[Homestead] Back in the saddle again
Akka Homestead
akkabhomestead at yahoo.com
Sat Aug 23 14:05:49 EDT 2008
Baby J was born last December to my DD, and yes, DS is serving somewhere deep in the Pacific.
Many people allergic to cow's milk find that they are not allergic to goat's milk. So a milk allergy doesn't always cross the board to all milk-giving animals. Baby J is doing well on a soy formula now...gaining weight and almost walking on her own. She stands up on her own from the middle of the floor already(been pulling up for two months). She's like her mother and grandma, an independent little cuss.. :) Why walk when you can run?
Most of my trees are semi-dwarf. I have one dwarf peach though. Peaches will soften once picked, but they won't get any sweeter. It is somewhat of a faux ripening process once off the tree.
Last fall I was fortunate enough to see a peregrine falcon dive into my chicken moat. He missed the bird, but it was amazing to watch.
Don't know if I have mentioned this recently, but DH and I have now been non-smokers for 8 months. We've started riding bikes for cardio, too. We have determined that 15 miles on the flat bike paths of a nearby city is the same workout as 2 miles in the up and down boonies. I envision that one day we will be fit enough to ride the 20 miles into town and back(piedmont type rolling terrain-ridge and valley geography)
My best project this week was making a faux rock to cover the wellhead in the front yard. I started with an old plastic flowerpot and wrapped that in a ratty old tarp with rocks taped on for mass and weight. I filled in the gaps with greatfoam, creating an insulated 'boulder' shape. Then, the next day, I mixed up some portland cement and some dirt(ferrocement?) and applied that to the top with my hands and a trial. The thing is moveable if we need to get to the well, but it is not easily removed. I kicked it and it was like kicking a boulder-no movement. I have some spray paint and will highlight in places-create shadows and such, and I will try to get some moss growing on the thing. (In case anyone is wondering, the way I start moss is I take some buttermilk and some moss and blend it together. Then, I pour it/dab it, onto the rock/cement where I want it. Usually, after a few months, moss is growing there. ) Anyway, since the stone
doesn't roll, it should definitely have some moss, I think. :) I will also paint the street number on the rock. I made a flat spot just for that purpose. It is near the driveway and at a spot where people, as they drive up, are wondering if they are in the right place or not.... I have seen these faux rocks in magazines and they are pretty expensive, especially the insulated ones with house numbers. I'm guessing I saved myself $100 or so, making the thing out of trash. I already had the cement, so all it really cost was $8 for the two cans of Greatfoam. The one I made is 2' in overall height, 2x3' at the base... It was so much fun that I am going to make more, but the ones I make next will be made on a base as they don't need to cover anything and I might want to move them around.
Akka B, who is glad to be at home
--- On Sat, 8/23/08, bob ford <bobford79 at yahoo.com> wrote:
Either I missed some emails in the past 6 months to a year or my memory is shot
to hell, how long have you been a grandparent??. I know one is serving our
country??
If the baby is allergic to milk , wouldn't that be any milk? Soy milk is
terrible, but maybe a taste can be acquired from infancy. Is it a little boy or
girl? You shouldn't give soy milk to boys.
Are your fruit trees all full size or are some semi-dwarfs for easier picking.
I just bought a bunch of nectarines, the peaches I bought last week were huge
and beautiful, but after ripened , had no sweetness.
..... bobford
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