tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72217653996201969742012-02-17T19:26:36.129-08:00Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.comBlogger4451100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-91933907400373565002012-02-13T23:08:00.000-08:002012-02-17T19:26:36.238-08:00

This is getting a little out of hand, but I think I'm starting to make progress towards reading more than I'm buying...I think. Song of the Crow The Northwest Coast Beekeeping Fateful Harvest The Monkey Wrench Gang Family Matters Mountain in the Clouds The Contrary Farmer The One Straw Revolution Fast Food Nation The Family Cow This Common Ground Wild Foresting Understanding Owls North American

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-14338116335759974522012-02-13T19:52:00.000-08:002012-02-13T19:52:34.857-08:00

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-9765359953294101222012-01-30T23:09:00.000-08:002012-01-30T23:09:00.156-08:00

One Wing's Gift: Rescuing Alaska's Wild Birds - by Joan Harris: This is a brief book that I originally came across in Anchorage while visiting, and more recently for a good price at a used bookstore. It contains gorgeous artwork done by the author of some of the birds in the care of a rehab center in Anchorage, AK along with the stories of those birds, a beautiful book throughout. Beautiful

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-928158464600370262012-01-22T00:35:00.000-08:002012-01-22T00:35:50.769-08:00

These are the two newest members of our flock, Gandalf (sitting) and Gwendolyn. They are a roughly 10 month old pair of American Buff geese that we have had the privilege of owning for one week now. American Buffs are listed as Critical by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy, which means that there are fewer than 500 breeding birds in the US and 5 or fewer primary breeding flocks. For the

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-17493271191590683152012-01-18T20:47:00.000-08:002012-01-18T20:47:45.588-08:00

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-746492312545149742012-01-17T18:15:00.000-08:002012-01-17T18:22:17.400-08:00

Perhaps it's mostly because I grew up in western Washington, where winter snow is a rarity, but when it finally does snow I couldn't be more excited. When I was little my parents would wake my brother and I up if it started to snow in the middle of the night and we'd all bundle up and go outside to spend some time sledding down the driveway before coming in for cocoa and to warm up in front of

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-55508378083539421242012-01-17T14:55:00.000-08:002012-01-17T14:55:20.464-08:00

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-28001354993867748422012-01-16T16:30:00.000-08:002012-01-18T20:55:58.747-08:00

One of the reasons I love having animals, not just pets but also livestock, is that it's just so darn entertaining. The poultry that we have can be far more entertaining than the television, and even doing their routine care in inclement weather they still find ways to make you smile when you least expect it. A few examples... Last week my parents came to visit so that my dad could replace a

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-67580218726642626912012-01-09T17:53:00.000-08:002012-01-09T17:53:54.462-08:00

So my goal upon joining shelfari was to read 100 books in 2011, and I achieved that goal. And while that's great, and I'm excited to be able to say that I read 100 books in one year, I don't think I'll be trying it again this year. It's quite a feat to read 100 books in a year, it averages out to one book every 3.5 days, which is slightly nuts. The reason that I chose 100 books was because at the

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-30018204661056342922012-01-01T20:43:00.000-08:002012-01-01T20:43:46.731-08:00

Barnheart - by Jenna Woginrich: This book tugged at my heartstrings because it's exactly what I want to do. I want a homestead, and reading about someone else trying to get her farmstead established and legitimate just made me ache. A beautiful little memoir, this book. It begins with her move to Vermont from Idaho where she had a years worth of experience with a garden and some small livestock

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-85299485748875976732011-12-31T10:18:00.000-08:002011-12-31T10:18:00.825-08:00

Hmm, lets recap 2011 shall we? I started last year in a hopeful mood, I was still working at Haggen, but I hoped that I would be doing an internship over the summer and then attending Grad school in the fall. I was getting ready to take the GRE, and putting my application for school together. I was still elated about having some spending money since I had a job, and was buying books like crazy

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-47444232464861180972011-12-28T02:10:00.000-08:002011-12-30T19:02:01.335-08:00

I had a reasonably good Christmas this year, I did enjoy myself and the family despite being rather stressed out from work and a tight schedule. I didn't get enough sleep the whole week, which contributed to a rather grouchy disposition at times, and I was rather relieved by the time we headed home. Our gifts seemed to go over well for the most part, with only one book that ended up being a

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-78478732222167531652011-12-21T20:14:00.000-08:002011-12-21T20:14:56.329-08:00

Our fledgling, rental homestead is still crawling along, our little rooster Robin found his voice this week, and has begun crowing at odd intervals. The ducks are now 11.5 weeks old, fully grown, and doing very well. They are all slowly molting into their adult feathers, which means Eugene is getting some more color. He has lovely chestnut coloring coming in on his breast, and more green on his

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-83274052966804058592011-12-21T19:33:00.000-08:002011-12-21T20:16:09.452-08:00

Last night I finished another book about farming. I stumbled across this book at work and I'm just going to quote the 'introduction' so that you understand why I love this book so much. How to Tell if You're Infected Certain people, myself included, are afflicted by a condition that's difficult to describe. It's not recognized by physicians or psychoanalysts (yet), but it's really only a matter

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-12989902815931845432011-12-16T10:23:00.000-08:002012-02-13T23:05:40.214-08:00

Well I didn't manage to completely ward off book purchases before Christmas...but is anyone really all that surprised? I didn't think so. Making serious progress on my goal of 100 books read in 2011, I'm at 96/100 at the moment and closing. Just need to keep it up for these last weeks of December. It's hard to decide what to read just now, I'm down to mostly technical and complicated books which

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-51840462835578517712011-12-16T03:29:00.000-08:002011-12-16T03:36:01.092-08:00

Sheep: Small-Scale Sheep Keeping for Pleasure and Profit - by Sue Weaver: This is a book in the hobby farming series published by Hobby Farm magazine, an introductory book to the keeping of sheep. It introduces the big issues, what sheep are good for, basic breeds and selection, care and keeping of, breeding basics, feeding, and health issues. These books are not meant to be all-inclusive but to

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-31288338217858515822011-12-16T02:43:00.000-08:002011-12-16T02:43:20.740-08:00

Reed and I, through our discussions and readings, have decided that we really want to try and add another type of animal to our homestead next summer, and have been mulling over the possibilities. We already plan on getting more hens, but the next animals will be either: meat rabbits, meat chickens, turkey, geese, or sheep. While the poultry are probably more of a distinct possibility (one or a

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-32432333132619002162011-12-06T22:31:00.000-08:002011-12-06T22:31:12.539-08:00

...are a fabulous idea, these things are more efficient than your traditional wood stove, and otherwise just a great way of heating. Check out the great overview by Paul Wheaton here.

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-27623443353622414042011-12-06T01:59:00.000-08:002011-12-06T01:59:38.550-08:00

There are a dozen or more projects on my immediate to-do list, none of them which I seem to have the motivation to complete. Finish that sweater that I started freshman year of college. Finish a scarf that I'm working on, beautiful dyed cotton in a simple rib pattern. Read the rest of my goal books, 92/100. A couple of hopefully Christmas-gift scarves. A duvet cover for my old down comforter.

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-55380048991192459792011-12-06T01:06:00.000-08:002011-12-06T01:06:44.136-08:00

Found this list via Chelsea Green Publishing, from the folks at Permaculture Media Blog! 100 Best Permaculture and Homestead Books

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-43260334418037309412011-11-26T23:24:00.000-08:002011-11-26T23:24:56.998-08:00

Squeeeee! Got my first seed catalog in the mail today, from The Cook's Garden! Now I'm drooling over Alfresco Salad Mix, Moulin Rouge Sunflowers, Sun Gold Tomatoes, Micro Greens, Atomic Red Carrots, Ruby Queen Sweet Corn, Cascadia Peas, Portabella Mushroom kit, Pistou Basil, Giant King Lupines, and so much more! Can't wait for spring and we haven't even gotten a good snow yet.

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-37186064964583891152011-11-22T00:57:00.000-08:002011-11-22T00:59:24.052-08:00

Your Money or Your Life - by Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez  Five Acres and Independence - by M. G. Kains Mortgage Free - by Rob Roy You Can Farm - by Joel Salatin Making Your Small Farm Profitable - by Ron Macher Life in the Soil - by James B. Nardi Chicken Tractor - by Andy Lee Ecoforestry - by Alan Drengson and Duncan Taylor Bioshelter Market Garden - by Darrell Frey Sharing the Harvest - by

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-26098075586659405742011-11-21T22:36:00.000-08:002011-11-21T22:36:56.256-08:00

I would not be blogging about wishing I could farm. I would be blogging about my farm. I would have a cozy straw-bale home with a rocket mass heater and a cast-iron cook stove, toasty and warm from the wood that we chopped and cured out of our woodlot. The cat would be sprawled out on the heated bench from the rocket mass heater instead of tightly balled in her basket to keep warm. She would be

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-69196886971445556672011-11-21T22:26:00.000-08:002011-11-21T22:26:38.033-08:00

Drat my overactive brain. Although I was excited at the prospect of graduate school (and still am) and happy to be accepted for post-bacc classes as a half-way step, I'm not so sure I'm going to follow through with it anymore. Some soul-searching and thinking and discussion have revealed that although I would very much enjoy going back to school and furthering my education I don't think it's the

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-10508406595488312242011-11-21T22:04:00.000-08:002011-11-21T22:04:22.681-08:00

The four not-so-little ducklings are now out in their coop (and have been since the 12th of November.) They are doing very well. Although we were initially worried about their ability to adjust to the cooler temperatures going from inside the house to outside they have done admirably and spend most of the chilly nights sleeping outside even with access to a deep straw bed and a heat lamp. They

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-28744530700229862332011-11-17T15:00:00.000-08:002011-11-17T15:00:08.163-08:00

A Holistic Guide to Embracing Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Motherhood - by Karen N. Salt: Just doing my homework, thinking about starting a family in the next few years. I found this book candid and positive, although I can't entirely evaluate it's helpfulness until I experience it. The Wisdom of the Radish - by Lynda Hopkins: I absolutely loved this book, it chronicles some of the challenges

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-79684904237446990822011-11-14T20:40:00.000-08:002011-11-14T20:40:13.962-08:00

Choices, decisions.... How I resent that those generations before me have let the world devolve to this. I try for hope, try for optimism, it's easier in the light of day, the promised warmth of spring, the heady heat of summer, even the cooling bounty of autumn. It's harder in the dreary damp of winter, the thin cold sunlight of winter.  What do I want out of life? Why is that such a hard

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-76633448382404642872011-11-11T23:17:00.001-08:002011-11-11T23:17:57.551-08:00

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-14496805483213777002011-11-08T01:42:00.000-08:002011-11-08T02:26:26.935-08:00

 The ducklets are now 5 weeks old, and are still changing rapidly. (pictures taken between 4 and 5 weeks) They are feathering out nicely, with most of their belly feathers in, and pinfeathering on their rumps and faces. Their wings have finally started to catch up with the rest of their body, although it's hard to tell unless they stretch or flap them since their side feathers are now big enough

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-15775923170909361582011-11-08T01:28:00.000-08:002011-11-08T02:11:52.818-08:00

Introduction to Permaculture - by Bill Mollison: This is a great book for ideas and concepts that are the core of permaculture design. If you are curious about permaculture, especially for larger acreage, this is a great book to look into for inspiration and direction. Although this book does have lots of suggestions it is not a D.I.Y. book, it doesn't include step-by-step instructions for

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-51297907133282811252011-10-24T01:01:00.000-07:002011-10-24T01:01:25.651-07:00

So a few exciting things have happened this week, Reed has been bitten by the blacksmithing bug again and has been researching materials and costs of building a home-scale forge. Of the many plans he's found the most workable seem to be those for a small gas forge made out of an empty propane tank. To those ends he's compiled a list of materials that he needs to put this project into motion and

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-61286421316024255212011-10-23T18:43:00.000-07:002011-10-24T00:28:43.638-07:00

The little ducklets are still growing at the speed of light. They are HUGE now, and you can no longer fit them all in two hands, only one duck at a time and they require two hands because they are so wiggly. They stand taller than their water dish! This week they all of sudden grew their second layer of down, which is much darker than what they have over top. The new layer of fluff makes them

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-4562388185920444202011-10-19T10:00:00.000-07:002011-10-24T00:36:07.930-07:00

These three are growing up as well, though not so fast as the ducklings. Autumn and Sir Robin are developing very nice crests, I don't think Beauty will have quite such a nice showing. However, her muffs and beard promise to be lush, while autumn will probably be lacking somewhat in that department. Robin is about twice the size of the girls and starting to develop his comb and wattles, and

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-44069013766196153342011-10-19T02:27:00.000-07:002011-10-19T02:27:09.112-07:00

The ducklings are now 2 weeks old and are growing so fast! They are already about 4 times the size they were when we took them out of the box, I don't think they'd fit inside it if we still had the box! They have long since graduated from their original brooder tub, which is a relief to our noses. The tub was a little too small to put a catch basin under their waterer and so they made a soggy

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-34732248099935557582011-10-10T02:56:00.000-07:002011-10-10T02:56:20.122-07:00

Our ducklings are one week old today. It's crazy how much they've grown in just that span. They are already noticeably larger, hold themselves more duck-like, have vastly improved reflexes and balance, and are much more aware of their surroundings. They chow down on their feed like little piglets, and are growing exponentially messier. Their little one-quart waterer was re-filled once every 12

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-70793843061415893782011-10-08T19:46:00.000-07:002011-10-08T19:46:43.141-07:00

The Ducklings had their first bath yesterday, in a shallow pie pan. They were extremely excited to see so much water and immediately dove in. It was adorable when we used the watering can to add some more water and they all ran over to investigate and play in the moving water. These little fluff balls are so much fun and so cute and so messy!

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-71653598431098138682011-10-06T19:41:00.000-07:002011-10-06T19:41:57.740-07:00

How Fast Can a Falcon Dive - by Peter Capainolo and Carol Butler: An excellent book for raptor enthusiasts although while I was reading through it I found that there weren't too many surprises. Q&A format with great answers to all the most common questions about raptors. I think we could use this book at the raptor center as the training guide to tours and fairs. Folks, This Ain't Normal - by

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-43695844252663070982011-10-06T19:05:00.000-07:002011-10-06T20:12:47.715-07:00

The fuzz balls are now 5 weeks old and growing fast, they look so different from their last set of pictures. They have long since graduated to the hen house where they have all the amenities. Fresh water, chow, a heat bulb, and litter to scratch in. We usually take them outside at least once a day, allowing them to wander around the coop or yard and scratch for bugs. They also gobble up the

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-44707036654098436652011-10-06T18:51:00.000-07:002011-12-16T03:45:09.116-08:00

Here we go again, this should be the last update before Christmas as I will hopefully be holding out on purchasing new books until after the holidays (unless an outstanding book comes along on the used book cart...I get them at such a good price that they're impossible to pass up.) Song of the Crow The Northwest Coast Beekeeping Fateful Harvest The Monkey Wrench Gang Family Matters Mountain in

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-82228732285601050962011-10-06T00:28:00.000-07:002011-10-06T00:28:43.497-07:00

So while reading Joel Salatin's new book "Folks this Ain't Normal" I came again across his opinions on forestry management. These were also mentioned in the other book that I've read by him "Everything I want to do is Illegal." Now in general I really like Salatin's work, I think what he's doing farming-wise is extremely important and enlightened and I agree with a lot of his sentiments. Not

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-85248924890096813192011-10-05T09:03:00.000-07:002011-10-05T09:03:19.482-07:00

Our ducklings are here, the five welsh harlequin ducklings arrived this morning from California! More later, but they're uber cute!   

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-20135476757813179842011-10-02T18:22:00.000-07:002011-10-02T18:22:35.085-07:00

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-65234212904299280332011-09-22T21:35:00.000-07:002011-09-22T21:35:21.045-07:00

Just a random look at things that I want to be doing right now: Reading about 3 different books. Studying for my bird course. Getting more achievements in WoW. Farming in HarvestMoon. Playing the SIMS3. Planning out an internship program for the raptor center. Knitting. Watching the chicks, and socializing them. Planning next year's gardens. Baking bread, cookies, and other goodies. Making a new

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-43903014001826677722011-09-22T02:14:00.000-07:002011-09-22T02:14:23.425-07:00

Wow, I was just perusing the recent articles and realized that I hadn't posted anything about the duck house and chicken coop that have been under construction. It's one of the hazards of social media these days, there are so many ways to share things that it becomes difficult to remember where you have shared a particular piece of information. Here is a series of pictures showing the various

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-79955864993097399482011-09-20T20:54:00.000-07:002011-09-20T20:54:56.962-07:00

The silkies are now three weeks old and growing fast. They had their first outdoor time yesterday, corralled in the cold frame which works as a wonderful nursery. I could watch them all day as they cruise around investigating grass, dirt, and fallen leaves. They have started to learn about bugs and how tasty they are, we've been feeding them anything we can find including: sow bugs, worms,

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-27041465836597185542011-09-20T05:58:00.000-07:002011-09-20T05:58:11.333-07:00

Ugh, why is it always so darned difficult to get up and going after those unintended naps? 6 O' clock rolled around today and it was just about impossible to resist the temptation to nap. My housemate was asleep on the couch, the cat was curled up on the bed, event the baby chicks were all quiet and content after their exciting morning being outside. Anywho... Homesteading. It's what I've

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-75689500599821499632011-09-15T16:25:00.000-07:002011-09-15T16:25:29.802-07:00

We have babies!! A trip to the feed store today yielded some baby chicks much earlier than we had thought, and these three little puffballs came home with us. Although we hadn't planned on getting chicks quite this early we had planned on getting chickens eventually and so we're a good ways along towards having the coop ready. Until then they will be living in the same quarters that the ducklings

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-80244004839770367442011-09-15T16:10:00.000-07:002011-09-15T16:10:50.731-07:00

It is really starting to feel like autumn now, the smell isn't quite right yet, but the weather is cooling off from our brief summer, the clouds are moving back in, it's raining more often. I walked down to send some mail today and it just feels like fall. The wind is picking up for the fall storms, leaves are starting to rain down. Even though we had a really late and short summer, it's nice to

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-35653675249548081142011-09-13T23:30:00.000-07:002011-09-13T23:31:27.235-07:00

Ducks: Keeping a small-scale flock - by Cherie Langlois: This is a Hobby Farms book about ducks, a great primer with good pictures all packaged in a relatively small book. It covers all the basics and will certainly get you off on the right start to any duck-keeping venture although it is not exhaustive in its topics. Hawks of North America - by William S. Clark and Brian K. Wheeler: This is

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-39838528678397521532011-09-13T22:15:00.000-07:002011-09-15T16:30:08.738-07:00

Spent the weekend in the town of Cashmere, WA at the Chelan County Fair with the birds, it was overall much better than the Grant fair in terms of turnout, donations, company, and noise level. We were in the same place as last year, which was again fairly annoying in terms of set-up and tear-down because we had to carry everything a considerable distance. However the annoyance was ameliorated (

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-92188480844188434292011-09-05T00:30:00.000-07:002011-09-05T00:30:09.368-07:00

The Dirt Cheap Green Thumb - by Rhonda Massingham Hart: A short book with a lot of intro-to-gardening info with tips on how to do everything cheaply. There are some interesting tidbits throughout and some of the lists look like they could be handy, but it does require some sifting through the chaff. Some of the recommendations run contrary to the advice in The Informed Gardener. The

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-79961221162908407022011-08-31T13:08:00.000-07:002011-08-31T13:08:31.380-07:00

I know, you were hoping for more duck plans and less book babble. Too bad! Last week had some great finds at the local library book sale, books were $1 for the most part and I picked up four books for a grand total of $5 cash. One was an excellent condition of the Peterson guide to Hawks of North America, which yeah, I probably don't need another raptor ID book, but for $2 I couldn't pass it up.

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-35046922662527517462011-08-29T21:59:00.000-07:002011-08-29T21:59:29.089-07:00

Well my final days are incoming at Haggen, tomorrow begins the last week that I will be employed as a seafood sales clerk. I've definitely noticed that it's much harder to motivate myself to get to work having a definite end date in sight. However I am still following through with being punctual and doing my job, not just slacking off and coasting the last few days. Although I technically have

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-7607843595677549342011-08-29T00:33:00.000-07:002011-08-29T00:38:07.090-07:00

So after a lengthy plea to our landlord we have finally gained approval to have our poultry flock! Our planned flock is 4-5 hens and 4-5 ducks, using them primarily for eggs, manure/compost, and pest control in the gardens once they are better established. We have a good place for the coop picked out already, it is up where the coop and surrounding area should get good drainage. It's nested in

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-89341974319697660012011-08-26T23:18:00.000-07:002011-08-26T23:18:52.093-07:00

We managed a little more yard work the other day, although I didn't get to fully participate because of work. However things are really starting to take shape now, check out the pictures.  Laying down cardboard for mulch.  Adding a layer of grass and weed clippings as additional mulch.  A few logs for water retention.  Dirt!  This series of pictures shows the formation of our herb spiral, a

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-75845759679696833502011-08-24T23:19:00.000-07:002011-08-24T23:19:01.754-07:00

 So I don't have any before pictures that show this area at all, but when we moved in the yard was 3 ft tall weeds. This whole rock strip had tall weeds, thistles and Himalayan blackberry. Several hours worth of hand weeding later we had exposed most of the rocks and could see the general lay of the ground. Another few hours spent pulling blackberry roots will hopefully suppress their return. We

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-66620791343397693462011-08-23T09:47:00.000-07:002011-08-23T09:47:52.440-07:00

No pictures yet but yard work has begun. The 'yard' area was very neglected when we moved in (previous tenants didn't do anything but leave out trash for wildlife to get into, and rental management didn't even bother to hire a mower before we moved in despite there being a month's time between occupants.) The only thing that had been done was a little bit of herbicide spraying to try and control

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-74250650533810553232011-08-23T01:48:00.000-07:002011-08-23T01:48:30.213-07:00

Work can be exhausting, generally it's less exhausting, or at least feels like it, when you are doing something you love. This illusion (not to mention my love of the birds) is what keeps me going back to fairs year after year. This year was my 5th year running doing the Grant County Fair in Moses Lake, WA. Of course I was traveling with the raptor center, and as usual there were high points and

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-8682584108693646612011-07-29T17:48:00.000-07:002011-07-29T17:48:45.874-07:00

Well here we are, we've managed to get moved into our new house FINALLY, and we are now starting to get things unpacked and moved around to where we want them. This experience is a bit different because not only is it a house instead of an apartment, with all the attendant pros and cons, but also we are moved in with two of our good, younger friends from the raptor center. We finally got the

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-176313232408639642011-07-15T16:36:00.000-07:002011-07-15T16:36:40.493-07:00

Used bookstores are the best, at least the good ones are. Used bookstores seem to be an exercise in extremes. They are either really really awesome, or really really horrid. It also takes a degree of finesse to properly shop a used bookstore. Most used bookstores, even the really good ones, have a large percentage of their inventory that doesn't move. These are the older books, the worn-out books

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-21881503605149493052011-07-15T16:07:00.000-07:002011-09-20T23:04:34.261-07:00

Ugh, I really need to stop this madness. I can't seem to though I have managed to slow the tide a bit. I had hoped that having almost all of my books packed in preparation for moving that I would be able to focus on getting through a few of the tougher ones and making a small dent in the list. But no, instead I've added a dozen books to the list and keep having to pack more boxes! If you read

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-6826438091745738382011-07-15T07:04:00.000-07:002011-07-15T07:04:04.192-07:00

A beautiful young red-tailed hawk that is currently recuperating in the flight. He was born last spring and should be molting into his red tail this summer. He seems to be flying well and hopefully will be returning to the wild soon.

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-26900455611954889632011-07-14T01:51:00.000-07:002011-07-14T01:51:59.403-07:00

Sky Time in Gray's River - by Robert Michael Pyle: A beautiful reflection on life in the small town of Grays River, and in the pacific northwest in general.This book really makes you think about what makes the pacific northwest so special and reminds you that every day there is something to notice and something to see. I thoroughly enjoyed this book that was part memoir, part seasonal tour, and

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0Bellingham, WA, USA48.7595529 -122.4882248999999848.6940809 -122.55148589999997 48.8250249 -122.42496389999998tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-11594394062769537092011-06-28T21:49:00.000-07:002011-06-28T21:49:41.286-07:00

North American Owls - by Paul Johnsgard: This is a great book for serious bird enthusiasts like myself. It's a bit heavy on the terminology and big on the citations, includes very in-depth species profiles for all the North American Owls including detailed range maps (and showing where the species occurs outside of N. America where applicable.) The first few chapters of the book take a look at

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-67750983100841971012011-06-21T21:55:00.000-07:002011-06-21T21:55:54.484-07:00

A picture of one of the groups of kids I volunteered with this spring as an NSEA intern. This group of 8th graders was doing a service learning project before they graduated the 8th grade. A good bunch of kids, they came with every Friday for a month to plant native trees and shrubs, lay down sheet mulch, and pull invasive weeds.

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-68417560844977194042011-06-21T01:47:00.000-07:002011-06-21T01:47:11.419-07:00

Being as excited as I am to move into a house and have some yard.woods to work with I'm really craving to read all my gardening books at once. I'm slowly delving into Introduction to Permaculture and taking notes while I read. I ordered a few more books related to gardening also. Landscaping with fruit just arrived today, and another titled Vertical Gardening should be here sometime this week.

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-13926911462193684052011-06-15T01:25:00.000-07:002011-06-15T01:25:49.683-07:00

So we are now officially going to be moving into a house next month! Put down the deposit today and signed the lease, just waiting on the exact move-in date depending on how much maintenance the owners decide they want to do on the place before they let us move in. The house itself isn't spectacular, it's a 3 bedroom, 2 bath double-wide prefab. Not the kind of place you want to spend the rest of

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-28043163737281704042011-06-13T23:32:00.000-07:002011-06-13T23:32:31.513-07:00

Took this picture of my husband walking Wanagi out of the trailer. An accidental shot while I was playing with the zoom lens on the camera. A gorgeous shot.

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0Birch Bay, WA, USA48.9053541 -122.7644205000000348.855276599999996 -122.82363650000003 48.9554316 -122.70520450000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-60990519192723841442011-06-13T22:09:00.000-07:002011-06-13T22:11:26.031-07:00

Exercise feels good, and I truly miss the structure of having a daily workout schedule as was imposed on me in high school. It feels good to push your body and to get a little sweaty. Having recognized that I like the feeling, and being inclined to do something about it I exercised briefly today: 15 pushups 120 crunches 10 leg-lifts 15 lunges on each side 10 circuits jogging up the stairs 50

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-67408728953628057682011-06-02T17:50:00.000-07:002011-06-02T17:50:03.898-07:00

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley My rating: 3 of 5 stars A very disturbing look at what human culture could have become if guided primarily by a Freudian rhetoric. The first chapter was especially appalling, describing the child-raising process in detail. From their artificially-induced fertilization via donated gonads to the manipulation of their entire development process in order to produce

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-74574274799343252062011-05-26T02:20:00.000-07:002011-05-26T02:20:30.023-07:00

Although it's really a variation on an old addiction. I have discovered the dangerous world of Goodreads. A website that is rather like Facebook, but for books. I have spent a total of ~5 hours adding and rating books today. I gave up the original book app on facebook (livingsocial) because of it's clunky functioning, user-unfriendliness and it's lack of interaction with facebook since the most

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-72951634080493276202011-05-20T21:08:00.000-07:002011-05-20T21:08:03.429-07:00

So I am super excited because I am now OFFICIALLY enrolled in the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Home Study Course in Bird Biology. Thanks to my amazing parents I got the out-of-print textbook for a birthday gift, allowing me to take the course. The book was the linchpin for the whole idea, because it is necessary for the course, yet out of print and therefore difficult to come by. Before my

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-76528090815886836572011-05-20T16:19:00.000-07:002011-05-20T16:19:54.420-07:00

I'm not sure if anyone ever looks at the link list of other blogs that in the sidebar here, but I just wanted to draw attention to a wonderful and inspirational blog Farmama. Her blog is full of gorgeous pictures and up-to-date happenings on their homestead. The whole thing is greatly inspiring to me, and I hope that someday I can accomplish even a fraction of what she and her family are doing.

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-52169655652445421482011-05-20T01:38:00.000-07:002011-05-20T01:38:41.471-07:00

 Wow, it's been a while since I've posted one of these. The last week of April and the first week of May were holidays in my alternate-universe of World of Warcraft, and that combined with work, trying to volunteer with three different organizations, and also looking for a house that we can move into with some friends has severely cut into my reading time. Unfortunately I've also acquired several

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-37883468494777471402011-05-17T00:53:00.000-07:002011-05-17T00:53:45.927-07:00

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-55620991662972468822011-05-16T23:34:00.000-07:002011-05-16T23:57:23.020-07:00

...or perhaps more than 'slight.' I've loved birds since before I can remember, growing up I lived with most kinds of domestic fowl at one time or another; chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, peacocks, doves and guineas. I was always fascinated by the wild birds that lived in our area, and loved my mother's bird books. I was drawn to the science books in my school and public library, especially the

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-21340967695940748312011-05-10T02:34:00.000-07:002011-05-10T02:34:29.660-07:00

Today has been a very good day. I turned 24 today, and I've been so stressed out lately that I was rather deading my birthday. Mostly because there's a cultural pressure on you to have a 'good' day on your birthday, and with all the stress I've been shouldering that just seemed like an impossible thing. Work was rough over the weekend, and although I don't really have any job-related stress (

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-90925003269796909692011-05-09T21:14:00.000-07:002011-06-21T00:42:01.029-07:00

My reading list, with all the new books added and ones that I've read crossed out...I have a lot of work to do here. Well this is getting a little ridiculous, I breached the 200 mark, although that also counts the hashed ones that I've managed to complete. I think I need to extend my reading hermitage to 2 months to compensate for all these books now. Song of the Crow The Northwest Coast

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-64211750884948670532011-05-05T20:06:00.000-07:002011-05-05T20:06:22.104-07:00

for things like this Q. I live in the woods in northern Minnesota, and in May and June I usually wake up to a Winter Wren singing near my cabin. How does such a tiny bird produce so many sounds so quickly? A. As with other splendid bird songs, our experience of Winter Wrens transcends a mechanical understanding of sound production. In 1884, the Reverend J. H. Langille described his

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-13359742242295648712011-05-04T21:40:00.001-07:002011-05-04T21:40:08.997-07:00

Letter to President Pierce, 1855Chief Seattle Chief Seattle (1786 – 1866) was the leader of the Dewamish and other Pacific Northwest tribes.  The city of Seattle, Washington, bears his name.  In 1854, Chief Seattle reluctantly agreed to sell tribal lands to the United States government and move to the government-established reservations.  The authenticity of the following speech has been

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-64523653852750907822011-05-03T00:20:00.000-07:002011-05-03T00:20:24.519-07:00

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-14265803320251499252011-04-29T02:57:00.000-07:002011-04-29T02:57:23.294-07:00

So, I contacted the environmental science department about my application and found out that my application was generally very strong, and that my recommendation letters were excellent. The only real weak spot was my letter of intent, which wasn't specific enough as to what my goals with the degree were to be. They felt it reflected an unfocused goal (which it did) and so my application was

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-87453624420390081662011-04-27T02:36:00.000-07:002011-04-27T02:36:04.239-07:00

DO NOT GO GENTLE INTO THAT GOOD NIGHT Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rage at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light. Though wise men at their end know dark is right, Because their words had forked no lightning they Do not go gentle into that good night. Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright Their frail deeds might have danced in a

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-46520907672912765382011-04-19T20:12:00.000-07:002011-04-19T20:12:11.522-07:00

So now the question of what to do with myself is once again wide open. I didn't get any of the internships I applied for, and I was today informed that they don't want me in Grad School... Rejection letters suck. SO I now have no clue what to do with myself other than that I really want to find another job because I hate the one I have. Why do we accept that as a 'fact of life'? I could

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-90348784033103291832011-04-17T23:47:00.000-07:002011-04-17T23:47:12.162-07:00

Hopefully (or perhaps not so hopefully) you've heard of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA.) These are the crazies that throw fake blood on people wearing fur and stage many other outrageous publicity stunts trying to bring awareness about animal cruelty to the masses. PETA is devoted to the complete cessation of animal exploitation on all fronts, this includes food,

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-67449948584427724102011-04-17T22:33:00.000-07:002011-04-17T22:33:20.797-07:00

Earth Education - by Steve Van Matre: This was a book that was required for one of my classes a few years back. Environmental Education Curriculum or some such. It was a wonderful class, and although I didn't end up reading this particular book (there were two texts to choose from, pick one and read it) at the time I did hold on to it to look into later. This book takes the idea of Environmental

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-17588579575308632292011-04-06T21:23:00.000-07:002011-04-06T21:23:21.522-07:00

I have spring fever, it's been getting worse these past few days. Trees are budding and blooming, shrubs are leafing out, early flowers are already here and dying...I want to get out somewhere with my key and identify some plants. I also really want to get things planted and get some seeds started. My hoyas have woken up and started putting on new growth, all three of them are putting out flowers

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-53540040722363470682011-04-06T20:56:00.000-07:002011-04-06T20:56:50.733-07:00

So it looks like we're moving again this year. This will be the 5th place we've lived in the past 6 years or so. As always when we start looking for a new place to live we start to think about where we'd like to live ideally and drift back around to our dream home. This conversation has been building and changing a lot over the past few years as we've learned about green and alternative building

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-39045747416233296032011-03-30T20:26:00.000-07:002011-03-30T20:26:55.433-07:00

 Food Rules: An Eater's Manual - by Michael Pollan: A very quick read, this book expands upon the idea put forth in his previous book In Defense of Food. The idea being that the answer to the question "what do I eat?" can be simply answered: eat food, mostly plants, not too much. Food Rules is a collection of loose guidelines that, if followed, will have you eating much better. As it turns out

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-9467505219717191742011-03-29T23:16:00.000-07:002011-03-29T23:16:20.493-07:00

Reading Made From Scratch by Jenna Woginrich, and I came across this passage that really made me a think about why I was so frustrated with my own situation and how to look at it in a more positive light. Don't look at your current situation as a hindrance to living the you want, because living the way you want has nothing to do with how much land you have or how much you can afford to spend on

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-6402645349447073172011-03-28T22:44:00.000-07:002011-03-28T22:44:00.415-07:00

On a more positive note.. We got to release one of our more recent patients, a Bald Eagle known as Wilson. Wilson came to the raptor center on March 5th from the Padilla Bay area where he was cornered by a caring couple that found him while walking their dog, and realized he was unable to fly. After a trip out the raptor center he was examined without conclusive results, he had no broken bones

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-31798490614258375162011-03-25T17:56:00.000-07:002011-03-25T17:57:38.636-07:00

This is getting highly frustrating, all of the things that I really want to do, things that I read about in all these books, are impossible for me right now. I want to grow my own food, great, but only have a few planter boxes to grow things in. I want to raise my own food, eggs, meat, milk, honey...also impossible when I live in an apartment. I want to practice permaculture so that I can feel

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-35507086056882933532011-03-24T17:38:00.000-07:002011-03-24T17:38:42.545-07:00

that is the question, I am facing an interesting conundrum of late. I hate my job, more than just dislike, hate. The reasons I hate my job are multiple, some of them are petty and selfish, others are less so. But it boils down to this: my job is killing my soul. How is that possible? Well I work in retail, food retail. Sometime I think that even if I worked in a different department it would be

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-19895081960327720302011-03-24T17:17:00.000-07:002011-03-24T17:17:02.732-07:00

Animals Make Us Human - by Temple Grandin: A very interesting look into animal welfare and what it takes to make animals 'happy' in captivity. Gradin has worked for 35 years to try and improve conditions for livestock (particularly cattle and hogs) in the large-scale industry, particularly working with slaughterhouses to improve flow of animals and retain quality. This book is divided into

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-2780109511342195942011-03-10T19:25:00.000-08:002011-03-10T19:25:55.011-08:00

"Man wants to see nature and evolution as separate from human activities. There is the natural world, and there is man. But man also belongs to the natural world. If he is a ferocious predator, that too is a part of evolution. If cod and haddock and other species cannot survive because man kills them, something more adaptable will take their place. Nature, the ultimate pragmatist, doggedly

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-65381596477870643772011-03-10T19:20:00.000-08:002011-03-30T20:27:51.903-07:00

 Winter World - by Bernd Heinrich: A book of natural history focusing on the adaptations animals have for coping with winter. Primarily focused on New England species this book follows the story of the Yellow-crowned Kinglet, a bird similar in size to a hummingbird that nonetheless sticks out the northern winters and thrives. Discussed are many mammals, some birds, fish and insects and even the

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-29711632157530096242011-03-04T00:47:00.001-08:002011-03-04T00:47:33.695-08:00

"If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need" ~ Cicero

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-48576287010828873362011-03-02T21:57:00.000-08:002011-05-09T21:12:32.465-07:00

My reading list, with all the new books added and ones that I've read crossed out...I have a lot of work to do here. Song of the Crow The Northwest Coast Beekeeping Fateful Harvest The Monkey Wrench Gang Family Matters Mountain in the Clouds The Contrary Farmer The One Straw Revolution Fast Food Nation The Family Cow This Common Ground Wild Foresting Understanding Owls North American Owls

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-7382690499575762372011-02-25T23:53:00.000-08:002011-02-25T23:53:48.271-08:00

So, if you remember this post I was thinking about all the projects that I still wanted to do. That was before Halloween. I gave up on the costume, I did not have enough time to plan it all out the way I wanted it. I did get around to making up that dream-catcher, and it's off to it's new home by now. Most of the other projects haven't been touched, the sweater is still in my basket in the closet

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221765399620196974.post-28344971917735616122011-02-25T02:40:00.000-08:002011-02-25T02:40:45.046-08:00

The Complete Book of Butchering, Smoking, Curing and Sausage Making: How to Harvest your Livestock and Wild Game - by Philip Hasheider: This is a more recent book out to fill that void of traditional knowledge that most westerners have lost since all the livestock were relocated to CAFOs. The big pull for me in this book was the photography. A similar book that I already owned (Basic Butchering)

Fernleafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831412733255750538noreply@blogger.com0