Persimmon Glen

Taming the Wilds

noreply@blogger.com (Roxy) — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 00:48:00 +0000

As I was scraping snow off of the porch today with a dust pan, I started wondering who was taming who?

I started with a raw piece of land three years ago come April 1st and this is my third winter here.
Seems to me I'm the one that's been tamed.
Sure, I've carved out a small corner for my home and even dug out a few terraces for when I have company, a place for a table and chairs and of course the firepit. I had a driveway made and brought in a storage shed, but thats about as far as I've gotten.
The weeds up the hill tend to take over now, after trying to battle them every year, I kind of gave up on that. After all, I reason, I don't spend a lot of time there. It's all I can do to keep the weeds down from around my yard. Gave up on grass. Tried to plant some special shade loving grass and that didn't do too well. Of course, I didn't try to help it along either once I got to thinking about having to mow it.

The driveway I had put in that goes to the area on the hill where I eventually want to build another small cabin is getting washed out by the runoff from the top of the mountain. Oh, well, I think. It's gonna be a long time before I can start another cabin, and in the meantime, I hardly ever drive up there anyway.

My first year here, I spent the whole spring,summer and fall raking and burning leaves and cleaning tangled vines and dead leaves off of the 500 rock wall. I cut back weeds and claimed an area as my yard space, making it even bigger the second year. By my third spring and summer here I decided that raking leaves goes against nature and decided to let them go, gently raking only a small area, and after all, how big of a yard do I really need?

The first year here, I made a twig fence with character, now it's starting to crumble away and I'm planning on rebuilding parts of it next year. I started out with a 12 ft pond, digging and digging it out, then filled it in and settled for a small tiered one about 3 ft across.

I had all of these grand plans, and still do, but my land has taught me that it's more important to learn it's rhythms and work with it rather than against it. I have learned to slow down and listen and stop fighting to tame this land. It has been here a long time and will be here long after I'm gone and nothing I do to change it is going to last anyway.

I have learned patience from my trees. I tended to want everything now. I wanted all of my visions for this land to happen as soon as possible and it doesn't work that way.
I am building a life here, trying to keep it debt free and unless you have some deep pockets, it doesn't happen overnight.

So, next year, surely I will get my room addition done, after all, I've had the floor down since last summer.
,
Next year, I will finish my porch, after all, I got a good part of it done last summer.

Next year, I will have my own indoor shower if I manage to get the addition done.

I have found that I am the one that has been tamed. I have fallen in with the rhythms of nature, hibernating in the winter, looking forward to the warmth of Spring and the new green shoots popping out of the ground, slowing down in the summer heat, and relaxing on the deck in the crisp cool autumn air.
The day is warming and the snow is melting in the sunshine. Why keep shoveling it off when I can let nature do it's own job.
Think I'll make some snow cream instead before it all melts away.

Old Fashioned Christmas, Radical Idea

noreply@blogger.com (Roxy) — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 13:07:00 +0000

Being the time of year it is I feel the need to pass along a few thoughts that are rolling around in my mind.

I wander around the local malls, stores, the television and the world wide web and am surrounded by Christmas. Songs coming from every corner of every room I enter, lights and
decorations abound. Buy, buy, buy is the message everywhere.

I happen to live in a tourist area and this means it is multiplied with the commercialism of
bringing tourists in to shop, shop, shop. Christmas is everywhere you go this time of year.

Debates get hotter and hotter as the 25th nears over the commercialism and the meaning of
Christmas. The Christians are mad if a manger is left out of holiday decorations, the Jews
are mad if a menorah isn't displayed, we now have state regulations for decorations in all
government buildings, was Jesus really born on Dec 25th, is it a Pagan or a Christian
holiday, is it 'Happy Holidays', or 'Merry Christmas', ad nauseum..

As the years pass I see the meaning of Christmas going away and being replaced with a lot
of hatred and anger, stress and depression. This has become the time of year when more
people commit suicide and feel bad about themselves based on what they DON'T have. The haves and have not's are brought into sharp relief.

If you don't have the latest gadgets and hottest toys under the tree we feel sorry for you,
so we drop gifts in the Toys for Tots box at the local department store or we pick a name
off the angel tree and buy some warm socks for you. The churches ask for food donations to
give to the needy.

I can't help but notice that when giving to others, no one is purchasing a Wii or an MP3
player to drop in the box. It's usually the most basic of needs we stick in those big boxes that is supposed to light up the eyes of a child at Christmas.

Poor kids, they aren't getting a Nintendo for Christmas so lets give them a cheap plastic
firetruck and maybe that will make them feel better.(or us)

Poor homeless, they don't have a Mcmansion decorated to the hilt and relatives coming to
impress with how much they can spend on the holiday, so let's give them a can of spam and
hope that makes them feel better about themselves.(or us)

Poor lonely people, they have no family, so lets visit the nursing home and act like we care
once a year.

Charity after charity beg for your money, after all, it's almost the end of the year and you
can write it off your taxes.

Do your 'Christian' duty and give, give, give....

Let's face it, the holiday season has become all about money.

The reason people are so sad this time of year is because of all the commercialism. Spend,
spend, spend, and if you don't have it to spend then there's something wrong with you.

I think there's something wrong with buying into all of the commercialism.

Think back on your own childhood. Do you remember every present you ever got or do you
remember the time spent with family and friends more? What is it that made the holidays
memorable for you? Maybe THAT is what we should be passing down to our children.

If we could stop the madness and try having a holiday that involved a good meal shared with
family and friends, singing some carols together, perhaps sharing some handmade trinkets,
and celebrating what is really in our hearts and important, whether religious or not, maybe
the world would be a kinder, gentler place the rest of the year.

No one would feel inferior, no one would feel left out and lonely.

Spread the giving throughout the year. Everyone still needs a warm meal, a hug, a kind word

and a warm coat after the holidays.

Try having some backbone and standing against all the hype. Who knows, maybe it would spread and catch on and then we could really remember what we got for Christmas...

A bad case of the warm fuzzies... Lol!!!

Yule time

noreply@blogger.com (Roxy) — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 13:51:00 +0000

Well, I think it's time to wake this blog up again. It's December and I'm not too busy this time of year working outside. Time to settle in for the winter and enjoy catching up on inside activities.
It's snowing outside right now and that never fails to make me want to curl up with a good book and spend the day being lazy.
I have stocked up on herbs for medicines, made an Elderberry tincture for colds and the flu, put up a few Yuletide decorations and now looking forward to hibernation. If I didn't have to leave the house to work, I would be one happy bear. I think it's good for me though, not just for the money, but I tend to become a hermit and I need to get out and be around people.
Over the last year I have managed to accomplish a few things around the homestead. I will be posting some pics in the coming days.
In the meantime I do have a few new pics of my tiny house on my Facebook page, this link should get you there...
I have added siding, and expanded the deck, I also have the floor done for a 10 X 12 room I'm adding on. That will be a bathroom and closet. Can't wait till that's done! I have the materials waiting for the walls and roof, all from the local sawmill.
I am also in the process of putting cedar shingles on the roof which looks pretty nice, better when it's done.
The Winter solstice is Dec 21st, on the night of the 20th there will be a full lunar eclipse, mark it on your calendar, those don't come along very often!
Thanks for hanging in with me, and thanks to my followers for asking where I've been. I will get back to posting regularly now, and have some new pics for you.
See ya soon!

Spinning Wheels

noreply@blogger.com (Roxy) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 11:46:00 +0000

You know, sometimes it feels like the wheels are spinning, but I'm not getting anywhere. Life has a way of doing that to us sometimes, and the only one we have to blame for that is ourselves.

The last few months have been that way for me, seemingly all due to the state of the economy. I'm certainly not the only one that has been out of work before and I definitely won't be the last, it's just tough when it hits home.

Life has a way of looking up in direct proportion to your attitude. When you keep your eyes on the sky, the sky has no limit. My wheels are spinning and I'm starting to go somewhere now. Thank God. Really.

Persimmon Glen hasn't seen a lot of changes in a while. I managed to add a roof to a short portion of the porch, with plans to get that enclosed by winter, and I put in a new stone walkway and laid out pathways through a rather large shade garden with a few plants being added.

The small vegetable garden I put out was thoroughly enjoyed by the rabbits and crows. The only thing left is the garlic and a couple of pepper plants. Ah, well, there's always next year.

Work has picked up and now I'm confident I'll be able to start getting more done around here. I have three days a week off, plenty of time to work on various projects, and I am so looking forward to that. Question is, which one first?

That is usually answered by how much help I get. It's hard for one person to get some jobs done, but I manage most of the time. I have friends and family that show up sometimes and help to put their stamp on the land along with me, and I appreciate every one of them.

I'm still looking for that one special guy to come along and be a permanent helpmate for me. Been looking for a long time and I always have high hopes. It will happen someday, in the meantime I'll keep chugging along...

Busy as a Bee

noreply@blogger.com (Roxy) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 11:11:00 +0000

Morning Everybody. I've been real busy lately. Working, looking for work, working on the yard, working on the house. Do you sense a recurring theme here?

Spring heralds a lot of work. We come out of semi-hibernation when the temperatures go up. Just like the local black bears, we are driven by the need to eat. Humans also seem driven by the need to improve their surroundings. Take a trip to Lowes or Home Depot on a sunny Saturday and you'll know exactly what I mean.

Carts are loaded with building materials, flowers and garden plants. I managed to get a small garden started with onions, garlic, lettuce, carrots, radishes and potatoes and will be expanding as I put in tomatoes, peppers, cataloupes, beans and squash. The ground here in Persimmon Glen is soft and friable and easy to work, thank goodness. I've been tilling by hand and luckily it hasn't been hard. I hope the little seeds agreee with me.

Tomatoes are going in this week and I will plant them the way I always have, on their side. I have had great results planting tomatoes in a trench and will continue to do so. I've made several terraces in my sloping yard, built a new firepit and grill, added an eight foot section of roof to the porch (cost $50), planted grass seed, waited for the pond to fill and raked leaves.

I have officially been here a year as of April 1st. When I think back to all the things that have been accomplished in that time I wonder how I've done it. Who would have thought I would have been able to make do just fine with no running water? My composting toilet system works great and now I can't imagine having it any other way.

Now I can sit on my porch and wonder what the next year will bring. I have so many projects on the table and hopefully I will manage to get each one accomplished by winter. I bought a small woodstove at a yard sale for $20 that will heat the house this coming winter instead of electric heaters. I should also have a permanent bathroom built on with a shower, so I won't need the outdoor shower anymore. I might turn that into a hen house for next spring.

Whatever the year brings I will be content and happy, making do with less....

My Lesson for the Day...

noreply@blogger.com (Roxy) — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 12:53:00 +0000

I had to laugh the other day, not at myself, but at our American society as a whole.

Let me explain.

The weather here lately has been wonderful, and I've spent every spare minute I could get working outside. I'm finishing up my pond. It has some water in it from my rain barrels! Hooray! Now, I'll sit back and wait for the rain to fill it up and do some decorating.

I also have been busy building several terraces in my yard which is on a slope and makes it a bit difficult to find a level spot to put a table and some chairs. When you live in a tiny house, your outdoor space becomes an extension of your home, so I need lots of space for company. I have a huge firepit and a dedicated cooking area, both for grilling and for baking. I plan on having people over a lot this year and wanted a nice large space for a table and chairs, since having company almost always revolves around food.

The terraces have been built by hand. I start digging on the high side, moving the dirt to the lower side against a low rock wall which I built by moving rocks from all around my property. Each terrace is small with steps going from one to another, so it's almost like having a bunch of separate rooms, all built around the fire pit and next to the pond.

So a few days ago, I had a few family members over for a picnic. The weather was just right and the day was beautiful. My oldest son has a new girlfriend and she came with him. I really like her and am trying to get to know her better.

My family and friends all know that I live here with no running water and I use buckets inside for a bathroom, and they don't think anything of it, but I was a little nervous about the new girlfriend. I knew she would have to use the toilet at some point while she was here and I didn't know what she would think when I had to show her the bucket to use.

So, we're visiting and waiting for the rest of the gang to arrive and watching the fire and she tells me how pretty it is here and how much she likes it. Then she tells me that where she comes from, almost all cooking is done over fires outside. Then she proceeds to tell me how difficult it was for her to get used to cities when she moved here because she had always lived in the country, and that where she lived, they didn't have bathrooms like everyone has here. When they need to go, they just go outside somewhere, and all showers are outside and taken with cold rain water. She said it was very much like what I have here, except that in El Salvador they don't have trees like I have, they have banana and mango and lime and avocado trees everywhere.

Well, this was my kind of girl, and I instantly lost my nervousness over a bucket, so I proceeded to show her my outdoor shower and my compost piles and explain how I compost the human waste. She thought that was a wonderful idea.

Later, after everyone left, I got to thinking about Americans. In this country, those of us who are going back to the basics are in essense just learning to live as people in many other countries have always lived. Yet here, we're seen as 'progressives' with our new ideas for living in harmony with the natural order of things. How backward we really are! We have become so accustomed over many generations to all the niceties of modern living that we have a tendency to forget our own roots and to realize that there are people all over the world who know nothing of our modern lifestyles.

In these political times and with our country's recession in full bloom, people are panicked over the cost of bread at the grocery store, and it is seen as almost radical for a guy to dig up his manicured lawn in order to grow his own food, and it's seen as a terrible thing to have to cut back on the cable bill and start using coupons and start shopping at the discount stores.

In my opinion, these are good things for this country. We've all gotten too soft and our society is spoiled. In a way, I wouldn't mind seeing everything crash in order to teach people some lessons and force them to learn how to grow a tomato and save rain water for a garden and not a lawn.

Maybe then more people would learn to appreciate the niceties and not take them for granted as our due, and maybe then we would learn some patience by having to wait for a watermelon to ripen on the vine and children would get off the computers and video games and learn where a hamburger really comes from. We wouldn't be so immersed in instant gratification and be such a throw away society.

People from other cultures have so much to teach us if we would just learn to listen.

Reduce, Reuse and Save Money

noreply@blogger.com (Roxy) — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 13:36:00 +0000

Today I thought I would share some great ways to reduce, reuse, recycle and save money.

It's free to become a member, all you do is list some books or dvd's that you don't want anymore, other members request them from you, you wrap them up and mail them off. When the other member receives the book or DVD from you, you get a credit which you can then use to request a book or DVD for yourself. The only cost involved is the cost of mailing. What a great way to recycle and save money. Feel free to click on the link on the side of this page, it will take you directly to each site.

You can also take books, cd's and dvd's to local shops for credit that you can use to purchase more more from their store.

If you'd like to make a few dollars from your books or dvds, then you can sell them directly on Amazon.com or Half.com. It doesn't cost anything to list your items, they take a small percentage when you have sold one, then transfer the money to your bank account.

If you have some things laying around that you'd like to get rid of, list them on either Freecycle or on Craigslist. Both sites are free.

If you need rain barrels you might try asking at the carwash. The soap that they use comes in barrels that are perfect for collecting water. See if they would be willing to sell you a few. I take mine to the carwash and rinse all the soap out of them.

Of course, there are lots of thrift stores around to help out the budget and start going to yard sales. You can save a tremendous amount of money on things you need.

Around the house, start saving glass bottles instead of throwing them away. You can re-use them for storing anything from buttons to putting homeade jam in them, or you can even build yourself something with them. Mortar them in a wall and it will be highly insulated.

Re-use plastic bags of all kinds. Save your old bread bags and the bags from the produce department, any kind you get. That will save you from buying so many new ones.

If you're a smoker, here's a great tip that will save a ton. Buy yourself a pipe and buy bulk cigarette tobacco from the smoke shop. Smoke that instead of costly prepackaged cigarettes, or you can roll your own. The cigarette stores sell all the makings.

Get a freezer, preferably used, and start buying in bulk when items are on sale. Shop at the bread outlet stores and freeze if necessary. You can freeze milk when it's on sale, just make sure you remove a small amount first to leave room for expansion.That also helps to reduce the number of trips you make to the store, saving gas.

Buy your lumber from a local sawmill if possible. You'll see a tremendous savings over going to your Big Box store, and you will get true measurements. A 2x4 actually measures two inches by four inches, rather than 1 1/2 inches by 3 1/2 inches.

One of the most simple ways to save money is to always pay cash. Leave credit cards for others to use. If you don't have cash, don't buy. What good is it to get an item on sale if you'll have to pay all that interest? If you absolutely have to use your credit cards, make sure you can pay it in full at the end of the month.

Shop the discount stores, like Dollar General and Family Dollar, Dollar Tree for things like aspirin, shampoo, beauty and household products. They work just as well as name brands at a fraction of the cost, and you'll also find name brands at a big discount, even over Walmart.

Unplug anything around the house that you don't use all the time. Most televisions use 80% of their power even when they are turned off, so unplug that baby if you're not watching. Likewise with everything else in your house. It takes a bit of getting used to, but you'll be rewarded with lower electric bills.

If you're a cook, save money by making from scratch. You can make that Hamburger Helper way cheaper on your own rather than buying a box and it really doesn't take much more time.

Here's a neat little tip for making your mascara last longer. When you think the tube is empty, you can usually get another month out of it by letting it warm in a cup of warm water. The warm water will soften it and you'll get a lot more uses out of it. One caution, once you start doing this, you'll have to do it every time, so don't do it until you think it's empty.

Try using witch hazel instead of expensive astringents. You can get a large bottle for a dollar and it will last a very long time.

Make a great garden cart out of an old lawn mower that doesn't work. Remove the engine, bolt a metal trash can to it where the engine used to be and you've got a great cart for moving things around your yard.

I hope these tips help you to be creative in reusing and recycling. Look at everything in a new way and you'll come up with lots of great ideas of your own.

Books, Bookselling & Bibliophilia

noreply@blogger.com (Roxy) — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 16:10:00 +0000

I have a confession to make. I am a bibliophile. This is something that seems to slowly creep up on you and takes you by surprise.

I have always loved reading, even as a child I would devour the written word in any form imaginable, even to the back of the cereal box or the intructions on a shampoo bottle. I haunted the libraries as a young lady with no budget to buy new and I viewed bookstores as an enemy at times, because they put all that temptation out there and I didn't have the money to buy. I would borrow from the library as many as were allowed to check out at once and was rarely late in turning them back in, but when I was, I didn't mind paying the fee, as I thought that would only help the library to purchase new books for me to peruse.

I never was a reader of much fiction. I proffered books that I could learn from, be they medical reference or herbals to how-to books of all kinds. Along came thrift stores and yard sales, and I gradually picked up a nice little collection of books, mostly herbals and back to the land types. Subjects that would stay on my shelves forever. Once in awhile I would pick up a book just for the looks of it, for I loved old books and how they looked on a shelf. If I ever bought a new book, it would never be a novel, for whats the use of paying $20 for a book I will read once in less than a week and have no more use for?

About eight years ago I discovered books on the internet. I was browsing the web and chanced upon a site that would allow anyone to sell a book through their website and make money. A bright light went off in my mind and I was flooded with a sense that this was what I had been searching for all of my life. I methodically went through my small collection of books which amounted to about a hundred, checked to see how much they were worth to someone on the ether that is the internet, and painfully decided whether or not I could part with any of them. Most had no value to anyone other then myself, but then I came upon a small paperback about 90 pages long that I had picked up at a yard sale for ten cents. It was on Tae kwan do, or jujitsu or something or another and it was worth ninety dollars! Suddenly it wasn't the least bit painful to part with, and so I listed it for sale. Within 2 days it sold and I was happily packing it up to ship to the new owner. I had started a new business that lasted for five years.

It was a business that I dearly loved. I could work from home, browse thrift stores, yard sales , and library book sales for a living. As a newbie to the business, I picked up lots of clunkers because I had no idea what made a book valuable, but I had set a limit of about .50 for a paperback and a dollar for a hardback so I wouldn't be out much if it wasn't worth anything.

Gradually my business grew, I learned all about first editions, bindings, octo's quarto's, conditions and how to describe an old leatherbound volume in booksellers terms and what type of books would be worth more than another. I built my own website and was a member of several venerable booksellers institutions. I shipped books around the world daily and delighted in every moment.

I ended up specializing in old and rare childrens books, mainly because I had found an almost inexhaustible supply of them. I was amazed at the prices that collectors would pay. I had many books that sold for $100, $200, $300 and on to $500, and all I had to do was find them, research their values, describe them correctly, list them for sale and put them on a shelf until a new home was found.

After 5 years I had approximately 10,000 books listed for sale and a roomful of boxes filled to the ceiling and a storage unit waiting for me to get to them. I was surrounded by books, everywhere I looked. I bought a storage unit to house the shelves full of books, ( which is what I live in now) each in their own category from novels to health to poetry to new age and many more. I had 75 categories of books and my own private bookstore to peruse all I liked. One of the best perks is being able to keep the ones I wanted for my own collection.

Alas, all good things must come to an end. Everybody and their brother got in on it, and each one would price their book at least a penny below the next one, until they had driven the prices down so much there wasn't any profitability in it. I sold my business and went back to a regular job. Which actually was good in a way. I needed to be out among people again. When you work from home life can get pretty lonely at times.

Now I have a wonderful collection of books on many subjects. I have over a hundred cookbooks, I have a huge collection of metaphysical subjects, histories and beliefs of various religions, herbals, homesteading and sustainable practices, histories of Scotland and Ireland, many various other subjects, I even collect books about books! I couldn't part with any of them.

My tiny house has 3 tall bookcases overflowing with books and many more in boxes in storage waiting for the day that I have more room to keep them displayed.

Yes, I am a bibliophile. I love the look and the feel and the smell of books. My most recent purchase is from a guy named Lamar Alexander who has written a wonderful book called Simple Solar Homesteading. He sells it mainly as an e-book and you can find it here.

I don't like e-books as I want to touch and feel, and curl up on the couch with them, so when I purchased this, I tried a half dozen times and couldn't get it to download to my computer, (must've been my aversion) so I wrote and asked him to send me a printed copy, which arrived within a few days. I devoured this book in an evening and it will join my other books on the shelves of which I will never part.

So now, I scour the internet to add to my collections, and I do appraisal work and have a rare book search service. So if you've been searching for a favorite book and can't find it, let me know. If there is one anywhere in the world, I bet I can find it for you. Buying used books is one of the greenest things you can do. It saves trees and one of the best ways to recycle.

Happy Reading!

On Pond Building...

noreply@blogger.com (Roxy) — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 17:51:00 +0000

Lately I've been busy building a small garden pond, and I've found out a lot more goes into it than just digging a big hole. There are a lot of things you have to consider such as water features, location, whether or not you want fish, what kind of plants, small children, liability, ad nauseum...

So, I've been out digging when the weather permits, fighting rocks and tree roots and so far I've got a hole about 8 feet wide by about 12 feet long and about 2 feet deep. I've hit a few spots where I'm getting water trickling out of the ground, so I've interrupted some sort of seepage spring, and I was overjoyed until I started doing research and found out that's not such a good thing.

Surprise to me! I thought a spring-fed pond was the best kind you could have, but it seems that if you don't find the path on the other side of the pond it can draw the water out that you have worked so hard to put in.

Also, when you put a liner in, then that seepage is going to go underneath it and raise up the liner in the water. Not a pretty sight.

I also hit upon a huge boulder and thought that would be a nice feature in the water so I would leave it there, especially since it's too big for me to move, but if I put in a liner then it also has to cover the boulder. I find, too that unless your pond is at least 10 feet deep, then you'll have to have a liner, so it will hold water.

You are also supposed to put in shelves at different heights to place plants on. You have to have at least one sloping edge just in case a critter gets in so it will have a way out and not drown. You have to have shallow areas for frogs and turtles to bask in the sun and lay eggs, if you're gonna have fish, you can't have frogs, because the fish will eat the eggs. If you have plants, then you need fish to help the water stay clean, if you have fish or frogs, then they have to have a deep area to hibernate in come winter. If you have plants, then you don't have to feed the fish. It should be partially shaded so that algae won't take over, but you don't want it under a tree because the falling leaves will dirty it and you'll be continually cleaning it out. You must check the Ph levels often, you have to drain it out once a year and clean it. Filters, pumps, aerators, fountains, UV lights, skimmers.... Whew!!

On top of all that, you can sink thousands of dollars and a lot of constant maintenance into it.

So many rules, and too much to consider... The internet is a great tool, but sometimes you can fill your head with too much information. This has become much more complicated than I ever imagined.

Gosh, I just wanted some water in a hole with some rocks around it and maybe a waterfall so I could enjoy the sound!

How does mother nature work out all of these logistics? It's a wonder we have any natural ponds anywhere in the world. I mean really, what's up?

I'm gonna take a short break, step back and imagine my pond filled with natural rainwater, a few frogs, some dragonflys and birds bathing, the trickle of a soft waterfall and then I'll probably do my best to break all the rules and let nature take it's course. I think she can do a much better job on her own without any more interference than making hole in the ground....

I'll let you know how it turns out.

Time for Reflection...

noreply@blogger.com (Roxy) — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 14:12:00 +0000

I have seen more snow this year than I have seen in many many years of living in East Tennessee. Thats the difference between living in the valley below the mountains and living up higher in the mountains. I don't know the elevation exactly, and I don't know how to find out short of buying an altimeter, but it doesn't really matter. I'm high enough to see a lot more snow than the valley dwellers.

This has caused me to be cooped up in the house more this year. Instead of railing against it, I got to thinking, this is a really good time to reflect on the things I have accomplished so far, and plan what I hope to accomplish in the coming season. I have a long list of things to do as soon as it warms up a bit.

February is month of ups and downs. I've had several inches of snow on the ground for the last five days with temperatures in the teens and twenties, yet the weekend is supposed to be 60 degrees. On the 'up' days, I've been outside digging a large hole in the ground. I'm working on making a small garden pond and taking photos as I go so I'll be able to post them when it's finished.

The down time has allowed me to do a lot of reading, research on the internet, and cooking a lot of comfort food which is terrible for the waist line, but will come off when the weather warms and I can get out and busy myself on projects around here. Hopefully.

Seed companies send out catalogs in January for a reason. They want us to think and plan and itch to get out in the dirt. That's one of my projects. I'll have a small garden this year and I'm planning on one of the no-dig methods since I don't have a tiller and I don't have any help. I have a nice big area cleared out that gets plenty of sun, and rather than plant a home there, I'll make do with the one I'm in and use that spot for planting potatoes and other goodies.

My biggest project will be to add an addition on to the house. I want a bedroom with a closet and a bath with an inside shower. I may clear out a few trees right here by the house and utilize the sun for a solar composting toilet and passive solar water heater for the shower. That will give me 288 sq ft for a kitchen and living area. That is plenty of room and I'll be able to build a permanent kitchen area instead of the temporary one I have now. That should carry me through the next winter and spring. I also plan on siding the rest of the house. That's easy and won't take too long.

All these plans make me itch to get outside and get started until I look out and see everything covered in white. Then I turn around and start thinking about what I'll make for dinner or get on the computer and reach out to others.

Or, maybe I'll just take a nap.

I think I've become a bear, putting on a layer of fat to get me through the big winter sleep, buried nice and warm in my den, then poking my nose out and sniffing the air for signs of spring so I can get busy snuffling around in the dirt for food.....

Hodge Podge

noreply@blogger.com (Roxy) — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 14:38:00 +0000

I have been distracted lately with different types of Earth Homes. Some are called Hobbit Houses because of the way they look.They're for the most part a mix of cob, straw sticks and stones. Some above and some below ground. Every one is unique.

These homes will last through the ages. They can be passed down through generations. They are made from the earth, made from materials that surround us, free for the taking. Homes that seem to rise up from the ground, completely in harmony with their surroundings. Homes that have stood the test of time, homes that have been around for thousands of years. They are made from all types of materials, depending on where you live. In the desert they are made from clay and sand, in the woodlands they are made from mud and straw and stone and stick. Wherever they are they reflect their surroundings. If you haven't looked in to this type of building, let me introduce you. I want to prove the point that you don't have to have lots of money in order to get back to the land. What you do need is dedication and a strong back, or friends with strong backs. I've had plenty of time lately to do some web surfing and here are some great sites and photos.

This house is amazing. At a cost of about $4,000 dollars these people have a beautiful and unique home. Here's alink to the website for more info: Low Impact Woodland Home

This home is about an hour away from me, I'd like to see it.It's a combination of rammed earth, earthbags and cob. Here's a link to the website Hobbit House Homestead

This one is way cool Gary Zukers Hobbit House

Another from Fine Home Building

By the way, here's a very interesting article about using human waste to power vehicles:

The Norwegians really have it together!

The Cob Cottage Company has some great info and pics

Bear Bells

In Alaska's National Forests, a tour guide was giving a talk to a group of tourists about hiking in grizzly bear territory: "Most bear encounters occur when hikers, being extra quiet along the trails in hopes of viewing wildlife, accidentally stumble into bears. The resulting surprise can be catastrophic."

To avoid this, he suggested that each hiker wear tiny bells on their clothing to warn the bears of their presence. "Also," he said further, "be especially cautious when you see signs of bears in the area, especially when you see bear droppings."

One tourist asked, "How do you identify bear droppings?"

"Oh that's easy," the guide explained, "its the ones with all the tiny bells in them!"

Ramblin...

noreply@blogger.com (Roxy) — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 18:32:00 +0000

Just some ramblings today...

A couple of months ago I was on one my day trips and I saw the coolest idea. Wish I could remember where I saw it so I could go back and take a picture, but someone had used one of those huge old satellite dishes for a roof over a hot tub. I immediately thought it would also be a great idea for a roof over a gazebo. Those things are about 8 feet across. They had turned it upside down so it looked like a dome and painted it. What a cool idea, huh? I'm gonna keep an eye out and maybe I could pick one up for next to nothing.

I am a fool for outdoor cooking in any form and eventually I will have built around here just about every way that you could possibly cook over a fire. It may end up looking like a museum for primitive cooking techniques.

Lately I've been investigating rocket stoves like they build into cob houses and how they could be adapted for indoor or outdoor cooking and heating and also to heat water. Very interesting...

My son tried to talk me out of buying animal crackers to give to the horses on the

basis that it was some sort of comical cannibalism.... I just wanted to buy them

cause I could get a great big bag really cheap.

Would it be too odd looking if I used either straw bales or maybe earthbags to add on a bedroom to my house? I mean, even though I live in a metal insulated building it's still basically conventional looking and an addition should look like it belongs to the rest of your house right? I really like cob and earthbags but usually they are covered with some sort of mud/adobe looking material. I guess I could cover this house with mud too. Yeah, then I could give the neighbors something to talk about...

I got a pretty awesome deal at a thrift store last week. I didn't know what it was till I got it home and did some research. Its made by Katadyn and it's called a Gravidyn. They had $3 marked on it and I asked if they would take less because two of the filters inside were broken. They let me have it for a dollar. I was just going to use it for water storage, but now I find out that brand new, these things cost $220 and they will filter 39,000 gallons of water.

New filters cost about $60 bucks each though, and it takes 3 of them. I need two, so I think I will save my pennies and get them. That way I can drink my rainwater.

What an awesome deal!

Drink in the Landscape

noreply@blogger.com (Roxy) — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 14:59:00 +0000

I'm about to give away a secret recipe. I made this drink about 10 years ago while on a camping trip and it was so good, I wished I could bottle it and sell it. I call it 'SassyJack'.

It's a little bit of trouble to make the first time, but boy, is it worth it. First you have to get hold of some good AppleJack. You can make it yourself, searches find several recipes, or you can combine apple brandy with Jack Daniels 1:1 or you can buy yourself a good bottle. Laird's AppleJack is the best and its the oldest distillery in the country.

Mine came from somewhere back in the hills around here...

Next you have to find yourself a Sassafras tree. Locate one that's at least 2-3 inches in diameter. Get out your trusty shovel and dig about 6-8 inches from the base of the tree, find a good sized root and chop it off. Don't take more than one root from a tree unless it's a really big one, you don't want to kill it.

Are you still with me?

Then you wash it real good, and peel the outer layer away and chop it up and boil it for about 10 minutes till you get a nice ruby red color. I like to add sugar while I'm boiling, some don't like it sweetened. I usually use a granite coffepot and cook it over a fire, so I use about a half cup of sugar to a cup of roots. Strain it and get yourself a good sized glass. I use a quart mason jar. Mix 3 parts sassafras tea to one part Applejack over ice and enjoy. Mmm,mmm, mighty larrapin' !!

Sumac Ade

Another good drink you can make is from wild gathered Staghorn sumac. Gather the seedheads in late July or early August for peak flavor. Taste them as you pick, because sometimes the seeds can be bland. You're gonna need 6-8 to make a pitcher. Put them in a big bowl and pour cold water to cover and let them steep till you have a nice pink color. Add some sugar to taste, strain through cheesecloth and serve over ice. This is tangy like lemonade and for the grown-ups you can add vodka.

Mint Julep

Here's a good way to use up some of that Spearmint that's growing wild all over the place. Mint Juleps are a traditional drink of the south. There are several ways to make it, here is the easiest way:

Chill a mug or tumbler and add 2 teas sugar, 2 teas water and some mint sprigs. crush with a spoon, then add crushed ice and 2 oz of your favorite bourbon.

Here's a good recipe if you want to make several at a time:

Make a simple syrup by boiling together 2 cups sugar and 2 cups water for five minutes. Cool and place in a covered container with 5-6 sprigs of mint in the refrigerator overnight. Take that and make one julep at a time by adding crushed ice, 1 tablespoonful of mint syrup and two ounces of your favorite bourbon. Add a sprig of mint to garnish the top.

Something about this drink always reminds me of 'Gone With the Wind'.... Here's to ya!!

Snowbound

noreply@blogger.com (Roxy) — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 12:26:00 +0000

Life in the country is pretty awesome.

Snow piles up at your door, icicles hang from the roof, can't open the front door without a torch to melt the various forms of water.

Trekking 200 ft up hill to the power pole in boots, a long coat and scarf and gloves, in knee-deep snow because I tripped the breaker by running 2 heaters and a coffeepot at the same time. It was cold, what can I say? Thing is, I did it twice.

At least I'm not alone in my solitude. I don't hear many cars moving on the road. That means everyone either totally abandoned the countryside, or they are bundled up inside against the storm too.

The usual peace and quiet is magnified by six inches of snow. You can hear a pin drop out there. I actually heard a horse fart from 100 yards away.

The mailman is the only brave soul to wander loose. He came up my little private lane yesterday to deliver a couple of books I had ordered and I wanted to latch on to him and not let go. I was so happy to hear another human voice. I asked him what the roads were like 'out there'. What a dumb question, but it was the quickest thing my frozen brain could think of to hold him here for just a moment, for a moment, I knew, was all he had for me. I wondered how many times that day he had been invited in to someones home for a cup of coffee, so that they, too, could hear the news from 'out there'.

Three days of being stuck in the house has rendered me insensible. Never mind that I wouldn't have gone anywhere anyway, it's the idea that I can't. So today I have promised myself that I will venture out. In the car. I'll have to think of something I need from town. Surely there is something I HAVE to have. Oh, I know!

People!

I'll wander out and see that the rest of the world is still out there. Down in the valley there is no snow, so life will be going on as usual. I'll hang out for a couple of hours just to reassure myself, then I'll happily make my way back home, glad to be tucked back in to my quiet peaceful little world, where dogs snore and horses hang their heads over the fence begging for animal crackers.

Yes, life in the country is pretty awesome.

SourDough Cooking....

noreply@blogger.com (Roxy) — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 15:20:00 +0000

Sourdough cooking can be as much a mystery as you want to make it, but it really is a simple thing to do. The origins of sourdough go back into the mists of time and some starters are alleged to be as old as ancient Egypt! Starters have been passed from generation to generation and some can even command very high prices. This only adds to the mystery of sourdough.

There is tale after tale of Alaskan sourdoughs and the extreme means they went to to preserve their starters. For example, Mary Lee Davis, in her book, Uncle Sams Attic, tells how one old prospector, having lost his pack mule in a snowslide down a mountainside, painfully climbed all the way down and quickly scraped into his empty tobacco tin some of the sourdough that had spilled over the dead mule's nose.

There are so many variations and 'rules' for making your sourdough starter that it can become intimidating to the point that a lot of people would just throw up their hands and go the local bakery instead. There is also a lot of argument as to what constitutes a 'true' sourdough starter, but I'm here to tell you to relax, it's actually very simple to do and delicious to eat, and do you really care if your starter has a pedigree?

Sourdough starter has a great many uses, not just for making a delicious loaf of bread, but it also makes tasty pancakes, biscuits, cakes, cookies and a fantastic coating for chicken and steaks.

Here's what you do to make your starter:

First thing to do is consider how often you will use it and how much of it you will use. This determines the size of the container to make it in. A crock is the best thing, but you can also use a glass container. Do not use metal, and allow plenty of room for expansion. When I had a family to cook for, I made mine in a gallon sized glass jar. Now, just for me, I use a quart sized crock.

I'm going to give you the larger recipe and you can take it from there.

In a large crock, at least 3 quarts, soften 1 pkg. active dry yeast in 1 qt warm water. Your water needs to be slightly over body temperature, no hotter or you will kill the yeast. Add 2 tbls sugar. You can substitute honey or molasses if you like. Add 4 c white flour. Beat to mix.

Cover with a cloth. Do not use a tight lid or it will explode and you'll be cleaning glass and sourdough from the ceiling! Let rise in a warm place until light and slightly aged, 24-48 hours. It should have a good sour smell. It is then ready to use and can be kept in the refrigerator without attention for 7-10 days. If you're not going to use it for longer than that, then you can freeze it, just make sure to allow plenty of time for it to thaw and age again before you do use it.

Now, every time you use it, you'll add back in equal parts of flour and water and let it age again. So, if you use 2 cups of starter in a recipe, add back in 2 cups flour and 2 cups water. Got it? That's all there is to keeping your starter going.

When you're ready to use it, stir it well. It will have a liquid on the top that is only slightly less volatile than high test aviation gasoline. This liquid is where the word 'Hooch' came from as the Tlinget indians of Hooch-in-Noo Alaska used to make barrels of sourdough and dip into the liquid that formed at the top for a liquor that would get you rip-roaring drunk and give you a hangover of the same proportions!

Now you're ready to make some bread. Unless you want to make a sponge 24 hours ahead of time, you're still gonna use a package of yeast. What you're after here is the wonderful aroma and taste of sourdough.

Alaskan Sourdough Bread

1 c milk

1/3 c sugar

1/3 c shortening or oil

1 tbl salt

1 pkg dry yeast

2 tbl lukewarm water

1 1/2 c starter

5 c flour

Make sure all ingredients are lukewarm. Dissolve yeast in 2 tbls lukewarm water, place in large mixing bowl, then add sugar, shortening, milk and starter. Mix, add salt and gradually add flour and knead the dough till soft and smooth. Place in greased bowl and cover. let rise in warm place till doubled in size.

Punch down, remove from bowl and knead again, cut in half, shape into two round loaves, place on cookie sheet and let rise again till doubled in size and bake at 350 degress about an hour till done. Enjoy!

Try substituting water for the milk, add 1 teas baking powder and 1 pkg onion soup mix (or 1/2 c chopped green onions) and you'll have a delicious onion bread.

Here's a great recipe for Sourdough Steak

1 inch thick round steak

1 c all-purpose flour

2 teas onion salt

2 teas paprika

1 teas black pepper

1 c sourdough starter

3/4 cup oil

Using a meat tenderizer, pound steak to 1/2 inch thick, cut into serving pieces. Combine flour and seasonings. Dip pounded steak in Sourdough Starter, then in flour mixture. Fry in hot oil.

I know this is not the healthiest thing to cook, but once in a while it doesn't hurt to have some good old-fashioned cooking, and man oh man is this ever good!

Now that you have your starter you're ready to make any number of goodies, from pancakes to biscuits, doughnuts to pizza dough, cakes to Bannock bread.

On Herbalism...

noreply@blogger.com (Roxy) — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 14:43:00 +0000

I love to take a walk through the mountains. I'm not into hiking per se, I prefer nature walking. I've been told by quite a few others that I'm rather unusual in that, while I'm walking or even just driving down the road, I am checking out every plant in my vision field. I happen to think it's weird that others don't do that.... Read more..

Pictures of Persimmon Glen

noreply@blogger.com (Roxy) — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 14:32:00 +0000

I have lots of new photos posted!

More Frugal Cleaning Tips

noreply@blogger.com (Roxy) — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 13:00:00 +0000

As promised...

Cataloochee, NC

noreply@blogger.com (Roxy) — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 13:36:00 +0000

This is a really nice trip to see the 200 or so Elk that the National Park Service have reintroduced into the National Park. Cataloochee Valley at one time had a population of about 1500 people until the Park came along, and there are several old homes, barns, and a church to see there. There is also a campground if you want to stay a while, and there is also a horse camp if you want to bring your horses.

There are two ways to get there, both require traveling on dirt roads. My favorite is to take Hwy 321E out of Gatlinburg towards Cosby. At the stop sign turn right which is hwy 32. The pavement ends 11 miles ahead at the North Carolina state line and where the Appalachian trail crosses. Less than a mile beyond that you'll come to pavement again and a four-way stop. This is Mt Sterling NC. Go straight through another 16 miles of dirt roads and where the road ends turn right and you'll be in the valley. You'll see a few mountain homes, but mostly you'll be driving through the park, so take your time and enjoy the scenery.

Back at the four way stop, you can turn right and check out Big Creek which is a beautiful campground and picnic area. If you go left at the four way, about a half mile down the road you'll see the Hydro power plant at Waterville and the spot where the rafters from Hartford begin their trips on the Pigeon River. You can also jump on I-40 there if you like.

An easier way to get there is to take I-40 east towards Asheville. Take exit 20 (Hwy 276) in North Carolina and then take the very first right which is Cove Creek Rd. You'll see a small sign for Cataloochee.

Follow that road about three miles and it becomes a dirt road as you climb the mountain. You'll go another 7 miles on dirt roads and it will bring you into the valley. Once you're in the valley the roads are paved again.

The best times to see Elk are at dawn and dusk when they come down from the hills and graze in the valley, so you'll have to time your trip accordingly. This is a trip where you'll want to bring your own food and water as there are no stores or eateries in Cataloochee.

I make this trip quite often because it's only a 40 minute drive from me. I live off of hwy 32, so I usually take it to Mt Sterling and then jump on the interstate to get there quicke

Dreams of the Mother...

noreply@blogger.com (Roxy) — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 00:58:00 +0000

I have been a subscriber off and on of Mother Earth News since the early 80's, and every opportunity I got I would snatch up back issues at thrift stores or yard sales. I lovingly saved every issue thinking that someday I would get to use all of the wonderful tips found in the pages of this back- to- earth- diy encyclopedia of knowledge.

Del Rio Tennessee

noreply@blogger.com (Roxy) — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 14:14:00 +0000

I'm going to stay in the same general area today. Take 25/70 east out of Newport about 12 miles and you'll find Del Rio, TN, famous for moonshiners, cock-fighting and as the setting for the novel 'Christy' by Catherine Marshall and subsequent movie, televison series and Broadway musical. The fictional "El Pano' in the book is Del Rio and the fictional 'Cutter Gap' is Chapel Hollow.

Take Hwy 107 west into Del Rio and you'll see the old train station (There's only a sign there now), post office and boarding house, then go about a half mile to Old Fifteenth and turn right. You're going to follow an old dirt road about 4 miles, so this trip is best taken in good weather. The road is wide enough for only one car a good part of the way, so drive slowly and enjoy the scenery. About 3 miles in you'll see Ebenezer Church, take a left at that branch to see the Church/ Schoolhouse. Go to the right and follow the signs to see the mission property. There are plenty of signs to mark the way. You can spend as much time there as you want and this is a nice place to have a picnic. You can tour the original O'Teale cabin and there are a lot of signs marking places in the book.

If you haven't read this book, I highly recommend it. It's about a young city girl from Asheville NC that goes to live and teach children at a christian mission in the 'wilds' of the appalachian mountains and her adventures with the mountain people that live there. You'll learn a lot about the ways of mountain people.

Every year there is a 'Christyfest' held in Townsend TN where the series was filmed. This year it's being held June 17-21st. There is a great video about this area here on YouTube you might enjoy.

New Stuff!

noreply@blogger.com (Roxy) — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 14:12:00 +0000

I've added a new discussion board. Please feel free to participate and add anything you'd like.

I've also added a new page for day trips. If you live near or plan to visit Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge or Sevierville I'll be adding a new day trip every day, so if you want to find some out of the way places to go keep an eye out on this page!!

Follow me...

One Crappy Subject...

noreply@blogger.com (Roxy) — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 18:34:00 +0000

I have had several emails from readers asking me to elaborate on how to get by without a conventional toilet and septic system, so here ya go...

When I first moved here, I tried using the Humanure concept of having one bucket with a Luggable Loo seat for all my 'duties'. I did this for about 3 months and didn't like the odor created in the bucket, and anytime I had company they were a little put off by it. It smells just like any other old outhouse or porta-potti. Plus it was actually pretty messy to empty the bucket into the compost bin. It tends to 'slop' everywhere.

I have several books on the subject and have done loads of research and I very much preferred the idea of urine separating toilets.

In my house, I don't have dedicated bathroom yet and won't have one for a while, so I devised an easier way of working this out. Just use two buckets. My urine bucket is yellow ( who'da thunk it) and I have a little bit taller bucket for 'doodie', to which I add three scoops of peat moss every time it's used. One bag of peat moss lasts six months and cost $7 at Walmart. The solids bucket actually has already started composting before I get it emptied.

Voila! No more odor problem and the buckets are much easier to empty. Living by myself and being home all the time since I'm not working, I empty the urine bucket about once a week and the 'duty' bucket about once a month.

I have two sides to my composting bin, one for solids, one for liquids, both about 3 ft by 3 ft made from chicken wire I had leftover from building a dog pen. My main source of organic material is leaves as I have so many I'll never see the bare ground. Every time time I add to the compost pile I add more leaves. I siphon water from a rainbarrel to clean out the buckets and leave them to dry out in the sun for a few days. I have backup buckets for this reason because the plastic can start to smell funny after a while.

I have not had any problem with insects or animals, and no odor and I have used the same bin for going on ten months now, have never had to turn it, and it's still only about half full. The bottom is full of rich, beautiful compost, so I won't be adding much more to it. I want it to fully compost so I can add it to the garden this summer.

I managed to get ten wooden pallets for free from a pallet company and will make a new compost bin as soon as the blasted rain lets up and we get a warm day. Then I'll build a three compartment bin, the middle bin will be filled with organic matter so it'll be handy to add to the compost. I like Joe Jenkins compost bins and plan to build mine just the same, with a roof over them where I can collect rainwater and it will be right there to clean out my buckets.

Eventually I plan on having a regular bathroom with an Envirolet toilet and a urine diverter built in, and the bucket will be under the house in a concrete chamber so it can be emptied from outside. I may even build the chambers big enough so it can compost right there. That way I can shovel the compost from there to the garden with no stops in between.

There ya go. There are many ways of doing this and when you start researching you may find a way that you like better. Try googling dry Toilets or human waste composting and see what you can come up with. I also have a few interesting sites on my links page.

Moving

noreply@blogger.com (Roxy) — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 21:36:00 +0000

I am moving my blog after today. I will continue to have snippets here, but if you want to read my entire post, you will need to go to

Persimmon Glen

I hope you all will follow. I will be adding a lot more to this new site, including my favorite books and websites, and a couple of new blogs on different subjects.

Thanks for following, please keep it up!

You Can Move a Mountain

noreply@blogger.com (Roxy) — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 18:36:00 +0000

I am blessed with rocks.

Where I live they are everywhere. You can't dig even the smallest hole without hitting one. I pick them up all the time, and every time I look there is another. I love every single one of them and wish there were more.

In fact, I went to the river to get some for a pathway. I wanted the smooth round flat river rocks. Mine are very rough and would never work for a path, but I have plans for each and every one. They will be beautiful low walls and I'll make a nice barbeque grill out of them. They will work well for a root cellar and for foundation stones, flower beds and to line pathways. They're perfect for ringing a campfire and I may even have a fireplace built out of them one day. I'll go back to the river to get small smooth river rock to make my countertops. I may even have to buy some, because I want a bath with stone floors and walls.

Along one side of my property I have an old moss covered rock wall. Its about 500 feet long. It's falling down in places but it has so much charm. On the other side of the wall is about fifteen acres of pasture land.

A local fella came by one day and got to telling me some of the history of the area. It seems his great grandfather used to own that land before it was a pasture. Said they wanted to plant an apple orchard and so every tree along with the stumps were removed with a pair of mules. It took many years and the ground was also full of rocks which they would stack up along the border. Every year erosion would cause more rocks to show themselves, so every year there were more rocks to pile up.

I understand from reading about how to build rock walls, that you should put the largest ones on top. From looking at all the rock walls around here, that seems to be true. Now this is a puzzle to me. Just exactly how did they get those great big ones on top of the little ones without making them fall? These walls around here are about 3 feet high. How did they do this?

I had one that had fallen from the wall and I needed to move it. It took three of us with a stout lever to get it off the ground enough to be able to wrap rope around and around it, then it was tied to a four wheel drive hitch and dragged about 20 feet and at that point the heavy duty rope broke. That sucker will sit there forever, cause I ain't movin it...

Eventually, he said, his family moved and took the apple trees with them. I look at my property and can't imagine how much fortitude it must have taken to remove every single tree along with the roots and the rocks and without a bulldozer to do the work for you, and to think, that has been done all over the world where people have settled in woodland areas.

Makes me think of the pyramids in Egypt, and dozens of other ancient monuments that were built by human sweat.

I think those are truly monuments to what will power can do. When you set your mind to it, you can move a mountain....