"Self-sufficiency does not mean 'going back' to the acceptance of a lower standard of living. On the contrary, it is the striving for a higher standard of living, for food that is organically grown and good, for the good life in pleasant surroundings... and for the satisfaction that comes from doing difficult and intricate jobs well and successfully." John Seymour ~ Self Sufficiency 2003

Tuesday, 31 March 2015

Blockhead part 2

I took a wander down to our sad dam the other morning.
The photo is deceptive - the water is just barely
 covering the dam floor
The above pic is deceptive - the dam is even lower than it was a couple of weeks ago - we seriously need a good heavy shower to fill it again - even halfway up would be reassuring.
A huge gash is developing where the road
 gully enters the dam
Standing on the jetty and looking up the gully which runs to the dam from the road, the effect of the water flowing into the dam is visible.  The sand is being eroded from the sides.  we are trying to prevent complete erosion, and thus raising the floor level of the dam with the wash away by placing some stones rocks in the gully.  I don;t know if we are going to be successful.
A fair sized pomegranate
Walking back from the dam I spied on of the few pomegranates our trees produced this year.  It's a goodly size and holds the promise of pomegranates in the years to come.
I was crouched next to this pomagranate bush
when I look up and saw something in the distance
 that required closer inspection
Looking up from where I was kneeling next to the pomegranate bush I spied something in the distance.  Why, it's Blockhead - our eco-friendly (bird) pest controlling scarecrow.

Blockhead - a mere shadow of his former glory
Time as taken it's toll on Blockhead.  His underarms, and stomach, are showing the effects of gravity - very similar to what happens to mankind lol.  The cotton fabric covering his "face" is disintegrating, and although faded, the jeans seem to be holding up - and may last another couple of years.  As for the acrylic wool jersey - it is still in a surprisingly good condition - albeit somewhat dirty from being outside for 3 years.

 The condition of that jersey is a simple example of how long it takes for synthetic man made products to leave this planet...

 Blockhead definitely needs reviving next Spring if he is to be an effective bird / hare deterrent.
Posted by Dani at 11:36:00
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12 comments:

  1. Gill - That British Woman31 March 2015 at 12:40

    I feel like the blockhead!!! Never seen a pomagranate bush before very interesting.

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    Replies
    1. Dani31 March 2015 at 12:47

      Gill - Pomegranates can be grown on either a tree or a bush - depending on how they are pruned. Either way, they are FULL of nasty thorns... ;)

      Delete
  2. Quinn31 March 2015 at 15:44

    Have you thought about waterbars to help prevent runoff erosion? I don't know enough about your conditions there, but I've often made them very simply with small logs, or whatever timber is at hand, to reduce erosion on trails built on slopes. You'd have to start "upstream" of your chasm, and if it helps, you could then go on with remedial attention. Just a thought!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dani31 March 2015 at 17:28

      Quinn - Not too sure what you mean - I'll Google it. Thanks for the suggestion though :)

      Delete
  3. Bill1 April 2015 at 12:34

    Blockhead makes me smile. Sadly he does resemble an increasingly large percentage of us these days.

    For what it's worth, I've had success slowing erosion with rocks like that. I've put rocks in ditches and gullies and after they'd collected runoff for a while some grass and eventually some small trees begin to grow. I have some gullies that I thought were hopeless that now have large trees growing in them and no sign of any erosion for years. Good luck with that!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dani1 April 2015 at 16:05

      Bill - What all your comments have made me think is that perhaps if we fix some wooden "steps", with rocks next to it on the inflow side, that may hep "spread the load" and stop the erosion.

      Delete
  4. Sue1 April 2015 at 15:41

    Hi Dani
    Love "Blockhead"--I guess a few repairs might be needed for him to continue doing his job.
    Do you guys have a Soil and Water Conservation dept (or something in that line)?
    Here in the States, you can get FREE help with erosion control---good advice and sometimes even assistance in remedy of the problem. Might be something to check on. It would be a shame to lose that pond.....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dani1 April 2015 at 16:07

      Sue - Ha! Nope - no free assistance here for that kind of thing. Stupid, because water, or lack thereof, is a major problem here.

      Thanks for the suggestion though.

      Delete
  5. Harry Flashman1 April 2015 at 20:22

    I wish I had a pomegranate growing on my place. We only rarely see them in the grocery store and then they are expensive.

    I sympathize with Blockhead. I know just how he feels.

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    Replies
    1. Dani2 April 2015 at 15:33

      Harry - The expense probably come in because they are imported? Or do they grow pomegranates in the US?

      Seems like we all have something in common with Blockhead ;)

      Delete
    2. Harry Flashman3 April 2015 at 06:10

      I don't really know if the pomegranate is grown in the U.S. Dani. I don't recall ever seeing one growing here.

      Delete
    3. Dani4 April 2015 at 16:51

      Harry - You live in Arkansas? Seems your county is one of those in which pomegranates will grow :)

      http://www.aaronsfarm.com/Wonderful-Pomegranate-p/wonderful-pomegranate-tree.htm and
      http://www.gardenguides.com/99237-grow-pomegranates-arkansas.html

      Delete

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