(Please forgive the rapidly run together thoughts here....I'm on overdrive this morning and am uninterested in editing today.)
Well as per my usual I started a project, (THIS BLOG) with all of the intensity and fervor that I embrace all of my new adventures with. Staying true to my Gemini soul, I was distracted by the proverbial squirrel along the way. Though I did continue to maintain and grow my little urban sustainability haven, I completely neglected to post anything after the start of spring in Albuquerque.
Either way here I am again, the spring and summer were wonderful as far as the garden goes. The grey water pond plan has now shifted into an oasis for birds and other neighborhood creatures, filled now with fresh water and aquatic plants. (The storage of said grey water was not successful, so while I am still utilizing it on the garden I don't save it for more than a day after doing laundry.) A sun shade and Casita have been added to the space. There are plans to set up solar power for the Casita, hopefully with enough extra power generated to run a better pond pump and possibly an outdoor outlet so that we are not constantly running an extension cord from the bathroom window across the yard.
(Below: hard wood floor refinishing adventure, My birthday picnic in Hyder Park with X and some of the gardens bounties).
We had an overgrowth of zucchini and yellow squash which I expected and enjoyed, gave away more pounds of it than my friends and neighbors wanted as well as stashed away several containers in the freezer for use during the winter. Other items that did very well include: Tomatoes (4 different varieties....I went a little overboard with somewhere around 12 plants.), NM Green Chili, Jalapenos, Basil, Eggplant, Kale, Beets, Golden Purslane, Chamomile, Dill, Onion, Lettuce, Kohlrabi, Asparagus, Rosemary, Leeks, Spinach, Optuna (Prickly Pear) Cacti and Sunflowers. ( I'm sure I am missing something here.)
As it has now become to cold to continue with any gardening, work has moved indoors to planning for next spring. Jordan (our tenant) is planning to help with the transformation of the front yard into an edible landscape! Currently we are plotting: corn, peas, squash, garlic, onions, companion flowers, kitchen herbs, cucumbers, an apple tree and the asparagus bed we started last year. I hope to be able to organize another seed swap in the next couple of months as last years experiences were productive as well as entertaining events. If time and finances allow we plan to put in a small greenhouse before the spring so that we can experience a little more success with starting from seed as well as limit costs in not having to purchase plants.
I've also had the pleasure of getting to know a few more similarly minded people in the area. I am enjoying very much the opportunities I've been given recently to spend some time volunteering on a working farm. The friendships and hands on experience I am gaining are an encouragement to keep moving forward. Having a community of farmers that are willing to trade, share and teach has been a dream of mine for some time and I am thrilled to see this realized!
I think that's all I have to share for today, I will make every effort to keep this updated more regularly. I am also going to start sharing some of my writing here, poems, short stories and what not. I hope you enjoy them and are blessed in some way by visiting this page.
Fair Winds and Smooth Seas...
~Tawnya
