Baby Chicks

We were able to pick up our baby chicks from our friend on Saturday. Because it is still quite chilly out, my husband put a remote thermometer in coop so we could monitor temperature. Jokingly, I asked where my remote cam was going to be placed. My daughter and he immediately set about installing one for me. It has been so much fun to turn on the computer whenever I want and see what they are doing. Their antics are so cute at this age and they grow up so fast. I am hoping to share some pictures with you soon.

Tree Pruning

Today, Chuck and I spent the day pruning trees. We are a little behind schedule this year. I try to get it done by the middle of February but the weather and our lives were not cooperative with that schedule. Last night, as I was telling someone what was on the agenda for the day, I heard once again someone tell me that they are "scared" of pruning. Basic pruning is not that hard to learn and is essential to tree health as well as good "looks". Here are some basic tips.

1) First, use good quality, sharp hand pruning sheers. Cuts need to be made at the tree collar (see illustration). Cuts should not be made randomly along a limb. Never prune more than 25% off a tree each year. Do not "top" the tree.

2) Look at the overall shape of the tree. Remove branches that do not fit in with the trees shape.

3) Next, remove any dead branches.

4) Look for branches that touch and/or cross over each other. When branches touch each other or cross each other, it sets up a perfect breeding ground for disease.

5) Cut out "suckers" including branches coming near the tree bottom near the ground and those growing straight up.

The best time for pruning is late winter before the sap starts running and leaves begin to appear. Pruning a tree from little on up, saves a lot of headaches later on.

Sweet Home Spun

My friend, Jo, gave me a spinning wheel over a year ago. I have tried to make it work and do what I say to spin yarn for a while. Finally, I got frustrated enough, I put it back in the bedroom and that is where it has sat. A couple of weeks ago, I was watching the KET show called "Kentucky Life". They did a segment on a fiber place in Henry County named Sweet Home Spun. After the segment, I quickly looked up their website and e-mailed them to ask if they did yarn spinning classes. I received a prompt replay and found their price very reasonable and affordable with our limited budget. We set up an appointment for today.

I brought my spinning wheel with me. The class was one on one and was with the owner JoAnn. She was patient and a great teacher. At the end of two hours, my feet and hands were much more coordinated with each other and I came home with a small skein of usable yarn. It will still take some practice to build up my consistency but I am well on my way.

JoAnn and her husband have their own sheep herd from which her fiber comes. She has processed wool roving that is dyed or natural available in her store to buy. Here is the link to her website: Sweet Home Spun 

El Rancho Tapatio

Last night, our women's group from church sponsored a Ladies Night Out. We went to a local restaurant that someone had read good reviews about. We dined and caught up with each other and enjoyed some delicious, authentic, Mexican food. We ate at El Rancho Tapatio which is located at 144 Burt Road here in Lexington. The food was delicious and I especially liked their salsa which tasted of roasted tomatoes and peppers but was not too spicy. The prices were very reasonable. If you are looking for some great Mexican food, this is a great place to go. Here is a link to their web page which includes a menu and pricing. El Rancho Tapatio Restaurant

Baby Chicks

The new baby chicks are here! The hard part is we are keeping ours at a friends house a couple of days until the weather warms up a bit. We have to keep them outside due to allergies and even with a heat lamp it would be stressful for them. We are hoping to pick them up on Thursday though. In the meantime, we are getting things ready for their arrival. I love baby chicks. They are so cute and fun to watch grow. I can't wait until ours are here so we can watch their antics.

Do-it-Yourself Classes

A friend and I are planning on some do-it-yourself classes that we will offer through our church. We are simply going to gather some people in one of our homes and talk/demonstrate a topic of choice. We are not doing this to make money or to be the expert but to share the skills that have been given or learned by us in order to live a more sustainable life-style. Many of our friends have asked us it we could to teach them how to do many of these topics. Some examples are canning, food preservation, cheese making, wine making, gardening 101, composting and others. We will gather, everyone will bring a simple appetizer to share along with a beverage of choice and we will spend an afternoon or evening learning how to live a more sustainable life style while having a nice social time with some friends.

Have people been asking you to teach them how to do something? Gather a few people, make it a social time and help spread the sustainable lifestyle.

Happy Valentine's Day

Earthworms

This week in the homeschool Biology class I teach we talked about earthworms. Earthworms are a valuable member of our ecosystem and a great garden help. You can always tell healthy soil by how many earthworms you turn over in a shovel scoop. Earthworms can be called nature's little "rototillers". Their feeding habits enrich the soil and their movements aerate the soil. Here is a basic description of how these things work.

Earthworms suck in soil through their pharynx (mouth). After the soil is sucked into the digestive track, it then is stored temporarily in the crop. From their it travels to the gizzard where it is ground up into smaller bits. Next, it goes into the intestinal track where digestive enzymes are added and the organic materials it needs for its nutrition are absorbed into the body. Like our digestive system, waste products then continue through the intestinal system and are excreted out the anus. Yes, worms poop and that is part of our soil make-up. They also have small organs which act like kidneys. They take the waste products from the food being digested and excrete it through the skin (yes, worm pee). This process helps the soil break down matter into a substance that plants can then use for their energy production (photosynthesis or biosynthesis).

By "eating" soil, worms loosen the soil in front of them which makes it easier to dig forward in their movement. It also loosens the soil's particles which allow it to absorb water and oxygen that plants need. Worms don't just tunnel in one layer of the soil. They are always moving up and down between layers. This mixes the nutrient rich soil (where plants and other things are decaying) at the top with the mineral rich soil deeper down. This makes an ideal mixture for plants to continue to thrive. Without earthworms in the ecosystem, soil would no longer be fertile and able to support plant life.

As you can see, earthworms are a valuable member of your healthy lawn, compost, flower beds and garden. Without them, soil fertility soon disappears. They are a very important gardening friend.

World Hunger/Clean Water

A friend of mine shared this video on facebook today. A must see for all. It will make you think.

First World Problems being Read by Third World People

Cold Weather

I have to admit that I enjoy a little cold weather. Kentucky seems to get just the right amount for me. I love the cold and snow but not for months on end. The best part of the cold though is the fact that it kills off the bugs and weed seeds to make the next gardening season a little easier. The past two winters have been unseasonable warm around here. In fact, last winter the season forgot to show up. The downside to this is that the summer bugs have been more abundant because they did not die off during the winter. So enjoy that cold snap, spend some time with your family or doing that task or hobby you seem to never have time for during the growing season.