Posted in tv episodes, tagged allergies, city planning, diy, family, fun, horticulture, How-To, kids, knowledge, landscaping, learning, organic gardening, san luis obispo, solar ovens, sun, sustainability, tom ogren, update on September 25, 2009| Leave a Comment »
Hey all!
Well, I’ve FINALLY finished this episode. The past few months have been…epic. Lots of things going on in the Blackwell household, the biggest thing being the move to Austin.
But enough about me. This episode has it all: intrigue, humor, excitement, fun, children, and Tom Ogren. Take a look. Leave a comment if you would like to encourage our behavior.
Posted in organic gardening, tagged diy, fun, summer garden update on May 27, 2009| Leave a Comment »
Umm….the garden is going insane. I can’t believe how much bigger everything has gotten in just a few weeks. Here’s a quick rundown of the progress:
I planted FAR too many potatoes. I see that now. I’m going to have to do some serious thinning. Which I hate doing. There’s something wasteful about tearing out a perfectly good plant. I might just have to start another bed…
Lastly, the gourds are taking over. It’s not pretty. I have about 10 volunteers sprouting out of the mound. They are threatening my beautiful Stars and Moons watermelon sprouts, and I cannot allow that.
But, I simply can’t pull them out and throw them away. Like I said above. Not a fan.
So I’m offering the starts to a good home. If you want one or two, leave a comment and I’ll arrange a time to bring it over and help you prep a mound in your yard.
Posted in community, tagged alternative transportation, bike month, biking, downtown slo, family, fitness, fun, kids, sustainability on May 7, 2009| Leave a Comment »
It’s bike month!
Denette handed me this flyer today.
SLO Rideshare has done an awesome job of putting this together. I don’t know about you, but riding to an outdoor screening of Ratatouille with the kids sounds, well, perfect.
And the timing of bike month is kind of perfect, too. I’ve been thinking about riding again for a number of reasons, fitness and kid time among them. I even unburied the bikes from the storage shed. And uncobwebbed them. And undusted them. Now I just have to reinflate the tires.
Then there’s the serious repair. So I’m going to take them to the bike kitchen at Mission Meadow Park where someone knowledgeable can perform magic and make them rideable.
And I’m definitely doing the Errands by bike day on the 23rd.
How about you? Are you a biker?
Posted in diy, tagged clothesline project update, family, flexibility, fun, How-To, kids on February 18, 2009| 4 Comments »
Okay, this is what invention looks like when you decide not to buy a new dryer and use a clothesline exclusively. And it’s raining outside. And you need clean clothes.
The kids love it. I’m glad Denette and I are flexible, because we do a LOT of ducking from the kitchen to the living room.
Yes, I’m STILL working on a solution. I’m thinking we should just wear less clothing. Problem solved.
Posted in plant identification, tagged fun, knowledge, learning, logo, winter on February 14, 2009| Leave a Comment »
We are taking an intermission as we prepare to post the next entry in the art contest. So, instead, we’re having a “name that flower” contest! Winner gets a big virtual hug!
Our first entry is the little guys in the banner above. They look like a herd of elephants to me with their huge ears; and look at those expressive eyes. I see a little of the Odie character too from Garfield’s comic strip.
Do you see anything in this picture? Do you know what plant this is? Have some fun with it and share your musings.
Posted in diy, tagged diy, family, fun, natural herbicides, sustainability on January 28, 2009| 5 Comments »
First, I rent. Second, my landlord is awesome. Third, he’s also very much into order and neatness.
So, a few months ago he was was doing his usual landscaping check and he noticed some weeds growing up between the cracks of the stones on the back porch.
“I’ll take care of those next week,” he said.
What I heard: I’m going to soak your back porch with glyphosphate.
He’s an awesome guy, but not so much into the organic thing. Expediency and efficiency drive his decisions. So I talked him into letting me take care of it.
Now I had to take care of it. First stop, Google. I read up on natural herbicides. What could I use that would be nearly as effective as a glyphosphate-based weed killer? The bulk of articles favored straight white vinegar applied with a pump sprayer. So I went to Home Depot and bought a sprayer for about $10. Then off to the local grocery store for several gallons of white vinegar. Finally, I soaked all the weeds in the back and stood back to see the results.
They were amazing.
Below are a series of photos showing the application process and the results over a five day period. Bottom line: this is totally the best way to go. Added bonus: Kaia gets to help.
Posted in organic gardening, recipes, tagged friday post, fun, photos on January 24, 2009| 4 Comments »
I’ve always loved radishes with salt. And I also have an affinity for the occasional tequila shooter (pop the tequila, lick the salt, suck the lime). So, while I was munching the most recent batch of radishes
(cool colors, huh?) I had a stroke of genius:
Pop the radish,
lick the salt
…now if only I had a lime. Seriously, I wonder how that would taste…
I really need to get out more.
Posted in community, tagged collaboration, creativity, family, fun, invention on December 28, 2008| 2 Comments »
Hi gang!
So…we’re finally off the ground. Aren’t you proud? Or, at the very least, amazed? I kinda can’t believe we did it either. Mom thinks it’s a bloody miracle after all the yelling and screaming she had to do.
But it’s up! And we’re keeping up the tradition of appearing on film doing silly things that also might be a smidgen helpful.
It feels really good. And I’m actually thrilled that we can share this with you. It feels like you’re part of this, too, because you are…in so many ways. And we’d like you to be involved in other ways.
More tangible ways.
Like contributing to this blog. As commenters, as writers, as contributors, as hydroponic experimenters, as whatever you’d like to do. And then, when you feel like we’ve got a handle on this and that it’s actually going somewhere, invite friends and confidants to come and participate. Let’s turn this into a party!
P.S. I’m working on a virtual game of Oh Hell.
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