Day 61 - Magical Mystery Morning

During the week, Scallion, Luka, and I head out for our run at 6am.  Sundays are my day off, but at 5:50am today, they made it very clear that they still expect to go out at 6am!  It is one of those mornings where it's not really foggy, but it's not really clear either, the light soft and fairy-like, dewdrops clinging to blades of grass and newly formed leaves, and so quiet - finally, no wind!

Beechwood budding out.

Dropping in elevation, you get all stages of the Beechwood budding out.

Love Love Love the Ferns!

Bugs' Perspective

Dinosaur Head

See ya!

Day 56 - Wild Food and Old Food

It seems fitting to follow-up from the previous post on eating meat to this one, focused on eating plants.

For years, I have been so production based in my gardening, that I've let my love of foraging fall to the wayside.  There simply was no time to scavenge the woods, or even my property, to find a few edibles, most of which didn't fit neatly into my processing plans, not to mention the time it usually takes to clean wild foods.  But now the tide has turned, I've learned that I don't need to grow 60 lbs of dried beans every year, nor put up 20 qt. of tomatoes, nor 30 lbs frozen peas.  So now I have time to do things like build a new herb garden (or get Rick to) and to harvest the delicious salad greens growing right here on my property, no weeding or watering required.

Starting at the Egyptian Walking Onions (top center) and moving clockwise - sorrel, raspberry leaves, violet greens, mache gone wild, dandelion greens.

Salad made from above greens + Watermelon Radish from root cellar, fresh-sprouted mung beans, and the few groceries I buy - tropicals, like avocados and citrus

As mentioned above, for years, I have grown and produced way more food that Rick and I can possibly eat.  But as I said in my previous post about raising and eating meat, nothing goes to waste.  Food that I can't process and eat gets given away, either by hanging bags of veggies on people's doors, bringing baskets of veggies into school, or inviting the neighbors over to harvest beans for themselves.  This year will be no exception.  As the pandemic rages on, more and more people are finding themselves food insecure.  Early on in this crazy time, I decided that one way I can help is to grow food.  Never a bad idea and perhaps more important than ever.  I am encouraged to see others in a similar mindset.  Though I don't go out much, when I do, I feel like I'm seeing more raised beds being built than ever before!

And we are still benefitting from a bumper crop of eggplant in 2018.  In those years, I make quadruple batches of Moussaka and freeze them.  Vacuum sealed, they keep just fine for a busy spring day when I don't feel like cooking but still want to eat well.

Day 55 - Out With the Old, In with the New

Warning:  This post contains pictures of dead chickens (no blood though!).  Proceed at your own risk.

One of my many jobs includes rooster removal service.  If you have a rooster or three that are getting on your nerves, or in Rick's recent case, causing you bodily harm, then you can call me up and I will "deal" with your problem.  Roosters, a source of free meat along with old laying flocks, have a welcome place in my freezer and eventually, crockpot.  I have yet to meet an old rooster or hen that my slow cooker can't cook up into a delicious stew.

A friend's roosters, troublesome no more.

I generally like to keep a rooster around, as they really do function well to protect their hens.  And I occasionally let my broody Muscovy ducks sit on chicken eggs to hatch out and raise new chickens for me.  Saves me a lot of work and mess!  But in the spring, even nice roosters get nasty and will become aggressive.  Rick was walking by our rooster, 20' away and nowhere near the hens, when the rooster attacked him, puncturing his calf with its spur.  

Check out the size of those spurs!

Or maybe it wasn't that it is spring and hormones are flying, it could be continued bad rooster Mojo.  Once upon a time, I had a really sweet rooster who never attacked anyone.  The Muscovy Mothers sat on the presumed fertilized eggs, but nothing would happen.  Assuming the cock to be a dud, I traded him for a neighbor's rooster, Loki, on the day when she was processing her meat birds.  I should have known that accepting a rooster named Loki (Norse god of trickery) was bad luck and indeed, as I was throwing the rest of the eggs away in the compost, assuming them all to be rotten, I saw that some were not and in fact, had growing chicks in them.  I quick called up my neighbor, but it was too late.  We were stuck with Loki (not for long though!) and have had bad rooster luck ever since.

And now we have 27 new roosters!  Why all males if they're such trouble, you ask?  Because males grow bigger, faster, and these birds are being raised specifically for meat.  They are known as Red Rangers and will be raised for about twelve weeks, just shy of when they start to turn on each other, and us!  Here they are, cute as can be at a week old.

27 Red Rangers + 1 unknown (chickery always sends a "mystery" bird)

My philosophy on keeping animals and eating meat is that if possible, use everything!  I won't go into the details (but if you're curious, check this out!), but in the raising of my chickens for meat, everything eventually has a use.  The feet are a healthy and delicious addition to soups and stews, adding important glucosamine (about 450 mg./foot!) and collagen to the broth for a silky smooth texture.  Not a huge fan of organ meats myself, they get fed to the dogs, either directly or made into dog treats.  The feathers go into the compost.  The bedding from the chicken house is an important fertilizer in my garden.  The carcass from roasted chicken gets made into soup.  I recently tried cooking the bones for several days to soften and make into dog food, but it turns out that the older the bird, the less likely the bones will ever soften, so I may need to get a grinder because even two days in a crock pot did nothing to soften these bones!

I know that not everyone has the desire and/or ability to go through such measures for their meat-eating habits.  If there is something positive to come out of this pandemic, my hope is that it will be an awareness and drive to change the way our country raises animals for consumption.  I think it's pretty clear that our mono-culture way of producing chicken nuggets, pork chops, and burgers is not only a bad deal for the animals and the environment, but for humans as well, the workers who work in these mega-plants and now the entire population who are having to forgo their Wendy's burger because of the meat monopoly.  The only ones to benefit from this system are the few on the top who own these corporations.  

I know not everyone can afford meat from uber-happy raised animals.  Somewhere though, there needs to be a balance between the $0.99/lb pork shoulder sold by your local grocery store and the $9.99/lb sausage from free-range heritage pigs sold by my local pig farmer.  A good article from the Guardian describes the many factors on this issue and mentions the Berkeley Food Institute.  This organization is new to me and already, I love their mission statement because it is all-compassing, that this is not just an animal rights issue, but a human rights issue, from the farmer to the worker to the eater - "The Berkeley Food Institute strives to transform food systems to expand access to healthy, affordable food and promote sustainable and equitable food production. We empower new leaders with the capacity to cultivate diverse, just, resilient, and healthy food systems."  

Disclaimer:  I wish I could say that no animals were harmed in the production of this post, but, I can't.  I can say though that the animals lived a good life and met a swift end, that their lives will be appreciated in many ways, from the hens they protected, to the human bodies they will sustain, to the jewelry that my friend's daughter is making out of the beautiful rooster feathers!  And I still have one rooster left - my punk rocker!

Day 47 - A Mind Break

Not much to say these days!  Brain is strangely empty!  In the past, I would've started to freak out, thinking I was losing my drive, my edge, not having constant thoughts racing through my brain, pushing me ceaselessly forward, even while at the same time I wanted nothing more than a break from the incessant chatter.  I know it will be back, so for and now, I'm just trying to enjoy the break!  In the meantime, here are some photos.

Looking out at orchard and new herb garden.

Beginning of new herb garden

So glad garden centers are considered essential businesses!

Instant herb garden!

That first crop of the season - rhubarb!

Garlic coming along nicely in the  soft morning light.

Hoophouse plots, still rather wet.  Awaiting some warmth and dry air.

Day 37 - Venturing Out - Part 2

First, an update on Rick!  He tested negative for 2 kinds of flu, pneumonia, and COVID-19!  By Saturday, he was pretty much back to his normal self, which was good because Monday presented itself with another emergency!

Luka with a snoutful of quills!

Luka, just a little over one year old, discovered his first porcupine and hopefully his last!  The morning's run was going great until I noticed that Luka was slowing up and kept pawing at his mouth/nose area.  Ugh!  

Back at the house, Luka sat stone-still, long strings of drool hanging from either side of his jowl as he looked plaintively at me, or Rick, hoping that we would do something, soon!  But our normal vet was too busy to see us, so we scrambled trying to find a vet that would.  The fantastic folks at Harbor Road Vet said they could see Luka that morning, so off we rushed.  The set-up was similar to taking Rick to the doctor, except that at the vet, they had a system for handing off your dog that didn't involve getting within six feet of anyone.  The owner would walk their dog to the green post (see picture below) and put a slip lead on the dog, then walk away.  The vet tech would come out and take the dog in.  Luka eagerly trotted off with his new people, so excited for his next adventure!  

The vet had initially said it could be several hours before they got to Luka, but no sooner had we driven off than they called and said he'd be done in 30 minutes!

Everyone relieved and a droopy dog for the rest of the afternoon as the anesthesia wore off.  A mellow maligator for a few hours!  Hopefully we can go a week with no more trips to a doctor or vet!

Driving to the vet, traffic was few and far between, unusual for 8:30 on a Monday morning.  Handing my dog off via a post-system is also unusual, as is everyone wearing masks, not just the vet staff.  All these things are becoming normal and I don't really think much about them anymore, just take them as a matter of life.  I've already accepted the fact that I work/teach from home as normal.  What other changes to life will become normal as the days go on?  What new experiences are now normal for you in this new time of global pandemic?

Day 31 - Ventured Out into the Mad World

As I type this, Rick is being checked over by a doctor for mild symptoms not unlike those of COVID-19 and/or pneumonia.  He’s not been feeling well for over a week, as evidenced by a complete lack of exercise, which he had been hitting really hard prior to feeling sick.  Each morning, he thinks he’s fine, but as the day goes on a little, he starts to feel more and more tired.  He's had headaches, a slight cough, experienced some pain in his chest yesterday, and perhaps has had a fever, though it’s hard to tell with him as he usually runs low, around 96 degrees, so for him to show 98 or 99 degrees is usually concerning.  And he's taking naps every day!

He messaged his doctor Tuesday night and they called back Wednesday to have a conversation.  From that conversation, they scheduled to see him Thursday at 10 am.  They directed him to go to a separate section of the hospital, which is set up for this purpose.  Once we arrived, he had to phone them to let them know he was here and they came out to get him when they were ready.  He was instructed not to touch anything.  Five minutes after he went in, a nurse came out and wiped down the handles and locks on the door. 

So far, I’m impressed with the responsiveness and care being taken.  I was worried about him coming here in the event that he didn’t have COVID-19, that he would be putting himself at risk of being infected.  If he does have the novel coronavirus, it is certainly a mild case and could be for the best, as it would mean I probably also have it but am asymptomatic.  We could then stop worrying about getting it and potentially be more helpful to society with our important antibodies available for the taking and our actual bodies ready to help with whatever needs helping. 

It certainly is a Mad World out there in need of so much right now.  I am be grateful to be able to step out into the beauty that is springtime in the Northern Hemisphere every morning and restore some balance and sanity.  

Following are some photos of the beautiful, geometric ice creations that graced my neighbor's field this morning, before the dogs came over to see what I was taking pictures of.

This last one reminds me of the giant siphonophore that was just discovered in the Indian Ocean! 

Day 28 - Some things don't change

Even after living on land for 11 years, I still have my foul weather gear!  And it's definitely the kind of day that fowl choose to stay inside, unless you're a duck of course!  In fact, as I write this, the ducks can be seen waddling through the puddles in the upper field.

The beginnings of the great chili harvest!  For those of you who haven't been here for this annual fall event, here's a sneak peak.  The smell is out of this world!

High-powered flame roasts those chilis in minutes!

Lastly for today, early flowers amidst the snow.  This is a Cornelian Cherry tree, part of my edible landscape.

Day 27 - "Celebrating" Easter

I find it peculiar that I "celebrate" religious holidays for religions that I don't practice.  It is Easter Sunday and I prepared a feast of roast lamb, freshly made flatbreads, three kinds of salad, and a ginger cake topped with vanilla pastry cream and rhubarb.  I have not lived within easy driving distance of my family for 20+ years and am accustomed to spending holidays alone with Rick.  For years, I was embarrassed that I didn't do more for holidays, that I didn't have something special to do.  I think that by making my own special meal, it helps me to connect with my family as we have that shared experience of food to talk about.  Rick and I do now celebrate Thanksgiving and Easter with friends, but of course, not this year.

I think also that I continue to prepare a special meal for holidays because it connects me to my past and my family.  My fondest memories of Easter are from my aunt and uncle's house, where Uncle Jim would grill chicken out in a snowstorm...

 

...and Cousin Emily, Molly Dog, and I would play in the snow (this is Duluth, MN after all!)...

...leaving Cousin Sam hiding in a canvas bag! 

And so it's fitting that on this Easter Sunday, I am surrounded by snow yet again. 

Snow-covered garlic plants

In anticipation of home-grown artichokes, we had a salad of artichoke hearts, radishes from the root cellar, and sweet onions, tossed with a chimichurri sauce made last fall.

We still have leeks, cabbage, potatoes, and radishes in the root cellar!

It is time to put those artichoke seedlings, biennials, outside to trick them into having gone through winter, in hopes that they will send up their coveted flower stalk this summer.


                                          

I'm quite disappointed that on Easter, of all days, my pita breads failed to rise.  Instead, we have flatbreads wraps, still perfectly good for scooping all kinds of yummy foods.

And the lamb.  In my family, ham has always been the traditional Easter meat, but I forgot to take it out of the freezer in a timely fashion, so with lamb being on sale, that is what we are having.  Marinated in ample garlic, lemon, olive oil, and salt for the last two days, it slow-roasted for the rest of the afternoon after the morning's baking had been done.

And dessert!  Rhubarb is poking its nose out of the ground and will be ready for harvesting before I know it!

I wanted to do something with the rhubarb I'd canned way back in 2015!  I've had cake on the brain, so was thinking upside down cake, then moved to poundcake with rhubarb on top, and settled on ginger cake with the pastry cream and rhubarb!  Wanted to make buttercream, but felt intimidated.

Or maybe what this is all about is just an excuse to cook and eat a lot of good food!

                                        

Day 26 - Powerless

In addition to a love of dandelions and grey days, another odd fact about me is that I really like it when the power goes off.  The sudden shift to quietude is remarkable and one that I find deeply settling.  On Thursday night, we received a good twelve inches of heavy wet snow that clung to the trees, causing many to break and take down power lines. 

We awoke to a stillness and quiet enhanced by a snow-covered world absorbing all sound, early enough before people awoke and turned on their generators and before the plows cleared the roads for traffic.  As we go through our days, we tune out so many noises so as to make them inaudible.  Likely this is a necessary task of our regulatory system so we can function, but all that underlying noise and perhaps the unconscious effort it takes to tune that noise out takes a toll on me.  When the power suddenly goes out, I can feel my whole body sigh in relief.

As I did my daily stretching in front of the wood stove, I realized though that even without the constant hum of appliances and Rick’s incessant fan, there are still noises!  I forget that a wood stove makes a hushed sound as air rushes through to keep the fire burning so that the stove can turn out its glorious radiant heat.  At 6am, we scratched our heads in wonder about our neighbors, thinking a gun had gone off, but as we listened throughout the morning, we realized that it had likely been one of many branches cracking and breaking under the weight of wet snow. 

Being powerless also presents an opportunity to break from routine, as so many activities are no longer available, such as making phone calls, checking email, watching Netflix, or taking a shower.  In the absence of our usual routines, what do I do?  Will I keep busy and find powerless activities to do?  Or will I take the opportunity to, for once in my life, do nothing?  Turns out, it’s a bit of both.  The dogs get extra pets as I spend time snuggling and napping, but I also did some computer work that didn’t require internet (grad school write-ups), and prepped the raw ingredients for kimchi to be mixed together the next day.

As I sit here typing though, I am well aware that I sit and type from a place of privilege, advantage, and luck that allows me to relish these breaks from regular life.  Rick and I are in good health and not reliant on machines and/or communication with the outside world to keep us in health.  We don’t have children running around demanding that life be the same as when the power is on (or disrupting that golden quiescence).  Instead, we can lazily wake up to the day and tackle any challenges as we are ready, or not.  We have been able to purchase and maintain generators to ensure that we can keep our freezers running during a power outage, or just to run when we feel like having some lights around.  We don’t have to rush off to a job in the absence of lights, showers, or a warm meal. 

And so this reminds me of my position during this time of coronavirus too.  My life is different, but not horrible.  In fact, there are definite upsides!  I still have a job that I can do safely from home and I am learning new skills that will transfer back to and enhance my in-person teaching.  I don’t have to commute and instead have three whole hours/day of my life back during which I can fill with self-care activities like running, stretching, meditating, snuggling with dogs, and puttering in my garden.

But part of our comfort during this time of powerlessness and coronavirus is also likely a carry-over from boat days, when all power needed to be generated, electricity was not to be wasted, and we were generally prepared for most eventualities.  In land life, this means that we have copious flashlights, headlamps, and lanterns to use, multiple generators in case one fails, and a cooking stove that does not rely on electricity to run.  If we suspect that a power outage is imminent, we also prepare, like filling containers of water and most importantly, grinding the coffee for the next day so as not to be caught first thing in the morning, scrambling to turn on that generator pre-coffee.  So to for the coronavirus, we prepared, making sure we had adequate supplies and our systems were ready to run without help from the outside world for a while. 

I’ve argued with people that my good fortune comes from luck.  Rick and I are lucky to not have experienced a debilitating accident or disease.  I am lucky to work for a school district with a teacher’s union that has always prioritized excellent health care coverage.  I am lucky to work for a boss that welcomes and appreciates my ideas and enthusiasm.  We are even lucky to have gotten such a good dog in Luka!  The day before we were to get a puppy from a supposedly reputable breeder, she changed her mind and refused to communicate with us.  Rick found another breeder from whom we got Luka, who was exceptionally well-socialized.  Months later, we heard that the first breeder’s puppies were not well-socialized and more than a handful.  

People are quick to point out all the hard work and effort Rick and I have put into having a good life and it is true that we do put a lot of time and effort into living the life we want.  It is also true that luck favors the prepared mind.  And so I’ll compromise.  It’s both.  Both luck and effort, and probably some other things I haven't thought of.  No need to continue splitting the world into dualistic divisions.  

Now you see what happens when the power goes out.  I sit and write, and write, and write.  This post is not for the Twitter and Instagram world and I hope you made it through all right.  The power is back, along with the hum of modern life, and I am grateful for this too.  Good Night!

Day 22 - "Weeds"

After a year of neglect, my asparagus and blueberry beds were overrun with weeds.  I spent the weekend clearing them away in hopes that the desired crops would forgive me and make a comeback.  In the process though, I made an unintended harvest from those undesired plants!

Dandelion roots, Dandelion crowns, Jerusalem Artichoke roots (left to right)

Not only are dandelions my totem plant, they are delicious too!  Rick and I recently discovered dandelion tea, a surprisingly delicious coffee-like beverage made from roasted dandelion roots.

Dandelion roots drying.

At first, I cut off the beginning plant and just saved the roots for tea, but after leafing through good 'ol Euell Gibbons, I learned that dandelion crowns are one of those wonderful spring treats, a perfect compliment to a dish of rice and beans.

Beans 'n greens + pickled summer squash

Now, Jerusalem Artichokes are beautiful and plentiful, making an excellent, nutty roasted vegetable, but even for us bean eaters here, the digestion of these unassuming little roots is too much and for years, I've withheld the temptation of digging up this abundant and free food source.  To read more on the effects of eating these tubers, check out this article for a lively description of what will befall you should you choose to experiment.  All that being said, I am experimenting and have a jar of sliced chokes fermenting away in hopes that the fermentation process will alter the inulin responsible for JA's digestive havoc.  And what better time to experiment than in this time of social distancing!  (I'm making pickled garlic too!)

Sliced Jerusalem Artichokes beginning their fermentation.