tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14088662027647982342024-03-05T01:10:15.070-08:00Joan Goes GreenCan an average Jo really make a difference?Joan Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00500271748314374941noreply@blogger.comBlogger112125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1408866202764798234.post-62060713585025647572021-05-31T17:54:00.000-07:002021-05-31T17:54:08.589-07:00RIP Daisy<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuKFCmhcqJ1KEA1jfcxROX86MzFc8fOYzc28Xr7H9O_bvQXtdoYjM3CDsZ2NUQu-dhiFEjhnmzKt3k4W6zfOSC83z8DlmCswKyvwHsaNnDlEhi98A4I9F_1txhIep_7J67COuxwZ5AiX3C/s512/IMG_0365.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="512" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuKFCmhcqJ1KEA1jfcxROX86MzFc8fOYzc28Xr7H9O_bvQXtdoYjM3CDsZ2NUQu-dhiFEjhnmzKt3k4W6zfOSC83z8DlmCswKyvwHsaNnDlEhi98A4I9F_1txhIep_7J67COuxwZ5AiX3C/w400-h300/IMG_0365.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjczpzWzrVFhF4-Ut4hIywfzZImnbjL7Fu5VXHk312gQYvozbEM2D5fd-9ttGZ_vQK5WNQoNux0B6uwU6JOhkXZ4RMST8azWFXm91KQwSCkVEame8fbLbMwpcKvCTR8bqu_0D2Bz044DX3N/s2048/P3040046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjczpzWzrVFhF4-Ut4hIywfzZImnbjL7Fu5VXHk312gQYvozbEM2D5fd-9ttGZ_vQK5WNQoNux0B6uwU6JOhkXZ4RMST8azWFXm91KQwSCkVEame8fbLbMwpcKvCTR8bqu_0D2Bz044DX3N/w400-h300/P3040046.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI9WETcCoXPnGzT4RvYozsDRfjJp_Yn3dlDccwTqXu4Mm5CaB-vOp9zFCrMCU7kE0_KVr-O9J7YHh15RWK75DvJjif-MGJWbimSCDMcNRtpTV5MLTpZGLUP63kudQQZ5bwRQWucQ2WS8rA/s1159/IMG_0728.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1159" data-original-width="914" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI9WETcCoXPnGzT4RvYozsDRfjJp_Yn3dlDccwTqXu4Mm5CaB-vOp9zFCrMCU7kE0_KVr-O9J7YHh15RWK75DvJjif-MGJWbimSCDMcNRtpTV5MLTpZGLUP63kudQQZ5bwRQWucQ2WS8rA/w315-h400/IMG_0728.JPG" width="315" /></a></div><p></p><p>Daisy, my blue silkie, was hatched sometime in the middle of 2008, making her 13 years old when she passed peacefully yesterday, with her best friend, Duck by her side. (BTW, Duck isn't a duck, she's a buff silkie chicken). When most silkies live 7 to 9 years, Daisy definitely loved the Volcano lifestyle and lived a very, very long life. She was one of two silkies that I obtained from Just Tom of Pahoa and together with Lily (the white one) when she was just 2 months old and together, they successfully hatched out three beautiful silkies (from fertilized eggs from a breeder in TN). Daisy was so protective of the chicks and was a good momma to them. Daisy loved greens from the garden but didn't like strawberries too much. As the matriarch of the Yoshioka silkie flock, she was a sweet thing and I hold many, many fond memories of sweet Daisy. May she rest in peace.</p>Joan Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00500271748314374941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1408866202764798234.post-85510366318861827602017-02-12T15:02:00.001-08:002017-02-12T15:02:48.774-08:00Our chicken coop is in a calendar!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdREznGNtFKH0raTWZwc3xhEcdjrOqGv4Rn2xFektzwGeymjz62cxYqeSBFHZDODIQbT7S8rqkQ6G0ng04BizXGNGXqSR9a9e4ax-MNnLwacgi6gmXr0GjIffSVqjyjKo8wQkOFF323eUR/s1600/Chicken_calendar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdREznGNtFKH0raTWZwc3xhEcdjrOqGv4Rn2xFektzwGeymjz62cxYqeSBFHZDODIQbT7S8rqkQ6G0ng04BizXGNGXqSR9a9e4ax-MNnLwacgi6gmXr0GjIffSVqjyjKo8wQkOFF323eUR/s400/Chicken_calendar.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I'm very excited to report that the chicken coop I built for Lily, Daisy, and Tulip is featured on the cover (and the month of August) in Amber Lotus Publishing's <a href="http://www.amberlotus.com/chickens-and-their-coops-2017-calendar/">Chickens and their Coops 2017 calendar</a>! I think it is hilarious that my little coop sitting in my yard in Hilo, Hawaii made it's way to a national calendar. If you look carefully, you can see Lily's white butt in the picture behind the Polish chicken's tail feathers.<br />
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If you want to check out my coop build details, you can find it on Backyardchickens.com on their small coops page. I call it my <a href="http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/cottage-chicken-coop">Cottage Coop</a>. I chronicled the construction and suggested some improvements. I moved the coop to my new home and the chickies (Daisy, Duck, and Rosie) are still enjoying it.<br />
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Need a 2017 calendar? Consider buying a <a href="http://www.amberlotus.com/chickens-and-their-coops-2017-calendar/">coop calendar</a>! They are 50% off!!! :DJoan Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00500271748314374941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1408866202764798234.post-44534778543302912352015-05-08T23:00:00.001-07:002015-05-08T23:11:06.533-07:00Tiny vegetable garden<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuNb_WbUJ_6SB3HdaWR-0j9Y2VD1qe8plRnAN1GexO09qDUkpsflrcunslbDvbt-gkiMvROF1GGdco6sHft3Tx3jeiF4Q6qxlkNjroypODkZi3FunPlWNpj93WqCFIfZh-akpNCx9pH2om/s1600/garden_20150506.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuNb_WbUJ_6SB3HdaWR-0j9Y2VD1qe8plRnAN1GexO09qDUkpsflrcunslbDvbt-gkiMvROF1GGdco6sHft3Tx3jeiF4Q6qxlkNjroypODkZi3FunPlWNpj93WqCFIfZh-akpNCx9pH2om/s400/garden_20150506.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Veggies anyone?</div>
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To be honest, there was a day not long ago that I detested arugula. Ick! Several months ago, I decided I needed to eat more salads so every day, I'd pack my lunch with a huge salad with some kind of protein like chicken or fish (and sometimes some local grass-fed beef). I'd joke that I was loving it but from the look on my face, everyone KNEW it was a painful exercise. Day after day (and I rarely missed a day), I'd pack my salad and something happened about 3 weeks into my new practice, I started to look forward to my lunches. I felt better, I felt good about giving my body organic greens, and I didn't need to use any dressings any more. Amazingly, arugula is now one of my favorite greens! </div>
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My little garden is only 3 ft by 4 ft (12 sq ft) so it's tiny but it's flourishing and although I pick my salad every day, there is always more the following day! </div>
Joan Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00500271748314374941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1408866202764798234.post-80532783940485428722015-05-01T12:59:00.001-07:002015-05-01T12:59:27.182-07:00My Earth Day Project<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaXC40suxE9e7yN6qlqrmU6ili7A20Cr1f_cGMTS2pkDYrvVNEhI0VDZW50BfyeRRh0KTEBSwsqDb1vvc8nOVReupiF2-BoIlGILSK8wywYWJGn-Ahrl8seWy2yH-8nzvGzPAN4wDbQbO-/s1600/new_bed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaXC40suxE9e7yN6qlqrmU6ili7A20Cr1f_cGMTS2pkDYrvVNEhI0VDZW50BfyeRRh0KTEBSwsqDb1vvc8nOVReupiF2-BoIlGILSK8wywYWJGn-Ahrl8seWy2yH-8nzvGzPAN4wDbQbO-/s1600/new_bed.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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Earth Day is a time to celebrate the planet we share and to put into practice the things that will care for it. Seeing the pattern of carbon extruded into the air from Asia, the global warming trends, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, and human-caused impacts on our environment is daunting. But the eternal optimist in me says that if our thought patterns change about our responsibility for it, one person at a time, we will make a difference. Once our community leaders understand this, our state and country leaders will understand this. Then perhaps real change is possible.</div>
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In honor of my planet and my commitment to be less dependent on imported foods, I started another garden bed outside my kitchen door on Earth Day. Yes, it's a small one and no, it might not change the world. But, growing some of my own food has changed ME. Caring for my garden means I am focusing less on my troubles of the day and instead invest that energy positively. I can feed my friends and family and know the care that I've imparted to my garden plants will provide nutrition and sustenance for the people I care about. Trying to grow the plants organically means that I am much more in tune with the cycle of life in my garden. I am willing to share some of them with the critters that come to visit (tho' not slugs ... slugs that carry rat lung disease is serious business here). </div>
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I am a botanist by training and an endangered species botanist by career and I am continually fascinated by plants so sometimes I just stare and admire my garden and nature just outside my door. Native birds sing outside, a native rain forest surrounds my home, and my garden plants thrive in the whatever light that shines through the hapu`u (tree ferns). When I take a moment to appreciate it all, my heart swells and I feel immense gratitude for my garden, for my forest, for my island and state, for my country, and for my planet and the people on it. So no, a tiny garden bed in tiny Volcano Village won't change the world but despite that I'd say, my tiny garden results in very, very good changes indeed.</div>
Joan Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00500271748314374941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1408866202764798234.post-5185916750018984562015-04-25T00:10:00.001-07:002015-04-25T00:10:09.017-07:00The pulse of the planet<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I live on an active volcano, Kilauea. Being so close to new earth being formed, it is a constant reminder that we, humans, are merely minute participants on this really awesome planet. This is a scene at Halema`uma`u Crater just 3 miles from my home as the crow flies. For this eruption, this is the first time the lava pool has reached so close to the surface that it's been visible from the Jaggar Overlook. Tutu Pele showed us her beautiful display of spewing magma tonight! I am in total awe!Joan Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00500271748314374941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1408866202764798234.post-64866684175920973882015-04-23T23:27:00.000-07:002015-04-24T16:30:11.903-07:00Growing my own food<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk6oKcFGIGr1hiIm5Lgeh5zOa3SsSMbwz-buxegkkR5f2uFeUvSygcsVD2ICCCA0eCje9Q9_-Sy5i7TUEmNQzE1-tZk7-nA8rSJhEhw9IlHlR980wy6SgWZUipeXk15w44vP3puymZCPb5/s1600/lettuce_20140422.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk6oKcFGIGr1hiIm5Lgeh5zOa3SsSMbwz-buxegkkR5f2uFeUvSygcsVD2ICCCA0eCje9Q9_-Sy5i7TUEmNQzE1-tZk7-nA8rSJhEhw9IlHlR980wy6SgWZUipeXk15w44vP3puymZCPb5/s1600/lettuce_20140422.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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Manoa lettuce, chives, arugula</div>
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My nightly task: picking out slugs and caterpillars with my trusty flashlight in hand. Score: 2 leopard slugs, 5 smaller slugs, 9 giant dark gray caterpillars (<i>edit: they're cutworms!</i>), 6 green caterpillars, and a zillion aphids and whiteflies.</div>
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I am in a quandry. Is there a humane way to dispatch them quickly and painlessly? They are all non-native (i.e. don't belong) so taking them elsewhere doesn't seem like a reasonable choice. Any suggestions?</div>
<br />Joan Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00500271748314374941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1408866202764798234.post-32050881390165344752015-04-18T15:01:00.003-07:002015-04-18T15:01:50.335-07:00Raised garden bed in Volcano<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl0Sm17woaLglVL8YRqI7s-W8wGZ3sIdSYG9OzQXeBKQbJ3kUr8F25qKadVLVqzfrEWfVxYTJT76BSinuGe9mqkRRnxgYPA3UIycKUHv1gMXLnp_MQ6HeyGVA1oRxDv3h73Ew_m_H4a_XE/s1600/raised_garden_20150418.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl0Sm17woaLglVL8YRqI7s-W8wGZ3sIdSYG9OzQXeBKQbJ3kUr8F25qKadVLVqzfrEWfVxYTJT76BSinuGe9mqkRRnxgYPA3UIycKUHv1gMXLnp_MQ6HeyGVA1oRxDv3h73Ew_m_H4a_XE/s1600/raised_garden_20150418.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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My raised garden beds just outside the kitchen door</div>
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At just under 4,000 ft in elevation, Volcano is nice and cool and water is rarely an issue so perfect for leafy vegetables. So, about 3 weeks ago and with the help from my Goddaughter, I started another raised garden bed for rainbow chard, arugula, lettuce, and spinach. I added some chives a week later. To make use of every bit of space, I snuck in a couple rows of lettuce for microgreens that I plan to collect before my lettuces get too big. I've been eating a lot of salads these days so I'm pretty sure I could eat all of the greens in a couple meals so I'm thinking another bed is in order!</div>
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The smaller boxes, started about 2 weeks ago, contain cilantro (foreground) and mesclun (background) and to increase the chances of getting a few harvests before my cilantro bolts, I am trying <a href="http://www.sunset.com/garden/flowers-plants/better-way-grow-cilantro">this cilantro-growing technique</a> that I found on Pinterest. I'm really hopeful and will post pics as my plants mature. :)</div>
Joan Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00500271748314374941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1408866202764798234.post-7522802399798083262015-02-23T13:49:00.000-08:002015-02-23T13:49:15.634-08:00Vog 1, Sage 0<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGaljeI0wC8w3DPnWMVFxfJW3ZXxOtu9223KXjBWt7Qa7ioUq9ZVVBjSE-96ztvXE1d74BNDG3-n2LpISYnieyUD5_Ddoy0MVcMa7eLf0oWevr-oDEBLSHKlVR_npJbYCMA-F35csHlRep/s1600/sage_in_vog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGaljeI0wC8w3DPnWMVFxfJW3ZXxOtu9223KXjBWt7Qa7ioUq9ZVVBjSE-96ztvXE1d74BNDG3-n2LpISYnieyUD5_Ddoy0MVcMa7eLf0oWevr-oDEBLSHKlVR_npJbYCMA-F35csHlRep/s1600/sage_in_vog.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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There are plants that are just susceptible to vog and that includes sage. Vog is volcanic fog/smog and is comprised of sulfuric acid and other sulfates when carbon dioxide that the volcano emits mixes with water and oxygen. Halemaumau Crater is just 3 miles from where I live (as the crow flies) so you can imagine that we get vog every now and again. One day this week tho', it settled like fog and stuck around for a bit.</div>
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My sage had been growing really well with the rest of my herbs in my garden bed but then one vog event and the leaves shriveled and died! The other herbs got it too but the sage got hit the worst. Anyone from Volcano have any suggestions on protecting delicate plants from vog?</div>
<br />Joan Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00500271748314374941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1408866202764798234.post-5000193961299244622015-02-09T17:52:00.001-08:002015-02-09T17:53:42.440-08:00Raised herb garden<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDPd3jP4TYNIeX1OVWtTGzNYG_AhOdzav5GvsVaf26UdzJEiHfsQbL3VZn3zIbK9dNPAxosHri7v9NmAGgO_qRvQRQuWCLmgyho8XLbc_TFrMey3vM6A64iPtBCSMKrrAeE7NFwqN7Lkw8/s1600/raised_herb_bed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDPd3jP4TYNIeX1OVWtTGzNYG_AhOdzav5GvsVaf26UdzJEiHfsQbL3VZn3zIbK9dNPAxosHri7v9NmAGgO_qRvQRQuWCLmgyho8XLbc_TFrMey3vM6A64iPtBCSMKrrAeE7NFwqN7Lkw8/s1600/raised_herb_bed.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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I've finally started my herb garden in Volcano! It took awhile to find the spot with the most sun but I've gotten it situated to receive just about as much sun as it can get. From top left to the bottom right, I have lemon grass, rosemary, dill, sage, crinkly and Italian parsley, mint, and thyme. I'm thrilled to be able to grow my own food, even if it means starting small with my herb garden. The soil is fortified with prepared rabbit manure (thanks to Murk, my angora rabbit) so I expect vigorous growth soon! :DJoan Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00500271748314374941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1408866202764798234.post-85340747942812452002014-04-27T23:07:00.000-07:002014-04-27T23:07:15.589-07:00Famous Silkies! Super Stahhhhh!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDqVMeMNfjJOY880Jxjy8XqzGrwo5xLlLe7byx54orLpTn1neztz9s_CRhmL67z71Ye2UgSge2wzmkDk3NiverhXk1J7R-QXLGHIJR_M12dZQBVuJsTuo_zDFTlzavZ8ECnYc_5p0m_urS/s1600/Tulip_Buttercup_Cam_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDqVMeMNfjJOY880Jxjy8XqzGrwo5xLlLe7byx54orLpTn1neztz9s_CRhmL67z71Ye2UgSge2wzmkDk3NiverhXk1J7R-QXLGHIJR_M12dZQBVuJsTuo_zDFTlzavZ8ECnYc_5p0m_urS/s1600/Tulip_Buttercup_Cam_3.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Tulip (left), Buttercup (middle), and Camellia (right), above, made it to <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/25/silkie-chicken_n_5200292.html?utm_hp_ref=fb&src=sp&comm_ref=false">Huffington Post</a>! They're famous!!!</div>
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Tulip, Camellia, and Buttercup at 12 days old</div>
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My chickies got their first taste of fame this week when an article about silkies got written in the article, "<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/25/silkie-chicken_n_5200292.html?utm_hp_ref=fb&src=sp&comm_ref=false">We just found your dream pet. Its a chicken</a>" in Huffington Post Online. They're the second pic in the article! </div>
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Oh yeah, no one asked to use my photo but I guess I can overlook it this one time. By the way, if you Google "silkie chickens," or any iteration of it, an image of these three are one of the first to appear! SUPERSTAHHHHH!</div>
<br />Joan Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00500271748314374941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1408866202764798234.post-356683482631014412013-02-09T22:55:00.002-08:002013-02-09T22:58:02.626-08:00Duck's a *she* ... Hmmm, I think<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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That's Duck in the background (and Tulip in the foreground). Looks like Duck's really a *she* ... at least I'm pretty sure she is. Yay! At 6 months old, maybe we'll be seeing some eggs soon. :D</div>
<br />Joan Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00500271748314374941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1408866202764798234.post-45890738058390542202012-10-16T15:03:00.001-07:002012-10-16T19:33:21.096-07:00What a fluffball!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Duck will be 2.5 months old in just a couple days and he (or she) is really filling out!Joan Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00500271748314374941noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1408866202764798234.post-27795485670228680052012-08-05T20:53:00.000-07:002012-08-05T20:53:18.767-07:00Duck's First Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Of the 5 hatching eggs, 3 were viable but only 1 hatched. So, here is beautiful Duck, named by my friend's son. Yes, Duck is a buff-colored silkie chicken. That kid knows irony. LOLJoan Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00500271748314374941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1408866202764798234.post-55594402709321560702012-07-22T18:48:00.005-07:002012-07-22T18:48:56.464-07:00Candled chicken egg - 6 days<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm so excited to have found that 3 of the 5 Silkie eggs are fertile and developing well at 6 days. They are all from buff parents so ... *fingers crossed*.<br />
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<br />Joan Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00500271748314374941noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1408866202764798234.post-47415173831451558792012-07-14T19:06:00.000-07:002012-07-14T19:06:21.093-07:00Hatching eggs have arrived!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Woohoo! My hatching eggs arrived from the mainland on Thursday and I picked them up at the post office yesterday. I was so excited to find 2 extra eggs in there! So, that means I have 3 buff and 2 white silkie hatching eggs! The eggs are acclimatizing to my home and ... WERE ... getting ready to be set under my hens. But then ... Tulip and Daisy decided not to sit anymore! No matter the bribing, they just aren't broody anymore. Usually, if there are a couple eggs left in the nest, they will brood in an instant (!). Silkies are great mommas that way. But alas, these two hard boiled eggs and 3 eggs laid by Daisy that were left in the nest to entice the girls to brood resulted in no such luck. </div>
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So, what else is there? A special (and somewhat frantic) trip to town to pick up an incubator from Del's. I'm not going to even mention the cost because I think it's a little ridiculous that I spent so much on 5 hatching eggs. If you're inclined to figure cost ... I got the Little Giant 9200 Still Air Incubator ... </div>
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PLUS, the 6300 automatic egg turner ...</div>
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Plus, the 7200 forced air fan kit ...</div>
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I've installed the fan and egg turner per instruction and added the water (which I boiled and cooled just in case since I use catchment water). And now it's a waiting game. I am trying to equalize the temperature at 99.5 degrees and suspect it will take me at least 24 hrs. I'll probably set the eggs tomorrow when I get home from church. Wish me luck!</div>
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<br />Joan Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00500271748314374941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1408866202764798234.post-3571415062192868112012-07-03T22:09:00.004-07:002012-07-03T22:09:47.838-07:00Chicken treats<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Tulip</div>
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I have yet to set up a composter at my new house so been sharing my compost with my chickies (and bunnies) and since I couldn't remember all the things I should and shouldn't give them, I'm putting the list here. I've indicated the ones that my peeps absolutely *LOVE*. If you have more suggestions, could you please leave them in the comments section? I'll add them to the list. THANKS!</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b style="background-color: white;">Great treats:</b> </span>mealworms*, cracked corn*, fruits (watermelon*, tomatoes, papayas*, apples, pears, etc.), corn on the cob, greens and vegetables (cut grass, lettuce, kale*, cabbage, green beans, carrot and beet tops*, celery, spinach, etc.), cooked items (oatmeal, eggs, pasta, breads, etc.), fish (fresh parts or cooked), milk products (yogurt, cottage cheese, string cheese, etc.).</div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Don't give these:</span></b> citrus, avocado skins and pit, raisins (the seeds are toxic; some might argue they're okay but I don't just to be on the safe side), raw green potato peels, salty and oily things.</div>Joan Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00500271748314374941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1408866202764798234.post-28173714675865601832012-07-03T19:01:00.001-07:002012-07-03T19:05:40.062-07:00Kale chipsA couple friends told me about kale chips and my first reaction was, "WHAT?!" I seriously thought they were kidding me. "Yeah, they're crispy like potato chips!" Could there really be another way to eat one of my favorite garden vegetables?<br />
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So I tried it and they were exactly right!<br />
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Here's how I made mine:<br />
For about a handful of kale, remove the midrib, sprinkle with olive oil and mix to evenly distribute the oil, and bake until crispy at 300 degrees for about 15 minutes. I sprinkled lightly with salt afterwards.<br />
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They are really super crispy and delish! I ate them up so fast I didn't even bother to take a pic. Will add one next time. I think I'm going to raid the garden now! :DJoan Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00500271748314374941noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1408866202764798234.post-20449140564919909412011-12-30T13:00:00.000-08:002011-12-30T14:46:17.346-08:00Little hapu`u<span class="Apple-style-span"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpTW8dzK57dxL_nuML2hWKypMNsbu_F3mmKCjV3ep2ttcOIZ1h4unXvgFKDtebxAduBdOgTGP8yJ4pSNsyr7Cun4w5AQEhMgJLN7y_ooOqlQOHgJdmV4Lg4ITlK72Q5uIlijDiQ27GCxUI/s1600/littlehapuu.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpTW8dzK57dxL_nuML2hWKypMNsbu_F3mmKCjV3ep2ttcOIZ1h4unXvgFKDtebxAduBdOgTGP8yJ4pSNsyr7Cun4w5AQEhMgJLN7y_ooOqlQOHgJdmV4Lg4ITlK72Q5uIlijDiQ27GCxUI/s400/littlehapuu.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5692029411669891442" /></a>I am finally in my "new" house and yes, I took this photo in my living room. LOL. I bought the ultimate "green" home. It's a great cabin and very homey. Most of it is made with salvage lumber and what you see is the result of my taking off 1 3/4" canec from the walls and 3/4" canec from the ceiling. Canec is </span>pressed cane fiber impregnated with arsenic. <span class="Apple-style-span">So, you see why this was the first things I removed. The image is of the inside of the wall. Not a pretty sight but it's solid. The ceiling is now insulated and drywalled and I'm about to build a 2X4 studded wall and plan to insulate it with some R-13. That should warm things up quite a bit. That, and my new stove. :) I brought in this little hapuu (tree fern) from outside and it caught the light in such a pretty way that I HAD to capture the moment. It feels good to be in my own home. :)</span>Joan Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00500271748314374941noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1408866202764798234.post-66930358947231471502011-04-27T21:04:00.000-07:002011-04-27T21:29:52.315-07:00Aquaponics Update, April 27, 2011<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicOp8OuROvvoduE5dtjOQioyDWPPA_SKQyYsdGRuW9I0xi5Hal50TKLkANDGSBhNbk3bRMJFkEuioppPX2hTx4Z84OHRRpzGXig_3HDQRwds-7ahY5iobUGOWSU2J5yGttHKRPdT-CveWk/s1600/aquaponics_20110427.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicOp8OuROvvoduE5dtjOQioyDWPPA_SKQyYsdGRuW9I0xi5Hal50TKLkANDGSBhNbk3bRMJFkEuioppPX2hTx4Z84OHRRpzGXig_3HDQRwds-7ahY5iobUGOWSU2J5yGttHKRPdT-CveWk/s400/aquaponics_20110427.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600480501705849314" /></a>I'm excited that folks at our Seicho-No-Ie truth realization seminar made a short visit to the house to see my "mini farm" this weekend. We checked out my aquaponics system, little chickies, bunnies, fishies, and even worms. I think the kids enjoyed feeding all of them and collecting eggs! Chicken eggs, that is! And we picked alot of lettuce and watercress for our dinner salad. It felt really, really good to share what I grew with friends.<div><br /></div><div>That evening, we boiled and colored the eggs using natural dyes ... blue with purple cabbage, green with spinach, yellow with ground tumeric, yellow with onion skins, pink with beets, and red with red onion skins. To make green, we also mixed the purple cabbage and onion skins dye and it worked really well! It made a delicate green.</div><div><br /></div><div>And we even had a taste test. Clifford, our chef for the weekend, tasted mainland eggs and my chickie eggs side by side ... and he said there is a definite difference and that my chickie eggs tastes like what eggs used to taste like! That's the biggest compliment ever!</div>Joan Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00500271748314374941noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1408866202764798234.post-27277392409192633032011-04-14T01:19:00.000-07:002011-04-14T01:21:38.143-07:00Layla ... pure sweetness!<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Tb0mXehGXuo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>Joan Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00500271748314374941noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1408866202764798234.post-81104349524125804332011-04-10T16:28:00.000-07:002011-04-10T16:32:25.194-07:00Shut out and shut down!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsxQ6V74y3I-dN6VjzDnXgC0BkW1fSqiWjskOfSAPKcB3x9GUkoU6hi2gxB9jLuthfaAVa_9shFXvUW4BnhI1x39kfhp0WzPZhG7tVID-vjw7SfWtj4PyTua37jGpM43RYrOFuVR0AIeIA/s1600/shutout.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsxQ6V74y3I-dN6VjzDnXgC0BkW1fSqiWjskOfSAPKcB3x9GUkoU6hi2gxB9jLuthfaAVa_9shFXvUW4BnhI1x39kfhp0WzPZhG7tVID-vjw7SfWtj4PyTua37jGpM43RYrOFuVR0AIeIA/s400/shutout.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594101408204818594" /></a><br /><div>Lily is looking rather confused ... "NO CHICKENS ALLOWED!"</div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZyrSX90wPN_8CTzSESQKqo2uW1upyv00zPxGPqTy-EdNRlni0gxnjhLMzxyx6C-WIv5v_Tf1Q6eFfZUQZwc77cltcFoXAPAnKB7y7L5iDTWWNtCkgStXLrg9_-HRfV4i3-QJzgvI3WtbH/s1600/raisedbed_20110410.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZyrSX90wPN_8CTzSESQKqo2uW1upyv00zPxGPqTy-EdNRlni0gxnjhLMzxyx6C-WIv5v_Tf1Q6eFfZUQZwc77cltcFoXAPAnKB7y7L5iDTWWNtCkgStXLrg9_-HRfV4i3-QJzgvI3WtbH/s400/raisedbed_20110410.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594101404686996482" /></a><br /></div><div>*fingers crossed*</div>Joan Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00500271748314374941noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1408866202764798234.post-13232213294637326902011-04-09T11:48:00.000-07:002011-04-13T21:53:21.145-07:00OH NO! THEY DI'INT !!!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-t1C4-eGzi6WDDFOl0wEtBS6bG8O5acnBvjpwGfsew2Sz1SBKA2GXtqQbwa7vbp3SEKX1Nf_tsZQg6GWIHqno5qFPTaMCEaalUD8dtdaNh80ZWDjSh0iOONWwKUdld0GUr1YCxEDNcaef/s1600/eaten_closeup.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-t1C4-eGzi6WDDFOl0wEtBS6bG8O5acnBvjpwGfsew2Sz1SBKA2GXtqQbwa7vbp3SEKX1Nf_tsZQg6GWIHqno5qFPTaMCEaalUD8dtdaNh80ZWDjSh0iOONWwKUdld0GUr1YCxEDNcaef/s400/eaten_closeup.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5593658305545208066" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL_380VOm61IJEsNYvyuJfHL7zI-_C4tEbWMp3RxjAlEYWaEA4ilqoZbWcz6xcEjjNL2CZFGYlJkASQc9RsgD7KbHXndqAArydsOIaMpqZOsYIvIgqr7cNigel_hcceuCHiPjFo2VP7zCB/s1600/eaten.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL_380VOm61IJEsNYvyuJfHL7zI-_C4tEbWMp3RxjAlEYWaEA4ilqoZbWcz6xcEjjNL2CZFGYlJkASQc9RsgD7KbHXndqAArydsOIaMpqZOsYIvIgqr7cNigel_hcceuCHiPjFo2VP7zCB/s400/eaten.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5593657775856436690" /></a><br /><div>*Sigh* The chickens DID ... and ate every single morsel of my kale. It was fine yesterday and bare today. One more reason to keep chickens and gardens separate. Well, their eggs better be good now that they've had an extra dose of leafy greens!</div>Joan Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00500271748314374941noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1408866202764798234.post-26993070863791308572011-04-09T01:57:00.000-07:002011-04-09T01:58:30.975-07:00Aquaponics Update - April 7, 2011<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/PVw5B0uhLkM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>Joan Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00500271748314374941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1408866202764798234.post-35751753312328351982011-03-13T17:29:00.001-07:002011-03-13T17:43:38.066-07:00Powdery mildew<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjikw3w5w72HI83mM_VTu8GYTiNAmtTteuOs3o26cG9tdTEdugs4U604oYizzz7g3AZJC28Xa2gYGBg8zetApIY9o4Xb8bd9BBn74LK3uwvk5_Uo1IZT6Il4eiQg_dgug4v9MBy9KI9Z3DI/s1600/powderymildew1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjikw3w5w72HI83mM_VTu8GYTiNAmtTteuOs3o26cG9tdTEdugs4U604oYizzz7g3AZJC28Xa2gYGBg8zetApIY9o4Xb8bd9BBn74LK3uwvk5_Uo1IZT6Il4eiQg_dgug4v9MBy9KI9Z3DI/s400/powderymildew1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583726469011111810" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Eeek! powdery mildew on my potted kale!</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsJkpk9g6fJPiEMBI66IgNf08zDTOXs6y7YzUF9PdG5fT_ALyl77bG-ksbP9fwLBt9u8IL1rUFxJTat0OWVk8HeVtJ6WHS1Q8LzfKtteDSTsYrXsCSCw4TgqkKVE7Y_W27Ov1qFWQ875Mx/s1600/powderymildew2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsJkpk9g6fJPiEMBI66IgNf08zDTOXs6y7YzUF9PdG5fT_ALyl77bG-ksbP9fwLBt9u8IL1rUFxJTat0OWVk8HeVtJ6WHS1Q8LzfKtteDSTsYrXsCSCw4TgqkKVE7Y_W27Ov1qFWQ875Mx/s400/powderymildew2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583726463584243794" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Milk treatment of powdery mildew on kale in my aquaponics bed</div><div><br /></div><div>Powdery mildew ... powdery mildew ... powdery mildew. It's a funny word combination, isn't it? Anyhoo, this fungus ended up on my redbor and regular kale in my aquaponics grow beds (It also infested my long beans in my garden but I'm so tired of eating long beans, I'll let them have it). I found out diluted whole milk (1 part milk to 4 parts water) is an effective treatment so I tried it ... and it is working! For a soy milk kind of gal, I had to buy a half quart of the stuff! It looks like I will need to treat again because there are spots that I missed but I am pleasantly surprised by the results and there is apparently no harm to my fish. I mean, milk?! Really? Yeah, really! :D</div>Joan Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00500271748314374941noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1408866202764798234.post-57615941217857823552011-02-09T10:35:00.000-08:002011-02-09T12:41:42.745-08:00Waste and growing my own food<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpuEFVS6UHd24pLDBhTnTxuZcwpJOHrKT2LJWnOYyc_rodW2amCVmbexcWSpKHrkkheo-9vXgrro_J7Caf4zwoHUSG1TrD_Ze8VnUrpDKSQac0aroXCfEseqAEoh2MJ1au6h-GECF6rX69/s1600/lettuce.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpuEFVS6UHd24pLDBhTnTxuZcwpJOHrKT2LJWnOYyc_rodW2amCVmbexcWSpKHrkkheo-9vXgrro_J7Caf4zwoHUSG1TrD_Ze8VnUrpDKSQac0aroXCfEseqAEoh2MJ1au6h-GECF6rX69/s400/lettuce.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571760403395166130" /></a>I used to waste a lot of store-bought vegetables! Know what I mean? I'm sure we all have that browning head of lettuce in our fridge and are watching 3/4 of our parsley or basil bunch turning right before our eyes. Such waste! <div><br /></div><div>Wanna eat fresh veggies, reduce waste, learn about the circle of life, work outdoors, be more self-sustainable, live a healthier lifestyle? Consider growing your own food! No matter what the kind of garden, as Martha Steward says, "It's a good thing." I have an aquaponics setup but I also have fruit trees (tangerines, papapya, star fruit, pomelo, etc.) and traditional garden beds and I'm able to pick only what I need, when I need it. Of course, I have to eat more seasonably, but that's part of the circle of life and takes some getting used to. Okay, I know I'm spoiled because I have to constantly fight the urge to demand what I want when I want it ... but that immediacy is just an artifact of the un-sustainable nature of our food system. I have to remind myself of that. </div>Joan Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00500271748314374941noreply@blogger.com1