In order to produce milk, a dairy goat must give birth. She will continue to produce milk after the kid is gone as long as she is still milked daily. I bought Nilah, my Nigerian Dwarf Goat at around 10 months old, and it would finally be her first time kidding. It was my first time, too. … Continue reading The birth of Ely
Beginning a garden in Phoenix wasn't just going to be difficult because of the heat, I also don't own the property where I live and thus didn't want to plant anything into the ground. Could I successfully keep garden plants without planting a real garden, in Phoenix? The seasons are different from most other states. … Continue reading My green thumb
It was midnight in Alaska when I arrived. The trip was a last minute whim. I could see the sunset on the horizon. "Why is it light outside?" I joked to the women sitting beside me on the plane, both Anchorage natives. Aliza, with whom I'd be staying, met me at the arrivals in her big … Continue reading Anchorage after the breakup
Now back to that nifty, sleek little compost bin on the counter. The tiny collector on the counter plays a huge role in our little sustainable circle of life around here. It is primarily fed banana peels (because I use a banana a day in my smoothies) but also regularly includes leftover salad scraps, onion … Continue reading The circle of life
The more I learned about sustainable farming, the more things I realized that I needed to change. I needed to use less plastic, ditch plastic bags altogether, switch to glass whenever possible, and recycle more than I trash. When we lived in Seattle I was impressed by the city's system of recycling. There was even a … Continue reading Do you know how to recycle? I didn’t
It all happened rather quickly. The first week we picked up the chicks and the next I was taking a quick trip over to my parent's (three hours away) to pick up my horse, where she had stayed while I was in Seattle, and my goat who had also been at my parents, but had been … Continue reading A tiny gift from the desert
One moment I had my dream job with the Community College Initiative near Seattle, the next I was in Arizona, wrapped up in warm blanket of 95 degrees. My life has always taken some interesting turns, I never do know where I'll end up next. Brent promised me from the beginning too, that hanging … Continue reading Meanwhile, back at the farm
I buried my toes in the sand and peered off into the foggy mist that hovered over the Kite Festival in Long Beach, Washington. It was cool, but not cold for an August afternoon. My hair whipped madly against the ocean air that was tickling the show kites every which way. Kite festivals draw an interesting crowd; … Continue reading To the beat of the foghorn
Even on the clearest of Seattle mornings I can often see the fog rolling away over the ocean, while the smell of fresh fish still lingers on the morning dew. I live near Ballard and the docks where the Deadliest Catch boats tie up, and gruff fisherman unload their loot. Mornings when I wake up with the windows open, I'm … Continue reading No time for sleep in Seattle
“Without inner peace, outer peace is impossible. We all wish for world peace, but world peace will never be acheived unless we first establish peace within our own minds. We can send so-called 'peacekeeping forces' into areas of conflict, but peace cannot be oppossed from the outside with guns. Only by creating peace within our … Continue reading Mindful lessons from buddhists
Poesie Sans, Souci 