Happy Holidays

Donkeys - the Smartest Animal

Earthship

The Earthship

Near Solstice Sunset

Loves me some Flames

Viva San Antonio!

Holiday Weekend - Ash Canyon

Dried Apples

This was ten pounds of apples a few days ago. I tried one large batch with the skin on and then decided to peel the next batch. The chunks are a little more interesting to nibble on than the rings so this is my new way of drying them.

Riverbend Hot Springs

My home away from home. I like soaking right at sunset when the river is filled with migrating birds.

0-60 Mountain Time

My Tool Shop

Sufi Retreat - somewhere near Isleta Reservation

Wood Collecting

I went out with my good friends to cut wood for the winter. We mainly collected Juniper which is sweet smelling but not the densest wood in the hills. Rick and I worked the chainsaws while Paula and Steve collected and stacked. We got about 1 cord in a trailer and the back of the pick up. Some of the wood is going to some Hispanic families in town who do not have enough energy resources. We'll go out again in a couple of weeks.

Chainsaw Happy

I'm not Texas Chainsaw Massacre but I am pretty handy with a chainsaw.

Raw Foodie Cheesecake

My neighbors had their 2nd Annual Homesteading Conference this weekend and all the adorable youngsters from all over the country convened to show off all their unique talents. This is Asher from Mimbres making a raw fruit cheesecake. He's a real alchemist with the food stuff. All the meals during the long weekend were incredible.

Halloween Clothing Swap

Since it was Halloween, my neighbors Paula and Davey had a lush clothing swap along with a treasure chest full of costumes for everyone to create from. Everyone enjoyed hanging out in their old bank, which is for sale - cheap! (url later) These folks from Boulder gave a presentation on Passive Solar housing which was as technical as it was creative.

Carbonated Prickly Pear Juice

This is Jay and Ryan who are pretty famous in the homesteading blog world (RyanisHungry) pouring some prickly pear juice into a carbonator to make an evening cocktail with. This was actually Andy's beer making class but we got sidelined. He makes a wicked 8% beer that I have had the pleasure of sampling in the past.

Homesteaders Unite!

Tristan and Libby demonstrated making some delicious tempeh and then turned it into a wicked veg dish for dinner the following night. I'm not a hardcore homesteader like all these amazing folks but I think they enjoyed my home pharmacy class and swine flu update. Mikey brought down the house with his battery talk which had everyone on the floor laughing hysterically. Batteries you say? You have not lived until you have seen a BC-900 demoed.

Saving the Last Seeds of the Year

I've saved 8 varieties of tomatoes that did really great in my garden this year. After I scoop them out I put them in a bowl of water and swirl it around to remove some pulp. Then, transferring to sieve, I rub the seeds gently to remove more organic matter. After doing this a couple of times I transfer to a bowl or cookie sheet for them to dry. I pull the seeds up to the side to try and separate them so them don't get stuck together.

Hoe Down!

I hadn't been home twenty four hours when it was time to go to a Hoe Down. You can't just stay at home when there is a Hoe Down going on. Seemed like half the town showed up out at Las Palomas to PNS Farm.

With Love and Gratitude

It has been another mind expanding week with my beloved teacher Massimo Mangialavori and all of my brilliant colleagues. Still I look forward to returning home, disgesting this information and attempting to put it in practice. The force is with us.

Slaves of the Immaculate Heart (of Mary)

At the Abbey

In Mass

Holden's Prong - Railroad Canyon

It's been a real busy week but I wanted to put these up from last Friday. My friend Rick and I hiked 15 miles roundtrip into Railroad Canyon to Holden's Prong, a remote trail that leads to the head waters of Animas Creek. We left here at 7am and got back around 8:30pm that night. It wasn't the typical nature walk but more of an intense physical marathon in some of the most remote areas of the Aldo Leopold Wilderness. It's getting colder in those altitudes which are much higher than where we live about an hour away. The ground was filled with fresh fallen acorns just before the bear and squirrels get to them.

Swine Flu Lecture

I don't talk that much about my work life here but I am a busy homeopath. I have an office now and will be opening my free clinic in December or January to provide healthcare to the under served of this community. In a few weeks I'm giving a talk at my friend's Homesteading Conference on Home Pharmacy. Tonight I gave a talk about the Swine Flu and homeopathic alternatives to that dreaded vaccine they are pushing on everyone. Don't get it!

Bean Juice

My friend gave me some overgrown beans to juice and I let them sit on the counter for a day. I juiced them yesterday afternoon and got some pretty bad food poisoning. I think it was fly shit. We just started getting them all of the sudden and now I'm really paranoid about the kitchen.

Birthday Party

True Enlightenment

Fried Green Tomatoes

Mescal Canyon

And now for the bad news...

Mimbres Harvest Festival

My friend Max was one of the originators of the Mimbres Harvest Festival. There were local story tellers and historians telling tall tales of the Mimbres Valley and how it developed and some of the local people heros involved. There were some fantastic bands including Bayou Seco and the Silver City Stringbeans. What a great day. Thanks Max for organizing this delicious contribution to Grant County.

Pinkie vs. Nature

This was not a day I was looking forward too. Pinkie howled and had a tail coming out of her mouth. I saw it and screamed. Then I paced back and forth while she played with this poor lizard. I was finally able to save him and get him outside where he scampered away. Pinkie is not a killer by nature.

Brigitte with the Apple Harvest

Vintage Fabric

I found this great piece of vintage fabric at a sidewalk sale for $2. I'm looking forward to making some cushions for my outdoor chairs.