Tag Archives: animals

Scenes from (Early) Spring

It’s starting to feel more and more like Spring on the farm!

…And it’s starting to feel more and more like we actually live on a farm!

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Maple production has continued.  We finished our 3rd batch this past weekend and it was the best one yet.  This week we’re in the midst of the fastest rushing sap we’ve seen so there will be at least a 4th (and probably a 5th) installment of our syrup!

We’ve tried boiling the sap down a number of ways – a grill, a rocket stove, and this last time we used a portable electric cooktop that we placed outside.

I think the rocket stove was the most fun, but we had a hard time keeping the sap boiling and it took a lot longer than it should have (like, 10 hours!).  We finished the last bit of sap on the kitchen stove and ended up with a decent amount of syrup.

The electric cooktop definitely won the contest for the most efficient way to boil down the amount of sap we collected. Continue reading →

An Avian Visitor + Wormville Update

Nearly every day for the past week, I will suddenly hear raucous alarm calls coming from the flock of sparrows that hang out in the backyard.

It appears that we have attracted a regular visitor who showed up on two separate occasions today. An adorable, killing machine – a Cooper’s hawk. Continue reading →

Late Autumn on the Carolina Coast

Autumn can look so different when you’re away from home.

There are some telltale similarities in the proliferation of berries, the turning of the asters, and the migration of animals, but the forests, marshes, and beaches of the Carolina coast certainly have their own unique way of turning toward winter.  Continue reading →

With Nature at Honey Horn

Yesterday, I finished Thich Nhat Hanh’s Peace is Every Step, an excellent written meditation to help foster mindfulness and awareness.

Often, Thich Nhat Hanh suggests that we would benefit to become more aware of nature.  This is both to increase our level of mindfulness, and to reduce the suffering in others’ lives.  When we are disrespectful to the Earth, we are being disrespectful to all other living beings and to ourselves since we are all connected.  When we become more aware, more conscious, we are naturally inclined to be more respectful of the Earth. Continue reading →

Homemade Wheat Thins + Palm Oil PSA

Although I’m a few days late with this, I’d still like to share with you that last week was Orangutan Caring Week.

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Why Bats are Awesome + Bat Crafts

I’ve never quite understood some people’s revulsion toward bats. Recently someone told me, “I understand bats are important for the environment, but they just aren’t very attractive.”  Continue reading →

The Fall Garden and Her Vegetable Soup

The peak of gardening has passed, but there are still plenty of things to be seen, done, and harvested this time of year.

Continue reading →