Sustainable SW Blogs

Got rain in the forecast for the weekend so did feed run to Alpine.  UPS dropped off a load of Amazon Prime groceries while I was gone.  My friend Ronald did the driving although he is a double amputee (below the knee).  Between the two of us we have one good leg.  61,72,43,0,C

Me'n'Ben'n'Bud got a good bit of help today.  Old Joe stopped by to muck out the barn.  57,70,42,0,C

TorC is always excited to have a new restaurant open. Ted's ribbon cutting in the Sierra Grande Hotel Restaurant was met with a incredible turnout. Due to some confusion a local paper printed the invite event as a public event. Everything appeared to work out. We all got snacks.

We are pretty excited to have finished making our first batch of beer. The alcohol content came out to 4.3% which is kinda of Utah, but pretty close to the mark.

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Proverbs 13:3He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction.Proverbs 16:32He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.Proverbs 10:19In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.Matthew 23:12And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

Just sitting around thinking about all the things I would like to be doing...and contemplating new adventures.  40,56,29,0,C

Light (1") snow storm last night.  All gone by 11AM.  36,43,31, .2",C

Racked the beer just to clear it up a little. This Hefeweizen is looking good and ready to be bottled. It was a surprise to me how fast and easy it is to brew beer. We have only done wine and mead in the past.

...socks from Finland.  36,45,43,0,B

I have been pretty curious about my new leg hardware.  Planning on getting info from my surgeon next time I see him as to the exact dimensions and brand of my tibial nail.  Trying also to figure out what exactly the hospital charged for it.  Seems I can buy one on Ebay for just over $200.  Hope I can find an exact match for what I got inside my leg bone just to show off.  Found a complete installation kit for $800 in case I want to go into the business...  45,55,47,T,B

UPS Manny, Amazon Prime,and my grab stick.  61,72,31,0,C

Went for a short drive to the mailboxes today to see if I could.  First time behind the wheel in 6 weeks.  My horizons just expanded exponentially.  60,71,30,0,C

2 Corinthians 10:3-53 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

Aired out my booboo for awhile today. Got a little natural vitimin D.  Lovin' the light fiberglass splint.  It is held in place with just a couple of Ace bandages - a bit of a contortion act to wrap and unwrap, but well worth the extra work.  59,68,37,0,B

The remote controls that I installed for my computer and power systems a couple of months ago (because I was lazy) have certainly come in handy.  Keeping a tidy house is the major effort now.  My overnight at the squeaky clean hotel has inspired me to start clearing the decks as part of my physical (and mental) therapy.  47,60,35,0,C

This post is courtesy of giantveggiegardener’s blog:

So now that the Persephone period is over and the magic date of January 15th is upon us, what does that mean? It means our day lengths are getting longer and today, January 15th is when we start getting 10 hours of daylight that will continue to get longer every day. Have you noticed already it now gets dark around 5:30 instead of 5 pm? The darkest time of the year is over. What does that mean to gardeners? To learn how to start cold hardy vegetable seeds super early outside and how also how to start them inside read on.

STARTING COLD HARDY VEGETABLE SEEDS OUTSIDE:
If you want to try growing cold hardy vegetables outdoors at this time of year, you will need a cold frame, low tunnel or hoophouse.

If you already planted cold hardy vegetables late last fall in a cold frame, low tunnel or hoop house, you may have noticed that the little seedlings haven’t been growing much at all as winter set in. Now with longer daylight hours, they will start to grow again and barring any devastating freezes, they will continue to grow and you can get cold hardy crops earlier this spring.

In late winter, before you have harvest your winter crops, decide what you want to plant in your bed once space opens up in your cold frame.  As the end of the Persephone period draws near (January 15) , you can reseed the openings created from your harvesting or you could start planting seeds in your bed if you don’t have anything growing. My soil in my unheated greenhouse is at 40°F right now (as of January 12). Lots of cold hardy vegetables germinate in cold soil.  They will be slow to start at first but they will start as your soil warms up to 40°F and warmer. Now with the day light getting longer, you can think about starting early. The winter sowing you do will be ready for harvest by early spring, often long before the same crop when grown outside without protection. A bonus is many of the cold hardy winter crops don’t like our springs, bolting on the first few warm days so you’ll be able to harvest that spinach before it bolts!

Some cold-hardy plants planted inside a cold frame, low tunnel or hoop house can tolerate a hard freeze at night, provided they are allowed to thaw during the day. The plants must be completely thawed before you harvest them. In addition, put some winter row cover over seedlings at night to give them an additional 4-6°F protection even though they are already in a cold frame, etc.. Remove the row cover on days when it is above freezing. Watering is necessary to get crops started, but they will generally require very little water during the winter season-early spring once established.

STARTING VEGETABLE SEEDS INSIDE:
I’ve already written about starting seeds inside on many previous posts.
To learn all about starting seeds indoors to get a head start go here:
http://giantveggiegardener.com/2012/03/08/starting-seeds-inside/

WINTER HARDY VEGETABLES
The following list of winter vegetables to grow is from ‘The Winter Harvest Handbook’ by Elliot Coleman. This is a great book. These can be planted either as transplants (first started inside under lights) or outside as seeds in cold frames, low tunnels or hoop houses.

Asian greens-Tatsoi, Pak Choi (Mei Quing Choi), Mizuna, Tokyo Bekana,Komatsuna

arugula-Astro, Sylvetta

beets-Red Ace, Merlin, Touchstone Gold

beet leaves-Bull’s Blood, Red Ace

carrot-Napoli, Mokum, Nelson

chard-Fordhook Giant, Ruby Red, Argentata

claytonia

endive-Bianca Riccia

leek-Tadorna

lettuce-Red Saladbowl, Tango, Rex, Rouge d’hiver

 mache-Vit

minutina

mustard green-Toyoko Beau

radishes-Tinto, D’Avignon, Cherriette

scallion-White Spear

sorrel

spinach-Space

turnip-Hakurei

watercress

I love sitting on the floor and snooching up to a big table. Often I work all day around the living coffee table. Pillows are key to floor comfort and best in a variety of shapes or sizes. Some pillows are ideal for getting your bum off the ground, think yoga, a tilted pelvis, long spine, crossed legs - ideally Buddhist style meditation cushion which is firm and at least 6" high. Long overstuffed pillows are great for lifting the knees and thighs off the ground, or for lumbar breaks. Other cushions act as wedges between bone and hard surfaces like table legs. Of course it is critically important that all the pillows fit perfectly under the coffee table. Viola!

My endless need for pillows fits well with my need for a palette cleanser between projects. Today for example... I ran 6 miles, did some web research for a conference call, had the conference call, and the day was young but much of my mental energy had been spent. These are the ideal conditions for sewing pillows! After sewing it is as though someone has shaken an etch-a-sketch in my mind and I am ready to start something new.

The great thing about making your own pillows is the matching that comes out of it. I'm a hack at sewing and my pillows always show flaws, but they match. And they don't just match one another, they match the curtains too. Here's a view of my sitting pit and all the pillows I've made so far. Today's additions are the buddhist style round pillow (the middle fabric is not so round, whoops!) and the couch pillow - a cover that I made from a lovely piece of loomed fabric that I believe is Native American which I got at a yard sale. It now covers a yummy, big, square down pillow. Oh yeah, you gotta have a few down filled pillows. Unlike the rest these always contort to what you need them to do, ideally they're for head resting and best placed on the couch. So there you have it, I think way too much about pillows. Thank goodness!

Had a good visit with the mastermind behind my new leg hardware.  He was pleased with how things looked down there which was reassuring to hear.  (Here is a simulation of a procedure similar to mine.) He even made a new fiberglass splint for me since I hate the boot the last doctor switched me to.  I go back in one month for the next visit...plus an xray...and hopefully a go ahead on some weight bearing.  48,57,33,0,B

Splurged on a hotel room in Alpine for the night to skip a very early rush from TFL through potentially icy conditions tomorrow.  Have a follow up appointment with my surgeon in Odessa.  This will be the first time I have seen him since a few moments before my first surgery.  Booked a handicapped accessible room at the Holiday Inn Express - the newest lodge in town.  It has been over 3 weeks since my last real shower...I think I'm really gonna enjoy this!  36,41,32,0,B