Fall Friday

 

 I finally got out to take some pictures of the fall leaves.  I was almost too late, because a lot of them are already gone.  Buck Creek Trail is just minutes from my house and it's like a magical forest oasis in the middle of town.  It's so peaceful and the trail is well maintained.  I will definitely miss it whenever we move to Nashville.  Hopefully they have similar trails up there!  I need my quick nature fix once in a while.

 

 

 

 

Composting

WARNING: This post may contain pictures that may be disturbing to some viewers.  If you are squeamish, look away. 

Ok.  So if you didn't look away, I'll tell you about my compost bin for food scraps.  I've always wanted to compost because it seems like such a waste to just throw your food scraps into the garbage when it can make such wonderful soil!  And just to prove that you don't have to spend a lot (or any) money to start composting, here's my bin...

Yes, it's ghetto.  But guess what?  That's ok!  I simply used an old recycling bin, but you can use a plastic tote box and just drill some holes in the bottom.  If your box has a lid, then great.  Use it.  If not, you can just use a large plastic garbage bag and something to hold it down.  I just use the shovel that I stir my compost with and a stick.  It ain't pretty, but neither is what's inside.

To start composting, tear up some old paper scraps or newspaper to line the bottom of your container.  Just a thin layer will do.  Now add a layer of soil from your yard or potting soil (about 6 inches worth) on top of the paper.  Now you're ready to start adding your scraps.  But wait,  you can't add just anything.  Here's some do's and don'ts...

Do add...

• fruit peels
• over-ripe fruits and vegetables
• used coffee (along with filter)
• used tea bags
• egg shells
• bread and rice (sparingly)

Don't add...

• dairy products
• any meat or fish
• inorganic materials (such as plastic)

 

Here's what mine looks like on the inside.  I've got some watermelon rinds and a coffee filter in there.  When you put your scraps in, stir them around to help the decomposition process get going.  Once in a while, add a cup of water.  Your bin will need to be a bit moist.  

So on to the gross part of my post.  A few weeks ago, I noticed something new in my bin.  Maggots.  That's right (I tried to warn you).  Big, nasty, freakin gross maggots.  I was not at all pleased.  My first thought was that this can't be good.  But, upon further research, it's actually about the best thing that could happen to your compost bin.  These little buggers will eat ANYTHING and eat it fast.  They basically neutralize anything bad that might be in the food.  I saw several articles that said it was ok to put meat and cheese into a bin with maggots, but I'm not going to press my luck with that.  Apparently I have the perfect conditions to harbor maggots in my bin.  It's warm (or hot), I keep it moist, and I keep the sunlight out of it.  So as much as it freaks me out, I'm going to let the maggots do their job. 

Composting is a great way to get nice, rich soil for planting food or flowers.  And the best part is that you're using things you would be throwing away anyways.  It doesn't take any more effort, but the benefits are great!

Orr Park

Orr Park is about 20 minutes away from our house, and is one of the most magical places I've ever been to.  It's a very big park, with a creek and lots of green space.  But what makes it special are the carvings that one man has done on the dead cypress trees.  You can read about him here.  The pictures I've taken are just a small portion of what he's done.  It's really amazing when you walk through the park, because you really have to look everywhere to find all the faces hiding in the most random places.

California Dreamin

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I went to Washington State a few years back, and I completely fell in love with it.  I'd love to go to the west coast again, specifically California.  I feel like I need to see mountains again.  There's just something so peaceful and calming about them.  Seeing the same old Alabama landscape all the time isn't fun (although we do have some beautiful spots).

Well I hope you all have a wonderful holiday today and sit back, drink some lemonade, and relax for a while!!!

Garden Envy

 

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 I've seen quite a few gardening posts from wonderful bloggers like Adrian and Amanda, and I can't help but be a bit jealous.  I haven't tried to garden in my backyard because we have a ton of trees and it's mostly shaded.  But after doing a bit a research, I've discovered that I can have a garden!  Leafy vegetables like arugula, bok choi, kale, lettuce, and spinach do better in the shade.  I've really wanted to grow blackberries too, but have always heard that they absolutely have to have full sun.  Not true!  They'll grow anywhere, but produce more fruit if in full sun.

So, my garden planning has begun.   I've started a little compost bin to put my food scraps in.  Hopefully I can get some nice rich soil from it.  As far as clearing out a spot for my garden, I've got a lot of work ahead of me.  Minus all the leaves I'm going to have to clear out, our soil is crap.  It's super rocky (so much so that there's a rock quarry right down the road from us).  I've also got a lot more research to do about growing from seeds, tilling, watering, pest control, bed building, and so on.  I know it's a lot of work, but to be able to grow my own food would be absolutely amazing!

If anyone has attempt gardening in a shaded area, please let me know the results!  Or if you've got any other words of wisdom, I'd love to hear them!

 

 

Merry Mushrooms!

I hope y'all are having a great weekend!  I just had to share these pictures of the mushrooms growing in my backyard.  The first picture is my favorite because there's a little mushroom growing under the big one.  It's like a mama mushroom with her baby! 

Anyways, today I'm going to have lunch with some friends and then my brother in-law and his girlfriend are coming to visit from Nashville for a few days.  I'm excited to spend some time with them, although I'm pretty sure the boys are just going to play Diablo III the whole time (anyone else being ignored because of this?).

Do you have anything exciting going on this weekend? 

Green Backyard

Everything in my backyard is so green right now.  I think I may have a little too much green, since it looks a little bit like a jungle.  I can't wait to really start cutting some things back and cleaning up.  Hopefully I may actually be able to plant a small garden if I can find a place with enough sunlight.  I would love some tomatoes, green peppers, basil, and arugula.

What does your backyard look like right now?

 

Wonderful Weekend- Forest Park

I had an absolutely wonderful weekend.  I met up with a group of friends for lunch in Forest Park, which is a little neighborhood on the east side of Birmingham.  After we ate I hopped across the street to Zoe's Vintage and swooned over all the great stuff they had (although it was a little too pricey for me).

There are lots of old houses in this neighborhood and they all have beautiful azaleas in bloom.  It was a perfect spring day and it was nice just to soak it in.

After that, I proceeded to spend more money at thrift stores than I ever have.  Of course I only spent about $50.00, but that's a lot to me!  I got a ton of stuff for my money: 6 dresses 6 skirts, 5 tops, a large needlepoint picture, a Merry Mushroom cookie jar in great condition, 6 dessert plates with mushrooms, and some various mugs.  I have so much inventory for my Etsy shop that I can't wait to get going on it!  Unfortunately I can't really do that until we move, so I"m just going to have to wait.  Sigh...

 I hope you all had a great weekend too!