodied and fight back there will continue to be bullies and victims. A bully caves when met with equal or greater force unless they can fight back using your combined money and assets. A outsourced, fully financed bully is unlikely to change and only become more bold like many in our community have done. They have no assets at risk. Aren't covenant communities great? No one likes being a victim of a bully but some allow it to happen and even try to get on the good side of the bully and become a devoted follower.

The difference is that some people learn to accept and tolerate a bully as long as they are doing it to someone else. Better them than me, they say. Trouble is the more latitude you give a bully the more they will take. They will get around to you one day, they just may not have built up their courage to tackle a stronger foe yet. The worst form of bully is the sophisticated type. The kind that can manipulate facts, opinion, and circumstances to control people all to their own advantage. A gang or crime lord is known as a bully and they don't have anything to prove to anyone - only protect their realm. The more sophisticated bully which is what we have in our community is sneakier and more subtle but a bully none the less. The damage they do is reduce people to their level so they don’t have to work on improving or changing themselves. They may have been successful in what they have done and crave personal recognition and respect. They may crave control. The only way they can achieve that is to manipulate and force it from other people, and most have been doing it all their lives. The longer they do it and get away with it the better they become at it. The term "birds of a feather flock together" also applies to bullies. The bully will usually have followers who are either weak themselves or bullies in training. Bullies only have standards that they create and live by, which often is vastly different from a loving caring society. Bullies are good at illusion and use it as a weapon to hide themselves behind. The longer they have been bullies the better they are at deceiving people until the need to hide no longer exists.

So how do you become a follower of a bully? You stop thinking for yourself and let them take the lead. You sense what they do is wrong but you blindly follow them anyway. You suppress your good sense for their flawed sense. You convince yourself that what they say and do is for the greater good and therefore acceptable. You may see them disregard or trample other peoples rights but that too is okay since those who were pushed out of their path were probably weak anyway and deserved it. Some follow a bully for the benefits they will derive from that bully. They will profit or benefit themselves from suppressing someone else. Their motives are strictly selfish. They think they can control the bully but in the end they lose part of themselves and realize how stupid it was to think they could control a bully in the first place. In the meantime they have contributed to a lot of damage and destruction. When a bully takes on the weaker member of a community they take on the entire community and if the majority who may not approve allow it to happen, it undermines and eventually will destroy the good within that community. You will end up with a community like the one we live in where there are factions, splinter groups, secrecy, deception, anger and distrust.

As I told a friend earlier to have a healthy community there has to be open and free exchange of ideas. If as a leader your idea is so good and necessary it should hold up to scrutiny and cross examination. Open dialog could maybe improve it a little or show it up for the poor plan it is. Either way it will benefit the majority and not a minority. A bully will find ways to discredit and cut off honest dialog that may undermine or pose a challenge to their idea, or do a superficial presentation to justify it. Followers of a bully will support a bad idea as long as they are not put at personal risk. Once completed it then becomes a constant reminder and irritant for those excluded from that open and sincere dialog process and promotes anger by having it crammed down your throat. The bully could care less because they got exactly what they wanted and they identify you and your opposition as the enemy.

So the comparison between Honduras and our community is that both have their bullies. One is obvious and apparent and one is more obscure and difficult to identify but with a little effort and using the common sense you have you should be able to figure out who they are. When viewed in their true perspective it is up to you to make the ultimate choice. Will you be a victim, allow others to be victims, a follower, profit from their conduct or will you be a bully yourself. Unfortunately bullies don’t see the bully in themselves but others usually can. Until bullies are identified and made accountable there is no way to improve a community whether it be in Honduras or Colorado. Talking about it won’t solve the problem. It requires action and sometimes strong action. A few bad apples in the barrel spoil the entire barrel. Old but true. It is time to identify and weed out bullies and build a community that is worthy of good people. Let the reader choose. Any situation can be redeemed but it does take combined effort and hard work. Maybe that person you once disagreed with only wants a better community to live in and enjoy too.

Now back to writing less thought provoking and more interesting articles. We have around 600 viewers a week read this blog world wide and my guess is that there is not a part of the world that doesn’t have its bullies and associated problems. Maybe readers will read this and it will provoke some thought and inspire some action.

Community - Part Two

Part one of this three part series was about reaching out to help impoverished children. This part is about the small community that we live in and my observations of this community as well as others. Part three will be a comparison of the first two parts, as unlikely as that may sound.

The community we live in most likely is not much different than most small communities across the country. It seems that in the past few years that people from coast to coast seem angry at something/anything. My observations are that they take it out on their neighbors, friends but mostly on those who may not think and have the same precise values they do. Living together in a small or large community has suddenly become hostile, volatile, and extremely difficult. When we lived in large cities with hundreds of thousands of people it was interesting how people would not make eye contact with us and looked away or down. I believe interpersonal relationships over the years have declined and people are now wary, fearful and angry. Cell phones, smart phones, I Pads and Kindle came along at the very best time in history as they afford people the opportunity to avoid each other while still occupying the same relative space . They also afford bullies and angry people to virtually move through life unnoticed.

Having said all that there is still no excuse for people to be nasty to each other or to retaliate for some imagined wrong. Our small community is certainly no exception to what is happening on a broader scale in our country. There are those in our small community that seek to destroy people trying to simply live their lives and enjoy the beauty that surrounds us. Some people are clearly targeted. They do this with a host of vehicles, but rumor, negative suggestions and maybe the worst of all using friendliness as a weapon, so you will let your guard down and let a sliver of information about your life slip out so that can be spun and used against you. A reason for them to not like you and have a tidbit of gossip to share with gossip mongers and gather a quorum about you without trying to know you.

Have you ever wondered what happens to bullies when they graduate from school/college? They learn that their juvenile physical tactics don’t work in real life so they become more subtle and devious in how they bully others. I have witnessed in our small community that there are those in leadership positions that appear normal but scratch the surface and you will find hate, prejudice, deception and a full blown bully. We like to think that doesn't exist any more in our civilized society but actually it thrives mostly unnoticed.

There are those who lie to you for no reason, bait you with false stories and information, gossip and deceive. Therefore sulking and sneaking around doing all the damage they can to bring other people down to their level instead of raising their own performance.

As an example: In a conversation with one of our leading citizens I mentioned we needed to pull together in our community as our community was hated both outside/inside our immediate area. I used as example that there are people I may not care for however if I found them stuck in snow or a ditch I would not hesitate to stop and pull them out. I usually end up pulling 3-4 people out of ditches a year anyway and I don’t have to like them to do that. It is the responsible and neighborly thing to do. This person looked me right in the eye and said there were people they would NOT pull out or help in any way. I thought they were joking and said so and found out quickly that there were several in the immediate group that felt that way. Names were mentioned and it amazed me that they acted friendly on the surface with people they hated so much. In my life I have found that hate begets hate and love and friendship begets the same in return. Right after moving here we were passengers in a vehicle and came across a neighbor stuck in a ditch. I said to the driver to stop and I’d help them get out. His reply was leave them there until they rotted and he kept going. Having witnessed similar episodes time after time I have concluded that I live in a community of generally hateful people. People who wouldn't lift a finger to help each other unless there is something in it for them. People who pray in church on Sunday and prey on their neighbors the rest of the week.

We envisioned moving to a community that would at least pull together to help one another, maybe start a garden share program, or other normal togetherness projects. Just this morning when I was getting a wound treated a medical worker asked me where I lived and when I told her she just shook her head and said those people all hate each other and all they do is fight. That where I lived was a very unfriendly place. I wish that were an isolated case but sadly it is not and we hear that often. We tend to avoid people in our community for self preservation - hate and prejudice can contaminate all who come in contact with it. Their outwardly appearance of friendliness is only a cover to lure you into their realm of distrust, hate, bigotry and deceit. Not everyone is like this but with all the factions in our community it is very difficult to differentiate.

In part three I will draw a comparison between these two totally opposite subjects. Impossible you may say, but I will try to do it because one is good and one is bad and there are common links. Living in a beautiful community such as we do; we would have hoped it would be beautiful inside as well as the panorama of vistas we look upon. That sadly is just not the case as angry people for some reason want to stay angry and take it out on everyone around them. In a small community that means their neighbo rs and anyone who may cross their path. Since I don’t know all the members of our community I seriously doubt this analysis applies to everyone in the community. So I regress back to the age old question as to how many bad apples does it take to spoil the entire barrel?

Children - First In A Series Of Three

This is Ricsie age 9

This blog is about our lifestyle and how we live fairly remotely in a small cabin with our four dogs and heat our home with a wood stove. This aspect of our lives is interesting for our readers which has now grown to approximately 600 per week. The next three topics will be a series of another aspect of our lives and something I hope you will find equally interesting.While our lifestyle is spartan compared to the two children pictured it would be glamorous to them.

First and foremost I am not a travel agent and it is not my intention to send you on a guilt trip. I hope I can raise the readers awareness of something that means a great deal to Carol and myself. You may find it interesting enough to do the same. It is a personal decision and perhaps something you have never considered before. If you choose not to help a child you should not feel guilty in any way. I'm sure you are helping in other areas that are just as important or more worthy. One can only do so much but we should all do what we can.

This is Elvis age 11

These are our two sponsored children in Honduras. They live in a single room cement block home that has a tin roof. Both are lucky enough to have indoor water facilities but most in their community don't have this luxury. These are children numbers 4 & 5 which we have sponsored over the years. Their monthly income for the family is between $170. and $200. dollars. That is $47.50 to $50. per week. Our sponsorship provides them with health care, dental care, shoes, backpack, personal hygiene items and some clothes along with school supplies. We send gifts each year for Christmas and one child told us the tooth brush was their very first ever. For every child that Children International helps there are dozens they are unable to help.

Some of the families in their community have no electricity, indoor water, toilet and we have seen some (up to 5) who share a single bed. Toilet facilities in most cases is a slit trench. Imagine yourself having to share a slit trench with other members of your community in commonality. If you have any self esteem it would quickly go away living like that. Shoes are very important as the bacteria is great and some children have to walk to school in bare feet. Disease is very common. They live in communities where jobs are scarce and poverty is prevalent.

Their single fact of life is most everyone is in the same condition and it is not hard to see that their self worth would be low. To sponsor a child for a few dollars a month and provide them the bare essentials is not just the right thing to do but responsible human conduct. For the cost of a sit down meal at a restaurant you can improve a child's life instead. It is more than that however: You write back and forth with the child and you get to know who they are and they get to know you. You let them know that someone cares for them and they tell you constantly how they are so grateful for what you do for them and how much they love you. You give them a better chance for a good education as they have supplies to use. Often they share the school supplies with others who don't have any.

Speaking of education, they do not have the pre-school through 12th grade like in the USA. They have an abbreviated version instead. College? They are fortunate they have the education they have and college is not even on their radar. Our children tell us they like math and science subjects mostly. Will the education provide them a better future? We can only hope so but in all likelihood they will end up doing menial labor or garment factory work like their parents. Long hard hours in the factory for wages that we here in our country would squander on non-essential things. What we spend in a day or week to eat out or feed our pet far exceeds their monthly income.

We sponsor children through Children International. www.children.org. For less than $1.00 per day you can improve one child's life and they will carry that with them the rest of their life - that someone they didn't even know cared enough about them to help them when they couldn't help themselves. They don't expect it like those in our country do, but they are truly thankful that a total stranger would do anything for them. There are other organizations that do the same thing but when we checked this one out we found most of our contribution went to the children and not salaries. When we send packages to our children at Christmas we see photos (they send you photos) of beaming children. Little things which some children would quickly would throw aside they consider a treasure trove. In truth it costs more to mail the package than the cost of the contents. But the happiness those contents bring to children is clear to see. Gifts from America and people who care for them.

In our land of plenty it just seems right to us that we help a child we won't ever meet and only correspond with; it is the appropriate thing to do. From that child's viewpoint they see a total stranger who cares for them. Whether it is our own country or a host of countries that this organization works in, to bring a little self esteem and self worth to a child who lives in poverty is something I am very proud of. Most Americans spend more on dog food in a week or eating out than it would take to bring a little happiness to a child trapped (yes they are trapped) in poverty. Click on those photos and look at those faces and you may see why we do what we do. We also contribute to the shoe box project each year.

If everyone took just one child to sponsor what a far better world it would be one child at a time. We know we can't solve poverty or hardship but what we can do is bring a little improvement to one child's life (or in our case - 2 children) for a while that is good. When they get old enough to write letters you will find they are sincere and their thanks is heart felt. If you have never considered doing this I would encourage it. What a $25.00 contribution a month will accomplish can be major to a child. As I watched a TV show the other night and saw them cutting up seconds in shoes so they could be discarded it occurred to me that those shoes would be a literal bonanza to needy children in poverty areas. We throw away things that are better than they will ever have.

The next installation will be about the community we live in and the final segment will be a comparison between that community and sponsorship of a needy child. I hope all readers will stick with me as I take a little departure from mountain cabin living. I also hope that it will inspire some thought as to helping others.