For My Son Tony -      READ THIS On October 30, 1981 a loaf of bread cost 53 cents, a gallon of milk cost $2.23, a gallon of gas cost $1.31, a new home $78,220.00 and my annual income was about $21,000.00.   The Dodgers beat out the Yankees at the World Series, Oakland over Philly at the XV Super Bowl and at the Indy 500 Bobby Unser won, which I was there to watch in person…lol.   Number one song – Bette Davie Eyes by Kin Carnes Number one Movie at the Box Office – Chariots of Fire   President was Ronald Reagan and Vice President was George Bush the first.   The weather in Fort Wayne, Indiana was warm and sunny, a beautiful 55 degrees.   That was the day that changed my life; it was on that day at 6:41 pm, that the best thing to ever happen in my life happened. I gave birth to a 13lb, 8oz baby boy. He was due September 8, but decided to wait until that day or night I should say, to make his appearance.   Looking back through his baby book today, tears in my eyes remembering his birth, I found an entry that I made the day after he was born and today I still wish this for him, so I thought I would share it with you.   Dreams for My Baby – Has a strong faith in himself and his religion. Make good choices…follow his dreams. Find the right person to spend his life with. Be proud of himself and his heritage. Stay close to his family. Offer a hand to all. Smile and laugh often. Always be willing to learn new things. I love you Anthony.   Today I dedicate my xanga site to my son Tony, I am very proud of him and he has been the light of my life. He has grown into a wonderful man, today he is 29 years old…man am I getting older too?........lol.        A Poem for My Son Tony     IF I WAS A PICTURE THAT HUNG ON A WALL, SURELY MY EYES WOULD HAVE SEEN IT ALL. LIKE THE FIRST DAY SHE BROUGHT THAT SWEET BABY HOME, TO THE DAY THOSE LITTLE LEGS LEARNED HOW TO ROAM.     OR YOU’RE FIRST BIRTHDAY, OH HOW I REMEMBER IT WELL, THOSE STORIES YOUR MOTHER STILL LOVES TO TELL. I REMEMBER IN JUNIOR HIGH, YOU STANDING HERE PROUD THE PARITES, THE FRIENDS, OH BOY WHAT A CROWD.   I REMEMBER THE MORNING I WATCHED YOU WALK OUT THE FRONT DOOR, MANY TEARS AND SMILES WITH PICTURES GALORE. THEN OFF TO THE NAVY, AND OUT ON YOUR OWN, BUT AT NO TIME DID YOU FORGET THE WAY HOME.   OH WHAT A CUTE COUPLE YOU AND SHE MAKE TODAY, I AM WAITING HERE PATIENCELY FINALLY YOUR WEDDING DAY.   TIME IS DOES PASS AND WHAT A FINE MAN YOU’VE BECOME. I CAN SEE IN HER EYES SHE IS PROUD YOU ARE HER SON.   OH HOW THE YEARS HAVE FLOWN, AND THIS OLD HOUSE IS STILL THE SAME, THOUGH IT ONLY SEEMS TO HAVE MORE LIFE WHEN SOMEONE IS CALLING YOUR NAME.   YES TIME HAS GONE QUICKLY AND YOU BECAME SUCH A FINE MAN, CAN YOU TELL IN MY WORDS I AM YOUR GREATEST FAN.   FOR TWENTY-NINE YEARS SHE GAVE IT HER ALL, ALWAYS TRYING TO DO HER BEST, AS I WATCHED FROM THIS WALL. I, LIKE YOUR MOTHER, HAVE SEEN BETTER DAYS, AND I SOON WILL BE TAKEN DOWN AND PUT AWAY.   FOR I DO SO WANT TO SEE HOW THIS STORY WILL END, BUT TODAY I WANT YOU TO KNOW, TONY YOU HAVE BEEN MY BEST FRIEND. Happy Birthday Bud!!!

History of the Jack O’ Lantern

Pumpkins smiling, pumpkins scaring, pumpkins leering, pumpkins that are mean, sad, exotic, cats, dragons and anything else we can possibly imagine. Where did our Halloween friend, the pumpkin come from? We certainly can’t have Halloween without old Mr. Jack O’ Lantern.

Carving Jack O' Lanterns is a Halloween custom that dates back to ancient Ireland, although the first Jack-o-Lanterns were made of turnips, beets, and apples or even hollowed out potatoes, not pumpkins and they were lit by lumps of burning coal or candles. The large orange squashes didn't come into prominence until about 700,000 Irish immigrants settled in the United States after the potato famine, bringing with them the traditions of Halloween. Here pumpkins were cheaper and more plentiful than turnips. The pumpkin is an American vegetable; therefore carving pumpkins is actually on the long list of America inventions.

The Celts who were the first to hallow out vegetables and yes even fruit, did so to make lanterns and candle holders, this tradition was later used by the medieval Europeans. Contrary to why we set Jack O’ Lanterns outside our homes today, which many of us believe it is to ward off the evil spirits or dead returning on a night that the veil between the two worlds is at it’s thinnest. The Celts actually set these lanterns in their windows or on their porches to welcome their late departed family and friends; the lanterns represented the souls of the decease.

There are many lore or legends surrounding the Jack O’ Lantern, but the one that seems to stand out most is a European tale, of Christian origin, which many of our beliefs regarding Jack O’ Lanterns and Halloween today. The story goes something like this………….

 

The Story of the Jack O' Lantern

 

 

 

A stingy drunkard of an Irish blacksmith named Jack had the misfortune to run into the Devil in a pub, some say on Halloween night. Jack had too much to drink and was about to fall into the Devil's hands, but managed to trick the Devil by offering his soul in exchange for one last drink. The Devil turned himself into a sixpence to pay the bartender, but Jack quickly pocketed him in his purse. Because Jack had a silver cross in his purse, the Devil could not change himself back. Jack would not let the Devil go until he promised not to claim his soul for ten years.

The Devil agreed and ten years later Jack came across the Devil while walking on a country road. The Devil wanted to collect, but Jack, thinking quickly, said "I'll go, but before I go, will you get me an apple from that tree?" The Devil, thinking he had nothing to lose, jumped on Jack's shoulders to obtain the apple. Jack pulled out his knife and carved a cross in the trunk of the tree. This left the Devil in the air, unable to obtain Jack or his soul. Jack made him promise to never again ask for his soul. Seeing no way out, the Devil agreed. No one knows how the Devil ever managed to get back down!

When Jack finally died years later, he was not admitted to Heaven, because of his life of drinking and being tightfisted and deceitful. When he went to apply for entrance to Hell, the Devil had to turn him away because he agreed never to take Jack's soul. "But where can I go?", asked Jack. "Back where you came from!", replied the Devil. The way back was windy and dark. Jack pleaded with the Devil to at least provide him a light to find his way. The Devil, as a final gesture, threw a live coal at Jack straight from the fire of Hell. To light his way and to keep it from blowing out in the wind, Jack put it in a turnip he was eating.

Ever since, Jack has been doomed to wander in darkness with his lantern until "Judgment Day."

Jack of the lantern (Jack O' Lantern) became known as the symbol of a damned soul.

When the term jack-o'-lantern first appeared in print in 1750, it referred to a night watchman or a man carrying a lantern.

It was after this story that beliefs changed, people began to believed that spirits and ghosts left the grave on Halloween and would seek out warmth in their previous homes. Villagers, fearful of the possibility of being visited by the ghosts of past occupants, would dress up in costumes to scare the spirits on their way. They would also leave food and other treats at their door to appease the spirits, so they would not destroy their homes or crops, but instead move on down the road. They also began to hollow out turnips with a face either painted or carved into it, and place lighted candles inside; hoping the image of a dammed soul would scare the spirits away.

Since I am part English and part Irish, I choose to believe the Celts and place Jack o’ Lanterns on my porch to welcome my deceased family and friends, hoping they will always find comfort, love and happiness within my home.

Additional information:

References to pumpkins date back many centuries. The name pumpkin originated from the Greek word for "large melon" which is "pepon." "Pepon" was nasalized by the French into "pompon." The English changed "pompon" to "Pumpion." Shakespeare referred to the "pumpion" in his Merry Wives of Windsor. American colonists changed "pumpion" into "pumpkin." The "pumpkin" is referred to in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater and Cinderella.

Native Americans dried strips of pumpkin and wove them into mats. They also roasted long strips of pumpkin on the open fire and ate them. The origin of pumpkin pie occurred when the colonists sliced off the pumpkin top, removed the seeds, and filled the insides with milk, spices and honey. The pumpkin was then baked in hot ashes.

10 Fun Facts about Halloween:

As posted by the BBC in England...

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Victory Gardens                   

 In 1943, 20 million gardens were producing 9 – 10 tons of food.

 

 

In March of 1917, Charles Lathrop Pack organized the National War Garden Commission and launched the war garden campaign, entitled “Victory Gardens”.  This was an attempt to alleviate pressure on the public food supply brought on by the war effort.  By the end of World War I, there were over five million gardens and foodstuff production exceeding $1.2 billion.

This movement continued into World War II, as part of the war effort, the government rationed foods like sugar, butter, milk, cheese, eggs, coffee, meat and canned goods. Labor and transportation shortages made it hard to harvest and move fruits and vegetables to market.

American citizens were encouraged to plant “Victory, or War gardens to provide their own fruits and vegetable. It was stressed that the produce from their gardens would help to lower the price of vegetables needed by the US War Department to feed the troops, thus saving money that could be spent elsewhere on the military: "Our food is fighting," one US poster read.

Nearly 20 million Americans answered the call. Farm families had been planting gardens and providing produce for generations, they lead the pack for the many urban and suburban families who planted gardens in backyards, front lawns, parks, empty lots, and even city rooftops. Neighbors pooled their resources, planted different kinds of foods and formed cooperatives, all in the name of patriotism.  These gardens produced up to 40 percent of all the vegetable produce being consumed nationally.

Through a campaign of posters, cartoons, press releases, and pamphlets the effort was “to arouse the patriots of America to the importance of putting all idle land to work, to teach them how to do it, and to educate them to conserve by canning and drying all food that they could not use while fresh”.

The Saturday Evening Post, Life, and other Women's magazines became a driving force as well, encouraging the “Women’s Land Army” to make gardening a family and community effort.

Other business benefited as well.  Did you know that in 1943, families bought 315,000 pressure cookers (used to can fruits and vegetables), compared to the 66,000 purchased in 1942.

First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt even showed support for this civilian defense program, by allowing Diana Hopkins, 10 year old daughter of Harry Hopkins, an adviser to President Roosevelt to plant a demonstration “Victory Garden” in a flower bed south of the East Garden in the spring of 1943.  Although at first the Department of Agriculture objected to this, fearing that promoting this movement would hurt the food industry, they soon warmed up to the idea and promoted information themselves regarding gardening in public services booklets.  

World War II ended and so did the government promotion of victory gardens.  Many people did not plant gardens the year of 1946, which caused the country to experience yet another food shortage.

The “Victory Garden” not only provided Americans with 40 percent of its fresh produce, it also was a “morale booster.’  The gardeners could feel a since of accomplishment, empowered by their contribution of labor and rewarded by the produce grown.  It also gave them independence for corporate food systems, community involvement and a real closeness to the natural environment.

 

Over the last couple weeks I have learned of a bill that actually is being promoted to Congress.  It is the S.510, Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to the safety of the food supply.  I urge you to read the bill, call your congress people and request this bill be thrown out.  Why do this:

1. This bill puts all US food and all US farms under homeland security and the department of defense in the event of contamination or ill defined emergency.
2. It would end US sovereignty over its own food supply by assisting on compliant with the WTO thus threatening national security.
3. It would remove the right to clean, store and own seed in the US, putting control of seed in the hands of Monsanto and other multi-national corporations, threatening US security.
4. It begins the final destruction of what is left of the US economy.

Then I implore you to join myself, through the Living Tree Company, to revitalize the “Women’s Land Army”, including both men and women of course, to promote once again “Victory Gardens”.  Our victory this time will be the victory of growing our own food, breathing new life into a previous, but yet vital part of our history, and living healthier, more productive life’s.

You can support us in our efforts by making a simple donation to our cause.  With this money we can provide educational materials, support, seeds and more to many.

Follow this link….”Women’s Land Army.”  

Also if you own a company that contributes to the gardening practices and community please contact us and let’s find ways to work together.

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Even the sad fluting of crickets
Has somehow found a unique place
In this splendid season full of life
My soul cannot help but embrace
They too must hear the whispers
Of the chill lingering in the wind
Indian summer’s heated temptation
Makes it easy to otherwise pretend
That twirling leaves first promenade
Is merely a teasing frisky summer wind

Alas the sad fluting of crickets
Sing the countdown to fall’s debut
Neither calendar nor time will stop
The colorful cascade from autumn’s lute
My soul intrigued by season’s serenade
Longs to dance in sync with falling leaves
Life within me inspired by season anew
Within my heart summer never leaves
Autumn rushes in sets leaves and I free
In the dance of changing circumstance
It’s all about how we choose to perceive

And I chose to leave those sad crickets behind
To waltz and sashay like a leaf upon the breeze
Twirling in rhapsody to autumn lute’s serenade

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A perfect night for a bit of rain
To pound upon my home
Curled up warm within my bed
With a book and the telephone
The sheets snuggled up around me
And a cup of herbal tea too
I’m safe inside from thunder
When the sky turns black to blue

While the storm is blazing
And the lightning crackles bright
I’ll think of how the sun will be
When morning takes the night
And how I’ll wake to the summer birds
Chirping at my door
Summer weather in Wisconsin,
Well I couldn’t wish for more

When the entire storm is gone
I can go outside and smell
The after math of last night
Breathe it in; it’s smells so well
So fresh and so enjoyable
I love the summer rain
Soon it’s time for night to fall
And it happens all again

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 there is a world of creatures
living in my backwoods,
they all have happy souls
and live as these little creatures should,

they can lighten one's heart
mostly sweet, kind and clever,
yet some are impish and haughty
a few are really quite naughty,

little beings of these woods
wearing little magical hoods,
using old tree trunks as tables
weaving well woven fables.

2006©

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Today I find myself within deep thought, sitting quietly in a cemetery, with a cool breeze blowing softly across my face. The warmth of summer rays pouring over me.

It is Memorial weekend, a time to remember those who sacrificed,

life and limb years ago and in the present.
Remember those who fought for our freedom, fought for our peace of mind,
unselfish in their deeds. A time for Remembering…Remembering…

It is a time to remember those off to war this day, so far away, so far away.
Family and friends off defending our here and now, proudly doing what they are called upon to do.

I watch like a ghost as families and friends walk solemnly through the maze of headstones. With handfuls of flowers, roses, mums, lilacs and more, they place tenderly upon each burial place.

Calm reflection and silence along the way. A time for Remembering...Remembering...

Remember them all, our service men and women, our family, our friends. I watch while thoughts of sweet memories dance alive in their heads, leaving behind the handfuls of fragrant flowers, we slowly walk away with tears they are remembering...remembering...

Today please take a few moments and remember our troops, past and present along with me this Memorial Day Weekend. .

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Magnolia's dancing on a sunset breeze,

Brisk white sand puts my mind at ease...

The waves roll in with such power,

Clouds stream in for a quick evening shower...

I think back to the days of peace and such,

And times when little things meant so much...

Life's busy ways can become so boring,

Escape to the beach just to watch seagulls soaring...

Close my eyes to clear my mind,

Let my pulse slow to the evening tide...

No more chaos, movement, or screaming,

Concentrate on nothing more than breathing...

This sacred land, my safety place,

Not an ounce of worry, shame, or disgrace...

Watching nature, each season unveiling

To this desolate place my heart is sailing...

Focus is all I need in one flower indeed,

Like Magnolia's dancing on a sunset breeze.

Many Blessings this Beautiful Summer Evening.....

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Composting is a simple way to add nutrient-rich humus which fuels plant growth and restores vitality to depleted soil. It's also free, easy to make and good for the environment.

Benefits

Soil conditioner. With compost, you are creating rich humus for lawn and garden. This adds nutrients to your plants and helps retain moisture in the soil.

Recycles kitchen and yard waste. Composting can divert as much as 30% of household waste away from the garbage can.

Introduces beneficial organisms to the soil. Microscopic organisms in compost help aerate the soil, break down organic material for plant use and ward off plant disease.

Good for the environment. Composting offers a natural alternative to chemical fertilizers.

Reduces landfill waste. Most landfills in North America are quickly filling up; many have already closed down. One-third of landfill waste is made up of compostable materials.

What to Compost

Material	Carbon/Nitrogen	Info
table scraps	Nitrogen	add with dry carbon items
fruit & vegetable scraps	Nitrogen	add with dry carbon items
eggshells	neutral	best when crushed
leaves	Carbon	leaves break down faster when shredded
grass clippings	Nitrogen	add in thin layers so they don't mat into clumps
garden plants	Nitrogen	use disease-free plants only
lawn & garden weeds	Nitrogen	only use weeds which have not gone to seed
shrub prunings	Carbon	woody prunings are slow to break down
straw or hay	Carbon	straw is best; hay (with seeds) is less ideal
green comfrey leaves	Nitrogen	excellent compost 'activator'
pine needles	Carbon	acidic; use in moderate amounts
flowers, cuttings	Nitrogen	chop up any long woody stems
seaweed and kelp	Nitrogen	rinse first; good source for trace minerals
wood ash	Carbon	only use ash from clean materials; sprinkle lightly
chicken manure	Nitrogen	excellent compost 'activator'
coffee grounds	Nitrogen	filters may also be included
tea leaves	Nitrogen	loose or in bags
newspaper	Carbon	avoid using glossy paper and colored inks
shredded paper	Carbon	avoid using glossy paper and colored inks
cardboard	Carbon	shred material to avoid matting
corn cobs, stalks	Carbon	slow to decompose; best if chopped up
dryer lint	Carbon	best if from natural fibers
sawdust	Carbon	high carbon levels; add in layers to avoid clumping
wood chips	Carbon	high carbon levels; use sparingly

You can also add garden soil to your compost. A layer of soil will help to mask any odors, and micro-organisms in the soil will accelerate the composting process.

Do not compost meat, bones or fish scraps (they will attract pests), perennial weeds (they can be spread with the compost) or diseased plants. Do not include pet manures in compost that will be used on food crops. Banana peels, peach peels and orange rinds may contain pesticide residue, and should be kept out of the compost. Black walnut leaves should not be composted. Sawdust may be added to the compost, but should be mixed or scattered thinly to avoid clumping. Be sure sawdust is clean, with no machine oil or chain oil residues from cutting equipment.

For kitchen wastes, keep a large plastic container with a lid and a handle under the sink. Chop up any large chunks before you toss them in. When the container is full, then empty it into the compost pile. This reduces the number of trips you'll have to make.

With yard and garden wastes, different composting materials will decompose at different rates but they will all break down eventually. If you want to speed up the composting process, chop the larger material into smaller pieces. Leaves and grass clippings are also excellent for compost, but should be sprinkled into the bin with other materials, or put on in thin layers. Otherwise they will mat together and take longer to compost.

How to Compost

Start you compost pile on bare earth. This allows worms and other beneficial organisms to aerate the compost and be transported to your garden beds.

Lay twigs or straw first, a few inches deep. This aids drainage and helps aerate the pile.

Add compost materials in layers, alternating moist and dry. Moist ingredients are food scraps, tea bags, seaweed, etc. Dry materials are straw, leaves and wood ashes. If you have wood ashes, sprinkle in thin layers, or they will clump together and be slow to break down.

Add manure, green manure (clover, buckwheat, and wheatgrass) or any nitrogen source. This activates the compost pile and speeds the process along.
Keep compost moist. Water occasionally, or let rain do the job.

Cover with anything you have - wood, plastic sheeting, carpet scraps. Covering helps retain moisture and heat, two essentials for compost. Covering also prevents the compost from being over-watered rain. The compost should be moist, but not soaked and sodden.

Turn. Every few weeks give the pile a quick turn with a pitchfork or shovel. This aerates the pile. Oxygen is required for the process to work, and turning "adds" oxygen. You can skip this step if you have a ready supply of coarse material, like straw.

Carbon/Nitrogen Ratio
All compostable materials are either carbon or nitrogen-based. The secret to a healthy compost pile is simple: maintain a working balance between these two elements.

Carbon - carbon-rich matter (like branches, stems, dried leaves, peels, bits of wood, bark dust or sawdust, shredded brown paper bags, coffee filters, conifer needles, egg shells, hay, peat moss, wood ash) gives compost its light, fluffy body.

Nitrogen - nitrogen or protein-rich matter (manures, food scraps, leafy materials like lawn clippings and green leaves) provides raw materials for making enzymes.

A healthy compost pile should have much more carbon than nitrogen. A simple rule of thumb is to use one-third green and two-thirds brown materials. This allows oxygen to penetrate and nourish the organisms that reside there. Too much nitrogen makes for a heavy, smelly, slowly decomposing mass. Good composting hygiene means covering fresh nitrogen-rich material, which can release odors if exposed to open air, with carbon-rich material, which often exudes a fresh, wonderful smell. If in doubt, add more carbon!

Simplest Composting Methods

"No-turn" Composting
The biggest chore with composting is turning the pile from time to time. However, with 'no-turn composting', your compost can be aerated without turning. The secret is to thoroughly mix in enough coarse material, like straw, when building the pile.

The compost will develop as fast as if it were turned regularly, and studies show that the nitrogen level may be even higher than turned compost. With 'no-turn' composting, add new materials to the top of the pile, and harvest fresh compost from the bottom of the bin.

Composting Leaves
If you have too many leaves to incorporate into the compost bin, you can simply compost the pile of leaves by itself. Locate the pile where drainage is adequate; a shaded area will help keep the leaf pile should be at least 4' in diameter and 3' in height. Include a layer of dirt between each foot of leaves. The pile should be damp enough that when a sample taken from the interior is squeezed by hand, a few drops of moisture will appear. The pile should not be packed too tightly.

The pile will compost in 4 - 6 months, with the material being dark and crumbly. Leaf compost is best used as an organic soil amendment and conditioner; it is not normally used as a fertilizer because it is low in nutrients.

Leaf-mould Tea
You can also use leaves to make a nutritious "tea" for your plants. Simply wrap a small pile of leaves in burlap and immerse in a garbage can or large bucket of water. Leave for three days, then remove the "tea bag" and dump contents into the compost. Scoop out the enriched water with a smaller bucket and use to water your plants and shrubs.

Enclosed Compost Bins

For small-scale outdoor composting, enclosed bins are an option. The least expensive method is to build yourself one from a large garbage can. Simply drill 1.5-cm aeration holes in rows at roughly 15-cm intervals around the can. Fill the can with a mixture of high-carbon and high-nitrogen materials. Stir the contents occasionally to avoid anaerobic pockets and to speed up the composting process. If the lid is secure, the bin can be laid on its side and rolled; a length of 2" cedar (use a 2x2 or a 2x4) can bolted to the inside, running top to bottom, to help flip the material. Otherwise the contents tend to stay in place while the bin is rolled.

Another option is a semi-enclosed bin. A trade name for this is compost digester. These bins are enclosed on the sides and top, and are open on the bottom so they sit directly on the ground. These are among the most common composting units for homes in residential areas where bins tend to be smaller, yet enclosed enough to discourage pests. These bins are inexpensive, but it is difficult to turn the compost, so it can take several months to produce compost. These bins are thin-walled plastic, and may chip along the edges, especially during a freeze.

The most efficient enclosed bin method is the drum/tumbler system. It's possible to maintain relatively high temperatures in drum/tumbler systems, both because the container acts as insulation and because the turning keeps the microbes aerated and active. An interior "paddle" aids aeration and prevents clumping of the composting materials. This greatly speeds up the composting process.

An enclosed 'tumbler' system offer the following benefits:
- speeds up the composting process
- can compost year-round, due to higher internal temperature
- reduces or eliminate odors, pest proof
- keeps compost neatly enclosed, well-suited for residential areas

Tips for successful composting

Activate your compost. 'Activators' can be added to your compost to help kick-start the process and speed up composting. Common compost activator materials are: comfrey leaves, grass clippings, young weeds, and well-rotted chicken manure.

Flying insects attracted to your compost? Small fruit flies, especially, are naturally attracted to the compost pile. They can be discouraged by simply covering any exposed fruit or vegetable matter. Keep a small pile of grass clippings next to your compost bin, and when you add new kitchen waste to the pile, cover it with one or two inches of clippings. Adding lime or calcium will also discourage flies.

Unpleasant odors from your compost pile? This can be a concern in urban and suburban areas with small lots and neighbors living close by. Odors can be reduced, or eliminated, by following two practices: first, remember to not put bones or meat scraps into the compost; second, cover new additions to the compost pile with dry grass clippings or similar mulch. Adding lime or calcium will also neutralize odors. If the compost smells like ammonia, add carbon-rich elements such as straw, peat moss or dried leaves.

 

Is your compost pile steaming? No problem. A hot, steamy pile means that you have a large community of microscopic critters working away at making compost.

Matted leaves, grass clipping clumping together? This is a common problem with materials thrown into the composter. The wet materials stick together and slow the aeration process. There are two simple solutions: either set these materials to the side of the composter and add them gradually with other ingredients, or break them apart with a pitchfork. Grass clippings and leaves should be mixed with rest of the composting materials for best results.

Problems with raccoons? If there's a population of raccoons in your area, they will be naturally attracted to your compost pile. The best solution to this problem is to bar their entry to the compost. (Traps and poisons are usually more trouble than they're worth.) A wood or metal lid can be easily hinged to the bin described above on this page, or you can buy a commercially-made compost bin with secure fitted lids which are pest-proof.

A moveable feast. The soil beneath a compost bin becomes enriched as nutrients filter down with successive watering. You can place your bin on a plot of earth which you plan to use for a future vegetable or flower bed, or fruit tree. Each year, you can move the bin to a different area; you'll get a double benefit - the compost from the bin, and a bed of nutrient-rich soil ready for new plantings.

Additive only. Compost should be used as a soil additive, and not as the 100% growing medium.

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Mere simplicity is all I ask of life...

To hear the harmonious song of a Cardinal,

as he warms himself... basking in the sun.

After a afternoon bath, on brisk Spring morning.

I think it was a Tuesday, around the month of May.

As I gander at the lake, glimmering with the flood of light that greets the day.

A mother and her fledglings, wake to the wonders of their new day.

To smell the sweet fragrance of a newly budding rose.

To touch the softness of it's pedals...

To walk among the tall lush grasses...

To watch the daffodils dancing to Mother Nature

as she sings out a summer breeze.

To endure the love of a friendship...

To laugh with a friend you love...

To me ... these are simple pleasures

To have and behold such beauty

My mere simplicity... I truly treasure

Hope your day is filled with blessings and simple beauty...

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