Saturday, December 16, 2017

A Long Year

I know I have not been on here in several months, I have been taking care of health issues and trying to stay away from online activity. The year is about up and I am about to gain another year in my life. I have spent time however working as a shaman and putting in time in my dagger making out of stone and bone. I have been getting more artrithis in the hands and back and that has limited my physical ability, but when I can I have been keeping up with my knife making. A photo of a new one made of obsidain stone and antler bone has been added to this post. That is where my energy has been going last few months. You can see more of my knife making at
https://www.facebook.com/davilleknifemaking/



Friday, August 4, 2017

The Drought

It appears that lack of rain and 100 degree temperatures since June have really dried my area and caused plants to die including most of my garden except what I have been hand watering which includes some tomato and carrot plants. What a change from two years ago when rain was plentiful. And what did not help was that this is the first year I have had deer jumping my fence and eating my greens and lettuce in masse, I even found their droppings in the garden. They did not do this in past years so I think the drought is affecting them as well causing them to look for food that has not died off...






Thursday, July 6, 2017

New Snakes

I am finding venomous snakes near my cabins. I am in the country surrounded by woods but this is the first time in years I have had a too close encounter with a rattle nake and also a coral snake, both which are venomous. They both were juveniles so that makes me think they both have a den nearby. I always wear boots when I am out and now I carry a machete with me...

Coral Snake, abdout 4 ft

Rattle Snake, about 3 ft 
Still was in attack mode when I came upon it

The Deer and the Garden

This is the first year I have had deer that are jumping my five foot fence and getting into my garden to chew on my plants, mainly lettuce, squash and zuchinni. I have tried blocking off some plants but they still do get to them. I am still getting tomatoes and carrots from the garden despite them chewing on those plants. If it is not insects or worms, it is predators and now deer.




Thursday, June 15, 2017

The Summer Heat Has Arrived

With the summer heat now here and temps near 100, I am trying to keep my garden alive with soaking hoses I laid down. Checking it this morning, I still have veggies growing...

Zucchini 

Squash 

Tomatoes (I picked the ripe ones) 

Carrots

Friday, May 5, 2017

Squash and Zucchini

I have now been picking squash and zucchini which has been growing well. One of the zucchini was well hidden and after I cut it out measured 10 inches. I usually like to cut them when they are 6 to 8 inches. The squash averaged 6 to 8 inches which is the maximun I like to let it grow. With all the bees I have been seeing in the garden, I am getting a lot of fruit.

Nice rounded squash

Good big zucchini

Tuesday, May 2, 2017

Bees are Back

After being absent last year they are all over my garden helping to pollinate my squash and zucchini plants this year, every day I see them there and it is them I have to thank for making my garden a success, I took some photos of them in squash and zucchini flowers, there were so many!




New Snake

I was surprised to come accross a coral snake in my chicken pen, he was right by me and lucky for me I startled him enough for him to move away instead of coming at me. I know there are snakes in the country and in my area and I have seen some but this snake was the first venomous snake near my house that I saw and I have to say it scared me enough that I look around a lot more than I use to. I managed to take a photo of it and I have posted it here. It goes to show you have got to be aware of your environment all the time when you are operating in it...


Garden Update

The garden has been moving along since the last update I posted here. While there has been a lack of rain I have been hand watering from my water well. I think there has been no rain for last three weeks, and I think that has hurt somewhat and would have been castastrphic if I had not been watering every day. It seems winter has gone right into summer, ie I have had temps in the 90s for days now including back in April where I has little rain. I guess my hope is some May rains that will soak the ground. I will soon find out, but I am not optimistic. I uploaded some photos of my garden today...

The garden at the end of April 

Zucchini 

Yellow Summer Squash 

Some tomatoes ripening 

Some of the peppers 

Purple bell pepper

Friday, March 24, 2017

New Garden Photos

The garden is growing and everything is up out of the ground. Tomatos and peppers are flowering. Greens are getting big and carrots, lettuce, squash and zuchinni are all doing well....

Looking at the garden 

Tomatoes all in a roll 

Several peppers  

Zuchinni 

Squash from a roll of them

Friday, March 3, 2017

Spring Garden Update

Have now put my tomato plants in the ground, looks like it will be a warm March like February was, Temp last night got down to 34, but that should be the last cold spell like this, weather trends now are looking warmer in the future according to the NOAA site. Also planted back in February carrots, lettuce and greens and they are all coming up now. Looking forward to spring!



Wednesday, February 15, 2017

Fossils

I like to take walks on my property and explore my environment, I am the curious sort and like to study the area I live. Today I collected some fossils including that of shells that suggest my whole area must have been under water once upon a time, now that is an interesting thought considering I live on a hill but on top a geologists dream of rock...








Tuesday, February 7, 2017

Garden Update

It is a summer like day today with temp in the 80s, I have been out turning the soil in the garden to get it ready...still growing some lettuce which I will pick soon.. Time to get the tiller out and turn the soil..







Friday, February 3, 2017

More Deer

They are out every day on the property, I give them corn everyday. I caught these crossing my dirt road one morning while I was going out... Then later they were back for some corn in the bucket...



Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Garden Update

Lettuce is looking good dsespite the cold weather, will be able to pull these plants before I start the spring garden...I will start tilling the ground middle next month...