Jay Angler

Hugo Morvan wrote:

Now with the Eleagnus taking it's place a bit higher on the dunes it's soil building properties are showing they make place for native shrubs and hardy oaks to take foothold whereas this previously was unthinkable.

I have read of a river delta in the USA where when they stopped trying to eradicate an invasive non-native plant, the plant cleaned up the water enough that the native plants were able to survive and start recovering.

If you look on a geological time scale, there was a time when absolutely nothing but ice was growing where I live (more than once in fact). Even if humans were less good a polluting/changing the environment, it would still change over time through natural processes of geology. Often there isn't a single "right" answer - as always with permaculture, "it depends".

Here's a very special Permie Holiday Celebration -

Join me in welcoming two new Gardeners, Richard and Nathanael!

             


Please add your welcoming thoughts below for these two awesome new staff members. My wish for the holidays is that we can all work together in the coming new year to spread permaculture techniques and knowledge all over our planet, and in every back-yard.

At the special request of Nancy Reading (and she's *very* special, so good helpers will try hard... if the computer imps play nice with me today)

CHAI-SPICED TAHINI SHORTBREAD
1 ¼ cup  soft butter
2 ½ tsp  ground cardamom
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup tahini
½ tsp salt
2 2/3 all-purpose flour
Optional - ~ ½ cup sesame seed for garnish
Cream butter with spices on medium speed until well blended. Add both sugars and mix again on medium until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla, tahini and salt; beat again until well mixed and fluffy.  On low speed, stir in flour until combined.
Roll the dough into two round logs, about 2 inches in diameter and 12 inches long.  Wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 325 F. Lightly butter two cookie sheets.  Unwrap dough and slice ¼ inch thick. Roll cookies in toasted sesame seeds if desired. Place on cookie sheet allowing at least ¾ inch of space in between each cookie.
Cook 10 min. Cookies will still be soft. Let cool on sheet for ~10 min before lifting onto racks.

(Oh! it looks like it worked - yeah imps! )

I have made two types of cookies. The first batch is a long term favorite of both my son and I - Oatmeal shortbread. They were very popular with two of the attendees of the Solstice Dinner at my friend L's house.

I decided to make a double batch of Tahini shortbread because I was pretty sure it was popular a couple of years ago when a different friend gave me the recipe. At least I knew that *I* liked it, and I could always freeze any extras if they weren't popular.

The day I mixed the dough, I ran out of time to cool, cut and cook as I was also off to visit L. So I took 1 roll of the dough, sliced it onto a cookie sheet at her house, and put them in the oven when dinner came out. She adored them! (so much I've marked that on the paper copy of the recipe!)

So when I showed up at the Solstice Dinner with a small quantity of them to add to the desert platter, she refused to share them! She insisted that despite the season, the Tahini ones were *all* for her!!!

Obviously, I need to take her more! Good thing I made a double batch. Hubby likes them too!

The lesson: Sometimes, simple is just as well-loved, or maybe more loved, than fancy and complicated!

Yeah, Monster plant! Shoots are a great sign. Particularly with how little light we get at this time of year.

John Suavecito wrote:  We get 10cents for each can here.  I don't need a high volume device.

Same here.  If I need thin aluminum I would go for single use pie plates or Chinese takeout trays before I'd cut up a can. Unfortunately, at the moment, the restaurants have shifted to plastic which likely mostly ends up in the landfill.

John Suavecito wrote:Mine are not very aggressive.

As is so often true, I'm a bit surprised just how many different types if Buttercups there are!

I found this article from England very interesting and its seems worth a read. https://www.cotswoldseeds.com/news/643/buttercups

A few of the highlights:
1. The toxin may be higher or lower in different varieties, and once the forb is dried, it is no longer toxic, so if it is present in dried cut hay, this article claims it is not a problem.

2. It is more likely a problem in over grazed or low cut grass land, so rotational grazing and high mowing will help discourage it.

3. "Improving soil structure can also help to reduce buttercups as the majority like wetter anaerobic conditions..." Doesn't that just sound like my goal of  increasing of the depth of my soil and its carbon content? However, it does seem to really like clay soil, and that's not going to miraculously change on my land!

This is a very interesting topic. Unfortunately, I'm not sure I've found the answer to the initial question, "what is its role?"

What do you get when you cross an iPad with a Christmas tree?

A pineapple.



Why are Christmas trees bad at knitting?

They always drop their needles.

Why does Santa go down the chimney?

It soots him.



Did you hear about the elf who shoots rockets from his feet?

He has missile toes.

Anne Miller wrote:Aside from ditching the phone what do folks do to keep their minds active?

In person socializing is a big one.  

My DiL and I have hatched a plan that when we get a space to do it, we're going to hold a "puzzle building night" once a week. Locally, second hand puzzles can be had for $5 a box, and many will agree to "exchanging boxes" rather than receiving cash. The idea is to socialize, and build puzzles, and encourage each other in positive ways. Permies "be nice" rules will be enforced!

I will admit also that DiL's mom is very shy about speaking English, so we have that as an ulterior motive - we don't plan on discussing deep philosophical topics, but more like, which flower is your favorite!