Well, it's certainly been awhile, hasn't it? What can I say? It's high summer here in Vermont, and while we only have 1/3 acre of land, keeping it tilled and producing, takes up much of our spare time. If the sun's shining, we are outside! Of course, it's been pretty hit and miss, so even when it isn't, if something pressing like a chicken coop needs doing, then we do it anyway. We don't much like it, but we do it.
Which brings me to the providence piece of my little dispatch. Well, actually, several acts of providence really, but where to start?
I guess by saying how blessed we are. Sometimes, especially when it's been raining for several days straight, I can get in the blackest of moods and completely forget the good things in life.
I was just reminded the other night how much the Goddess does shine her light on us; when the Mulberry Tree in the backyard (which, due to its size, was only serving as food for squirrels, and providing unwanted shade), blew down in a wind. Luckily, we had decided to go to the library that evening and weren't out tinkering in the yard. And wonder of wonders, it completely missed everything important, in its fall to the ground. Really, it's sort of a miracle, and the first time in my life that I've ever seen something like this happen. After all, we have a very narrow lot, and I have lots of structures and wards and chickens and food plots, and well...........you name it. It did sort of bust off a branch from the best looking young pear tree and beat up the blueberry and day lilly patch pretty good, but that was only because we had to walk amongst them to get at the parts and pieces, for removal purposes. I also bandaged up the pear tree, and I guess we'll just pray for the best on that. Here's some photos of the incident.
As you can see from this photo, the limb just missed the arbor, the gazing ball, and the chicken coop!
This is my young little pear tree, (to the left), with my blue tape patch job. And Rich, finishing up the sawing job that I started yesterday, when I got all the small stuff off the top and stacked.
This is the view from the top of the yard, where it broke from the main section. It must have hit the birch tree which helped to soften the impact. (The birch is about in the very center of our lot, you can see the the white bucket in front of it.) So, yea, I'm real glad nobody was in the yard and I hope it didn't frighten the chicks too much. (Good thing they aren't laying, yet). The funny thing about this tree is that it was one I had slated to have the tree-guy cut, but was very worried that it was impossible to do, without losing all my precious structures and wards, and was thinking I would have to wait at least until winter. Well, I guess my hopes and prayers were more powerful then I'd thought. It's a good reminder, that sometimes, if we just put the intention out there, then get the heck out of the way, the Goddess, she WILL provide.
Well, so, the second piece of good luck this week, was that while I was strawberry picking with a friend, our little dog Fritz decided it would be a good idea to test his little ears and see if they would act as wings, kinda' like Dumbo. Rich didn't know exactly what he saw in the field next door, but he pretty much disappeared off the 14 foot tall deck, and ran after it, whatever it was. Good Grief. I swear he musta' been a cat in another life. Eats like a cat, plays like a cat, and now, he appears to have nine lives, like a cat. Lucky little dog. I am just grateful we don't live right on route 7, on account of when he does idiotic things like this, he's usually retrievable before he hits the main road. I was reminded of this tonight when I came upon a young girl crying up on Court St. on account of her cat just got hit by a car. Poor thing. At least Fritz was able to practice his therapy giving a bit, and I think she felt better after he licked her face a thousand times and climbed in her lap. Another good reminder; this time of the "there but for the grace of god, go I", variety.
The next thing I am grateful for, is the fact that I seem to be finding things that are helping my stomach. Food and diet has always been my passion, even when food seemed to be my enemy, so it's good that I'm finding the right keys to unlock whatever valve was stuck in my intestines. Well, yea, so I made a gallon of Master Cleanse (only with Honey vs. Maple Syrup), my signature Kool-Aid for Aadults, and some Rejuvelac from Quinoa. I also take 2 Nature's Secret Resveratrol Cleanse in the a.m., and 2 Oxy-Powder in the p.m., along with a bevy of supplements mid-day (2 homeopathic remedies, vitamin c, vitamin b, liver support, cranberry, & milk-thistle). Here's my lineup of goodies in the Fridge.
It's funny how things work out, because one of the substances that is supposed to be good for immune system reactions is Resveratrol, (which seems to be the only redeeming chemical characteristic of Japanese Knotweed). Apparently, some plants turn this natural phenol into a phytoalexin, which helps them fight off bacteria and fungus infections. The only human study that's been done, however, has only shown a blood sugar lowering capacity, although animal studies have shown anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer capacity, and cardiovascular benefits. The sure thing is that it is a potent anti-oxidant. This particular mixture (that I am using) has a bunch of other beneficial substances in it, so yay for me.
The only other thing I can think of, that is a beneficial aspect of knotweed, is the fact that the bees absolutely love it and make from it, the most highly rated pollen in the world. That's good, as the neighboors (misspelling intentional), seem intent on letting the stuff grow back into an impenetrable stand. As my friend Patty noted; if you want a shrub type divider, you probably don't want to walk in it much, so the fact that it's impenetrable, doesn't appear to be an issue for them. At least, not for now. When they have to gain access to their well, in order to fix the water problem, before they can rebuild their garage, I suspect their perspective will change quite a lot. Seems like a win-win all-around, for us, anyway. And that's just about all I can say on that.
As for the other side of the property; the neighbors over there (to the south), also had their line surveyed (must be something in the air), only to find out that not only did I have the right to cut the trees I cut, (which they both were quite nasty about), but that part of their fence is on our side of the line.
Pretty darn funny, wouldn't ya' say? I say there ain't nothin' like bein' right once in awhile. :)
Where the heck do these people come from, anyway? I personally believe they are aliens, and we were just unfortunate enough to buy property in between the two sets of martians.
Ah, well, such is life, and good things abound. Even though we will now have access problems, treating the knotweed on the north side of the lot; turns out that we needn't have worried, as we found some landscape fabric that is guaranteed for 15 years, and we will be getting sawdust to cover it with, for free. And since Rich cut a lot of the mulberry tree into slices, and I'll have the guy who will be cutting the two maples do the same, we'll have plenty of litter to build the looping pathway with, and we won't have to ferry any of it in the wheelbarrow, up the 1000% grade! (Okay, maybe that's an exaggeration, but it sure feels like it some days............I can definitely feel one of my legs getting shorter then the other, as time goes on............:)
And one last act of providence (but certainly not the least of them), is that I seemed to have lost a smallish screen for sprouting my own seeds and grains, but upon walking the dog tonight, came upon a box of free stuff with the exact right size one in it (on the lawn of a church, no less). How strange and wonderful, is that?
Here's to providence, passion, and prayer. :)
Rara Avis signing off from the House of Found Goods.
Which brings me to the providence piece of my little dispatch. Well, actually, several acts of providence really, but where to start?
I guess by saying how blessed we are. Sometimes, especially when it's been raining for several days straight, I can get in the blackest of moods and completely forget the good things in life.
I was just reminded the other night how much the Goddess does shine her light on us; when the Mulberry Tree in the backyard (which, due to its size, was only serving as food for squirrels, and providing unwanted shade), blew down in a wind. Luckily, we had decided to go to the library that evening and weren't out tinkering in the yard. And wonder of wonders, it completely missed everything important, in its fall to the ground. Really, it's sort of a miracle, and the first time in my life that I've ever seen something like this happen. After all, we have a very narrow lot, and I have lots of structures and wards and chickens and food plots, and well...........you name it. It did sort of bust off a branch from the best looking young pear tree and beat up the blueberry and day lilly patch pretty good, but that was only because we had to walk amongst them to get at the parts and pieces, for removal purposes. I also bandaged up the pear tree, and I guess we'll just pray for the best on that. Here's some photos of the incident.
As you can see from this photo, the limb just missed the arbor, the gazing ball, and the chicken coop!
This is my young little pear tree, (to the left), with my blue tape patch job. And Rich, finishing up the sawing job that I started yesterday, when I got all the small stuff off the top and stacked.
This is the view from the top of the yard, where it broke from the main section. It must have hit the birch tree which helped to soften the impact. (The birch is about in the very center of our lot, you can see the the white bucket in front of it.) So, yea, I'm real glad nobody was in the yard and I hope it didn't frighten the chicks too much. (Good thing they aren't laying, yet). The funny thing about this tree is that it was one I had slated to have the tree-guy cut, but was very worried that it was impossible to do, without losing all my precious structures and wards, and was thinking I would have to wait at least until winter. Well, I guess my hopes and prayers were more powerful then I'd thought. It's a good reminder, that sometimes, if we just put the intention out there, then get the heck out of the way, the Goddess, she WILL provide.
Well, so, the second piece of good luck this week, was that while I was strawberry picking with a friend, our little dog Fritz decided it would be a good idea to test his little ears and see if they would act as wings, kinda' like Dumbo. Rich didn't know exactly what he saw in the field next door, but he pretty much disappeared off the 14 foot tall deck, and ran after it, whatever it was. Good Grief. I swear he musta' been a cat in another life. Eats like a cat, plays like a cat, and now, he appears to have nine lives, like a cat. Lucky little dog. I am just grateful we don't live right on route 7, on account of when he does idiotic things like this, he's usually retrievable before he hits the main road. I was reminded of this tonight when I came upon a young girl crying up on Court St. on account of her cat just got hit by a car. Poor thing. At least Fritz was able to practice his therapy giving a bit, and I think she felt better after he licked her face a thousand times and climbed in her lap. Another good reminder; this time of the "there but for the grace of god, go I", variety.
The next thing I am grateful for, is the fact that I seem to be finding things that are helping my stomach. Food and diet has always been my passion, even when food seemed to be my enemy, so it's good that I'm finding the right keys to unlock whatever valve was stuck in my intestines. Well, yea, so I made a gallon of Master Cleanse (only with Honey vs. Maple Syrup), my signature Kool-Aid for Aadults, and some Rejuvelac from Quinoa. I also take 2 Nature's Secret Resveratrol Cleanse in the a.m., and 2 Oxy-Powder in the p.m., along with a bevy of supplements mid-day (2 homeopathic remedies, vitamin c, vitamin b, liver support, cranberry, & milk-thistle). Here's my lineup of goodies in the Fridge.
It's funny how things work out, because one of the substances that is supposed to be good for immune system reactions is Resveratrol, (which seems to be the only redeeming chemical characteristic of Japanese Knotweed). Apparently, some plants turn this natural phenol into a phytoalexin, which helps them fight off bacteria and fungus infections. The only human study that's been done, however, has only shown a blood sugar lowering capacity, although animal studies have shown anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer capacity, and cardiovascular benefits. The sure thing is that it is a potent anti-oxidant. This particular mixture (that I am using) has a bunch of other beneficial substances in it, so yay for me.
The only other thing I can think of, that is a beneficial aspect of knotweed, is the fact that the bees absolutely love it and make from it, the most highly rated pollen in the world. That's good, as the neighboors (misspelling intentional), seem intent on letting the stuff grow back into an impenetrable stand. As my friend Patty noted; if you want a shrub type divider, you probably don't want to walk in it much, so the fact that it's impenetrable, doesn't appear to be an issue for them. At least, not for now. When they have to gain access to their well, in order to fix the water problem, before they can rebuild their garage, I suspect their perspective will change quite a lot. Seems like a win-win all-around, for us, anyway. And that's just about all I can say on that.
As for the other side of the property; the neighbors over there (to the south), also had their line surveyed (must be something in the air), only to find out that not only did I have the right to cut the trees I cut, (which they both were quite nasty about), but that part of their fence is on our side of the line.
Pretty darn funny, wouldn't ya' say? I say there ain't nothin' like bein' right once in awhile. :)
Where the heck do these people come from, anyway? I personally believe they are aliens, and we were just unfortunate enough to buy property in between the two sets of martians.
Ah, well, such is life, and good things abound. Even though we will now have access problems, treating the knotweed on the north side of the lot; turns out that we needn't have worried, as we found some landscape fabric that is guaranteed for 15 years, and we will be getting sawdust to cover it with, for free. And since Rich cut a lot of the mulberry tree into slices, and I'll have the guy who will be cutting the two maples do the same, we'll have plenty of litter to build the looping pathway with, and we won't have to ferry any of it in the wheelbarrow, up the 1000% grade! (Okay, maybe that's an exaggeration, but it sure feels like it some days............I can definitely feel one of my legs getting shorter then the other, as time goes on............:)
And one last act of providence (but certainly not the least of them), is that I seemed to have lost a smallish screen for sprouting my own seeds and grains, but upon walking the dog tonight, came upon a box of free stuff with the exact right size one in it (on the lawn of a church, no less). How strange and wonderful, is that?
Here's to providence, passion, and prayer. :)
