Blissful sun and outside time.
All that pruning and time for chipping. This chipper is a beast and got a pretty good work out this week.
The way back is pruned and piles sorted, something my OCD mind enjoys.
So much needs to dry before it can be chipped.
After seven days of dry weather the lawn mower even fired up, in February!
Not to cut grass but more to mulch leaves for the compost pile and garlic. Nice to see green shoots of garlic breaking through the ground and then unceremoniously covered again. The mulch helps with the wild temperature swings. Last week we hit a high of 65F and next week we are projected to drop to 15F.
A bit of insulation will help (I hope).
This part done and a wee bit of mulching makes me pretty happy;
even though there is so much more to do!
The germination on the seeds has been pretty good! This is the first year I am using
collected rainwater and couple caps of liquid fish emulsion every two weeks.
Now I need to find my fan for a bit of circulation.
The leeks never came up so I will plant a few more and hope for the best! Black seeded simpson lettuce has not germinated well either so time for fresh seed. Fingers crossed.
In the clay world, chemicals are disappearing at an alarming rate! I use quite a bit of kaolin (EPK). When I started 40 years ago the general consensus among the great clay pontificators: "Oh we will never run out of EPK!" It's mined in Edgar, Florida. Well I tried to order it last October and nobody had it, I mean nobody! I have other kaolins I was subbing but I like EPK and don't need to make chemical adjustments. Called my chemical supplier, two and half hours away and they could part with two bags (100 pounds) but only if I had ordered in the past. Phew, I had! I paid over the phone and said I'd be down in the morning. Friday, a day I really should have been in the garden or fishing but I made a chemical run.
I crossed the river and saw people fishing in shirt sleeves. I cried. As the year is advancing I am becoming more and more untethered to all the ceramics and clay. As the mines close and chemicals disappear or become cost prohibitive to purchase I don't think I want to put the work into re-formulating glazes. I've become comfortable with these studios glazes over the years; I know their quirks and firing schedules. The stuff coming out of the ground and the world too is changing and we are exhausting world resources. I'm not sure I want to be party to that anymore. I think I'd rather spend my time regenerating soil, backyard food supplies, pollinators and making a haven for birds. I am ready to divest my chemical hoard of Custer Feldspar (mine closed 2023), Gerstley Borate (mine closed by US Borax in 2000), Nytal talc (mine closed 2012) and host of other bags labeled and stashed in the studio. Do I really need all the raku equipment? I have beautiful Mark Ward burners that could go to a good home and free up space. So much stuff... a talisman sieve used twice and 40 years of accumulation is just too much! Spring cleaning is definitely happening in the studio this year!
Saturday is hunt, gather and food prep day around here. Butch has been tagging along recently and when I got home and unloaded it made me laugh!
My pile.....
His pile.... otherwise known as; How'd that get in the cart?
My list for Saturday food prep.... I don't think I could get much done without lists!
Sunday is bread day and it's already on the rise.
His and hers salads should last until Wednesday.....
it's been a very good week.....
Cheers!
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