Little Home In The Country

Needing to purchase a few things for the house (since moving in) instigated a bit of research on where to source what we need without: a)  breaking the budget b) compromising values re: pu...

http://littlehomeinthecountry.blogspot.com/2016/10/local-spending.html

It seems a little odd, but two and a half months into this giant adventure, I still can't quite believe that we're here!   Being "home" on the coast feels amazing and although we miss our f...

http://littlehomeinthecountry.blogspot.com/2016/10/still-cant-quite-believe-it.html

The deck is finally covered in 2 coats of stain and I'm happy to say it looks MUCH better.  Now that it's protected, it should last us for many years and we're quite pleased with the savings vs...

http://littlehomeinthecountry.blogspot.com/2016/08/all-done.html

The back deck here was in sorry shape.  The stain was peeling off and the boards were rotting and lifting from exposure during long wet winters.  We initially thought we'd have to replace ...

http://littlehomeinthecountry.blogspot.com/2016/08/frugal-home-repairs-and-maintenance.html

The front verandah was a hive of activity last week.   My Dad (who is an experienced fisherman) was prepping for a major, week long annual fishing expedition on the west coast of the island and...

http://littlehomeinthecountry.blogspot.com/2016/08/learning-how.html

Beware the un-staged photos...  this is how we LIVE!    I've been pondering beauty and function (and the balance between them) ever since we moved in. The house we bought is truly beautifu...

http://littlehomeinthecountry.blogspot.com/2016/08/getting-set-up-to-work.html

Hello everyone!  It's been a while.  We made it to our final destination and our big moving adventure is over (and not a moment too soon).  The trip itself (and the process to get to depa...

http://littlehomeinthecountry.blogspot.com/2016/08/we-made-it.html

The canola is in full bloom all around us.  While I'm not a supporter of GMO crops, I can at least appreciate the beauty and gift of colour. From our little pocket of lush, organic, h...

http://littlehomeinthecountry.blogspot.com/2016/07/around-here.html

Packing and picking aptly describes what we're up to here as we're in the home stretch before we officially hit the road to our new digs on the coast. PACKING: We're trying to get by on as li...

http://littlehomeinthecountry.blogspot.com/2016/07/picking-and-packing.html

The main annual vegetable garden isn't "officially" planted because our home went under offer just as I was set to seed it.  I held off intentionally seeding but there's plenty of  volunteer "...

http://littlehomeinthecountry.blogspot.com/2016/07/more-edge-and-cooperation.html

Have you ever noticed how weeds grow so well (and quickly) at the edges of driveways, garden beds,  fences, retaining walls and other structures?  In permaculture we call this the "Edge Effect...

http://littlehomeinthecountry.blogspot.com/2016/06/living-on-edge.html

I have a long and sordid history of working myself ragged in order to meet a self imposed deadline.  What is UP with that?   I suppose I'm just goal and task oriented which makes for a major me...

http://littlehomeinthecountry.blogspot.com/2016/06/pacing-for-long-haul.html

Look at these juicy berries!  All my strawberry plants are producing well and are happy with onions planted between them.  The flax straw is doing a good job of mulching and in a sudden po...

http://littlehomeinthecountry.blogspot.com/2016/06/grow-it-make-it.html

I'm truly happy to be moving forward after so many months of being in limbo but I have to admit, I'm feeling a bit melancholy about leaving my garden.  After 7 years of exhausting labour, w...

http://littlehomeinthecountry.blogspot.com/2016/06/feeling-little-melancholy.html

Our hottest commodity right now is boxes.  Who'd have imagined the lowly cardboard box could be worth so much? I have always loved FreeCycle (we give away most of our no-longer-needed things ...

http://littlehomeinthecountry.blogspot.com/2016/06/a-hot-commodity-and-power-of-freecycle.html

Over the years, I've collected a lovely selection of reference books on local plants and animals. These books have been well thumbed through and even have some dirty prints gracing the pages...

http://littlehomeinthecountry.blogspot.com/2016/06/surplus-to-needs.html

This is such an exciting time in the life and maturity of my garden.  We've lived here 7 years and in that time, we've been transitioning 2.5 acres of mostly grass into a productive food growin...

http://littlehomeinthecountry.blogspot.com/2016/06/whats-ripe.html

Now that we are full steam ahead with the move my mind is chock full of the details, arrangements and jobs I need to do to make it happen.  I have several lists going which are in a constant st...

http://littlehomeinthecountry.blogspot.com/2016/06/healthy-food-during-transition.html

Our house is SOLD and we are moving to the West Coast!  After 10 months of waiting and feeling horribly "in limbo" we're decluttering, packing and eating our way through stored food items as we ...

http://littlehomeinthecountry.blogspot.com/2016/06/its-official-sold.html

The drought here (following a mild, dry winter) has highlighted the critical need to be ultra water miserly.  We already use a lot less water than most families because we pay to truck our pota...

http://littlehomeinthecountry.blogspot.com/2016/05/grey-water-collection.html

We've had a severely dry Spring (which followed a dry summer last year and a winter without much snow).   The garden is limping along in the unseasonably hot sun (which amazes me).  The green ...

http://littlehomeinthecountry.blogspot.com/2016/05/green-manure-crops-next-step.html

We've been busy prepping the main annual garden beds and although it's a bit of work, it pays off in abundant harvests from a resilient, water harvesting garden that requires almost NO work once...

http://littlehomeinthecountry.blogspot.com/2016/04/annual-and-perennial-food.html

It's still pretty brown here...  early Spring is downright ugly 'round these parts and it pains me every year.  I'm accustomed to the coast where things simply get greener in Spring (never goi...

http://littlehomeinthecountry.blogspot.com/2016/04/pathway-compost.html

Sometimes, you just have to take a risk to realize a benefit.  We've had an unseasonably warm winter and while I'm not naive enough to believe we have a TRUE early Spring on the horizon, I'm fin...

http://littlehomeinthecountry.blogspot.com/2016/03/soldiers-all-in-row.html

Yesterday, we said goodbye to our dear Nanny.  Forever in our hearts she will remain. RIP dear Nanny XO

http://littlehomeinthecountry.blogspot.com/2016/02/rip-nanny-shirley.html