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.

Saturday, August 2, 2014

8.2.14

Our beloved Star is gone. She crossed the line from discomfort to misery which went swiftly to agony. I am supposed to be a healer but all I could do is end the pain. It was gentle, pain relief followed by the long sleep. I stayed with her until her spirit was released and she became the wind.

The sacred circle turns




 Nik and Star as a pup

I can’t believe it’s August already. The summer has gone so quickly. Our persimmon tree is bent with fruit. We’ve never had such a crop before and I’m looking forward to persimmons this winter.

The dehydrators have been going again for some weeks now. They don’t rest often.  The most recent batches were a pound of carrots shredded, sweet green bell peppers, banana chips and sweet cherries.

I’ve also just started 15 Pekin eggs in the incubator. The Pekins are great ducks, large as small geese, meaty and very good layers. They’re only around 5 months old and laying daily. I wish one of the hens would go broody but things are as they are.

The garden is finally producing regularly although the crops are very meager. A few tomatoes and a pepper or two every few days. Still, I feel rich to have that and, while I may not be able to preserve much of it, we’ll have fresh to eat daily for now.

The main herb garden is going along nicely. It’s been so long in getting back to it. I’m not saving nearly the seed from it that I usually do or would but rather letting it seed where it is so to hopefully double each next year.

The Echinacea didn’t bloom at all this year and hasn’t spread. I moved it to the main herb garden and have gathered more wild seed to plant. I had gotten 2 pounds of organic Echinacea cut herb from Frontier a few years ago and thankfully have 1 1/2 pounds of that left, or else I would be completely out. I sold most of ours last year at market thinking I would have even more this year. But things are as they are and I’m so thankful I have any.

Our milk goat went over a fence to get to me and tore her teat badly. It was so bad that I worried we would lose her as a milk goat but it’s healing well. I‘m treating it with my healing salve and the wound is already half the size it was.

Today I’m working on filling a fairly large order of salves and balms, scraping window frames to paint and redoing the caulking holding said windows in.
Supper, and I can’t wait to eat it : )   will be mini meatloaf, new potatoes and green beans, wild salad and cornbread. Evening tea is peach pie with earl grey.


12:12
1:11
4:44
11:22
12:12


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