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.

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

12.12.12 The Day


Today was crisp but sunny and beautiful. I woke with aching bones and was slow to get around but a cup o' coffee and some warm boots went a long way  :)

It was a laundry day and I was able to get things washed I had been putting off in favor of regular,  more needed things. I had gotten some sheer curtains and sheets for my sister and myself a few weeks ago. I gave her most of them but kept a sheet, pillow case, an old torn coverlet and 3 lace sheers and finally got them washed and hung out today. I'm not certain what I'll do with them yet but they'll all go to some good use.

Over the past few weeks we have lost a couple of friends and have friends who lost friends and family. It's of course sad but it's also felt oddly hard and cold. I can't really explain it. This morning I got word that a longtime and very dear friend ((((((((((( Janie ))))))))))), Jane Cabbot passed away. We knew she had been ill and it was a blessing that she no longer suffers the pain of a physical body. But she is greatly missed.

The last few years it seems like so many people have gone. The loss of Ravi Shankar will be felt through out the cosmos. But he had lived a long life and fed so many souls. Things are as they are and we still here will carry on.

Otherwise, the day was mostly gentle. Filled with regular chores, ham and beans, fuzzy cats and warm horse muzzles.

Then, around midday the mailman honked. He had a box for us from my sister Becca  :)  It was filled with wonderfully good things! Among them was a pack a package of heirloom seeds! or rather, a package of 12 packs of heirlooms  :)  The site of them made my heat race. I never stop thinking of the gardens, in one form or another they are a part of my day every day. A package of special seeds is like icing on a pumpkin muffin  :)  There is ...
Black Beauty  Zucchini
California Wonder Swt Red Bells
Detroit Dark Red Beets
Landreth Stringless Bush Beans  (never heard of these before)
Long Purple Eggplant
Jubilee Golden Tomatoes
Green Arrow Peas (never heard of)
Buttercrunch Lettuce
Early Prolific Straighneck Summer Squash
Viroflay Spinach (never heard of)
Waltham 29 Broccoli
Red Cherry - Cherry Tomatoes

I drool just thinking about them!  and I'm sure they'll taste good too  :)  I don't know what it is about gardening but it nourishes and heals my soul every bit as much as it nourishes and heals my body.

Another cool thing today .... a friend came up with the thought to use his donkey to generate power. He's very into wind and solar and always making new strange things. He brought it up and I wanted to know more so he did a search and found this.

It could be used for any draft or pack animal that is willing and ok with the job. Llamas and pack goats as well as the obvious horses and donkeys.

Everyone here has to work and have at least two uses, that's my general rule for 2 legged, 4 legged or inanimate. Since we took in the horses I've been teaching them to pull and drive. Anya, the mare, has already done some work but Ajax, the colt, is still much to underweight to work at all. I believe he'll be quite the horse some day but for now he's left to heal, grow and experience love.

A horse or any animal willing to work could easily be taught to turn a stile, like grinding grain. Without knowing how to build such a thing from scraps it would probably be quite costly but it's definitely added to my list  :)

The List has always grown quicker than the things getting marked off as done. And here at the cottage it seems even slower much of the time. But it also seems like everything we do here has even more value than it did before. Like each little thing is worth double what it once was. I think that's one of the benefits to having less. It makes the appreciation double  :)

1 comment:

Knittedhome said...

I've grown a couple of those varieties on your list! Including Green Arrow peas -- I want to say they were medium-tall (about 4.5 - 5 feet tall) and very well bearing. Had I kept up with picking every other day, I would probably have gotten more and they continued to bear into July! (non-shaded). Detroit Dark Red Beets were definitely a first for me this year and one of my favorites! (not to mention Detroit, MI is less than an hour from my house) :)

Can't wait to hear how your garden grows!