ahedderick
Farmer/Artist/Mom
The collected nonsense of an Appalachian farmer
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I love the mountains,
I love the rolling hills
I love the redbud
and all the daffodils!
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Well, there were Complications, including the road to Home Farm being closed, but I did get the new bed of asparagus planted. I have four roots left, and I'll have to find a place to put them this weekend.
The house down there also needs some work, as my son will be moving there to spend the summer with a friend who needs a place to stay. They hope to have a useful roommate arrangement, and I have my fingers crossed. There will be a bit of bother involved with getting the house ready, but I have stalled on that project for a long time. It's time to work on it again, with a "deadline" to keep me going.
As a nicer thought, my son was having some Feelings about karst geology this week, and we ended up driving to a high point on the ridge and then hiking down a steep, very steep, forbidding path to the creek bottom. He was Scrutinizing boulders and limestone outcroppings along the way, thinking spelunking thoughts. I was enjoying the wildflowers and trying not to fall ass-over-tea-kettle down the hillside.
Columbines are so tough; they grow in a teaspoon of soil wedged in a crack in the rock and make it look effortless.
Asparagus ongoing
Holy moly, I have NOT been overdoing it this week, why do I feel so sore? Yesterday I planted half the asparagus roots in my garden, but that's quick and easy compared to digging OUT the heavy clay to prepare the bed. Then, yesterday evening, I dug out a bed of ornamental vines (vinca minor) down at home farm. The soil in that was light and loamy (ok, I'll admit, the vines put up a pretty good fight about leaving). I want to plant the rest of the asparagus in there. However, this morning I am hurting all over.
I guess I'll take some Aleve and wait a while before I start. Rain's coming, though, and I want to be done before then.
#farmblr#farm#gardenblr#asparagus#farm work#permaculture#gardening#appalachia#geology#caving#limestone#appalachian mountains
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Asparagus ongoing
Holy moly, I have NOT been overdoing it this week, why do I feel so sore? Yesterday I planted half the asparagus roots in my garden, but that's quick and easy compared to digging OUT the heavy clay to prepare the bed. Then, yesterday evening, I dug out a bed of ornamental vines (vinca minor) down at home farm. The soil in that was light and loamy (ok, I'll admit, the vines put up a pretty good fight about leaving). I want to plant the rest of the asparagus in there. However, this morning I am hurting all over.
I guess I'll take some Aleve and wait a while before I start. Rain's coming, though, and I want to be done before then.
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Shouting into the void, looking for other indigenous Tumblr people:
If you are also indigenous and chronically on Tumblr, I'd like to follow you. Who are you and who are your people?
I'm Monique Poirier/ Moniquill Blackgoose. I'm Seaconke Wampanoag. I'm an author and a phlebotomist, among other things.
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"Sessile water nuts"
I think we need to discuss this further . .
Question about mollusks - I am kinda fascinated how different bivalves and gastropods are, and I wonder, how close are they to one another, really. Not just genetically, but like, in what kind of *critters* they are. Snails look to me like very recognizable "animals" with a face and all, while most bivalves are just such sessile water nuts. If you had to make an analogy, if snails were humans, what would bivalves be?
If snails are humans, bivalves are just humans tucked deeper into their skins, really!
There's an anatomical diagram I've seen many variations on that basically shows what the most "generic" mollusk would look like:
So here's a snail:
Notice especially where the "gill" and "mouth" are! A Snail's anatomy is bent like a horseshoe so it can fit up in the shell!
And here's how bivalves are set up:
You can still see the same generic layout even inside of a cephalopod, as wacky as their external shape may be:
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What the ever-lovin'?
So. Jennifer. What the hell?
This came to my personal email yesterday. First off, I am a member of the local Arts Council, but I am not employed by them. Second - removing reviews? This is a thing people are brazenly, openly advertising, now? I guess I'm not shocked, but. Hmm.
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I related to this heavily, so I bought two.
We are very smart. But idiots {affectionate}
Thanks, @and-corn !
shoutout to the "foolproof" bread recipe I fucked up entirely for inspiring this
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Good lilac morning, y'all. The apple and crabapple trees are blooming.
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Foraging
Monday I picked dandelions and violets to experiment with flower-flavored syrups. It was time-consuming, but I just felt like trying something new. I have done violet jelly before, although the results were mediocre.
The first step after separating the petals from the greens was to pour boiling water over each kind and let them sit for a day. The violets had a greenish-blue extract by evening, and by morning it had settled into a deep blue. I tried adding a couple of drops of lemon juice, which shifted it to blue-purple. Violets have the same pigment, anthocyanin, as red cabbage, and it is pH sensitive. I am curious why my tap water (from a well) would have a pH of 9(ish), but I'll go ahead and blame limestone.
I cooked the dandelion first, adding sugar equal to the amount of liquid (1.25 cups). I cooked it for a while and then bottled it when it seemed like it had thickened up (the bubbles start to PLOP instead of 'pop', if that makes sense).
Here it is, compared with honey. The color is virtually the same!
Then I started with the violet. As I heated it, the color shifted BACK to greenish-blue. I added a little more lemon juice, and it ended up weirdly purple from some angles and blue from others, depending on how the light hit it. It's also DARK, too dark for me to photograph and show you much color. When it cooled down it a) turned a steely blue-grey and b) crystalized.
That. that is NOT what I was going for. It also doesn't really taste like anything. Just 'sweet'. Drat.
#farmblr#spring#spring flowers#foraging#foraged food#solarpunk#foragecore#flowers#dandelion#violet#FAIL!
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Whew, I made progress! Thanks, @thebluestofdaisies and @imjustheretofangirl003 for the supportive words.
I haven't had a chance to work on this in about three weeks, so it was good to have time and energy today. I hate leaving something sitting around half-done; I used to leave way too many projects unfinished when I was younger. I think one more session to pick at fine details of the mill and I'll be done!
While I was working the asparagus roots I ordered were delivered. So I know what I'll be doing this evening, too!
Drone photography credit @the_lucky_alexander on Instagram
Paint
I took a break from my painting to do that quilt, and I've been putting a lot of energy into outdoor chores on the farm . . HELP, I must get that painting finished! I have two semi-important WIPs and I need painting energy!! Posting this to motivate myself to paint while it rains today. Perfect day for it. Get the brushes out. Hup! Hup!!
#artists on tumblr#artblr#artist#art wip#current wip#wip wednesday#oil painting#urbex#abandoned buildings#luke mill#paper mill#industrial#appalachia
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Im sO brAve she says in a wobbly voice
Paint
I took a break from my painting to do that quilt, and I've been putting a lot of energy into outdoor chores on the farm . . HELP, I must get that painting finished! I have two semi-important WIPs and I need painting energy!! Posting this to motivate myself to paint while it rains today. Perfect day for it. Get the brushes out. Hup! Hup!!
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Paint
I took a break from my painting to do that quilt, and I've been putting a lot of energy into outdoor chores on the farm . . HELP, I must get that painting finished! I have two semi-important WIPs and I need painting energy!! Posting this to motivate myself to paint while it rains today. Perfect day for it. Get the brushes out. Hup! Hup!!
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AAAAAAA.
So, my dears, it is now a YEAR later. We had to
Change insurance (last fall)
Find a new dentist (who accepts that insurance)
At the appointment in January, get a referral to an oral surgeon. Every time I tell a dental person "I'm having trouble with mandibular tori" they say "Oh, that's not usually too ba . . (looks inside my mouth) OH. yeah. Those need to come out." Why the FFFFFrost Flakes did you think I was saying they were a problem? Do you think I want a piece of bone removed from my mouth for FUN?!
The first appointment they could get me was for yesterday, April 16th. Had to go through the same "assessment" as before, despite the fact that nothing has changed.
The X-ray tech got aggravated at me because I couldn't get my teeth to line up with the little grooves on the 'bite plate' for the X-ray machine. And when I got them lined up she didn't like the position of my jaw. Ma'am. My jaw is not flexible. I'm TRYING to work with you, here.
Surgery now scheduled for mid-June. They tell me it's pretty bad, and I should expect to be laid up a while recovering.
It is pretty damned uncomfortable not to have room for your tongue in your mouth. I don't want to live this way any more!
btw, I will not post any gross details when this happens; I'll keep it simple. Nobody wants to hear that stuff.
Whoooof. Yesterday I had a consultation appointment with an oral surgeon to see about removing bone overgrowth, called mandibular tori*, from the inner surface of my lower jaw. The space where my tongue is supposed to be is filling in (v-e-r-y slowly,) with bone. Of course, I had to go half an hour early, for the Paperwork Festival that every damned Dr’s office runs you through.
After the paperwork, the receptionist told me that they don’t accept my insurance. Which, due to the fact that my husband is a state employee, is exceptionally common insurance accepted virtually everywhere. I could tell the lady was expecting me to yell at her, too. I did not yell. When I first called last month to set up this appointment, THAT would have been the time to tell me about the insurance, because they did ask then. But, whatever. This issue needs to be dealt with.
The actual appointment was quite brief. They did an x-ray, but due to the fact the m.t. are visible inside the mouth, he didn’t need to do much except look in there and say, “Yep, those need to come out.”
Back at the front desk, I was told my insurance WOULD be ok afterall. Apparently there’s a difference between “you’re just getting this surgery for funsies” and “Ooo-kay, there is a genuine medical need for surgery.” I cannot imagine having oral surgery to chop actual bone out for funsies. Whatever. I’m so tired.
After that I headed to Tractor Supply for Hero’s feed, some seeds, and possibly some asparagus roots (but the roots looked terribly dry and dead) and then to Walmart (OooOOOoooog) for groceries and Stuff. By the time I got home I felt nearly dead. But I have surgery to look forward to, next month! Ha. Haha.
I have flower seeds.
* don’t look this up, btw, the images are gross. Mine’s not that bad.
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@woodelf68 OH JEEZ sometime not too long ago I put some Tiger balm on my shoulder in the evening. When I went in to kiss my daughter good night, she said, "Mm, Tiger balm, that's the scent I always associate with you!" I just about died. My 'signature scent' is dadburned pain relief cream!! Wah!!
My own mom always smelled like Oil of Olay face cream at night.
Ouch
Holding my shoulder, hobbling slightly . .
so, apparently, there was a price to pay for wrenching that big stone out of the ground yesterday. Who knew? Who could have predicted such a thing? Not me, it seems.
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Ouch
Holding my shoulder, hobbling slightly . .
so, apparently, there was a price to pay for wrenching that big stone out of the ground yesterday. Who knew? Who could have predicted such a thing? Not me, it seems.
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That squirrel's just about to carry a spicy-rude message down the world tree to Nidhögg.
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