Prepping for Civil Unrest

check out this article

Monday morning comes tooo fast

The weekends go by way too fast. Just as I am beginning to relax and forget the week Monday shows its ugly head.
But alas I am going to Babylon for only 2 days this week and then off. Leftover burritos are in the linch as well as a salad picked from the 'stead while having coffee this morning..
Collards, spinach, lettuce, chives, basil, and oregano.. with a little vinaigrette.

yum yum

pothos on the porch

bfast- dumpied english muffins and cream cheese, coffee.
lunch- leftover roast chicken, taters,green beans and water
dinner0 mac and chees bean burritos and pink lemonade.

Yesterday I adopted a pothos plant loaded with unruly vines and clutter tha had been making its home in the office space... I took some clippings from it to creeate some new plants and will repot the original plant in a deeper more inviting home.

I also brought it home and it is resting in the shade until I can get to the repot process. All in all a successful day. Oh yea and I did do some work.

Bike to work is down to 1 day

I love Bike to Work week.. For one week a year Denver recognizes the environmental impact of getting out of our cars and using altie transport. Every morning regular commuters will get downtown and enjoy a free bagel, juice, water and assorted other niceties and be able to join in the comraderie with our brother/ sister bikers.

Except this year. NOw we are down to a Bike to Work Day.. Thats right 1 friggin day. Denver is glorified with the yuppie scums.. Either that or the economy is so bad the envies are only able to offer 1 day.. We shall see.

None the less dumpie bike is in the shop with me today, after having given her a nice tune-up and oiling this morning.

If older boy ever reads this yes this is the same bie you built for me several years ago.. Thanx son

Trash is gonna be a grampa again

My little girl called me last night and informed us of her upcoming event. Words of empathy and support emanated from the missus and myself at the hearing of the news.
So to start prepping for the event and collecting extras for what can be a bittersweet journey unto who-knows where.
But alas, it is Saturday and Trash needs to work outside whilst providing for his ever growing brood.

God has blessed me...

one of my favorit movies of all time

and an even better book, by Jeremy Levin.. I have an autographed copy in my collection.
Here are some priceless quotes from the film.

One in particular.
Boris: You have two labs?
Dr Harry Wolper: Each has its place. At the university, I try to please the Federal Government. Here, I negotiate with God.

the bicycle lifestyle

As most of you who read this blog know, Trash does most of his travails on the dumpie bike..

I guess the yuppies are taking some advice and starting to use the bike as transportation.. So much so that they have now created a self published book on how to do it..

http://issuu.com/cicle/docs/bicycle-lifestyle-guide

I didnt need a guide... I just prefer the bike as a means of minimizing my carbon footprint and as a negating effect to my other vices.. ie I still havent found an efficient way to put an ashtray on the bike..
Enjoy.. its Friday

BTW, next week is Bike to Work week here in CO.. SO you can guess how Trash will be getting to Babylon.. Much the same as he does everyday..

the yuppies are coming,, to self reliance

check this out from the WSJ..

an inside scoop

Anyone who know the Trash's know that we have a fondness for the birds.. We have several. A friend of ours sent this to me in humor.. but I loved it so much I thought I would share it with the clarifier

garden update

Its been 3 days since the big hail and life is coming back in the garden. While most of the mature greens (spinach, collards) leaves are gone, there are signs of tender fresh leaves underneath which is giving me hope for recovery. The daisies and sage are coming back just fine as is the freshly planted Sunday morning lemon thyme.
The transplanted morning gloriy seedlings are coming back to life from the pelting. The corn stalks show no sign of wear ot turmoil.
No signs of life yet from the germinating nasturtiums, and camomile but its only been a few days..
I pray for recovery in Gods garden..

Hail hail go away.. come back.. tomorrow

I didnt post much this weekend as the kidets were having fun in the pop-up camper.. Friday night the boys took it over. Saturday the girlies got there share and last night, after airing out the fingernail polish and perfumerie smell me and junior spent some quality time in a sleepover. farting and belching and talkin about survival stuff.

After working diligently in the garden most of the weekend. Yesterday afternoon it began as a slight rain and turned in to a dime size hailer storm. The yard was white and some of the annuals and lettuces might not make it.

Will know more as the week progresses.

Otherwise it was a bountiful weekend and I created another small bed for G-ds transplants ( an experiment in Perma culture whereby I cull assorted wild flower plants from the native surroundings, within walking distance from the stead, and try to recreate nature in the man-created controlled environment as a means of self- propagation.... Will write more as the experiment gains momentive. Te true benefits of this system wont be known until we go thru a winter cycle and see if the plants actually come back and reproduce next year.

words of wisdom from or Appalachian compadres

A healthy thriving plant isn't as apt to be attacked as an unhealthy one.

Same with the human body: if we put the good stuff in our bodies and leave out
the bad stuff, we won't as likely eat pills nor spend much time flat on our
backs.

Companion planting also helps ward off attack just like who our friends are
oftens will steer us out of harms way not into the path of it.

early sabbath

bfast- oatmeal, toast and lox, coffee
lunch- hamburgers and ham, fresh salad (spinach,chives and basil from the garden) with lettuce and bottle water
dinner ham sandies, chips and dip, coke

It rained during the day and last night with a brief few hours of let-up so that I may work in the garden. Planted some of the daisies that we got last week and checked on the lil seedlings. This weekend I am goin to plant some red and multi-colored nasturtium seeds in planter boxes and pots for some more salad greens.. yumyum

This morning I made Mrs Trash a little happier with fresh coffee and a lovely salmon rose fresh cut from what we now call "Gods garden".

iced coffee and Capote

Summer mornings are a wonderful time.. LAtely I have been seeing the rabbits, squirrels, birds and other assorted wildlife on my way to Babylon. Gone are the winter coats and sweats ans the noise of the ipod.. Welcome are the return to the written page of my favorite books and my old friend authors.. Not that I have met many of them but I have enjoyed their muses just the same.

However what really makes summer summer is the habit of having 2-3 cups of hot coffee on the way in and satisfying my coffee addiction with iced coffee in the office.. What a great way to enjoy the leftover swill in the Babylon break room. Simply put about 4-5 ice cubes and 3 packages of sugar into the cup and pour the swill over it.. Stir lightly and enjoy..

BTW that is my hand and my cup
salut'

whirlwinds and applesauce

bfast-oatmeal, toast and coffee.
lunch- diceds chicken, rice and oriental veggies. water
dinner- wheat pasta with turkey meat sauce, and water

I saw my 1st tornado on Sunday afternoon. Pretty awesome sight as long as its not near you. I had biked over to Lowes and then to WallieWorld and there she was . About 10-15 miles north of me, Heading slowly down-wind and east.. Within minutes she rolled back up into the heavens as if she hadnt been there. Only to come out another day.

All the rain in the afternoons has been good for the garden. Saves me from using the city water and keeps my rain barrels heavy with water. The beans are growing, the lettuce and spinach we have been munching on intermittently. The corn rows are beginning to stand up tall, like soldiers coming to formation.

Permaculture in New Zealand

good stuff for the morning..
If you or nature cant eat it.. Dont waste the time to grow it.. A few ornamentals are good for the eye candy but strive for food production

SAturday in the garden

bfast- bialy, cream cheese, lox, and fresh tomato, coffee
lunch- 1/4 cantaloupe, bean burrito, lemonade
dinner- tuna sandies, nuts and lemonade

rode over to the Wallie world this morning to get some compost. picked up a thai basil (rather pungent aroma), a sage plant, and 2 geraniums for the window... Planted som beets and some more lettuce..
TAsted a leaf of the fresh Spinach and yumyum..ALso transplanted a copl of visitor mint stalks and some chive seeds from the dead head of the bulb.

yuppie suburban survivalist---

cool video.. However not reality based for us street-wise types..

an experiment in self -sufficiency

check this out.

Leave it to the artists..

Bartering is not really begging...

Apparently, cashless bartering’s soaring on the internet — and swapping can save your soul — as well as lead to strange serendipitous adventures. So if you’d like to swap whatever you have for what I have — mainly ad space and writing / editing skills, consulting and advice — email me at drmacstudios@gmail.com with your proffers.
If you’re bartering for a sidebar ad, I’ll eventually need from you an image that’s 150 px wide and 100 - 250 px long, assuming we work things out.

daytime view from Babylon

bfast- oatmeal, grapefruit, coffee and chocolate pancakes
lunch- turkey ans cheese sandies with watermelon and cukes with water
dinner-- chicken breast salad with ranch dressing, french bread and pink lemonade

Now that I am getting my MAC back under wrap in Bablyon I though I would share my in-office window garden with y'all.. These are all rescues and cuttings that have been taken in by me to create a liveable environment in Babylon

1st ever LWT auction (small fundraising)

I knew that eventually it was going to take more and more time to build up LWT into what would like to see. We have already gone from a yahoo group to a blogspot to a blog being read across the states.
While others are looking for contributions LWT wants to offer something substantial to its readers.
SO I will be offering up volumes 1 and 2 of the Foxfire books to the lucky winner of the 1st LWT auction..

Simply comment to this post with a name and a bid and in seven days the highest bid gets the books.. The se are invaluable to the urban homesteader for their immense down to earth wisdom of the Appalachian peoples

Bidding starts right now and the winner will be announced next Friday 6/12.

since I cant get rid of the Bindweed

I thought I would look at bindweeds potential useage on the 'stead.SO I did a google search and this is what I found..

Medicinal Uses:
The root of field bindweed, and also a resin made from the root, has agents that increase the flow of bile and its discharge from the body. It is also urine-inducing, laxative and strongly purgative. The dried root contains 4.9% resin. A tea made from the flowers is laxative and is also used in the treatment of fevers and wounds. A cold tea made from the leaves is laxative and is also used as a wash for spider bites or taken internally to reduce excessive menstrual flow.

Other Uses:
The stem is used as a twine for tying up plants etc. It is fairly flexible and strong but not long-lasting. A green dye is obtained from the whole plant.

We saw this movie by accident this weekend. Highly entertaining and truth holding about the nature of where society is at present..

Caused one to think outside the norm and deal with the false generalities we associate with people. SHould be a must see for those whop follow LWT