It's hard to believe that my AWESOME trip to Florida is almost over. I head back to New Mexico on April 12.
During this time Mom's Herb Shop on Etsy has been put in vacation mode. It will reopen after I get back to New Mexico and can scout around to see what Spring plants are ready. During the time the shop is in vacation mode I will also be updating the look and feel (to match the new website look and feel) and re-reading the policy pages to make sure those are all up to date.
The FaceBook Page is still up and active. Take a moment to 'like' and join in on the conversations. I find it really fun to 'chat' with folks on the page and I try to bring interesting information.
The Twitter Page is still up and active. I have to admit I don't 'tweet' as much as I most likely should, lol. But I do love posting tid-bits of information that folks, in the herbal community, may be interested in.
A last bit of news is that I've started a designated blog for the Mountain Garden Project (http://mountain-garden.blogspot.com/). It occurred to me that I wanted a specific 'log' of this project - all by itself. I have entered last year's information already and I'm looking forward to adding this years adventures to it. Gardening, in the harsh High Mountain Desert, is no easy task.
"There are no weeds in an herbalist’s garden." Instead of creating an about me page I decided it would be more fun to share my herbal life with you. So, this blog is all about herbs, spices and teas - and our natural, botanical world. I'm including pictures, little tips and tricks, thoughts and anything that seems to fit.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Sold on Canon
So what does this have to do with herbs? My camera is a Canon PowerShot S60. I love the quality of picture it gives me. My old one pooped out while in Florida, and I needed to get a new one. Two months ago I purchased a new Canon PowerShot S60. Yesterday it pooped out. There is apparently a problem with the CCD imager in a few of these cameras. I was one of the lucky ones to get the problem, lol.
I was outside yesterday morning harvesting more Mustard Seed (to continue my series on this plant) and picked a few perfect seed tops to show when to harvest and how. I set the picture up and went inside to get my camera. Turned it on - MY HEART SANK! The view screen was all pink, blurred, grainy, with hundreds of lines going through. I tried taking a picture anyway, and the picture turned out just as bad.
I went inside and starting researching the problem on-line. Sure enough, I had a bad CCD imager. Now I had to go to Canon and face the big corporation. I was expecting the same kind of big corporate junk you get - telling me I was out of luck and had to buy a new camera.
WHAT I GOT was an AWESOME technical support person, who quickly determined this was the problem. I was told that it was a known problem and that Canon would either fix or replace my camera NO CHARGE! On top of that they even sent me a shipping label to send it back to them - again NO CHARGE.
Even with this problem I am feeling thankful to have picked a Canon product, and thankful that this happened while I'm still in Florida (where it's easier to get to a shipping place).
Taking quality pictures of herbs is what I need a good camera for - that's what this has to do with herbs :-) Here's an example of the quality of picture I get with this camera, and why I like it so much.
Many Herbal Blessings To You,
Sandy Marie
I was outside yesterday morning harvesting more Mustard Seed (to continue my series on this plant) and picked a few perfect seed tops to show when to harvest and how. I set the picture up and went inside to get my camera. Turned it on - MY HEART SANK! The view screen was all pink, blurred, grainy, with hundreds of lines going through. I tried taking a picture anyway, and the picture turned out just as bad.
I went inside and starting researching the problem on-line. Sure enough, I had a bad CCD imager. Now I had to go to Canon and face the big corporation. I was expecting the same kind of big corporate junk you get - telling me I was out of luck and had to buy a new camera.
WHAT I GOT was an AWESOME technical support person, who quickly determined this was the problem. I was told that it was a known problem and that Canon would either fix or replace my camera NO CHARGE! On top of that they even sent me a shipping label to send it back to them - again NO CHARGE.
Even with this problem I am feeling thankful to have picked a Canon product, and thankful that this happened while I'm still in Florida (where it's easier to get to a shipping place).
Taking quality pictures of herbs is what I need a good camera for - that's what this has to do with herbs :-) Here's an example of the quality of picture I get with this camera, and why I like it so much.
Sunrise over the Brazos
Many Herbal Blessings To You,
Sandy Marie
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Extreme Backyard Habitat - CH 6: Water
(Click on "My Extreme Backyard Habitat" on the left table of contents and scroll down to Chapter 1 - read this series going up.)
Over the winter of 2010 - 2011 I had the pleasure of being in Florida rather than buried in 3 - 4 feet of snow at the Mountain Home (the Viking's Lair). This wonderful trip gave me some time to think and solve garden problems. After serious evaluation one of the biggest problems is the water.
1. This area is called the High Mountain Desert. The house sits about 7,800 feet above sea level, in the northern mountains of New Mexico. Much of this State's water comes from snow melt rather than rain. As a matter of fact the Ranchers and Farmers in this area (in the whole State) have to buy Water Rights.
2. At our homestead we have a well. This produces all the water we need, but the water is nasty hard. Most of the rock on the mountain is high in iron content, that naturally bleeds into the well water - and - the sulfur smell is really icky (icky is a technical term for strong, hee hee). Because of this we have filtration systems in the house. The first stop is a water softener that uses - you guessed it - water softener salt. The water than goes through a filter for the washing machine, outside hose, shower, toilet, etc. - and a reverse osmoses system, for drinking, at the kitchen sink. Last year I watched as plants died and / or their growth was stunted from using the soften water out of the hose (even through the first filter). I was watering plants with salt water (I can't believe I did this).
Two things are needed badly; 1) A rain catchment system. 2) A way to out gas the water directly from the well. From that point my brain went into overdrive thinking of all these technical, difficult, expensive solutions.
Then, a few days ago, I was going through pictures and stumbled upon this one. What the Ranchers and Farmers in this area do is build a series of ponds (they call tanks) that catch the water and hold it until they need it. This also gives the cattle (and wild life) a place to drink. They build little ditches from the top tanks to lower ones to control the water overflow and continue to store it.
As a matter of fact our lake (Heron Lake) is just a controlled State water tank created by a dam. The water from our lake flows into a series of other lakes all the way down the State of New Mexico.
You guessed it - I had a major DUH moment. Why should I re-invent the wheel? In other words - if the Ranchers, Farmers and State of New Mexico have already solved this problem ... why should I try to do something different? A series of ponds (or tanks) from the top of our property to the bottom of our property would be able to catch, store, and flow all the way down. And, as a bonus, I can attach a hose directly to the well to fill up top ponds, this water flowing over the rocks and down would be able to out gas in a natural way. Yes, the water would still be high in iron but every single plant on this mountain is already accustomed to and designed to drink this water.
Gardening may not start this year, lol. It looks like tank (pond) building is going to be my number one priority. As a bonus I can move some of those beautiful Cattails you see in the upper picture to around my little ponds. This project I will definitely be photographing and blogged as it happens.
Herbal Blessing To You,
Sandy Marie
Over the winter of 2010 - 2011 I had the pleasure of being in Florida rather than buried in 3 - 4 feet of snow at the Mountain Home (the Viking's Lair). This wonderful trip gave me some time to think and solve garden problems. After serious evaluation one of the biggest problems is the water.
1. This area is called the High Mountain Desert. The house sits about 7,800 feet above sea level, in the northern mountains of New Mexico. Much of this State's water comes from snow melt rather than rain. As a matter of fact the Ranchers and Farmers in this area (in the whole State) have to buy Water Rights.
2. At our homestead we have a well. This produces all the water we need, but the water is nasty hard. Most of the rock on the mountain is high in iron content, that naturally bleeds into the well water - and - the sulfur smell is really icky (icky is a technical term for strong, hee hee). Because of this we have filtration systems in the house. The first stop is a water softener that uses - you guessed it - water softener salt. The water than goes through a filter for the washing machine, outside hose, shower, toilet, etc. - and a reverse osmoses system, for drinking, at the kitchen sink. Last year I watched as plants died and / or their growth was stunted from using the soften water out of the hose (even through the first filter). I was watering plants with salt water (I can't believe I did this).
Two things are needed badly; 1) A rain catchment system. 2) A way to out gas the water directly from the well. From that point my brain went into overdrive thinking of all these technical, difficult, expensive solutions.
Then, a few days ago, I was going through pictures and stumbled upon this one. What the Ranchers and Farmers in this area do is build a series of ponds (they call tanks) that catch the water and hold it until they need it. This also gives the cattle (and wild life) a place to drink. They build little ditches from the top tanks to lower ones to control the water overflow and continue to store it.
As a matter of fact our lake (Heron Lake) is just a controlled State water tank created by a dam. The water from our lake flows into a series of other lakes all the way down the State of New Mexico.
You guessed it - I had a major DUH moment. Why should I re-invent the wheel? In other words - if the Ranchers, Farmers and State of New Mexico have already solved this problem ... why should I try to do something different? A series of ponds (or tanks) from the top of our property to the bottom of our property would be able to catch, store, and flow all the way down. And, as a bonus, I can attach a hose directly to the well to fill up top ponds, this water flowing over the rocks and down would be able to out gas in a natural way. Yes, the water would still be high in iron but every single plant on this mountain is already accustomed to and designed to drink this water.
Gardening may not start this year, lol. It looks like tank (pond) building is going to be my number one priority. As a bonus I can move some of those beautiful Cattails you see in the upper picture to around my little ponds. This project I will definitely be photographing and blogged as it happens.
Herbal Blessing To You,
Sandy Marie
Extreme Backyard Habitat - CH 5: Tribute To Helpers
(Scroll down to Chapter 1 and read this series going up.)
In the beginning of August 2010 my Son and Granddaughter came to visit. My son moved A LOT of rocks for me and the path construction JUMPED way ahead of what I could do. This is a picture of my Son with my Granddaughter hitching a ride in the wheelbarrow.
With my Son's help the path work was continued around back and a path to Bonsai Oak was created. We took rocks from a place that they were in the way - from next to the driveway to a set of steps going up to the deck. Here's my Son's work on the paths. The picture on the left is the path going around back. The picture on the right is the path going to Bonsai Oak.
My two Brothers also helped a lot. One Brother helped me move two barrels and a big cast iron sink (top picture). My other Brother helped building the rock boarder around Bonsai Oak (bottom picture). So things are really starting to move forward on the area.
Some folks that live close to us were having a garage built. This unearthed a lot of natural clay. One of the workers was nice enough to deliver a small pile of this clay so I could even out some very bad areas in the path. Sand will go over this.
And my Mom even helped as well. Not with physical labor but she bought special wild flower seeds (ones that are for this area and altitude) for the little wild flower gardens that are located next to the first path. So naturally I had to get this one ready. There are so many rocks in this dirt that it took a sifter to get them all out. After the sifting we moved 4 large buckets of dirt into this area before planting the seeds. Cross your fingers that something will come up this year. I know I'm going to have to protect the area from the deer or they will eat the seedlings right down to the roots.
That was the work done in 2010. Work will begin again in late April or early May of 2011. I'm looking forward to sharing the continuing story with all of you.
Herbal Blessings To You,
Sandy Marie
In the beginning of August 2010 my Son and Granddaughter came to visit. My son moved A LOT of rocks for me and the path construction JUMPED way ahead of what I could do. This is a picture of my Son with my Granddaughter hitching a ride in the wheelbarrow.
And this is my beautiful Granddaughter.
With my Son's help the path work was continued around back and a path to Bonsai Oak was created. We took rocks from a place that they were in the way - from next to the driveway to a set of steps going up to the deck. Here's my Son's work on the paths. The picture on the left is the path going around back. The picture on the right is the path going to Bonsai Oak.
 |  |
My two Brothers also helped a lot. One Brother helped me move two barrels and a big cast iron sink (top picture). My other Brother helped building the rock boarder around Bonsai Oak (bottom picture). So things are really starting to move forward on the area.
Some folks that live close to us were having a garage built. This unearthed a lot of natural clay. One of the workers was nice enough to deliver a small pile of this clay so I could even out some very bad areas in the path. Sand will go over this.
And my Mom even helped as well. Not with physical labor but she bought special wild flower seeds (ones that are for this area and altitude) for the little wild flower gardens that are located next to the first path. So naturally I had to get this one ready. There are so many rocks in this dirt that it took a sifter to get them all out. After the sifting we moved 4 large buckets of dirt into this area before planting the seeds. Cross your fingers that something will come up this year. I know I'm going to have to protect the area from the deer or they will eat the seedlings right down to the roots.
That was the work done in 2010. Work will begin again in late April or early May of 2011. I'm looking forward to sharing the continuing story with all of you.
Herbal Blessings To You,
Sandy Marie
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