Suburban Farming, pickle test, Where to put the chicken coop, 100 year old biscuits, barter sub culture.,

Where to put the chicken coop when suburban farming? We put it in the the space next to the house, on the side that never gets used. I think every yard has one. Take a look at our high tech fencing. The house and the the back yard fence make up three sides of the pen . We needed only put up some chicken wire and a gate. I made the gate in about 15 minutes. And I am no carpenter! In the photos you will see hay on the ground. A lot of folks say NOT to put hay or straw in the pen because of mites and such. But in suburban farming we don't have the luxury of being able to move the coop around. And with the amount of rain we get here, If I don't put it in the girls wind up with sickly feet from standing in the mud. So, its a lesser of two evils thing. I just dust more often. The two new pullets are still not laying and the older hens are molting so for almost a month our egg production has been nearly nothing.
Fortunately I have a few neighbors who are living the lifestyle as well. All underground and well hidden of course. (no one driving through this little north Seattle community would ever know how much food production and self sufficiency is really going on here.) So, A gift of a small jar of jam brings in a dozen blue eggs! Yep, there is a lot of barter going on in this neighborhood. A typical conversation goes like this, "I've got too many tomatoes".... "really? my collards are about to achieve sentience.. wanna trade?" Each person seems to have a special 'recipe' that only they do, so lots of trading goes on in the canning department. And the freebies are great too. Every so often there is a knock at the door and a neighbor (or husband or wife or kid of one ) will be standing there with zucchini bread or dried,candied apples, or a bag of plums or a bottle of homemade wine. Once a community goes 'suburban farm' everything gubment programs like 'neighborhood watch' and 'know your neighbors' and 'community gardens' struggle to create.... just simply happens on its own. I don't know why. My degree is in liberal arts.... Maybe if I had a degree in sociology I would know. Just because I don't know why it works doesn't mean I can't observe for myself that it DOES work.
Off that topic and on to pickles. You may recall a few blog entries back the recipe I posted for my pickles? Well yesterday was the date to open the 'test' jar. We have success folks, spicy, not mushy, very tasty pickles. Jimmy thinks they need to be crisper but I explained to him that unless we chemical up like the commercial guys, We will never have the Vlasic crunch going on. I also explained that as they cure they will will get even tighter.
We have made the transition to the winter garden. Our salads are now spinach,onion and grated carrot. Our cooked greens are now collards,broccoli,brussels sprouts, cabbage and spinach. While I miss fresh tomatoes and cucumbers and green beans and snow peas, I'm enjoying the flavors of fall.
Ida Bailey Allen has helped make this all happen. Jimmy has never been a biscuit fan. A few weeks ago I decided to try Ida's 100 year old biscuit recipe. I can truly say they are the best biscuits EVER. After downing a few even jimmy is a convert. Over the next few blogs I will be passing on some of Ida's recipes that we have tried and had great success with. So, check back often for yummy ideas for dinner that are classic and easy.

Artisan Lifestyle, Prophet Frankie, Astrology Update, Virgo, Pisces, Aries, Libra

We have some noteworthy changes going on in the sky! Saturn, is about to move out of Virgo in a couple of weeks and into Libra. Big ole sigh of relief for Virgos and Pisces. Its been a tough couple of years for these folks. Resources have been limited in the house that Saturn is traveling in. Hard work just seems to lead to more hard work with little recognition or appreciation. Saturn is the planet of authority and limitation. Saturn sets parameters and will not allow those parameters to be breached. You must stay inside the set rules and learn hard lessons.. Saturn is Karma and Dharma boot camp, if you will. The house Saturn is transiting is the camp and Saturn is the drill sergeant on your ass. Saturn is the internal parent..... the learned voice in your head. Classically Saturn is the father figure ... in our modern times with gender roles constantly in flux... Saturn is now the quintessential archetypal parent. In Myth Saturn feared for the destiny of his children.... in an effort to control them he swallowed them as they were born, until one day one child was born and hidden by its mother. The child (Jupiter) grew up and challenged the father, split him open and released all the children who were then able to take their rightful places in the world.
Most of us have experienced what we perceive (or what may be) unreasonable controls in our early developing lives at some time or another by authority figures. Impressions were made and patterns were set. Virgo and Pisces have been living those limitations and controls for the last 2 or so years. Virgos especially have felt as though they were slogging through knee deep mud. Saturn Transits especially over the Sun can make one feel invisible at best, picked on at worse. But ultimately Saturn is heavy. When Saturn Leaves Virgo there will be a sensation of the burden being lifted and movement outside the parameters can occur. The feeling of being invisible or overburdened will slowly dissipate over the holiday season. New choices can be made with a more mature and responsible outlook. As an added bonus Jupiter, the reward planet will enter Pisces in January and will help to move things along nicely, creating a sense that 'it was all worth it'. Congrats Virgo and Pisces ... you made it. Now take those lessons learned and the banked energy and move forward with it. Compared with the last couple of years, 2010 will seem like a cakewalk with you landing on the winning number.
Libra and Aries ... Your lessons will begin just about Halloween. Saturn is going to ask you to get grounded, become responsible and put others before yourself. Its going to ask you to take personal responsibility for your relationship decisions and get nothing back for a couple of years. If you have been the center of attention it will either take that away or ask what you have been doing with the attention. Have you used it for good or evil? New relationships entering your lives will be heavy with responsibility. Older established relationships will challenge you in new ways. Its up to you to examine your own culpability here. Group dynamics will change significantly. Saturn will not stop you from getting what you want... it will delay it until you are ready for it. While our modern society is determined to make every aspect of our lives "family friendly" Saturn knows that some things are for grown-ups only and kids are not allowed. So, if you want it.... You have to grow up to get it!
Saturn will retrograde back into Virgo in January for one last reminder of the lessons of the last few years for Virgos and Pisces. For Aries and Libra the next three months will give you a preview of the next 2 years or so and then back off to give you a chance to prepare. Its all part of the life cycle, So while V&P's rejoice and Libras and Aries groan with distaste.... remember that none of planets make anything happen.... They are a timing device , a clock, that tell us when class starts and ends. You can stubbornly refuse to do the work in which case the challenges will be a waste of time and you will suffer the griefs for no reason or you can do the work and take the tests and be rewarded at the end of it all. Its up to you.