Half Full

The sunflowers I planted are growing rapidly on the one side of the garden near the pavilion.

Half Empty

On the other hand, for some reason the sunflowers on the opposite side of that garden are not doing well at all. So is the garden half full, or half empty?

Torii

This morning I finished getting the torii gate back in place on the island. This is an enjoyable project which I've done once before here, 8 summers ago.

The gates of torii, meaning

"where the birds reside," are numerous in Japan, most often found at the entranceways to the countless Shinto shrines in that country. Normally they are painted red, but the one here at the LSC is left unpainted.

http://www.jref.com/glossary/torii.shtml

Visitors

A couple of visitors stopped by the LSC yesterday. My father and step-mom, Judy, came for a cookout before continuing on home to Florida.

Simple, Efficient, Cheap

This morning while watering sunflowers and tomato plants I was thinking what an efficient and attractive graywater system is in place here. It's a very simple setup -- an old barrel with a sealed top. There is a hole cut in the top for the spouting end, and a spigot at the bottom of the barrel. Also, a short hose is attached in order to easily water the strawberry plants nearby.

That Luscious Red Fruit

During my early-morning walk around the grounds today, I spotted the first ripe tomatoes. Soon there will be plenty more, which will make a nice addition to the already available red potatoes, zucchini, chard, kale, lettuce, spinach, collards, and garlic.

By the way, it has been found that eating tomatoes with olive oil will enhance the fruit's nutritional value by increasing antioxidant activity: http://www.eat-online.net/english/education/olive_oil/health_benefits.htm

Odd Jobs

As a summer caretaker here, duties include the usual weeding, watering, mowing, weedwacking, etc. But along with those, there are a few duties that stand out as maybe not so usual:

1. Feed the swans each morning and evening.

2. Occasionally put on my goggles and swim underwater in the lake's 20-foot "channel" (that runs between the dock and the raft) to make sure that it is kept free of seaweed.

3. Keep the lake's raft clean (a major drop-off point for geese).

4. Regularly vacuum up termites which live in the adobe walls of the basement, where the solar greenhouse and solar shower are located.

e gustibus non est disputandum

Looking closely at the photo, dozens of small pine trees along the banks of the lake can be seen. When these pines are full-grown, they will significantly shorten the southeasterly view. This is a part of the long-term plan here at the LSC. Personally, I'd keep the long view, but, as the ancient Latin saying goes, "There's no arguing tastes."

New Foods

Yesterday morning I dug up the first of the red potatoes, which went well at dinner with chard and garlic sauteed in olive oil.

This morning the first of the zucchini were cut. I like the small young ones a lot better than the older ones, which can grow to the size of a large club.

A Change in Dynamics

Joann, the new volunteer, is just getting settled in here at the LSC, while Clark left early this morning for a 2-week trip to San Francisco and Alaska.

The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in ...

Yesterday Clark, Joann, and I spent the afternoon clearing out seaweed between the boat dock and the raft. I have done laps along this channel from time to time, but thus far the summer has been a cool one, with the temperatures at night sometimes dropping below 50F.

30 Days

Clark, the LSC head honcho, has just returned after having been gone for one month. I was thinking about some of the things that I did (and didn't do) during that time period as a caretaker here at the Land Stewardship Center, and here's what I came up with (*note -- times are approximate):

working the land -- 120 hours

working on this blog -- 30 hours

doing yoga (kundalini/power/hatha) -- 30 hours

yoga dance -- 10 hours

eating vegan -- about 90 meals

eating meat -- 1 sandwich (turkey)

eating dairy -- negligible

drinking green tea (Japanese mecha buds, or sencha) -- 100 cups

ill -- 0 hours

studying Arabic -- 45 hours

studying French -- 10 hours

listening to NPR news -- 40 hours

wandering around the LSC or town -- 30 hours

playing the recorder -- 15 hours

surfing the Internet -- 30 hours

reading novels -- 40 hours

watching TV -- 0 hours

listening to music -- 40 hours

A Leg to Stand On

Why do waterfowl like flamingos and swans tend to stand around on one leg? I checked on the Internet and as it turns out people have various ideas on this. Many say it's a way for the birds to keep warm, and also to warm and dry the one (raised) foot. Others say it's a tactic for hunting prey -- i.e., by standing on one foot the predator looks less like a bird and more like a tree.

Feeding the Sisters

The 3 Sisters are coming along nicely (sweet corn, pole beans, winter squash). Because I planted them in clover patches, however, I've been having to remove the cages and weed around them every couple of days. Thus I've recently hauled out of the lake 2 large wheelbarrowfuls of seaweed and mulched around the plants. This will likely reduce the need for weeding in upcoming weeks, and will also provide a source of nourishment for the plants.

Morning Visitors

At about 8 am this morning I was wading around in the lake collecting seaweed for mulch when I sensed movement behind me on shore. When I turned around, Chet and Alison were about six feet away, watching me work. After a couple days' absence, it appears they've come back to see what odd activities the humans are up to -- and also to indulge in a free breakfast handout.

Roquette, Rugula, Rucola, Arugula, Rocket ...

The arugula that I recently planted in the garden is growing quickly. This plant brings back memories of living in the Middle East because it is quite popular there. For example, I remember eating at a very cheap little Somalian restaurant in Abu Dhabi that would serve a heaping plate of arugula as a side to the bean dish. Also, it is often served as the salad at Lebanese restaurants, along with black and green olives, onions, tomato, green pepper, lemon wedges, carrot sticks, etc.

Arugula has a surprising bite, or hotness, to it. I always thought this is why it's also called "rocket leaf," or, in French, "roquette." Here's a site if you want to know more about this wonderful green: http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/arugula.htm

Out of the Lake, Onto the Plants

The sunflowers really seem to have perked up since I mulched them with seaweed the other day. I've found a quick-mulch method -- I go into the lake with a 5-gallon bucket, fill it with a seaweed-lakemuck mix, then dump that wet, green, muddy mixture directly around the base of the plants.

Seaweed Cover-Up Scheme

The seaweed does work great as a mulch, but I've noticed at least one problem with it. As it begins to dry, birds remove portions of it from the base of the plants, and I often find it strewn along the garden paths.

Worse, though the photo does not clearly show it, as the birds are scratching around the seaweed mulch looking for insects, they end up burying some of the young plants with the mulch (in this case, recently planted kale).

Flew the Coop

Surprisingly, Chet and Alison weren't waiting at their usual lakeside spot for breakfast this morning. Either they're out near the island, or have returned to the privacy of the wetlands, just to the east of here.

A Game of Solitaire

Star left a few hours ago, so I'll be alone at the LSC for about four or five days. I have a fairly high tolerance for solitude, which has led to a number of interesting jobs over the years (including this present position as a LSC caretaker). I used to work as a backcountry winter caretaker in the Adirondack Mountains, where sometimes I would go for days on end without seeing another person. In 2005, during my second stint as a Peace Corps volunteer, I was assigned to what was probably at that time the most remote Peace Corps site in Madagascar.

Feasts & Flowers

This morning I was clearing some pathways in the garden and thus took some of the garden flowers I cut and put them in a vase in the cabin. Seeing them there on the table, I was reminded of the summer of 2001 when my wife and I lived here together. Sometimes while one of us was out working on the land, the other would prepare a vegan feast, including wild edibles found nearby. Inevitably, to add a little color and beauty to the occasion, there would be a vase of freshly cut flowers.

Too Much of a Good Thing

Lately I've had some digestion problems and I believe the cause of this is from eating too much garlic. Since harvesting it a week ago, I have been eating fairly large amounts, sometimes raw. Internet sites confirm that although garlic is generally good for the health, too much of it can cause various problems, including stomach disturbances:
http://www.garlic-central.com/garlic-health.html

LSC Personnel Changes

More changes in staff are soon to take place here at the LSC. Star is heading out tomorrow and will be gone until around mid August. Clark and Joann (a short-term volunteer) will arrive next week. Clark will leave for Alaska soon after that, returning for the permaculture workshop that will take place here in August. Following is a site for that 8-day workshop:
http://transitionmichigan.ning.com/events/8day-michigan-permaculture

Hey! Time for Our Breakfast

At about 7 this morning I was surprised to see that Chet and Alison had come over to the cabin to let me know they were ready for their breakfast.

By the way, if you're interested, here's a site to read a little more about these gorgeous creatures:
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Trumpeter_Swan/lifehistory
This site mentions that the trumpeter swan is the largest North American waterfowl, and can live to be over 30 years old. They were often hunted because their feathers made excellent quill pens, and they generally mate for life (sometimes when the male loses his mate he remains solitary for the remainder of his life). And if you've ever heard the beautiful, haunting call of these swans, you'll know why they're called trumpeters. I've named the two here Chet and Alison. It was easy to think of many famous male trumpet players (e.g., Chet Baker), but Alison Balsom was the most famous female trumpeter that I could come up with.

The Before Shot

Sometimes when working on a garden project every day, it's difficult to notice the changes that are taking place. (This photo was taken about one month ago.)

The After Shot

Here is what that same part of the garden looked like as of this morning.

That was Then, This is Now

This morning while working out in the garden, I began to think about changes, good and bad, that have taken place here at the Land Stewardship Center since I lived here during the summer of 2001:

--There is a new well-constructed composting toilet.
--There's now a solar shower and a solar greenhouse.
--The boat dock has recently been revamped.
--A canoe has replaced the old flat-bottomed boat.
--Two swans now live on the grounds.

--The windmill doesn't work and needs repaired.
--Volunteers must now sign a liability-waiver form.
--The cabin's futon has developed a slight sag.
--My wife isn't here (her loss and mine).

The Privileges of Beauty

The swans are the only animals fed here, an example of how beings lucky enough to be considered beautiful gain privileges not accorded to those considered less attractive. Often a muskrat scrambles up on shore to try to indulge in some of the swans' food, but surely a creature resembling an oversized half-drowned rat will be proffered no free lunch.

Feeding Time

Lately when I head out to work in the garden around 7:30 am Alison & Chet are waiting for their morning food.

The Solar Greenhouse

Since early June I've been eating plenty of salads and other greens thanks to the solar greenhouse here. The front basement room is well insulated and has five 50-gallon barrels painted black and filled with water. These barrels sit near large, south-facing, glass panels. The walls under the panels are constructed of used tires packed with dirt and covered in adobe.

Warm Abode

One problem with the solar greenhouse is the combination of adobe and warm sunlight has attracted numerous insects that have moved into this welcoming new home.

Old Fashioned Weedwacker

And with a dozen well-placed swings of the machete, the entire guild was suddenly clear of weeds.

Riders on the Storm

I offered to do the job with the weedwacker, but Star's plan was to open up the island guild enough to do some run-through's with the Snapper.

Overcoming the Sisyphus Mentality

Finally did some work on the island guild project this morning. Star has done almost all of the work, but I pitched in today with a little weedwack finesse.

Ye Old Barrow

Was surprised this morning to find this old wheelbarrow out on the island. Tangled in vines, it looked like the last time it was used was 8 years ago when I worked out on the island.

An Ideal Schedule

I've been living here for about 6 weeks now, and during that time have created a schedule that works very well for me. Up at about 6:30, it's still surprisingly cold (actually it's about 50F, but I'm sensitive to cooler weather since living in the Middle East), so I rush through breakfast then get outside to warm up by doing gardening work for about three hours. I have a quick swim in the lake and an early lunch, study Arabic for a couple of hours, then head back outside in the afternoon to work some more. After that, another swim in the lake, followed by a yoga set in the cabin, dinner, and evening relaxation.

The Sisyphus Mindset

Eight years ago my wife and I worked on the island "guild" project here at the LSC. This involved days of heavy weeding, then planting mint, garlic, lavender, etc. I was a little surprised to see how wild and neglected this part of the LSC has become since that time. It's a project waiting to be redone, but I find a lack of motivation to do the same project over again (perhaps this could be called the Sisyphus Mindset). I'm reminded of a story I heard in Madagascar a few years ago. I was visiting a large nature preserve there and the place had a wonderful little nature museum set up in the building that led to the the entrance of the preserve. A Peace Corps trainer I was with told me that there was a woman who travelled around to various countries setting up these fine museum displays. Supposedly she stopped returning to visit them because she was often disappointed to see how shabby they'd become due to a lack of proper care and maintenance.

So Very Very Stubborn

Tacticts to keep the geese off the lawn and out of the garden include lobbing water balloons in their direction, and hanging the hawk kite to try and intimidate them. Neither of these measures really work, and it's beginning to appear the geese have a mule-like mentality.

The Love Birds

Supposedly one good way to keep the geese at bay is to have swans around. I've been told they intimidate the geese, but early this morning it seemed to be one big happy aviary family on the lawn.

Sunflower & Mulberries

Now, in mid July, the sunflowers are beginning to blossom and the mulberries are ripe for picking. I don't make it to the grocery store very often so these berries are a good source of fresh fruit.

Rainy Saturday

It began raining at about 7 this morning. This limits what work can be done around here, but I was at least able to finish the job of cleaning and hanging all of the garlic.

Finish Garlic, Start Greens

Finished harvesting the garlic this morning. Had some ruby chard and collard seed left over so decided to plant that in the space where the garlic had been.

Swan Lake

I was surprised to see that the swans have returned to the lake by the house. They have been living over in the wetlands area for the past month, then today they suddenly appeared back on the lake.

Garlic Harvester

From time to

time people stop by the LSC and volunteer their time. A couple of Star's relatives stopped by for a visit, and while I was outside harvesting garlic this morning her niece, Sarah, volunteered to help out.

4th Of July

A sunny 4th of July celebration at Otter Lake, a small town about 5 miles from Columbiaville. There's a small beach there, and two stages were set up for local bands.