My first house had siding of shiplap cypress. Great wood for building, tough for painting. I often wondered about those bags of cypress mulch at the garden center...seems it really is too much of a good thing... It seems that in the past ten years or so cypress logging as…
Watching birds fly about the tree limbs reflected in my laptops screen. Life reversed and internalized rather than right side right and out. # Powered by Twitter Tools.
Another in the TedTalks Series of videos I try to visit on a weekly basis as a method of personal continuing education...Have a look at what a "play expert" has to say about the importance of play...Stuart Brown: Why play is vital -- no matter your age A pioneer in…
You never know where you will stumble upon a word, a phrase, a few paragraphs that paint a picture in your mind so vivid you would swear you were there... I made my getaway. This dark and wannabe-smokey hideaway was nearly empty. The cushy chairs and couches were without asses.…
Stumbling through my news reader I came across a reference and a video of Joel Salatin of Polyface Farm in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. I have been aware of the work Joel is doing for a while. His success with Polyface is an inspiration that will become more important…
Sometimes you are amazed at the serendipity of life...I discovered Felder Rushing a few years back while wandering the web. I started listening to the podcast of his weekly public radio program, The Gestalt Gardener, and keeping up with his travels. I even posted a link and his picture back…
I have a confession to make...I just discovered Marion Nestle and her blog Food Politics. I know, I'm slow on the uptake sometimes. I find that my feelings about food are becoming somewhat activistic...I am getting more upset by the industrialization of our food on a daily basis. So you…
From his vantage point in the Blue Ridge mountains of Virginia, the author elevates the simple and local in a way that will bring a smile, a raised eyebrow, or nod of affirmation. This unique view of the world will be appreciated by fellow biology watchers, grandparents, rural dwellers or wannabes and by those simply seeking a pleasant place to ponder a few minutes before bedtime.
After eight years of backpedaling by the previous administration on the requirements that it protect the environment, there is a new group in charge. They seem to feel that the laws passed by congress prior to the Bush Administration really are laws...Go figure.
We cruised through East Columbia on the way home. East Columbia is one of the earliest settlements in this part of the state. It was founded in 1823 as Bell's Landing.
@GStephanopoulos Why isn't anyone commenting on the fact that these bonuses are just a way to sidestep tax liability on salaries? # Powered by Twitter Tools.
Leon Hale's weekly column is up at the Houston Chronicle...This section in the middle caught my mind's eye and reminded me of my year living with my Grandparents back in the early 70's. When sprummer comes to the country, what arrives along with it is a lot of work to…
This is the closest we have been to winter in a month or more. We woke up to the low 40's with light rain...brrr.
Check out this World Hum article on the seven best cities in the world for all you latte-drinkers, java-sippers, and espresso-lovers. Here's the rundown: via Best Cities for Coffee Drinkers? - Slashfood.
When I read this yesterday I wasn't surprised. Gov. Rick Perry today told the federal government that Texas doesn’t want $555 million to expand benefits for the unemployed in exchange for widening the program to include part-time workers. The Legislature can decide to accept the money, but Perry said the…
As the sunlight begins to show the scene outside my kitchen door, the spring weeds wildflowers look like misty ponds scattered over my back yard. Mounds and mounds of purple vetch (Vicia americana) with their millions of tiny purple flowers on multiple green stems seem to rise mistily from the…
Daily through the screen door, the Pileated Woodpecker that we see occasionally, can be heard greeting the day in the woods along the bayou. # Powered by Twitter Tools.
Ten days into March and the weather feels more like late spring or early summer from my childhood. This week we have seen 80's over and over again. So far the March winds (which began blowing in November) have kept the house reasonably comfortable. I don't like to think about…
In the meantime, says Gilding, take notes: “When we look back, 2008 will be a momentous year in human history. Our children and grandchildren will ask us, ‘What was it like? What were you doing when it started to fall apart? What did you think? What did you do?’ ”…
@BlueRidgeblog I bought , read , and wore out these books back in the '70's dreaming myself back to the land. Bought new copies last year. in reply to BlueRidgeblog # Spring returned. Summer is coming, too. Yesterday hit the low 70's, the prediction for today is the upper 70's.…
Reading the news this morning, I saw this short spot: Marion Nestle went to see Food, Inc and she gives it two thumbs up. I've only seen clips and heard a talk by the director and stars Eric Schlosser and Michael Pollan about the making of the movie. It's going…
Parched winter months this year have put California agriculture into a tailspin. With a third dry year in a row, the state has been forced to deeply examine its strategies for coping with dry times. Many worry this drought is a harbinger of the long-term impacts of climate change, a…
Dear Kitchen Gardener, Whats a home garden worth? With the global economy spiraling downward and Mother Nature preparing to reach upward, its a good question to ask and a good time to ask it. There isnt one right answer, of course, but Ill give you mine: $2149.15. Last year, my…
We love Mark Bittman for his sensible approach to cooking and eating. The name of his column in in the New York Times,Scryve Corporate Social Responsibility Rating The Minimalist, says it all. In a recent web interview, Bittman expounds on ecological eating and his philosophy on cooking. Check out the…
Today is Texas Independence Day, when a group of men met in a tiny unfinished wooden building in the small town of Washington-On-The-Brazos to take the daring step of announcing to the world that they were creating a new nation. via Writer finds record of Texas' birth 173 years ago…
The garden for recovery movement keeps gaining ground...Roger Doiron has an op-ed out this weekend... In Jerzy Kosinski's novel and award-winning screenplay, "Being There," the U.S. president turns to a plain-spoken gardener named Chance for wisdom at a time of economic crisis. The insight Chance offers is as simple as…
It seems that every where you go online these days you read the same thing...At least from anyone of a certain age...People are thinking and planning to garden their way through the crisis. Leon Hale posted his plans on his blog today... The news keeps being bad, and we haven't…
Winds blow. Lakes of blue sky scud overhead in the pale gray bowl of sky. Leaves, nan-falling since autumn, fly by like sailboats in a race. # Overcast (mostly) and the temperature is at 80 and it's still rising...Thank god it is breezy, otherwise I'd be turning the AC switch…
Last evening as I sat with grandson in arms gooing and oogleing, my wife made the comment that it was going to get cold again this weekend. Now my wife thinks cold on the weekends is a personal affront to her happy enjoyment of her non-income producing time. Keeping in…
