November Peas

Hello, friends.  Well, the mystery regarding the drinking water has had another piece solved.  Though the gunky gutters didn't help, we realized there was another issue, after we got 3/4" of rain, but didn't have enough to use.  When J went to check the pipes, he found my ex-husband had never glued the PVC pipes together, and they had separated at some point, which allowed much of the rain to pour on the ground, rather than into the tank.  I'm very thankful J cares more about the quality of work he does.  I was surprised to learn that it appears a third of the weather stations reporting data in the UK and to the NOAA in the US do not exist.  The "data" was fabricated, which of course skews the data.  It's disheartening at times, to learn of all the corruption, but also hopeful that so much of it is coming to light in these times.  I believe, brave souls that we are, we signed up for this, knowing a great shift would be taking place.  Bravo, us!

From the garden, I harvested cherry tomatoes, eggplant, green beans, peas, and chard.  With veggie bags threatening to take over the freezer, I filled two large pots with the scraps, simmered them on the woodstove a day, and canned the broth.  Just after, I canned peas.  With the nice, long Fall we're having, the pea experiment has worked out very well.  I've been able to put some jars on the shelf, for the first year ever.  Sadly, the third orchid dropped it's buds this week.  Still, I'm considering the one that's blooming a definite win.  Before I went out of town, I gathered sweet potato leaves for smoothies, froze ripened tomatoes, and froze the excess chard in muffin tins, to use over winter.  The night before I left, we had rain (~2/3"), and J was able to get the drinking water turned on for the house. Not enough yet for the household water, but we're hoping soon.

I had a great weekend with my niece.  She had found a women's build with Habitat for Humanity on Saturday.  Though not actually hurricane relief, when the family moves into this home in January, it will free up their current housing for someone else, which is sorely needed.  This was in a Habitat neighborhood of around 20 residences, including several duplexes.  There were two other teams working, in addition to the women-built house.  I worked on setting up scaffolding, and we both did painting, on window frames and a door.  It's obvious at least someone in the family is excited.  This plaque was up, in one of the rooms I was working in, which gave me a smile.  It was very organized, and nice to meet all the other workers.  It was my first time working with Habitat, and I'd definitely do it again.

Guinness keeping me company while picking peas

Though she had worked a previous Sunday with the group we planned on helping, they're apparently no longer open Sundays, so we had to come up with a plan B.  I'd seen several mentions of a distribution center not far from the college she works at in Swannanoa, so we dropped in there.  They were happy to have us, and set us to work organizing a container of donations.  After lunch, we worked as pickers, which meant as the cars drove up, a team leader would get their needs, then send pickers to gather all the items.  I told J I definitely got my steps in that day.  It was all outdoors, a beautiful day, and a fantastic group of people to work with.  Though it was satisfying to finally get there and help, I'd love to do more, and am hoping it works out to go back.  I've already got the OK to park our skoolie in their parking lot, which might be wishful thinking.  I'm sure needs will change as the weeks go by, but expect help will still be needed in some form.  It would be great to be able to have the ability to help more than a day or two.  Most of the workers I spoke with were from other parts of the country... TX, IL, New Orleans, S. Carolina, and were staying for a time, all good souls.  Sending you wishes for a good and peaceful week.

Drinking Water

Hello, friends.  Joseph purchased and installed the faucet for our drinking and cooking water.  It's the faucet on the right side, where the sprayer would have been.  We'll use campground water to bathe and wash dishes in, but don't want to drink it.  We have a separate tank for our drinking water, and will run it through a Berkey water filter.  Joseph continues to work on bodywork, and is close to finishing.  He's pressure washed half the bus, in preparation for painting.

I forgot to mention it in my last post, but I'm heading to the mountains today to assist in hurricane relief efforts, so my usual Monday post will be late.  I'll get one posted as soon as I'm able next week.  Until then, take good care.  

A Little Drama

Hello, friends.   It's been quite a week in the US.  I'm thankful to have my sanctuary here, as a buffer from the drama.  I just hope we can take this opportunity to come together.  Speaking of drama, while working with the Fall plants in the pond garden, I moved a seedling tray, and found a fat and sassy black widow spider underneath.  I watched it for a bit, then it went and hid again.  I made sure to tell J about it, when he came to the garden, and we left it in an out of the way area.  It looks like they hibernate over winter, going dormant.  It wasn't the least bit aggressive, and I'm sure it didn't want to bother me any more than I wanted to bother it.

Early in the week, I canned peas.  I used a 10% off coupon code for soap supplies, and went through Swagbucks several times for cash back offers on needed things. A $25 GC was redeemed from Swagbucks.  I found .99 pomegranates at Aldi, and got two.  We didn't need heat for several days, but once the woodstove was going again, I simmered small sweet potatoes for the pups, and melted soapmaking oils on it.   The orchid I recently shared is still going strong, but I sadly found the largest orchid bud "slimed" one morning, with the buds dropped and a chunk out of the stem.  So, I suppose a snail or slug came by.  The third orchid is still intact, so I'll keep hoping that one blooms too.  

There's been no rain this week, except for a light sprinkle.  There is a chance tonight (Sunday) and tomorrow morning.  The well water clogged up our shower head so much that J couldn't finish his shower, without shaking all the particulates out of it.  I've harvested cherry tomatoes and green beans, a few roselle calyces and calendula flowers.  The chicken coop was cleaned out.  Summer clothes have been swapped out for winter in the dressers, and the closet rearranged, to better access the winter clothes.  One of the mornings without heat felt cool in the house, so I made a pear pie, to warm things up a bit.  Thank you to all who have and are serving our country, this Veterans Day.  Wishing you a peaceful, cozy week.

Little Steps

 

Hello, friends.  Joseph got the front visor primed and painted, and has it in a protected place, until the bus itself is painted, and the visor can be put back in place.  I attempted to follow a Youtube video, to macrame a cord for the bathroom window, but gave up after working on it a couple of hours.  Her hands blocked it some, and she was moving too fast to see it all, despite stopping and winding back multiple times.  It was not pretty, lol.  I've done more research, and found another design that looks a little simpler, and has instructions, in addition to the video, so I'll try that another day.  

Joseph finished connecting the propane pipe to the generator.  The skoolie kitchen sink was cleaned, the counter wiped down, and I've cleaned the windows, inside and out.  There's a lot of construction residue on the windows, mostly polyurethane.  He's worked on them some, with a razor blade scraper.  Once we get most of it off, I'll go over them with acetone, and clean them again.  Little steps.  

A Happy Surprise

Hello, friends.  The beautiful Fall days have continued.  Last week, I canned peas and lima beans.  I had small amounts of each, and canned them in the same load, to save water, time and energy.  Golden paste was made for the pups.  All laundry was dried on the line.  I made vanilla sugar, following Annabel's instructions.  The usual composting, shredding paper and cardboard, and adding veggie scraps to the broth bag happened.  From the garden, tomatoes, peas, eggplant, basil, oregano, green beans and lima beans were harvested.  The green and noodle beans have only been about a dozen a week, so I've been adding them to the broth bag.  Sweet potatoes that had been chewed on, or were damaged when digging, were sliced and dehydrated for pup treats, once the ugly bits were cut off.  I gathered marigold flowers for dyeing, and added them to the dehydrator.  

While in a town delivering soap, I stopped by a thrift store, and found a vintage cotton sheet for $2, and a gold frame for $1.  A friend happened to be there too, and it was nice to catch up for a few minutes.  I stopped by the feed & seed, and picked up some plants... two varieties of lettuce, parsley, and chicory, which caught my eye, it was so pretty.  I've never had chicory fresh, only in a coffee blend, but tried a leaf, and thought it would be great in salads, similar to how we use arugula.  This variety had a lot of purple in the leaf, and is a milder tasting one.  I love having lots of greens available, being they're so good for us.  I got them all in the ground.  J put the hoops over the lettuce bed, and bought row cover, so we're ready to set it up, when frost threatens.  He got extra garlic this year, and gave a pound to a neighbor to plant, who in turn brought us some apples from the NC mountains, one of which was used in wild blueberry cranberry sauce, which J requested not long ago.   

 

While gathering some numbers for the holiday season, I noticed I'd had 1,234 sales (in 16 years) in my online soap shop, a rather auspicious number.  It's a small amount of income for me, but I appreciate each sale.  Last week, I took advantage of the warmest day, by washing and vacuuming my car.  That always feels better, and will likely do until warm weather returns in the spring, lol.  Boxes of my cold weather clothes were brought down from the attic, and still need swapping out.  I was delighted to see my first orchid flowers.  I've been trying ten years, after inheriting my Mom's orchids.  In previous years, any buds fell off before blooming.  Two more plants have buds, so I'm hopeful.  They supposedly don't like wood heat, but we've added another air purifier, so perhaps that's made the difference.  Wishing you some happy surprises, and peace this week.  

Dreamers

 

Yes, we're dreamers, and I'm thinking that's a pretty good thing.  I was recently pondering how I could know that Joseph had run the ozone generator, and decided a magnet should work, next to the door.  I'd chosen several magnets I liked, and this was his favorite.  The idea is it will be upright, when it's safe to go inside.  When it's upside down, the skoolie needs to be opened up, and aired out for a couple of hours, before spending time in there.  It can cause respiratory irritation otherwise.  When I took the magnet over to the bus, I intended to do some cleaning, but the ozone smell was obvious when I opened the door.  I'd rather not leave it to chance though, so we'll see how this magnet system works.  I purchased the magnet on Etsy here.  

This week, he's been fabricating the hangers for our propane pipes.  I helped him to take the visor down for painting.  He's purchased primer, and our secondary paint color.  He wanted orange for the front visor, and possibly another detail or two.  I'm not a big fan of orange, but can handle a soft, orange sherbet, so he ordered that.  We're closing in on painting.

Fall Colors

Hello, friends.  Groceries seemed especially high this week, even with my 5% senior discount.  There was very little on sale, among the things I needed, much of it fresh produce.  I did find organic crushed tomatoes on the markdown shelf, for $2, and got four of those.  I do hope prices will not continue going up, as they have been lately.  As the green tomatoes ripen, I'm freezing them, until I have enough to can.  I caught up on some YouTube channels I follow, while wrapping soap for the B&B.  J and I went to town for early voting.  There was a steady stream of people, but we were able to get in and out quickly.  I've really been enjoying the Fall colors this week.  

Joseph readied the ground, and planted our garlic.  He also tilled up a plot for me.  It's late, but I planted carrots, beets, a small kale patch, and a blend of bird and butterfly wildflowers my stepson gave me.  In other spots, I planted a blend of shade garden seeds.  The carrot varieties included Tendersweet, Danvers, Danvers Half Long, and Scarlet Nantes.  Some of the carrot seeds were saved from our garden.  Beets were Detroit Dark Red and Golden.  There's no frost in the 15 day forecast, so maybe they'll at least have time to germinate.  Peas, lima beans, green beans and kale were harvested from the garden.  

With a forecast of 80 on Saturday, I decided to give the pups baths, as I'm sure it won't be long before we shut the outdoor shower down for the season.  As I hadn't seen any in several weeks, the hummingbird feeders were taken down and scrubbed.  We ended up getting 3/8" of rain Saturday night.  It wasn't enough to begin using it in the house again, but we're thankful it helped water in the seeds and garlic we planted.  Greens of dock and kale were gathered for the chickens most days.  A pot of small sweet potatoes was placed on the woodstove, to simmer for the pups.  It's beginning to feel like the cozy season.  Stay well, friends.