6 Months Ago

I started this blog six months ago (on June 13th, 2008). Since I missed my 6 month blogaversary, I’m going to pretend it was today. Here’s what I posted 6 months ago today, in case some of you weren’t around back then.

Mr Chiots and I are big fans of watching TV shows on DVD (no commercials). Not to mention this saves us tons of money on cable each month (we canceled it 2 years ago). We just finished up Good Neighborsa British sitcom from the 70’s. If you’ve never seen it I’d suggest getting it from the library and having a good laugh. I’ll warn you, the first episode or two are a little rough, keep watching, you’ll be glad you did! It’s about 2 neighbors, one couple decides that they’re going to quit their jobs and start being self-sufficient, raising animals and crops on their city lot. Their neighbors are a posh couple, an executive and his very stylish wife. Many hilarious moments ensue when these two couples interact. So head to your library and check out all 4 seasons, it will definitely help warm you up on these cold winter nights!

Here’s a funny clip from the show.

Anyone else seen and love this show?

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BRRRR, It’s Cold Outside

It’s been a little chilly here at Chiot’s Run, single digits during the day, negatives at night (tonight it’s supposed to be -4, now that’s cold). I don’t mind since I am able to stay inside my toasty warm home, but this weather is tough on all the wildlife.

On days like today we make sure the bird feeder and heated bird bath are filled so our little feathered friends have enough food to stay warm and water to drink. We also see deer rummaging through the flower beds looking for something to eat. Here’s a video we made last winter when we had a cold snap. It includes the wildlife we see frequently in the winter gardens here at Chiot’s Run (as well as shots of Lucy back when she was still mobile). It’s only 2 minutes long, enjoy!

[flv:/video/a_moment_of_zen.flv 480 270]

What kinds of wildlife frequent your gardens?

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Politics and Gardening

Like many Americans I’ve been closely watching Obama’s cabinet appointments. I was hoping that CHANGE would be coming, but it looks like it’s politics as usual at the Office of the President Elect. I’m particularly disappointed in his appointment of Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack. Here’s a quote from the Organic Consumer’s Association about Tom Vilsack:

While Vilsack has promoted respectable policies with respect to restraining livestock monopolies, his overall record is one of aiding and abetting Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) or factory farms and promoting genetically engineered crops and animal cloning. Equally troubling is Vilsack’s support for unsustainable industrial ethanol production, which has already caused global corn and grain prices to skyrocket, literally taking food off the table for a billion people in the developing world.

If you are also disappointed by the appointment of Tom Vilsack for Secretary of Agriculture, head on over to Organic Consumer’s Association and sign the petition to oppose it. OCA is hoping to get over 100,000 people to sign this petition.

If you would like a more sustaineable candidate sign this petition to draft Jim Riddle (a long-time advocate of sustaineable and organic agriculture) in his place.

Despite a deluge of over 100,000 emails and petition signatures from organic consumers and farmers objecting to the appointment of biotech and biofuels booster Tom Vilsack as Secretary of Agriculture, the Senate is scheduled to begin confirmation hearings for Vilsack today.

The Organic Consumers Association (OCA) is disappointed in this controversial appointment, and we are calling on our national network and allies to pressure Obama to move beyond “agribusiness as usual” by drafting Jim Riddle to head the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), the department that oversees organic food, farming, and standards. Riddle is an organic farmer from Minnesota, former Chair of the National Organic Standards Board, and a longtime advocate for sustainable and organic farming. With Riddle heading up the AMS, farmers markets, Community Supported Agriculture, transition to organic programs, and the National Organic Program will finally receive the attention, technical assistance, and funding they deserve.

If you would like to give input on many of Obama’s cabinet members visit this page at the Organic Consumers Association website for more details.

Ok, I’ll get off my soapbox now. But this appointment really concerns me, does it concern anyone else?

Here’s a very interesting article over at Civil Eats about this.

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Great Gardening Books: A Year at North Hill

Joe Eck & Wayne Winterrowd are gardeners on a whole different level than most people are, “fanatic” might be a good way to describe them. That being said, their books and very in depth and full of much useful information for the less “fanatical” gardener.
A Year at North Hill : Four Seasons in a Vermont Gardenis a great book. It’s not a quick easy read being filled with many latin names for plants. It is full of ideas for new plants to purchase (I keep a notebook close by for taking notes and writing down plant names & descriptions). This book is arranged chronologically by month, which makes it a great reference. You can read each month before the month to get ideas for plants to use in your garden. All-in-all it’s a great book to read if you want some meat in your gardening books. This book doesn’t have a ton of photos and it’s filled with plant cultivars & the best growing conditions for them. Joe & Wayne’s writing style makes it easy to stay interested, they are talented at throwing in little stories here and there, in just the right spot to keep you interested.

I don’t think I enjoyed this book quite as much as, Living Seasonally, perhaps since I am more interested in growing a few edibles at this point. But it is still a worthwhile read if you like trying new & different plants, not the typical big garden store kind of plants. I think that eventually this book will make it onto my gardening book shelf, it will be a good reference book when I want to try new & interesting plants.

Visit their website if you would like to see some photos of the gardens at North Hill.

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Winner Winner Burt’s Bees Lip Balm

Originally I was going to have Lucy pick the winner of the Burt’s Bees Lip Balm contest. I was going to hide numbered dog treats around the house and whichever one she found first was going to be the winner. But since she’s laid up and can’t roam around the house I had to come up with another plan. She was very disappointed she couldn’t help out.

I tried to think of a way to have the cats pick, but they’re cats. You can’t get them to do anything you want them to. So I reverted to the old, write numbers of pieces of paper, fold them up, put them in a hat and choose a winner.

I did put the numbers in my gardening hat at least, perfect for a gardening blog. And the winner is:

The winner is Carol from The Country Mouse.

This is what Carol says about herself: “I’m a mostly stay-at-home wife and mom living in rural Ohio with my wonderful husband and the sweetest baby boy in the world. I like to read, cook, eat (unfortunately), knit, and sing. I spend way too much time doing all of those things instead of mopping the floor.”

The funny thing is that I’ve known Carol since high school. She helped set my sister up with her cousin (who my sister married and is now my brother-in-law). Paul and Carol have the cutest little boy named Levi. Head on over to Carol’s blog and check out what’s going on at The Country Mouse.

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