Wow, what a turnout! Thank you for stopping by! I realize your time is valuable, and things are a little crowded, so let me start with a few disclaimers so those who wish to can leave right away. ( Read more... )

For probably as long as you've known me, I've struggled with regulatory limitations on our farm. In Joel Salatin's words, "Everything I Want to Do Is Illegal." With your help, that can finally change.

The major hurdle on our farm has been restrictions on raising animals. I used to rent an apartment in the city where I could have a little garden, but ( Read more... )

Mayda found a guy to take down the two big, dead ash trees at Kirsten's house, and he'll cut it up and haul it over here for us to use as firewood. I'm going to do the smaller, third one myself before he does, and leave it there for him to haul. But we needed a place to put all that wood, and I haven't yet built a woodshed, so Mayda came up with ( Read more... )

So far I'm quite liking this tree tapping business. It's like trapping, only better. You go out scouting the woods in warm weather. Then when it's cold, but not the coldest of the year, you take your tools out and make your sets. Then you check them all once or twice a day and carry home your yield. But the trees, so far, have yielded far better ( Read more... )

I think that people who have suffered have an easier time sympathizing with people who are suffering, and people who feel they've been treated unjustly tend to be more upset when they see injustice toward others ( Read more... )

It occurs to me that I'm acquainted with an unusual number of published authors, given that I don't work in publishing and I'm not part of any literary fandom. Further, not a one of them are close friends. In fact, I think most of them don't like me, but don't dislike me strongly enough to banish me from their circle of acquaintances. (Well, ( Read more... )

I ordered some spiles today. A couple autumns ago, I spray painted Ms and Ws on the maple and walnut trees all over the the property, or at least all along the trails. We're finally coming out of the solid freeze to where the temps will get above freezing during the day and drop back down to (or below) freezing at night, so it's time to tap them. I ( Read more... )

I once wrote that if I ever wrote fiction, I wouldn't have a core group of indestructible characters while their close friends die marvelously scripted deaths and background characters are just disposable, because that's not how life is. That's not how real stories play out. Someone who's fascinating and marvelous in every way can go in a blink. ( Read more... )

I heard on the radio this morning that Los Angeles Police shot a man. He was fighting them. They got him down, he popped back up, and they wrestled him down again. From the audio recorded just before the shots were fired, it sounds like one officer lost his gun. Whether he had it out and dropped it, or his holster failed, or the suspect grabbed it ( Read more... )

I told Mayda last night that my entire adult life as far back as puberty most of my life has felt like I'm pushing and cramming and shoving to fit a square peg into a round hole only to get it halfway in and realize I've put it in backwards, and then tugging and twisting and pulling to try to get it back out again. By the time I get that done, I'm ( Read more... )