Penalties

There are plenty of those in life, aren't there.

And they crop up in the most unexpected way too.

Just as we are adjusting to having the cutest, brightest little (well, actually - not so little anymore) puppy in our lives, Stellar has presented us with a whole set of restrictions which we have had to put in place.

Sadly, wielding a rolled up newspaper and emitting a sharp "No!" is taking it's time to have it's desired effect, and accompanying positive adjustment in her behaviour.

Pushing the boundaries is what's it all about...

For instance - the couch - now that is quite the bet place for a puppy to stretch out and catch her beauty sleep.

What a sight - climber netting covering the couches

Not on my watch, it isn't. 

I prefer dog hairless couches when I settle down to relax of an evening.  So, that involved spending just a little bit of money - on a preventative measure.  We opted for a garden rigid-ish climber netting that rolls up when not required, but is uncomfortable enough not to allow for canine snoozes.  As soon as she gets the message, the garden netting will assume it's intended purpose in my garden - perhaps even in time for the peas to wind their way up...?

Then, the relationship between Stellar and Squeak is - to put it politely, not good.  Squeak therefore prefers to spend her days in our bedroom, with her access to outside restricted to night times (through the bedroom window) whilst Stellar is getting her beauty  sleep.  And all Stellar wants to do is play... (sigh)

The make-shift barrier to prevent broken puppy legs

And, staircases - being wooden, and pretty slippery for dogs to climb, means that in order to prevent broken legs, we have had to come up with a hurriedly thrown together gate made out of chicken fencing and our good old Black Wattle poles...

When Stellar is not requiring attention / stimulation (we must get another puppy as a companion I reckon) we can breath a sigh of relief. 

A bolster made our of RMan's old jeans

Stellar has decided that the recycled doggy bed we made her - and blanket and a pair of RMan's old jeans which had their leg "opening's" sewn shut after being filled with wadding - is perfect for snuggling into at night, and during the day...

Her favourite 40 winks spot - under
 my writing desk - and under my feet...

...whilst she can still fit - when she needs 40 winks - climbing into the space below my writing desk is her preferred spot.  Which means I have to sit at the writing desk with my legs crossed otherwise I will constantly be kicking her.

The joys of owing a puppy.

You get the picture?  😂

Water wise boundary decor

I started this blog posting back in July last year when we first started on this project...

RMan and a neighbour, E, used to do the installation and maintenance of the potable water system, and the reading of each individuals water meters in our smallholding communnity.  Even though there are 150-odd smallholdings in our area, we are not "formally" recognised by the local authorities as a "settlement" and are thus not entitled to "services".

Whilst travelling to do the water meter readings RMan spotted these plants growing at the entrance to once of the smallholdings.

I'm sorry I didn't get a pic of them in flower - they looked seriously impressive!

However, RMan did pick up some of the fallen flower buds / seed carriers.

No exactly sure how to propagate agaves,
 I just plonked the base of the "flower" into
 some potting soil and hoped for the best...

Not finding any info online on how to propagate agaves, I just plonked the bottoms into a pot of soil in effort to try and grow them, so that, if I am successful, we could then place them, together with some aloe plants, along the front (dirt road) fence of our property.  They may not look like much sans flowers, but they are certainly water-wise, and will help to distinguish our property from the others nearby.

Aloes with red flowers...

Isn't it funny how your tastes change.  Before we had our smallholding I used to think that these types of plants, and aloes, were damned ugly.  Now I understand why they are grown - for their hardiness, drought resistance, and striking feature qualities.

... and aloes with yellow flowers

Fast forward from July to March 2017 and this is actually what was planted along our boundary this week:

The successfully rooted Agave plants
http://www.southafrica.net/blog/en/posts/entry/a-spiky-kind-of-beautiful

Kei apple trees
https://www.plantzafrica.com/plantcd/dovycaf.htm

Spekboom - propagated from our existing plants
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portulacaria_afra
Also, I understand that spekboom is excellent at
 carbon fixing - so, to help reduce our carbon footprint,
  I need to grow as many as I can, I reckon.

Home propagated lavender

NumNum bushes
https://www.plantzafrica.com/plantcd/carisbispin.htm

Geraniums propagated from our existing plants

The boundary fence March 2017 - it looks like nothing at this
 point in time, but I have high hopes of a stunning boundary in
 years to come.
 We have planted groupings of 14 plants / section so it
 should make quite a feature - once they are all grown up... 

We have planted groupings of 14 identical plants per section, so in years to come it should, hopefully, look stunning! 😉

Three of the plants are edible (Kei apple, spekboom and numnum) and all are waterwise 😃  Which is just as well as our drought continues and we have had only 5.5mm ( .2 of an inch) of rain since the 12th February...😟

Although I have never served spekboom in a salad or soup for our personal consumption - yet - apparently, alpacas can also eat it.  Due to their carbon fixing properties I'd love to plant up a whole field of them...  (Don't tell RMan, but I think I'm going to surreptitiously get that going.)

You can read more about the history of South African agaves here.  It's a pity that neither RMan nor I drink tequila... ;)

Sorting out my excess harvests

I had some fun this past week.

Even though our drought continues, due to the mountains of mulch we scattered everywhere, plus the neighbouring shadecloth veggie patch offers plenty of protection against the drying southerly winds, my 2017 piquanté pepper harvest is beginning to roll in.

The only problem is I still have preserved peppers in my cupboard from last year.  So, what to do with them all?

Why, dehydrate them, that's what 😃

Washed, de-stalked and halved - let the dehydrating commence

So, after the stalks were removed and they were given a quick rinse, they were cut in half and were laid on the inner drying shelf in the Foothills DryAway.

Chopped piquanté peppers - to speed up the dehydrating process

As piquanté peppers, like green peppers, contain a lot of water, dehydrating them was taking too long.

So, plan B.

I roughly chopped them and spread that on trays in the Foothills DryAway.

The dehydrated piquanté peppers were ground down to a
 powder in my food processor

When they were dry (later that day) I placed them once again in the food processor and blitzed away until I had piquanté pepper powder.  I purposely left the seeds in - for that little extra "bite" on the tastebuds.

Dehydrated and bottled - these piquanté
 peppers will last for ages 😂

I can taste the piquanté pepper sprinkled roast chicken that I am going to make in the Rosie this winter already... 😂







For info on how you can obtain your own Foothills DryAway solar / wind food dehydrator please click the link.

Summer, spring, autumn, winter?

What's going on?

Funnel cloud - Suurbraak end January 2017

Back at the end of January, one of our neighbours, Rogan, took this pic of a funnel cloud near Suurbraak.  We don't usually get tornado's here. 

But, I have never seen this before.  Ever.  I harvested the last of our pears and whilst I was toddling round the fruit orchard, I noticed something strange.  Something completely out of the ordinary.

Mid-February and the apple trees are producing blossoms - again?

As you can see from the pic above, I have apples (albeit, due to the extreme heat we've had, they are small ones) growing on my apple trees.

Then, last week, I noticed that the apple trees were producing blossoms.  Again???

Not just one blossom, but blossoms all over the tree...

 Whaaaaat????

Another type of apple - and it's also producing apple
 blossoms - in February???

If the trees are confused, where should that leave us humans?

From what I understand, apple trees need cold winters to produce blossoms.  We have had anything but cold weather here this summer.  Plus, March is the beginning of autumn, how can the apple trees be producing spring blossoms in the middle of February?

 ~ Sigh~ and there will still be naysayers who deny that climate change / global warming is a reality.

The major dams supplying water to Cape Town have enough water left for roughly 80 days.  The Cape Town municipality has started reducing the flow rate of potable water in order to keep a supply of water available to the residents of that town and Level 3b water restrictions are in place.

On a bigger scale Nasa is monitoring the imminent breakaway of Larsen C ice shelf in Antarctica - due, they say, to warmer oceans.  Plus they are measuring increased temperatures in Antarctica itself which have measured 2.8oC (5oF) warmer than normal.

Supposed First World leaders are in denial.  Normal people are in denial.

Don't let the naysayers influence you.

Prepare yourselves for a very different future.

The signs are everywhere.

Just saying...

For info on how you can obtain your own Foothills DryAway solar / wind food dehydrator please click the link.

New life...

...brings so much joy.

Allowing for a time to grieve allows for a time for hurt hearts to heal.  Memories linger, photo's remind - they always will.  But, the emptiness is there.

We sadly had to let Scallywag go on to the permanent fields of play last year.  At 17 he had lived a long, full and happy life.  RMan was deeply scarred by the action we had to take, and has taken time to heal.

I have been on the lookout for another dog for a couple of months.  We wanted a Rhodesian Ridgeback as they originated in Suurbraak.  And "local is lekker"  😃  But, the cost of pedigreed Ridgebacks is horrendous.

Then, last week I saw an ad for puppies in a local publication...

I tentatively showed RMan the ad.

He didn't really react.

But, I couldn't forget about the puppies.

I showed him again.

Again - not much of a reaction.

What the hell.  I called the lady in the ad and asked if any were still available.

Yup.  There was one puppy left.  So off we toddled on Sunday morning - "just to have a look, RMan..."

Stellar - a little sad, probably a little car-sick, and
 quiet - but loving the pats, and strokes, and
 tummy tickles

They named her Stormy...

But we have renamed her Stellar - she is sooo black - like the night sky, with a milky way across her feet / legs and chest.

The car sickness wore off, and she wolfed down her dinner...

What have I (re)discovered about puppies?

Puppies are not for the fastidious housewife - a title I lay absolutely no claim to 😂

They will not be that mad about their first ½ hour car trip.  Even if they're in the footwell at your feet on a brand new soft and cuddly blanket, and you are constantly stroking them and petting them.

They will be sad to leave their Mum and siblings.

They will be quiet and reserved.

They will be still and slow to react.

Until they realize that "Hey, these guys aren't so bad!!".

And then it's a case of...

...sweeping the floor is an impossibility.  The broom looks like far too much fun.  And - once captured - dragging it off at speed is one of her favourite games.

Ditto shoes...  And it doesn't matter how big and clumpy they are either.  She'll make a plan...

Crocs taste good!!

All books, business paperwork and Farmers Weekly or go! Platteland magazines have to be relocated.  Actually - being totally honest - most things within 3 feet of floor level have to be moved.

All curtains ( including shower curtains and the mosquito net around the bed) that waft about in a breeze cause barking, excitement and the hunt (and future capture) is on.  Trying to dislodge them from their hooks is imperative to a 9-week old puppy.  Dirty clothing tossed on the floor (before they are put in the laundry basket) is a prize which has to be shared with everyone.  Even if it trips one up as one escapes with ones "treasure".

As soon as a puppy wakes from it's nap, head for outside...  At speed!!  And 2-year-old newspapers are useful for "accidents".

Not good enough for Squeak, but definitely
 right up Stellar's alley 😆

Bell filled balls I purchased for Squeak - which she turned her nose up at - are fascinating to Stellar and will cause her to do multiple somersaults and cart wheels as she chases after and tries to catch them.

A tray of seedlings is meant to be munched.  Isn't it???

The joy with which a human is greeted in the morning brings indescribable warmth to the heart.

Clumsy, loping puppy walk is really something to watch - as often as possible.

Water out of a hosepipe isn't really meant for the plants - is it??

Being the one to give her a first ever taste of boiled chicken breast - you're best friends for life.

Tummy scratches are heaven!

Although we take a chance getting a puppy at this stage - because who knows who will outlive the other - it was a brilliant move.  So much joy, so much unconditional love and so much happiness.

A home without a dog just doesn't feel right...

AWOL and thanks for the nekkid dancing...

My apologies for being AWOL - did anyone miss me??  😂

Things have been pretty hectic here - not only with the business, and some community issues, but also with harvesting.

My main crop every year is tomatoes.  Not necessarily to eat only fresh, but I grow as many as possible to preserve.

 Yellow heirloom tomatoes - in all their magnificent glory :D

There is nothing nicer than adding home made tomato puree and tomato concentrate to all those winter dishes - the privilege of last years harvest dances over my tongue with every mouthful.

The golden yellow heirloom tomatoes are generally
 great big brutes - just the way I like 'em ;)

My favourite tomato is a golden yellow heirloom...

I simmer the tomato mixture until it is good and thick

...as it makes the most gorgeous, golden-red tomato concentrate.

Tomato concentrate in recycled plastic tubs all ready to go into
 the freezer.  Those tubes are re-used, and re-used until they fall
 apart - and only then are they sent for recycling

Apart from water-bathing jars of concentrate, I also shove 125gm tubs of it into the freezer.  I find making bottled whole tomatoes a waste of time because when they are decanted, as we don't eat that many pizza's, they are mainly only suitable for "blitzing" into a sauce anyway.

Spiralized butternut dehydrating in the Foothills DryAway

I've also had fun spiralizing home-grown organic butternut and dehydrating it in the Foothills DryAway.

This is precisely why I made the middle shelf in the Foothills
 DryAway.  So that any food that dropped through the drying
  net could easily be retrieved.

When the butternut spirals are dry they resemble butternut tagliatelli 😃  Storing that in a preserving jar in the larder frees up freezer space for my tomato concentrate lol

To get to my "thanks for dancing nekkid" bit in the title of this blog post - kymber and Jam kindly performed a nekkid rain dance all the way across the planet in Framboise, Canada.

kymber - thank you my friend - it worked 😂

Four days later we had 40mm of rain... 

Oh - we waited so long for this sight...

Even the alpacas enjoyed the shower

...glorious rain.

It was enough of a sudden downpour to fill our dam by a third.

40mm of rain filled the dam by a third...

Although the water didn't last too long as the dried out shell quickly absorbed most of it resulting in the dam being almost empty again, it's also not surprising given the heat we've recently been experiencing.

...and caused the grass / grazing to turn a welcome
 greener colour

At least the rain caused the "grass" turned a little greener than dried out brown and is showing some sign of growth - especially in the alpaca paddocks. 😊

kymber and Jam - please, feel free to continue dancing nekkid - we need much, much more to come even halfway close to last's years rainfall...





For more info on how you can obtain your own Foothills DryAway solar / wind food dehydrator please click the link.

45 minutes...

...  

Only 45 minutes of your life.

Please - don't tell me you can't spare 45 minutes to watch this documentary...

http://news.sky.com/video/special-report-plastic-pollution-in-our-oceans-10742377

Consequences of Insane

I'm not meaning to harp on the topic, but just want to show you the consequences of below average rainfall last winter, and non-existent rainfall this summer...

8 January 2017

The pic above was taken on the 8th January 2017 - a very sad looking dam indeed. 

There is evidence of nocturnal visitors in the exposed mud

A week later...

The state of the dam on 16th January 2017

What was interesting was to see what nocturnal visitors had left a sign of their visit / search for liquid refreshment in the wet mud.

But, it's not just the land which needs some moisture.  There is another very important part of the equation which is suffering.

Bees - clamouring round a rapidly drying lump of clay on what used
to be the bottom of our dam - seeking any moisture they can find

 Even the bees are battling to find water.

Bird bath / water bowl below the lemon tree.  In times of
 plenty it is a bird bath.  In times of drought, it is merely
a water bowl filled with anything to help retain moisture
 for the birds and the bees

 I have a "bird bath" / water source positioned below a lemon tree - the bees are making use of that.

Close up of the bird's water bowl - I added bits of wood
 chip to aid the birds access to the water, and to try and
 prevent excessive evapouration

Taps, which recently spewed out water, are being requisitioned for whatever remnants recently passed through the damp spout.

Damp taps - another important source
 of moisture for the bees

 This is the state of the land: 

Crisp and dry and depressingly brown... :(

 And, as for the dam...

The state of the dam on the 23rd January 2017.
The white which is visible on the bottom is no longer water,
 but is an indication of the bentonite which we added to
the dam to try and help seal the dam floor

A different angle of the dry and cracked dam floor

The dam is in a very bad way.  It has not run dry since we added the bentonite.  Now - it is a cracked mud hole in the ground.

These cracks in the mud at the bottom of the dam are at least 7 - 10 cms deep

At least the dried out cracks allow us to see the bentonite we added way back in May 2013.

The birds - they're fine.  I have various water bowls scattered around, as well as the sugar water bird feeders which we ensure are always topped up.

Our 8 X 5000 lt rain water tanks?  They certainly helped, but we'd need a 300 000lt reservoir to provide us with enough water to see us through a summer.

Following below average rainfall for quite a while and the distinct lake of manna from heaven this summer, the Western Cape is in a full blown drought situation with less than 40% water left in the dams which supply our towns.  That equates to less than 88 days of water left for the inhabitants of the Cape Town metropole.

Rainfall graph from November 2013 to date

Prayers, rain dances, whatever rocks your boat - please do any of them.

We need rain - urgently...!