May 3, 2009

  • Digging for Fossils

    Joshua is part of a Paleontology Club made up of various aged homeschoolers.  We meet once a month to learn about fossils.  Our group is lead by the Mathematics, Science, Engineering and Technology Department Chair of a local college.  We get a hands-on approach to learning about geology,  paleontology, geography, biology and history.    We love this group and always look forward to our monthly meetings.  This month we went digging for Brachipods and Horn Coral. 

     

      

     

    Plant fossils from a dig recently in another state.

    Horn Coral

     

    Some of the fossils we collected. 

    Joshua and I were so intrigued by our fossils that we did a lot more research online.  We watched a few youtube videos of other groups going on fossil digs for Brachipods and Horn Coral.  We also watched a few videos on Discovery Streaming Educaiton.  We also read from some of our books.    This particular video on youtube we thought  is quite informative.  It shows an illustration of  Horn Coral about 1:26.

  • The ever expanding garden

    Last Fall our gas engine lawn mower broke.  We thought if we were going to replace it,  it would be with a solar powered lawn mower.  About 7 years ago we did buy a Reel Mower.  So,  we decided to forego a new mower all together and just use our old fashioned push mower.  At the same time we are working to cut down our lawn mowing areas.  We are putting vegetable and flower beds in many locations and we are expanding our main garden area.  What a win/win situation!!  Less mowing,  more food and beauty.  Can't go wrong with that combination.  I love mowing with the reel mower.  Yes it's harder to push than a powered mower, but I love the fact we are not using gas,  we have no fumes.  I don't worry about Joshua getting hit by a rock or stick that was thrown from the mower.  It's quiet!  We also love the fact it's better for the environment and the grass.  The grass looks so much better!!!

    The main garden has now been fenced in with a more permanent fence.  Wire fencing mounted to cedar fence posts.  The cedar fence posts came from our farm. They were cedar trees that we cut several years ago when we expanded some pasture for the horses.  The posts will be trimmed to a uniform height except a few of them that we will be using for climbing vines.  I plan to make a pretty neat "spider web" using recycled hay twine that our climbing vines will hopefully cling to.   I love how our garden expansion is incorporating  a lot of materials that we are recycling.  We will be purchasing a gate soon.  For now,  Joshua's recycled  culvert pipe that he plays in,  is blocking the entrance.

    The right side of the enclosed garden area, sweet hubby working very hard putting in our new fence.  Our reel mower is in the lower right-hand side of the picture.  Taking a rest from it's almost daily use.

    The left side of the enclosed garden area .

    Our temporary gate...the recycled culvert pipe.

    Just one of the new beds going in.

    The medicine wheel plants are coming in nicely!  The calendula went crazy and is coming up every where.  That's okay by me, as I do use a lot of calendula flowers. 

    The seedlings inside the greenhouse.

    Strawberries and lettuce heavily mulched.

    Down in the corner by the stonewall and forsythia bush Joshua will have is own sunflower house.  A few weeks ago I cut a tunnel through the center of that forsythia bush for Joshua to play in.  The tunnel will enter into his sunflower house.  There will be three doorways.  I have removed the sod in a six inch perimeter path.  In a few weeks we will plant it with mammoth sunflowers,  smaller sunflowers, morning glories and moon flowers.  By the end of the summer he will have a very neat living house to play inside.  We are both very excited about this project.

    Little by little things are really coming to shape.

May 1, 2009

April 25, 2009

  • An Afternoon of Beauty

    Joshua and I spent the afternoon yesterday at the Botanical Gardens.  We love it there!  It is such a place of beauty.  Joshua asks quite frequently if we can go.   I loved that my favorite astronaut enjoyed himself so much.

     

    Part of the conservatory.

    The beauty at this garden is so inspiring to all.

    The astronaut is collecting pollen to take back to "earth".

    Lovely napping spots.

    Even though he's an astronaut,  in his heart he is still a "treehugger".

    The desert area inside the conservatory. 

April 23, 2009

  • Harry Pottery and Li'l Peep

    Joshua loves to take pictures with my camera.  I always enjoy uploading the pictures to my computer as most of the time,  they are a surprise.  We will sit and view the pictures together.

    The other day,  Joshua took this photo of our cat Harry.   He is sitting on our pottery wheel.  Joshua and I were reviewing his pictures on the computer last night and he said,  "Look mom,  it's Harry Pottery!"  Joshua is so funny!

    The Story of Li'l Peep


    Unfortunately,  Foxy (the neighborhood visiting fox) is quickly wiping out our Americauna chickens and I wanted a few more.  They lay the lovely green eggs.  I took a few of the green eggs and put them under the Banty hens who were sitting.  I don't know why,  but all of sudden the Banty hens stopped sitting.  I grabbed the eggs and took them to our incubator.  Hoping to save the chicks that had started to form inside those eggs.  One egg hatched.  I took the baby down to the barn in hopes a Banty would adopt the chick.  One seemed interested and started to take care of it.  The next morning I found it dead.    When the next egg started to hatch,  I took the egg down and put it under a broody banty.  Throughout the day I checked to make sure she was still sitting on the egg and the chick inside the egg was hatching.  Everything looked great.  The chick was continuing to hatch and the hen seemed to be quite interested in the chick.  That evening when I went back to the barn,  the hen was no longer sitting on the chick or eggs in the nesting box.  What?!  How could that be,  she sat there all day?!   But we couldn't find the chick.... where was the chick.  No broken shell,  no chick.  We looked all around the nesting box for it's body because we were sure it had fallen out or been kicked out by the hen.  As we moved the straw around,  we found the chick.  It was cold and we thought it had died.  It looked like it had just died as it was still flexible.   As I sadly held its little body in my hands,  my sweet hubby said,  "wait,  I think I just saw it's chest move!"  We both gently blew warm air near it's face to see if we got any kind of reaction.  Slowly and very weakly the chick's mouth opened as to gasp for air.  "Quick,  put the chick next to your tummy under your shirt,"I said.  As the chick warmed up it started to move.  We brought the chick up to the house and fixed a home for him inside a cage with a heat lamp to keep him warm.  Not knowing if this chick would make it, as it seemed to have several injuries, we still thought we couldn't give up on it.  One of it's legs was severely bruised and it had bruising on it's chest.  The next morning,  the chick was still with us.  He clearly was still having difficulty and couldn't stand.  Throughout the day I helped the chick drink water.  He has slowly started to recover.  He can now stand and hop around.  He is not out of the deep water yet, but he has managed to make it six days so far.  I hope he continues to heal.  I know in our hearts that we have tried to help this little guy as much as possible. 

    Joshua named him Li'l Peep.  Li'l Peep would really peep when he was alone.  We thought he should have some company, so we put  one of Joshua's toys with him.  Joshua decided the stuffed animal that looked like a baby chick would be best.  Li'l Peep really did snuggle right up.   Joshua told me yesterday,  that he really liked having a baby chick in the house!  I think the cats have been liking it too, but lucky for Li'l Peep they can't get to him. 


     

    Sadly,  Li'l Peep took a turn for the worse and passed away.  He is buried near one of our big Hemlock trees. 

April 18, 2009

April 17, 2009

  • Seeds are getting planted

    I'm much later than usual this year starting my seeds.  I was waiting on our greenhouse.  Now that it is up,  (see previous post) I've been planting like mad.    So far I have planted:

    • Tomatoes
      • Brandywine
      • Yellow Brandywine
      • Yellow Pear Cherry Tomatoes
      • Prudens Purple
      • Gilbertie Paste
      • Amish Paste
    • Onions
      • New York Early
      • Valencia
      • Bennie's Red
      • Red Wing Hybrid
    • Tango Celery
    • Black Beauty Eggplant
    • Peppers
      • California Wonders
      • Jalapeno
      • Cayenne
      • King of the North
    • Red Russian Kale
    • Collard Greens
    • Broccoli
    • Cauliflower
    • Basil
      • Sweet
      • Gennessee
    • Oregano
    • Foxgloves
      • Yellow
      • Apricot
    • Arnica
    • Viola
      • Jester (mixed color)
      • Red

    I still have so much more to plant!  I love it though.  I really love working with in the soil. 

    I noticed lettuce popping up in the table I had in the old hoop house.  Lovely! 
    I hope to plant in the garden tomorrow  peas, spinach, lettuce, onion sets (that I saved from last year), and potatoes.

     

    The humidity fogged up my camera lens.

April 16, 2009

  • Greenhouse

    I love greenhouses.  When we bought our house,  it had a lovely glass greenhouse attached to it.  I loved it.  It had a lot of problems but I still loved it.  We unfortunately had to take it down to do work on the house.  We ended up giving it to a nursery so it could be used.  Then we got a lovely little hoop house.  It needs some repairs and new plastic cover but it will be back in business one day.  We decided to go ahead and splurge and get a big greenhouse for raising our food and selling some crops.  I actually think next year I want to sell organic plants to gardeners.

    The green house arrived in two big boxes.  It had to be assembled.  My sweet hubby put it together for me with a little help from a little astronaut.  I will be planting seeds like crazy through the next week.  A little late but I like to say, "better late than never!"

    Inside the completed greenhouse

    It will eventually have a gravel floor in some areas.  In other areas I will also plant right into the ground so we can have greens through the winter.

    Isn't she lovely?! 

April 9, 2009

April 4, 2009