Too much reality? It does tend to be a bit grim at times.
Reality is deeply troubling whenever we focus exclusively on the
problems we face. I find comfort in Christian faith that motivates a
strong desire to make a positive difference in the world around me.
We can discuss problems all day long, but doing nothing about
remediating the difficulties we face serves no purpose. I have long
appreciated the informational conduit this forum represents, and this
is one of the reasons why I've been a subscriber for so long. (I
don't even remember when I signed up. Aside from my "house building
hiatus", I've been here for quite some time.)
It's widely used in traditional medicine. Also, it says here, "Romans
always used horsetail to clean their pots and pans, not just to make
them clean but also, thanks to the silica, to make them nonstick. In the
Middle Ages it was used as an abrasive by cabinetmakers, to clean
pewter, brass, and copper, and for scouring wood containers and milk
pans... This herb has been associated with various goblins, toads and
snakes, and the devil."
I guess you'll agree with the devil bit. :-)
Hmm. I think oplopanax horridus might qualify. I fell into one of
those a couple of years ago, and dug tiny slivers from my flesh for
days! (I've thought of planting some along the border of our property
to discourage dogs from using our lot as a toilet, but I don't think
my neighbors would appreciate that. . . Besides, it's a shade
tolerant plant, and our property borders are quite exposed.)
Equisetum arvense may be a nuisance, but I can see that its deep root
structure is helping to break up the thick, clay soil base beneath the
surface. Sometimes I think I should just let it run wild and let
nature take its course. However, I DO live in a subdivision and
property values remain a concern to the people who live around me.
The trouble is they so often mix up topsoil with subsoil. Of course they
shouldn't remove it at all. Wantonly destroying topsoil has to be a
mortal sin, IMO.
People really don't understand what they're doing with their mindless
digging! Next time we build a house, I will carefully scrape the
topsoil from any place that needs excavating, and STORE it on the
property for redistribution when the building is done. I learned a
lot about what NOT to do when putting a house together, despite what I
thought was careful pre-planning.
Key to just about everything. You can build it from nothing - what you
start with is just the raw material, you can turn any soil into rich
topsoil, even a heavy clay subsoil when all the topsoil's gone.
Yes, but it takes time and effort. We North Americans have a fetish
for instant gratification that goes beyond our penchant for debt. The
local developer put a great deal of pressure on us to get our
landscaping done after we'd finished our house. He was in a hurry to
sell the rest of the lots in our subdivision and didn't want our
"unsightly yard" detracting from his sales.
Not surprisingly, he's lost all concern now that the lots are sold
and being built upon. The contractors don't bother cleaning up
anymore, our street is cluttered with construction debris, and the
quality of building that we were so admonished to uphold has
deteriorated significantly over the past year. I actually feel sorry
for the people who will be investing in those houses and moving into
the neighborhood.
How about Dexters? Nobody takes them seriously because they're so small,
they're regarded as pets, but they're excellent cattle.
http://journeytoforever.org/farm_animal.html
Farming with animals
Ha! I live on a 300 square meter lot, at least a third of which is
occupied by the footprint of our house. Even Dexters require half an
acre of pasture per head. I don't have room, Keith!
I wouldn't have anything to do with goats, soil destroyers, and horses
on their own are not good for pastures.
My father in law likes goats. We have a running joke in the family
about setting up a goat herd that my saintly mother in law doesn't
find very amusing. . .
Have a look at this Robert:
Ley Farming
http://journeytoforever.org/farm_library.html#ley
I have been there many times. It's an excellent resource for
everyone who reads this forum.
:-) It's not that kind of hemp, nothing to do with cannabis, and it
doesn't look like cannabis.
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/proceedings1996/v3-389.html
Crotalaria juncea: A Potential Multi-Purpose Fiber Crop
It's a legume and fixes a helluva lot of N. Nice plant. Weed, you know.
LOL!
When I was in college, I built a fluidyne engine as a water pump for
an ecology demonstration project. The local authorities were
"invited" to examine my "still" more than once before they were
convinced that what I was building was really innocuous. Neighbors
are funny that way.
Do you remember the old James Thurber story called "The Very Proper
Gander"?
We got out the old Yanmar rotavator (two-wheeled tractor) to work the
subsoiled field, after Midori (helped by the chickens) covered it with a
couple of inches of compost, and quite a lot of wood ash.
I generally use a pick axe, a shovel and a lot of sweat around here.
It's about the only exercise I get, so I won't complain too loudly.
>You have to be careful with wood ash and clay, it can help to
compact the clay, but
this will be fine with the compost, and it needs the calcium and
potassium.
This was my experience with flower beds when we lived in Aldergrove.
I drove by the "old house" several weeks ago, and it's a shame how
badly things have degraded since we left there.
So Midori's rotavating the field now. She's used these
old machines before, but had to get used to it again - hilarious when it
tipped up on its nose on that rough ground and left little Midori
dangling in the air from the grips!
That would have been a priceless picture!
robert luis rabello
"The Edge of Justice"
Adventure for Your Mind
http://www.authorhouse.com/BookStore/ItemDetail.aspx?bookid=9782>
Ranger Supercharger Project Page
http://www.members.shaw.ca/rabello/
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