A New World

Greetings all... We are as many of you know are entering a difficult time defined as both a very bad pendamic and a hard hit on the economy of the Country and the world. We are seeing the shutdown of comerce, employment, schools and other places where groups of people meet. This will surely rival the great depression of the 1930s and increase deaths from this Corona Virus. Since we do not have any immunity to a changing new virus which may well also be mutating, we have no defence to it like we do to influenza which we are exposed to every year. People are told they need to stay home and keep their distance from others. How long will this last is anyone's guess. We are entering a time that is unpresedented and not experineced in over a hundred years. I hope everyone takes care to stay as healthy as you can and do what you have to to survive by helping friends and family. Saty safe and well during a very bad time in our history.

Changes

I almost think it is time to change the title of this blog, so much has ha;ppened to me. I now have some health issues and I have neglected this place. I have had to move from the nice land I was living on and buy a home closer to family. Such as what happens to some as you get older. Getting up an age has affected my desire to do things like getting organized and making my craft which was stone knife making. I live up north now and the weather is just too cold for me right now. Maybe when the summer comes I will get inspired to go through boxes and setup a work area. Relationshps are important now and now that I have given up being able to work I live on a pension now. I get up in my 60s, and life changes and I suppose that happens to everyone at some point. I still think the days just go by too quickly and then there are those times I just sit and do nothing and I have time to do some things. I also feel overwhelmed with the demands of life, I am fixing up a house and getting things done seem to just drag on where I feel I will never get it all done. Oh well, just another chapter of this life. Simply getting older is not much fun no matter what people say.

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/

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...

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.

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

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

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...