New Garden space & adapting

This weekend was busy with Ronnie’s birthday on Saturday and our outdoor frenzy on Sunday: we relocated the compost pile, planted two pear and two blueberry bushes, transplanted red raspberries from various parts in the yard, fixed the grape arbors and cleared out a slew of forsythias.  These forsythia had taken over about 8 foot of yard!  While cleaning out these bushes, I somehow contracted poison ivy.  Now in the past boiling broom sage has produced a lovely, see through brown liquid that is fantastic for drying this stuff out.  Well. . . . boiling it this eve did not produce this result and I am trying to figure out what I did wrong…  Has anyone else used this before?  Any other home remedies that work?  The web has a slew from white vinegar (which I am going to try) to banana peels and miracle whip!

Now for the odds n ends.  I am taking Sharon‘s class, Adapting in Place, and this week’s discussion is on water.  What to do if the power goes out and we are left to our own devices for water.  Aaron, who is co-teaching this class, posted this link for a Slow sand filter.  Sharon’s assessment protocols can be found at the oil drum.

I stumbled upon this blog and thought the parallels to be very interesting – and scary!

This post was thrown together.  Today was a very odd day; it felt as if I were trying to think through a thick fog. *bleck*  Hope it clears up for tomorrow as I bartend and may be out late.  Time for bed.

Nite ya’ll!  =)