We made it past the consumerist holidays...almost. New Years is still on the way, but I look forward to leaving this cold year behind and moving into the next. Spring will be coming with the new year, and warmth with it.
I think it is getting easier each year to not participate in Christmas. I have less guilt now, which I believe is just a carry over from cultural programming. Of course most of my extended family is still not happy with our decision not to participate in a holiday we don't believe in. I'm not sure why, but that's how it is. Our little kids are young enough, it doesn't seem to matter anyway. It's just another day. Of course, when you don't participate, you realize just how much the nonsense has saturated the American culture. As if everyone in the country has to be a part of it, by default. It's on the radio, on Pandora commercials, I get ads from my banks, not to mention the decorations everywhere. Silliness really. All (mostly) in support of a consumerist culture. Funny, my family and I spend time together every day, showing each other how much we love each other with our words and actions. Every day is about sharing the love, isn't it?
We didn't do anything alternative to celebrate. The Solstice came and went with a subtle acknowledgement of longer days to come. It is just too cold here to be motivated to do much of anything. It's too cold to process a turkey outside. I don't want to go out into the woods to look for sticks, or build a pyramid in the yard, I just want to stay warm and have the temperature rise enough for the snow to melt. Being warm is all that matters.
The animals are hanging in there. The goats wander out in the yard to stand in the sun during the day. The chickens are laying again, thanks to the light we put in their coop and the few days of above freezing temps we got. Mostly our highs hover around the high 20's. When we get up in the morning the temperature is always nearer to 0 than not.
We did find a home for our older hens. A nice man came up from Hondo to pick them up. It might be just enough warmer down that way that the chickens will lay some eggs for him.
I was looking toward Las Vegas, NM as a possible relocation, but it turns out there is no water there and the wells are drying up. There are beautiful trees close in, which means more potential for forest fires, plus, they have a recorded lowest temp of -28 F. That isn't any better than here, is it?
Fowler, CO is warmer, has a bit more water in the way of annual precipitation, and is closer to a big city. And, come to find out, they are on a fast track to becoming sustainable, removing themselves from the grid, as a town, and working hard to make their community resilient in the face of things to come. Interesting, and fits most of the criteria Richard has outlined for a better place to relocate. Of course we still have to find a suitable place and a way to finance it. That doesn't change, no matter where we look.
Thursday, December 26, 2013
Thursday, December 19, 2013
Eggs and Ospreys
We have eggs!
The temperature has reached 42 F today, although with the wind, it sure doesn't feel like it.
We found two eggs yesterday, when we were out milking the goats. Not much, but we felt so lucky to have them. Every time I opened the fridge and saw those two eggs, I wondered what we could utilize them for. Two egg omelette....french toast.....chocolate chip cookies.....brownies....one egg each for Richard and I for breakfast? I never decided. Richard decided to make zucchini bread with one of the eggs and egg re-placer, mixed with chia seed "eggs." The kids can't really have eggs, but they love zucchini bread.
And today....two more eggs!! Now we have a surplus of three. What could I do with three eggs, I wonder?
And on another note:
The SLV, or San Luis Valley is an interesting place, supposedly well known for UFO sightings. I have not seen any alien craft, but I have seen many aircraft of a military nature. We have helicopters (haven't seen any black ones out here), the C-130's that buzz our house, sometimes at night, waking everyone up in fear, and we have that other long, weird looking jet thing, kind of like an SR-71, but not, and today there was this crazy looking plane thing, that may be an Osprey. Here's a link to what we just saw flying over our farm house. Here's another. Very odd. I'm learning all about military aircraft out here in the SLV--a true plane watchers paradise.
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Long time, no eggs
We have had warmer temperatures the past few days...almost up to freezing...but not quite.
I'm afraid we may not see eggs from our chickens until spring. Chickens need 40 F days in order to lay. They aren't getting that here. We have decided to give away our older flock of hens and have someone coming to pick up the 16 chickens in the big coop. We are hoping to save a few dollars without having to feed them. Organic chicken feed is expensive, especially when they aren't laying any eggs for us to sell. We could build them a better coop with windows and passive solar gain, but that's more money and we need to spend time and money on the big barn before the goats start kidding.
We are keeping the Buff Orpingtons that we got last spring. There are ten of them, which is about perfect for our egg needs. Of course, they aren't laying now either, but we are considering building another addition on the big barn, which will allow some of the solar gain heat to spill over into the goat barn.
The turkeys and rabbits have the warmest house of the bunch. It's all closed in, has a big window across the south side, and adobe bricks against the back wall.
We haven't been able to get to a city to pick up those Lexon panels for the goat barn, so Richard used some leftover plastic form his cold tunnel projects to cover the space where the panels will go. It isn't quite the same, but it does let light and some warm sun into the barn while cutting out the wind and the cold.
Because our temperatures are so low, the snow we got at the end of November is still hanging around. It's sad when 0 F feels good, and at night when the temperatures have been falling to -10 or so, 0 is a good thing.
I am still fantasizing about moving to Las Vegas, NM, even though they have been having their own water problems. Wells are drying out and the reservoir has been down for a few years now. I don't understand why more people are not utilizing the legality of collecting rainwater. With 16 to 17 inches of precipitation a year, it seems like an easy answer to many of the water concerns. But maybe not and things might be more complicated than they appear. At any rate, I found a house over that way that is wonderful, and that we can't afford right now, but staring at it on the internet keeps my spirits up.
I'm afraid we may not see eggs from our chickens until spring. Chickens need 40 F days in order to lay. They aren't getting that here. We have decided to give away our older flock of hens and have someone coming to pick up the 16 chickens in the big coop. We are hoping to save a few dollars without having to feed them. Organic chicken feed is expensive, especially when they aren't laying any eggs for us to sell. We could build them a better coop with windows and passive solar gain, but that's more money and we need to spend time and money on the big barn before the goats start kidding.
 |
| Old chicken flock |
We are keeping the Buff Orpingtons that we got last spring. There are ten of them, which is about perfect for our egg needs. Of course, they aren't laying now either, but we are considering building another addition on the big barn, which will allow some of the solar gain heat to spill over into the goat barn.
The turkeys and rabbits have the warmest house of the bunch. It's all closed in, has a big window across the south side, and adobe bricks against the back wall.
We haven't been able to get to a city to pick up those Lexon panels for the goat barn, so Richard used some leftover plastic form his cold tunnel projects to cover the space where the panels will go. It isn't quite the same, but it does let light and some warm sun into the barn while cutting out the wind and the cold.
 |
| Plastic sheeting on goat/llama barn |
Because our temperatures are so low, the snow we got at the end of November is still hanging around. It's sad when 0 F feels good, and at night when the temperatures have been falling to -10 or so, 0 is a good thing.
 |
| kids' yard |
I am still fantasizing about moving to Las Vegas, NM, even though they have been having their own water problems. Wells are drying out and the reservoir has been down for a few years now. I don't understand why more people are not utilizing the legality of collecting rainwater. With 16 to 17 inches of precipitation a year, it seems like an easy answer to many of the water concerns. But maybe not and things might be more complicated than they appear. At any rate, I found a house over that way that is wonderful, and that we can't afford right now, but staring at it on the internet keeps my spirits up.
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Crazy chasing crazy
Humanity is not only insane, but we appear to be crazy, chasing crazy around in circles. How is it possible that so many people just do not get the magnitude of our climate crisis?
I have been preaching on this for years, and mostly to deaf ears, but once again, I have to say it is vitally important that we change our selfish human ways if we plan on diverting human extinction. I can't think of a thing that matters more. More oil? Nope. That's what keeps this crazy train on the tracks straight to a Hell of biblical proportions--a living Hell on earth.
It doesn't seem to matter though, does it? As individuals, we are so blinded by our own Egos that we fail to connect to the larger Whole, let alone see the bigger picture. What's on the agenda for today? (Enter sarcasm.) More for me!! Me, me, me. Cut down all the trees. Drill for more oil and gas. We can use that leftover fracking material to de-ice our city streets and country roads. No worries about disposing of it safely (is that even possible?). Me, me, and more for me. Bigger car, bigger house. Let's go shopping. Take another vacation around the world. Use more jet fuel. Keep on polluting. It's no one's problem, is it? Certainly it's not mine.
We've got poisoned food (GMO's), poisoned water, poisoned land, poisoned insects dying, animals going extinct, diseases brought on by global warming, we've got floods and famine, earthquakes (from fracking), fires and droughts from high global temperatures, epic storms, freezing winter temperatures, and we are still not done. Let's go shopping. We need more stuff! More stuff made out of petroleum that we can hoard away in our basements, in our garages next to our spare cars. More, more, more, for me, me and only me.
I'm willing to bet that our recent "conflicts" with Russia ultimately stem from the Global Bully, the good ol' US of A, wanting, needing, to get our dirty, greedy hands on the resources we believe are hidden in the Artic. I wonder if we will have another war? World domination for total control of all resources...isn't that what being an American is all about? (Exit sarcasm and enter reality.)
How about if we skip Christmas this year and instead of celebrating some dead guy's birth, let's celebrate our planet Earth, our true savior, because if we don't get our shit together fast, all of these "festivities," focused around consumerism, will be for naught as our planet dies and humanity goes with it.
As many know, (or not), my partner and I decided a few years ago not to celebrate Christmas anymore. Not being Christian, and being anti-consumerists, it seemed like a logical choice. We figured we could do a little bit to help save the planet by not participating in buying senseless gifts, thereby not contributing to more "resources" being taken from our beloved planet for cheap plastic crap, or whatever other holiday specific trinkets are being sold to the public.
No. We no longer participate in American Consumerist Holidays, and instead focus on how we can do our part to help heal our Mother Earth. Is anyone listening out there? Sadly, I think not.
Here's an article that will make you think as you gear up for the last minute shopping insanity:
http://truth-out.org/opinion/item/20463-the-arctic-is-the-first-and-possibly-last-line-of-defense-against-a-climate-transition-to-an-uninhabitable-earth
And a must see for the holiday season:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZjsJdokC0s
Happy Holidays NSA peeps!
PS: the cold makes me cranky.
I have been preaching on this for years, and mostly to deaf ears, but once again, I have to say it is vitally important that we change our selfish human ways if we plan on diverting human extinction. I can't think of a thing that matters more. More oil? Nope. That's what keeps this crazy train on the tracks straight to a Hell of biblical proportions--a living Hell on earth.
It doesn't seem to matter though, does it? As individuals, we are so blinded by our own Egos that we fail to connect to the larger Whole, let alone see the bigger picture. What's on the agenda for today? (Enter sarcasm.) More for me!! Me, me, me. Cut down all the trees. Drill for more oil and gas. We can use that leftover fracking material to de-ice our city streets and country roads. No worries about disposing of it safely (is that even possible?). Me, me, and more for me. Bigger car, bigger house. Let's go shopping. Take another vacation around the world. Use more jet fuel. Keep on polluting. It's no one's problem, is it? Certainly it's not mine.
We've got poisoned food (GMO's), poisoned water, poisoned land, poisoned insects dying, animals going extinct, diseases brought on by global warming, we've got floods and famine, earthquakes (from fracking), fires and droughts from high global temperatures, epic storms, freezing winter temperatures, and we are still not done. Let's go shopping. We need more stuff! More stuff made out of petroleum that we can hoard away in our basements, in our garages next to our spare cars. More, more, more, for me, me and only me.
I'm willing to bet that our recent "conflicts" with Russia ultimately stem from the Global Bully, the good ol' US of A, wanting, needing, to get our dirty, greedy hands on the resources we believe are hidden in the Artic. I wonder if we will have another war? World domination for total control of all resources...isn't that what being an American is all about? (Exit sarcasm and enter reality.)
How about if we skip Christmas this year and instead of celebrating some dead guy's birth, let's celebrate our planet Earth, our true savior, because if we don't get our shit together fast, all of these "festivities," focused around consumerism, will be for naught as our planet dies and humanity goes with it.
As many know, (or not), my partner and I decided a few years ago not to celebrate Christmas anymore. Not being Christian, and being anti-consumerists, it seemed like a logical choice. We figured we could do a little bit to help save the planet by not participating in buying senseless gifts, thereby not contributing to more "resources" being taken from our beloved planet for cheap plastic crap, or whatever other holiday specific trinkets are being sold to the public.
No. We no longer participate in American Consumerist Holidays, and instead focus on how we can do our part to help heal our Mother Earth. Is anyone listening out there? Sadly, I think not.
Here's an article that will make you think as you gear up for the last minute shopping insanity:
http://truth-out.org/opinion/item/20463-the-arctic-is-the-first-and-possibly-last-line-of-defense-against-a-climate-transition-to-an-uninhabitable-earth
And a must see for the holiday season:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZjsJdokC0s
Happy Holidays NSA peeps!
PS: the cold makes me cranky.
Monday, December 9, 2013
Used fracking chemicals to de-ice?
Oh. My. God.
What are they thinking indeed? Are people just insane? This is not going to turn out well.
I am absolutely horrified. I think this qualifies as fractaculous!!!!
http://www.popularresistance.org/rural-ny-communities-use-fracking-waste-to-de-ice-roads/
What are they thinking indeed? Are people just insane? This is not going to turn out well.
I am absolutely horrified. I think this qualifies as fractaculous!!!!
http://www.popularresistance.org/rural-ny-communities-use-fracking-waste-to-de-ice-roads/
Frigid cold
Cold, cold, frigid cold. 12 F outside right now. Alamosa is still at -6 F.
Still looking for warmer places. Maybe over by Las Vegas, NM, since Kirkland AFB has contaminated the greater Albuquerque area. Las Vegas has more precipitation per year than where we are now with average temperatures around 6 F warmer. But that is based on an old model of climate comparison, and as we all know, the climate is changing in unpredictable ways, so may be we will get lucky and the weather will be better all around. Or maybe the cold will follow me wherever I go....
The animals are all hanging in there, huddled in their barns. They come out when the sun shines, and thankfully the wind is not blowing today. The wind takes the temperature even lower with the wind chill thrown in.
We haven't had any eggs from our chickens in over a week. Too cold. Lucky we are learning how to bake Vegan for the kids. We did put lights in all the poultry housing, so maybe they will start laying again.
We are surviving the cold, and this week the forecast calls for higher temps, maybe even a few days marginally above freezing. Can't wait.
Still looking for warmer places. Maybe over by Las Vegas, NM, since Kirkland AFB has contaminated the greater Albuquerque area. Las Vegas has more precipitation per year than where we are now with average temperatures around 6 F warmer. But that is based on an old model of climate comparison, and as we all know, the climate is changing in unpredictable ways, so may be we will get lucky and the weather will be better all around. Or maybe the cold will follow me wherever I go....
The animals are all hanging in there, huddled in their barns. They come out when the sun shines, and thankfully the wind is not blowing today. The wind takes the temperature even lower with the wind chill thrown in.
We haven't had any eggs from our chickens in over a week. Too cold. Lucky we are learning how to bake Vegan for the kids. We did put lights in all the poultry housing, so maybe they will start laying again.
We are surviving the cold, and this week the forecast calls for higher temps, maybe even a few days marginally above freezing. Can't wait.
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
De-humidifying
The de-humidifier is working wonders on our tiny, condensation soaked house! The windows have dried up. The outside walls are no longer wet. Wonderful. Of course, the temperatures have been above freezing, even last night, so that may make a difference. No fear though, we have another week of snow on the way, so we can continue to test the de-humidifier as time goes by.
And, doing more research on the Albuquerque area, it seems Kirkland Air Force Base has been up to its own no good, contaminating the environment for years, and allegedly ruining the water in the aquifer beneath the city. Another one for the US government. People--zero. Won't be moving down there. Let's disband the military already. Oh, yeah, we need them to keep the War on Terror alive and well as the US terrorizes the planet for the limited resources left.
And, doing more research on the Albuquerque area, it seems Kirkland Air Force Base has been up to its own no good, contaminating the environment for years, and allegedly ruining the water in the aquifer beneath the city. Another one for the US government. People--zero. Won't be moving down there. Let's disband the military already. Oh, yeah, we need them to keep the War on Terror alive and well as the US terrorizes the planet for the limited resources left.
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
It's bigger than me
As I finish reading Voluntary Simplicity: Toward a Way of Life That is Outwardly Simple, Inwardly Rich, by Duane Elgin, I realize how petty I have been with my self-pity and abhorrence of the cold. I have forgotten myself as I cave to Ego and the whims of being more comfortable.
Our vision for Green Desert Sanctuary began as a means to help our society transition from an economy that is failing, a culture that is floundering and a humanity that is killing itself, to a society, culture and economy that is based on the idea that we are all One. Not only do we all, as living beings, share this planet, but we are all a part of this planet. We are this planet, the bits and pieces that make up the whole. And we must learn to live as such before we do ourselves in.
It doesn't matter where we ultimately end up. The land, the town, the state...is all meaningless if we do not continue our work to help others live more sustainably, more simply and also more ecologically. Our human family has reached a critical turning point where we continue to battle one another in an attempt to secure more resources for our own little selves. Ego is definitely at play in the greater scheme of things.
Richard and I made a decision a few years ago to share our knowledge, our skills and our time with anyone interested in being a part of the changing world. The change is one of learning resiliency as our planet heaves and stretches with the pains of being raped and violated by mankind. The change also seeks to connect to our great Mother Earth and to listen to her, and be willing to sacrifice or give enough of our lives and ourselves that we may begin to heal our blessed Mother Nature so that she will sustain us for many years to come. The change is personal and spiritual as we all come to a higher consciousness that lifts humanity to a higher vibration or higher frequency or higher plane of reality.
As we continue to look for a place to build our spiritual center and our sanctuary of sustainable living, we will continue to give our time and energy to those who want to learn. By no means do we know it all, hardly, but we continue to learn, taking classes as time and finances allow, and we will share that knowledge with anyone interested in joining us in creating resilient communities everywhere.
On a positive note, the temperature actually rose above freezing today. To all of us in northern NM and southern Colorado, that means a whole lot of mud with the thaw, and as I curse the mud, I am ever so thankful for the sun and the warmth on my face as I do my farm chores. Here's to simple living.
Our vision for Green Desert Sanctuary began as a means to help our society transition from an economy that is failing, a culture that is floundering and a humanity that is killing itself, to a society, culture and economy that is based on the idea that we are all One. Not only do we all, as living beings, share this planet, but we are all a part of this planet. We are this planet, the bits and pieces that make up the whole. And we must learn to live as such before we do ourselves in.
It doesn't matter where we ultimately end up. The land, the town, the state...is all meaningless if we do not continue our work to help others live more sustainably, more simply and also more ecologically. Our human family has reached a critical turning point where we continue to battle one another in an attempt to secure more resources for our own little selves. Ego is definitely at play in the greater scheme of things.
Richard and I made a decision a few years ago to share our knowledge, our skills and our time with anyone interested in being a part of the changing world. The change is one of learning resiliency as our planet heaves and stretches with the pains of being raped and violated by mankind. The change also seeks to connect to our great Mother Earth and to listen to her, and be willing to sacrifice or give enough of our lives and ourselves that we may begin to heal our blessed Mother Nature so that she will sustain us for many years to come. The change is personal and spiritual as we all come to a higher consciousness that lifts humanity to a higher vibration or higher frequency or higher plane of reality.
As we continue to look for a place to build our spiritual center and our sanctuary of sustainable living, we will continue to give our time and energy to those who want to learn. By no means do we know it all, hardly, but we continue to learn, taking classes as time and finances allow, and we will share that knowledge with anyone interested in joining us in creating resilient communities everywhere.
On a positive note, the temperature actually rose above freezing today. To all of us in northern NM and southern Colorado, that means a whole lot of mud with the thaw, and as I curse the mud, I am ever so thankful for the sun and the warmth on my face as I do my farm chores. Here's to simple living.
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