Wild Moon Cottage is a small working homestead in the pristine Ozark Mountains. We have dairy goats, poultry, organic herb and vegetable gardens, a start of a tiny fruit orchard, several black walnut trees, wild berries and fields of wildcrafting goodness. We raise our own milk, our own eggs, much of our own medicine and food. I do laundry by hand, make my own vinegar, candles, soap, bread, cheese ........ For a living I am an artist and herbalist. My goal for myself and our homestead is to be as self sufficient and self sustaining as possible.

Monday, October 27, 2008

10.27.08 A Cold Morning

It's wonderfully cold out this morning. 37 deg I believe. When I drew back the curtain to check the thermometer on the porch I could smell the woodsmoke from some of the neighbors.

I'm not sure what it is inside but I would guess around 65 deg. We generally don't have a fire until it falls into the 30's during the day. And even then I think we could survive without until it gets much colder. I so love the Burrow and I would love to have an earthbermed greenhouse and barn someday as well. They're so safe and stay cool in summer and warm in winter. We're very blessed to live in the Earth :)

I'm getting ready to start a new book, Into The Forest, about 2 sisters that survive the apocalypse by returning to the forest and living by nature. At least that's what it said in the synopsis.

I'm still reading Door To December (Koontz I think). If we were deeper into winter I would probably enjoy it more but it has to be exceptional for me to really get into it in any other season.

The other main reading I've been doing is on storing vegetables. I've been looking into it for some time because the Burrow is so small. I have way to many things going on to consider building anything yet but I am considering rearranging some things in the house to accommodate a bin or two of potatoes, sweet potatoes and squash.

I didn't get enough spinach planted this year, I was hoping to get plenty to eat fresh and dry. I've got to find an affordable pressure cooker so I'll be bale to can as well. Spinach is such a lovely plant, so rich in many vitamins and calcium. Most people don't realize that you can dry it but it dries well and has so many uses including some medicinal. Just a tablespoon added to soups and stews is a very good thing. You can't really even taste it in such small amounts but it still adds nutrition to the meal.

I may try a small cold box and plant more for this year. I was hoping to have at least some dried for tea but I ended up planting 2 of the 3 rows designated for spinach with a salad mix. It was all so wonderful in fresh salads and on sandwiches that I don't regret it at all.

Next year maybe I'll have room plenty of both. Each year I try to make the vegetable garden a little bigger. I would like to eventually use every growing surface in the yards for food or medicines. We've got several big Oaks and very little land but with imagination, will and careful planning anything is possible.

I was looking at a miniature fruit tree a while back, one that's been grafted to grow 2 or 3 fruits. I kind of don't like the tampering with Gaias children and yet, with such small space it might work perfectly. I remember thinking they were a bit expensive but with costs of everything rising it maybe equal just a few months worth of fruit from the market.

As much as I love and appreciate the Burrow I do so wish we had more land. Just a little more. We have total about 1/4 on an acre. I was told it was 1/6 but I think it's a little bigger. We can actually do a lot with it but I wish we had room for a horse or two and a Dexter milk cow and calf. But, things always have a way of being just as they should be :)

Merry Day everyone!

6 comments:

Peggy said...

I have a stack of books waiting for wintertime. I love to read but never seem to have the time until cold weather. I never knew you could dry spinach. I will have to try it. Have a very merry week!

oldcrow61 said...

I didn't know that you could dry spinach. How interesting! You can grow a great deal of stuff in a small area. I have this book called The Postage Stamp Garden Book. How to grow all the food you can eat in very little space. It's by Duane Newcomb. The problem is that I don't know if you can get it any more as I've had it for years.

oldcrow61 said...

Forgot to say, I've taken some pictures of the greenhouses but am trying to figure how to send them to you. Do you think I could use your Healing House address. Let me know.

Joan@CopperCreeker said...

The first book sounds interesting.
It's gotten colder here too. Can you believe it's the last week of October? WoW next we'll be into the really cold weather season.

Phill said...

Ditto that, my sister! We have only just under 1 acre, but much of it is wet and swampy. I'm already trying to figure out how to get the few goats and chickens I want in there. Plus a raised bed garden. I might need to chat with you about planning for small spaces!

Dana said...

Door to December? I went to the library looking for that book, my hubby suggested it. the library didnt have it.