gardening (218)

The Best Rat Trap

February 24, 2013 at 7:40 pm

There are certain less-than-glamorous homesteading chores that I am really good at. Shoveling, doing dishes, and trapping rats. Sigh.

   Rats around here are not the loathsome Norwegian variety, but rather wood rats, or pack rats, which look like a big mouse, Kinda cute. In the woods, they build pyramids of twigs 3′ or so high—rat architecture—always in secluded spots, so you have to be bushwacking to come upon them. In semi-rural areas like this they cruise human habitations for easy pickins. One year I trapped over 40.

   For years I used the standard wooden Victor traps and would put peanut better in a little piece of plastic (with punched holes), tied to the trigger with baggie ties. Then I started sheet-metal-screwing a 1/2″ copper pipe cap to the trigger, which I filled with p. butter.

  I went through maybe 4 types of other traps until I discovered these. They have a bait cup so the rat has to tug at it, thereby releasing spring—plenty strong enough to insure fatality.

  I’m writing this after getting one last night that had been eluding me for a week. Outwitted by a rat night after night.

  Method: I washed 3 traps (getting rid of scent), smooshed some bacon in the cups, surrounded by smears of Skippy peanut butter—mwah!

   And whack! Mighty hunter.

https://www.amazon.com/Kness-Mfg-103-0-005-SNAP-E-TRAP/dp/B000M2YS9K/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1361739674&sr=8-15&keywords=rat+trap

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Monday Wrapup

January 28, 2013 at 11:10 pm

I’m two weeks past my shoulder operation, and practically stylin. A little better every day. I don’t get to start therapy for another 3 weeks. Right arm better but still weak. Walked 5 miles yesterday, along beach with mixmaster ocean, water tussled and murky, 20+mph cold winds from north. Walking along thinking how gnarly it was, then realized how great it was to be moving. Every single time in my life I’ve forced myself to get out there and move (run, walk, bike, paddle, skate) I’ve felt immeasurably better. Get out there, stupid!

Around the homestead:

-Olives I’ve had about 15 gallons of small green olives in water, salt and vinegar for about 3 months, and they’re practically ready. Still a hint of bitterness, but plump and flavorful.

 -Sauerkraut Another thing you just set up and nature’s microorganisms do it all. You only add salt to shredded cabbage, maybe a little water. Used our own cabbage, and it’s fermenting away in the 2-gallon Polish crock in the pantry.

 -Chickens W’re getting 12-14 eggs a day from our little beauties. I favor the Golden Seabright eggs because the birds are so beautiful; maybe the beauty may come through a bit in the eggs, who knows?

 -Green smoothies I use the Blendtec blender a lot, make a green smoothie for lunch when I’m busy. Fresh greens from garden, fruit, protein powder…

 -Nightly vegetables Lesley has provided our vegetables from her garden practically every night for months. Broccoli cooked within minutes of picking is so different — sweet.

 -Crabs It’s a lousy crab season. However, son Evan has been catching them with one of those little snare traps off a fishing rod from shore.

Read More …

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Simon’s Thriving Allotment Garden in UK

January 10, 2013 at 2:00 pm

https://simonsallotment.blogspot.co.uk/ 

Simon sent us the link to the planned demolition of a bunch of small homes in the UK (see previous post), and has this wonderful blog of his garden in an allotment patch of land in the UK.

Here is the Wikipedia def. of “allotment.” You see them along train tracks throughout Europe. Weekend gardeners, community gardens, little shacks/sheds…Totally wonderful.

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Art Studio in Scottish Highlands

October 27, 2012 at 2:00 pm

Hello there, greetings from the Highlands of Scotland – I have been meaning to write for the longest time – As an owner of a W.Cooper iron building and an original battered copy of An Illustrated Catalogue Of Goods Manufactured And Supplied By W.Cooper I was deelighted to find a ‘kindred spirit’ who appreciates these simple, beautiful, functional structures. (AND the amazing printed catalogues….)
We also once built and lived in a turf roofed dome, and spent 18 months living in a yurt…but that is another story!
We now live in an old croft house (much more practical…) in the far north of Scotland (Nedd–yes Nedd!)) in Assynt) and run an open art studio from a gypsy caravan. There are some interesting buildings in the Highlands….Many thanks for your books, your inspiration, and for being a totaly decent bloke! kindest reagards, Sara Garnett. www.albaartstudio.wordpress.com.

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Harmony Farm Supply and National Heirloom Expo

September 14, 2012 at 11:57 pm

We had a great day yesterday. North into farmland, to Sebastapol and the Harmony Farm Supply, what a great place. Good tools, good additives, seeds, irrigation, etc. No foul chemical smells. Knowledgeable staff.

   Then to the National Heirloom Expo in Santa Rosa. Unique event. Yesterday was the last of 3 days (Tues-Wed-Thurs). Tons of different heirloom fruits, vegetables, cheeses, on and on… goats, sheep, cows, turkeys and a huge display of bantam chickens. Food booths (and samples) up the kazoo. It’s a very together farming, gardening, food preparation and preservation show. Real food and respect-for-earth concepts and practices have come a long way in the last 25 years — progress. I’m going to this for sure next year, and we’ll probably get a booth and sell building books. Our kinda people.

   Back through Petaluma and Heritage Salvage, huge amount of recycled lumber, including some stunning old barn timbers.

  Got a lot of good pics yesterday, no time to do anything other than this with 3 of them:


This was on back road between Petaluma and Sebastapol.

Real tomatoes

Bantam Silver Spangled Hamburg

raised by Janelle Thope

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Raindrops Keep Fallin On My Bricks

September 10, 2012 at 8:16 pm

Just a few drops last week in our rain-challenged state. I was surprised when I checked my rain figures that we had 24″ last year, but 41″ the year before. I’m hoping we get more rain this year. The early drops of rain like this are heavenly…the smell…the most wonderful example of this is rain in the Baja California desert. When the rain comes, it’s in big quantities. You can almost watch the desert bloom, and it’s ambrosial.

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The National Heirloom Exposition, Santa Rosa, Calif., Sept. 11,12,13

September 7, 2012 at 2:32 pm

“The National Heirloom Exposition is a not-for-profit event centered around the pure food movement, heirloom vegetables, and anti-GMO activism. Our first annual event held mid-September, 2011, in Santa Rosa, California, drew more than 10,000 people from around the country and beyond. With more than 70 speakers and 250 natural food vendors, the event was the largest gathering in pure food history! The Heirloom Expo has gained incredible interest among home growers, farmers, school groups and the general public–so much so that it is being called the “World’s Fair” of the heirloom industry!

We are happy to announce that the dates for next year’s event have already been set for September 11, 12, and 13th, 2012 at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa, California.…” https://www.theheirloomexpo.com/

1350 Bennett Valley Road, Santa Rosa.

Drawing above shows 2 Golden Seabright bantams, the main birds of our current flock.

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