Blowin' in the wind...

Ms. SpoolTeacher has a very run down house built around 1945. The fence in the back yard is being held up by termites. When the wind blows, it sometimes looks like she wishes she had kept her insurance…She, being as low budget creative as she is, is quick on her feet to find solutions to little bugger problems like a fence trying to blow down. After close inspection, she realized that some of the fence posts were just loose in their post holes. She shoved an old 2X4, laying around doing nothin’, in the same hole and got her “pounder inner” and pounded until it was wedged in there good. Not so much blowin’ in the wind problem anymore…high 5!

Sweet Little Oso

Her sister had been staying with her for awhile a little while back; and while there with her fur family too, measures had to be taken to keep her new little “Blue Heeler” from diggin’ in the compost heap. She had been adding food scraps, leaves, and pulled, non-seeded weeds into the heap and had been turning it, adding dirt, turning, etc. Oso, the heeler, wanted to get to it so badly that she put a pallet over it and a rug and blocks. After Oso left, she uncovered it and turned it again. This was late winter, spring around the corner.She had removed the blocks, rug and pallet and had given it a real good turning; taking everything out and putting it back with just the pallet to keep her own little Fat Red-haired Girl out of the heap.

Spring came, summer started approaching. Finally rain. In Arizona, it’s usually July for the Monsoons.

Poof, all of a sudden, little green things started reaching for the sun and they didn’t look like weeds. She waited, waited, check and eventually could recognize tomatoes, cantaloupe, bell peppers.  For nearly 8 years, she has been trying, unsuccessfully, to grow anything in her dead soil, of course, to no avail. The whole reason for the compost heap. She decided she would have to improve her soil before anything was going to cooperate. Little did she expect that her scrap seeds would volunteer so easily. They were lovin’ the environs. Just lovin’ it. Then…bullet hailstorm. Horrendous, eye-putting-out-sized hail pellets pummeled the new baby leaves. She was sure they were overwhelmed. Not so quick to be defeated, below is a picture of injured leaves continuing on to provide energy and protection to the budding fruits they were producing.

Poof!

She wasn’t sure the tomatoes would produce. She saw the bees, but it was so late in the season, she thought they wouldn’t set.

happy, happy, joy, joy

Poof again. Little green tomatoes everywhere. It’s better than magic. Real life, nature, always is.

Greenie Babies

The bell peppers came up under the little tree that has been struggling three years to look like it has a hope. It too, trudges on. Inspiration to Ms. SpoolTeacher with all her struggles.

Little baby things are always so cute! Even if the camera liked the grass/weeds better :o(

Listeria-free Cantaloupe

Permaculture gardening has always been on her mind to do. To her this means, letting things grow where they may. This has been a great summer for that.

Turn, turn, turn...

Fat Little Red-haired Girl

Permaculture Fat Little Red-haired Girl, “growing” where she may!

...and a place for the mosquitoes!

Inspirational Determination

Although she doesn’t know what this tree actually is, they grow like weeds, volunteering all over her yard. They grow fast, with whatever water arrives from above and complain about nothing. Up until recently, she was pulling them out. Suddenly it occurred to her that she could let them grow, have shade all over to plant beneath and if they become too abundant, harvest them for burning…dah!

“Grandma was slow, but she was old!”

Permaculture Gardening! Yeah!