"When Hell Freezes Over"....akin to "When My Border Collie Gets Tired"

That is, until the magical creation the "Walkie Dog" (I am sure copy write, patented, etc.) arrived in the mail yesterday. This contraption allows me to ride my bike with my dog...thus actually giving her some exercise with the amount of energy I have left after work. Now I can do this without risking my own life or hers...which is what happened the last time I tried to take her out with me on my bike. Leah is now sleeping soundly on the floor. Tonight we actually just went on our normal little walking loop around the neighborhood, and she walked along with the bike a good portion of it, and I biked slowly part of it so she could run. You have to be careful not to overexert your dog and hurt them! She seemed very content and happy not to be restrained by my slowness. I pretty much let her set the pace. As you may be able to gather from the picture, the piece of metal attaches to the seat post and then has a short leash that comes out from that. There is a spring inside the metal rod so the leash has some give for the pup. I don't really think the leash was designed for a road bike. It works, but I might look into getting a heavier clunker for this purpose.

Greywater Harvesting, a.k.a.grow fruit from laundry.

The magical detergent that makes this whole project possible. The key thing about this product is that there is no sodium of any kind. Our soil here is very alkaline, so many detergents claiming to be good for greywater harvesting are actually terrible for us because they contain sodium that will make our soil more alkaline. Booo. Check your ingredients and know your soil! I bought this from the website of a local guy and was able to pick it up at an office just down the street to avoid shipping costs. It was 25 bucks but I can get up to 128 washloads if I measure carefully. I think with the amount I use I will actually get around 100, but that still makes it very reasonable.

The extended drain hose sits nicely behind the washer and in the drain pipe when not in use--just as the drain pipe did before this system was in place. I bought a regular drain hose and attached it to my existing drain hose--it slipped right on and made the hose long enough to reach the barrel. The drain hose I bought at Lowe's for less than $9.

When I run a load of laundry, I simply pick up the end of the drain hose from the drain pipe and set it in the barrel. This takes about 5 seconds.

I bought the barrel from craigslist for $10. It had the disadvantage that the top did not screw off, so I had to use a hand saw (a reciprocating saw would have come in handy, but I got a little exercise in the process) to take it off so I could screw the hose attachment in from the back. The hardware for the hose attachment, along with a rubber washer, was about $7 at the Ace Hardware around the corner from my house. I used a garden hose that was left at my house when I moved in. I went with the cheapest hose attachment possible and it shows. It leaks, but not excessively. I still get plenty of water to my plants, and the water that leaks doesn't cause any problems for me, so I am going to leave it how it is.


Before I start my load of laundry, I simply set the end of the hose where I want the water and I leave it there. This is the fig tree that got a good, deep water yesterday. If I am around I can move it in the middle of a load because each small tree doesn't really need the full 40 gallons that my washer puts out on a full load, but if I am busy, it doesn't hurt my tree to get the water. Right now I am running a small load and put the hose on my grape vine. I'll move it to my second grape vine in a little bit.

It is important to note that I don't use greywater for my vegetable garden, only for my fruit trees. It is recommended to avoid contamination by not putting greywater directly onto stuff you are going to eat. I did use greywater when I was prepping the soil for my vegetable garden...I figured if the veggies weren't there yet then it couldn't hurt. I also use greywater to water my compost pile, as we have to do that here in the desert so that it has enough moisture to do its composting magic.

!Ay, Que Picoso!

Chiles de Arbol, flowering and beginning to set fruit

The Expansion

Tomatillos, Eggplant (2 varieties)

Pumpkins, Zucchini (from seed)
Not pictured: more tomatoes, beans (from seed), squash (from seed), more tomatillos (from seed), watermelon (from seed)

The Initial Veggie Plot (circa spring break)

This plot was going to be my entire vegetable garden--and it is doing wonderfully! I got addicted, though, and had to expand to the other side of the walk way. This side gets great afternoon shade, so it will be interesting to see how the other plants do with an extra 2 hours of sun as the summer heats up. In this first year it is all a matter of experimenting and observing.

Early Girl

This early tomato was started in March from a 4" pot I bought at Baker's Nursery in Central Phoenix. It is not quite as tall as the grape tomato plant, but it is over 3' tall and very bushy and healthy. It has started to set fruit and is still flowering. I think this will be a great producer for the $2.50 I paid for it. Next year I want to start completely from seeds, but this year I got a little bit of a late start (for Phoenix), so my tomatoes and peppers and a few other things I bought as plants.

This grape tomato plant is about 4 feet tall and 3 feet wide. It is cramping the style of some of the peppers and one basil plant, but I suppose that is my fault. It has dozens and dozens of tomatoes on it and I spotted the first tomato turning from green to orange yesterday. How exciting!

Progress!

Second post-hole for the raspberry trellis has been dug, and I deepened the other. Both posts are sunk and holes filled back in. I cut the wood for the cross pieces. Now I just have to attach them and stretch the wire...oh, and plant the poor raspberry plants that have been sitting on the front porch for a few weeks.

Update

Second vegetable plot is in. I might have planted everything a little too close together. I may need to do some transplanting as soon as I get some more ground ready for planting. I also need to get more space ready to plant some tomatillo seeds. I got two tomatillo plants, but I want to do some mega-production so I can make lots of salsa verde to can or freeze and eat all year.

I earned myself some blisters on my hands this weekend. I didn't finish either trellis project as I intended, but it was because I was happily sidetracked planting more vegetables.

I did get one post-hole dug. I am hoping if I get the other post-hole dug this week my sister will be willing to help me put it all together next weekend. It is a simple project and I think as long as no digging is involved she will be into it. It will be more fun to do this project with a partner.

Vegetable Garden!

I set the blog aside this winter...somewhat unintentionally...but my many outdoor projects have resumed within the past month and I am ready to report!

Outdoor Projects Completed:
apple tree planted and thriving
peach tree planted and killed
grape vines planted (one killed, but replaced) and thriving
old fire-pit dug out and patio built around it (thanks Dad and Jim!)
Small front-yard vegetable garden planted--tomatoes, basil, and hot peppers
Drip system programmed, soaker hoses for veggie plot added

Outdoor Projects in Progress
Laundry-water collection system (utilizing special soap, a hose and 55 gallon barrel)
--for now I am running around like a crazy person with buckets of water, trying to keep up with the washing machine's water output.
Grape trellis providing passive cooling to south facing windows
Raspberry trellis
Second vegetable plot--adding tomatillos, more tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, another type of pepper, and more herbs.

A television, turkey stew, butternut squash, christmas rosemary, and oregon wine

Thanksgiving weekend! A four day weekend may very well be my favorite length of holiday. Long enough to have time to do something AND to relax. I spent my holiday in Oregon with my family. It was lovely. I had delicious food and wine, time with my parents and sister, took a walk in the rain, and got to play with my sister's kitten, IO.

I returned to Phoenix Saturday, early evening, and got to spend the rest of Saturday with a dear friend. We made a trip to Lowe's and I bought a new pedestal sink for my bathroom AND, more importantly, a tree-shaped rosemary bush. I also got a few poinsettia plants.

Today I decorated my christmas rosemary bush with ornaments, and set out other christmas decorations. I bought a wreath from Trader Joe's. While at TJs I also got the makings for Turkey Stew! Mmmm what a cozy afternoon. I baked a butternut squash while the stew was simmering. My house smelled delicious.

The television. Well, I blame my sister. She has one. I visited her. It was really nice to be able to watch stuff on a real TV instead of on my laptop...and she has a blueray player, so she doesn't pay for cable. She can connect directly to Netflix, blockbuster, youtube and pandora for radio. She can also connect her computer to her TV. Now, I knew all of this was possible, but seeing it right there in my sister's cozy little living room made me want one! So, I figure, this time of year is a good time for sales, I should do some shopping. Of course! I come home with a TV. It was a good deal, they say. Dad says it was well rated by consumer reports. The funny part is, I couldn't bring myself to spend the money today for the bluray player. I also don't have the cord yet to hook up my computer to the tv. So. That leaves me with a very nice television in my living room...that plays the music and a couple random videos from my ipod. Smart. I'll get it figured out pretty, but at this moment, I have a $400 paperweight in my living room. It cracks me up quite a bit.

This weekend my mother gifted me a copy of Barbara Kingsolver's newest novel. I started it on the plane on my way home. So far it is really good...I especially enjoy all the references to Mexican history, culture and geography.

An Orange!

This morning I walked out to the orange tree in my backyard and found that many of the oranges are looking...well....orange! I picked on and just ate it right now. It was delicious, juicy, and sweet! In other news, "winter" has arrived in Phoenix. I know this because I walked outside this morning without my shoes on and ended up with numb toes. I still haven't turned on my heat and it is still comfortable inside. It is a very nice time of year--we get that bite in the air in the early morning, but still a nice, warm, sunny afternoon in the 70s.

I got busy this week and didn't water my seeds for a couple days. In the pots where the seeds have germinated the seedlings look ok. I hope to see others germinating soon! My basil plant looked a little wilty. I am not sure if that is from the cool night or lack of water. I watered it a little and am confident it will bounce back.

This weekend I hope to make some progress on my bathroom project. I bought an antique vanity with the idea to convert it into my bathroom counter. The vanity has a marble top so I could get a hole cut into it for a sink and it could work very well. I also plan to replace the mirror and light fixture, as well as swapping out my toilet for a low-flow commode. I got an estimate from my handyman on the whole conversion/install process and it seemed fair for the work involved. Of course, I hadn't realized all the work that would be involved, so already I am reassessing what a realistic budget for this project will be. I am also thinking about doing a little more of the work myself to save some dough. I am wondering if maybe this nice piece of furniture I bought might be better off placed in my living room and if I should check out Lowes to see if I can get something that includes a sink and wouldn't require modification. Some things to think about in the world of home improvement!

Thank You, Veterans

Today, we pause to honor those that have served our country in the military. When I think of how to honor veterans, I come to the conclusion that the best way to honor them is to live fully, joyfully and with appreciation for my life and privileges. I take Veterans' Day as a sort of day of thanksgiving. Today, I appreciated life and I appreciated my freedom and privileges. I woke up, greeted the day by making breakfast and sitting on my front to porch enjoy it. I took a walk with a friend, went to the farmer's market, painted my bathroom, made further plans for my homestead here...maybe most importantly, took a long nap in the afternoon. While I did sleep through the yoga class I had planned on attending, today I fully appreciated my independence and freedom and how wide open the world is to me. I get to choose how I spend this moment, my day, and my life. I get to make up my mind what I value, what is important to me, and what person I want to be. Grasping hold of that choice, fully acknowledging and owning that choice, empowers me. We honor our Veterans when we recognize how their work allows us to have choices, and when we use that opportunity to consciously make choices that make our lives better.

Thank you, Veterans, for your work, your sacrifice, and how your willingness to serve allows me to have so much choice in my life. I am doing my best to use that opportunity fully!

A more balanced life(!) and a blog to go with it

As I have settled into my 3rd year of teaching I am finding that I have a little bit of free time (gasp!). I am finding time here and there to work on projects around my house and in my yard. As I look to start new projects I spend a lot of time reading other people's blogs. Blogs about remodeling mid-century homes, raising backyard chickens,gardening, sewing and more. Well, I decided it is time for me to blog a little myself, about something other than my classroom.

The title? Well, that is simple. I am an Oregonian at heart, but I live in Phoenix. Somehow when I decided to buy a house, I ended up on Oregon Avenue...and believe it or not, my home here in the desert has tall trees growing all around it.

To start off with a glimpse into my life, my weekend activities have included:

Walking down to the neighborhood pizza joint for dinner with friends on Friday night. Living in Phoenix, they didn't really believe me at first when I said we walked. Yes, on occasion it is possible!

Planting a container "salad" garden in leftover plastic pots from my landscaping projects

Finally unpacking and organizing all the stuff in my bathroom. Contemplated remodeling my bathroom, but will probably invest the money in my yard rather than my bathroom for the time being. How much time do I spend in there, anyway?

Attending a sustainable garden tour at a house in a downtown historic district

Attending a hot yoga"flow" class at the yoga studio down the street. One word: sweat.

Going a little crazy researching and scheming about raising a couple chickens in my backyard.

Picking up a compost bin from the dump. The City of Phoenix makes them out of old trash cans and sells them for $5. Of course, I made it over there and it didn't fit in my Camry. Oops. Luckily the helpful man who worked there found a piece of rope and latched it on to the back of my car. I drove slowly and carefully home. I am excited to start composting.

Doing my laundry, which includes hanging it dry in my backyard.

Sitting on my front porch and drinking coffee Sunday morning.

Sitting in my backyard in the sun and wondering at the fact that it is November and 86 degrees out.

Now, Sunday afternoon I am contemplating actually doing my dishes, finishing a sewing project, or taking a nap. It is only 4...maybe I'll do all of those.