My darling girl, when will you understand that 'normal' isn't necessarily a virtue. It rather denotes a lack of courage." - Alice Hoffman, Practical Magic
With all the traveling involved for the new video series, a new situation has arised. We have 2 vehicles. A Mid size dodge dakota and my Saturn Vue. Obviously, the Vue is our family vehicle which gets just under 30 mpg. I refuse to own anything but stick shift, (which also factors in better gas mileage). The truck is... well...A truck. And of course trucks are low gas efficiency.
In a conversation with a friend, it was mentioned someone they knew may be in the market to sell their gas efficient car. I have been looking into the series of this car they may be selling and I really like it. The gas is as efficient as my Saturn Vue and comes as stick shift!
A suzuki X-90:
These were made popular by the Red bull energy drink company. Not that I will be riding around with a big can on the back or other "accessory". Just a few Car magnets with my Sponsor logos/names. The price for used is ranging under the $2500 price. The positives keep stacking up for this one.Besides, It fits 2 people and that's all I need. I just wonder if there is enough room for all my equipment and a big camera guy...
The time we spent with Rick Pratt has left a deep impression. He is such an inspiring man who we feel fortunate to reap from his skills.
In this last part of the Garden Obelisks, you will learn how to make solid structures for heavier climbers and plants such as Tomatoes. In the beginning I share with you a few variances from what he teaches us with these videos. I hope you feel inspired by watching this great Artisan at work and try your hand at a few. Put some Art back into the garden. Make it a place not just for growing food, but a place where you make your own organic world to enjoy.
Enjoy & remember - PLEASE rate these videos over on Youtube. By rating it (with the stars below it on the youtube page), you help keep them in the higher ranks of the search engine. Making it easier for future viewers to enjoy them. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfsXTHmkZjo
I may not have another video for a few weeks. My next scheduled filming is not until the first week in April. The Captain will be joining me on that adventure and being as green as he is to a lot of what I and others do, should be rather fun. After all, watching a total newb try his hand at what we will be doing, should make for a great time.
I would love to see your own handcrafted Garden obelisks. Please be sure to come back and share a link if you create any for your own garden or yard.
When the Spring gardening season is just a few rainy days (and chilly nights) away, one must entertain & distract themselves as to prevent the too early planting urge. Despite starting seeds indoors, I did jump on the 60 F some degrees to get the onions planted. But I held tight knowing Mother Nature likes to give a teaser for her own enjoyment. So no tenders have been sown outdoors. After our trip to see Rick Pratt, we could not wait to get started on our own Garden Obelisks. The dreams of having one for every tomato. One for every patch of pole beans. And the cucumbers...Oh the charm it would evoke having small Obelisks perfectly set up to accommodate those short vines. The diversity of sizes and design were filling our minds as we sat in silence during the car ride home. There was no will power. We had to make them and began the next adventure with our hike by the logging trails.
My good friend Chris and I took advantage of the weeks sunshine to gather project materials. An old friend of his has property which is being logged. And we all know they (the logging companies) care little for what is referred to as the tree "brush". But I am getting ahead of myself. We went with a mission to this land and hoped to walk out with a packed mule.(Chris I jokingly referred to as my mule that day).
We set out walking through the woods, surveying for marshy spots where willow could be found. We hiked a good 2 hours before we came to the decision it was just not meant for us to find them that day. We did find a lot of grape vines. Finger thick and as tall as a house. Perfect to use once they have had a good soak in the pond. Which, will infuse flexibility back into the woods core. But more about their use later.
Back to all the logging areas. So many long straight limbs were piled up haphazardly along the sides of massive wood logs. It was one of those light bulb moments after searching for hours through muddy fields, overgrown brambles and not to mention the most deer poo I have ever seen in 1 hike. Amazing. I swore there was a herd following us (or we, them) due to how fresh the droppings were. Staring at the piles of tree limbs, we knew what to do. Recycle the loggers waste into Garden magic. We quickly brought out the saw and got to work. The time was getting late so we did not leave with as much as we had hoped. There is always a next time for more brush to harvest and old grape vines to pull.
But you will have to wait & see what has been produced until AFTER the next segment is posted. Just another teaser, made possible by Mother Nature... Sweet Dreams, ~Tammie
We ventured out to Wooster Ohio, where we met up with Rick Pratt of Around the bend willow furnishings. He not only travels around the nation to various shows but supplies various top designers with his creations. His pieces vary in style, appealing to many different tastes in furnishings and decor.
Rick left his previous vocation to do what he loves. Making Willow furniture full time, for over 25 years now. We were fortunate to spend an afternoon with him and learn how to make a few different kinds of Garden Obelisks. He gives us pointers and the how to for adding Art back into the garden. Natural, Organic structures for your climbing plants and tomatoes.
For those who may not know, here are a few examples of Garden Obelisks:
This being our first published video, I hope you will take into mind, I am an amatuer when it comes to production. With each one, lessons are learned. I become more relaxed and hope to continue growing with these segments. Producing more enjoyable videos for your viewing.
With this early season, I will not have as many segments as I would like, but as the season grows warmer, the adventures become more frequent
The video below is just over 7 minutes long. I have split the total time with Rick into 2 segments. Giving a total of 3 different ways to make your Obelisks. Today, I share Part 1.
These can be made with willow for it's wonderful bending effect or using other woods, to make for more box like structural pieces.
If you do not have one of their free accounts, it is very quick and painless to sign up for one. By rating this video, you help keep it in their search engine for future viewers.
I would like to thank Overstock.com for supporting us in this venture. Without whom, these segments would not be possible. Be sure to share some love and check their site out for the great savings they provide. And if the low prices are not enough, think about their shipping for your all your purchases at only $2.95!
Now I must be off and survey all those downed branches. I have just 18 obelisks left to make for the tomatoe patch, pole beans & cucumbers.
We went from 3 feet of snow to mid 60's F degrees in just 1 week. I took advantage of the spring like weather to investigate the garden for what work may lie ahead. There were a few surprises waiting for me.
A good amount of Radicchio was already forming mini heads. They are growing in the mid season mixed lettuce bed from last years garden.
Spinach leftover from a raised bed area. I believe it is seed I scattered last November, after I removed the wood frames for another spot in the garden. The blurry plant I think may be Cilantro since the leaves are not of Parsley shape. Although I may be wrong.
I found 5 clumps of Parsley which were plants from last year. This is the first time I have had parsley survive a winter in the garden. There are about 4 celery plants which survived along with these guys. Weird!
I have so much work ahead of me for the garden clean up. So many sticks and rubbish blew in. Not to mention all the dead weeds I need to clear out.
I was not able to get to half of the garden before the first snow. The weeds took over the pumpkin patch as soon as I removed all the vines. This particular weed grows so fast. From just 1/2 an inch to 2 feet in as little as 1 1/2 weeks. They grew rampant last year throughout the entire garden. Making it a full time job pulling all I can. They seed very quick, so I was not able to keep up. This year I will be using the black landscape plastic. I am not devoting my summer to weeding.
Taking a break from all the clean up, I stopped over at my good friend Kim's place. She is in mid process of putting her new garden toy together.
I left dripping with envy along with more determination to finish the solar pit greenhouse. The windows I have will not fit right onto the framing, so we are going with greenhouse plastic. Besides, A few panels of glass broke over winter. Making me rethink the whole glass route.
I have a few places to travel off to this weekend. I am hoping the weather will remain somewhat warm from now on. I have a few places on the road trip schedule which require the weather we are having.
As for the next few days, I will be singing the rain rain go away song. After all this cold and snow, I'm ready to go out and play!
Being new to movie video making and audio transitions, I played with some bloopers to acquiant myself with the program. I rather liked how it turned out so just for fun, I'm sharing it with you. Panda was my Camera Girl and kept dancing around, distracting me. Such a goof! A short under 40 second video. Remember, youtube is the host which will not be the best of picture. It may be a while before I can upgrade to a higher definition account.
Well I did it. Our first spotlight has been filmed. I am now working on the editing which is a bit rough with new equipment and the software that came with it. I need to buy wireless microphones which are compatible with our new Camera. The built in microphone picks up background noise which can be heard along with any talking. I'm working on that and hope the software (once I get this thing flowing), will take care of the excess noise.
We now have a new Canon FS10 Camcorder. The image quality is amazing! The functions are fantastic. And after a look around comparing prices, Overstock.com had the BEST price. Anywhere from $150-$200 less then anywhere else. I will be working with them from now on.
You may be thinking "how and why is it so much less there"? Well. Their name says it all. New products and the best prices they can get for you. Be sure to check them out for any Internet purchases you may have in the future. By the way, their shipping is a LOW $2.95 for all purchases. Savings. Quality. Reliable & Fast shipping. I LIKE IT!
This weekend was so much fun. I am excited to share it with you very soon. I have to admit. I am learning as we go, taking from one to improve on the next. Feel free to email me with any friendly criticism. As I have mentioned before, your opinion DOES count.
My body froze within an hour of being outside. My wing man was not able to man the camera so I ventured out by myself. Despite the non shake feature and trying best to stay steady while filming, there are some rough points. Not too bad. But I noticed them.
3 hours hanging out with A Maple farmer. Who had the most delightful stories of his life, growing up on that farm. I found myself climbing down ropes to get in the ravines and rabbit jumping through the snow, trying to keep up with his long stride. Only once the camera came out, did I recognize the freezing fingers and what are suppose to be snow boots were more like canvas shoes. I was shaking from the cold well into the next day. But....it was so worth it.
I found myself being nervous at first. Trying to get Scott a bit more relaxed with the camera, actually helped me relax. Within a short while we were both laughing and being goofy. His last name was bit of a tongue twister which made for some funny bloopers.
Not to mention I LOVE how he towers me at my height of 5'8. I look so tiny next to him in all his Carhart cuteness. His wife Tammy had other business to attend with, so I was not able to interview her about their 1820's log cabin. She has it as the store where they sell the Family Maple syrup amongst other great things.
Our videos will be hosted on Youtube then embedded here with a description. The Camera quality does not transfer well with use of my youtube account. I thought I would share a sneek peek with a few snap shot pictures, clipped from our video footage. Not a rating quality, so no need to do it on this one.
I could have talked with them all day but the ride back home was just over an hour and my body was shaking uncontrollably from the cold. Ready for the fire my Captain had made back home.
The trees are tapped. Seeds have been nestled in their new beds ,under the grow lights. The sun has finally begun the Spring awakening, melting the 3 feet of snow we have had. The season of new beginnings and fresh life are the most exciting gift after such a long and cold winter. What better time is there to start our new Video series, spotlighting Real people of Homesteading and the great Artisans sharing a piece of their skill. I hope you will enjoy these mini segments as much as I have adventuring out to all these destinations. They may be little rough in the beginning, but life is a Learning Curve. Full of adventure just waiting for you to ride along.
I went somewhere today that I can not stand going to. Most people have no issue with it, but me? The lines...Oh dear monkeys the lines... And those tiny parking lots which I rarely find a spot in. But today those cloud monkeys smiled on me and allowed a vacant POST OFFICE! Yes. You read it right. I finally gained a clear head & got off my arse. I am up to date with ALL packages which are overdue. I even snuck in something extra for each one I let sit in the "postal due" basket. Not only did I make my way to the post office but was sure to get a stop in a local bookstore. I grabbed a book I've been admiring for a while. An International Best Seller by
Easy recipes for Natural Remedies and Beauty fixes. This book focuses on herbal medicinals you can grow in your very own yard or window sill. Herbs which can be found along the horse trails and hiking paths you venture on. James Wong provides home remedies--including solutions for digestive disorders, aches and pains, and face and body care and beatification, as well as kids` remedies--features 150 full-color photos, a list of suppliers for easy shopping and a 60-page reference covering the top 100 plants one should consider growing for use in home remedies.
You can read more about James Wong and his television series on BBC over here and over here. Keep your eyes open. This is a guy I believe we will be seeing much more of ( at least hopefully, here in the states).
I have been working hard on acquiring guests to spotlight in my upcoming Video segments, hosted on youtube and posted here. I have found some amazing artisans who will be sharing some very useful and surprisingly easy projects with you. I have a few adventures lined up for Mid-late Spring which will have you grabbing those hiking boots and venturing outdoors. I have had such a wonderful response by those who I have spoken with. You have no idea how hard it is to with hold the details of what I have been up to.
I am also working on some sponsors to help curb the costs involved. These companies make it possible for the adventures shared in our Video segments. Without them, we would not have such reliable equipment needed in this new path. I am hand choosing the companies with YOU in mind. I seek savings. I seek quality. I seek reliability. If you have suggestions for a company, please feel free to email me. Your opinion does matter. I am not (yet) a company but hope by mid Summer I can fix that. I am still seeking sponsors for help on the travel costs. That is one which proves to be hard without being an LLC. Just one day at a time...Taking just one day at a time.
I would also like to open the door for others who may have suggestions on Homesteads or Homestead related subjects (of all sizes and levels) which they believe would make for an interesting segment "spotlight". As of this season, I must keep the distance to no longer then 5-6 hours from the Akron Canton Ohio area.
Feel free to send me an email with the details and if they have a blog site- be sure to include it.
Now I must rest since I got in trouble...Doc was not happy I played for over an hour on the elliptical machine yesterday. Said something about rest and no jumping or jolting my body...Hmph. I have way to much energy for resting but he goes to my gym...Man. Nothing like getting busted by your own Doctor...
