01 June 2002
Despite continued frost warnings, we didn't want to postpone our veggie garden any longer, so as of today, everything is planted and a few seeds have even sprouted.
We should be enjoying the bounty of our own garden within the next few weeks. Neither of us have ever grown our own food before, but with help from our "Country Basics" book, we know that our garden will be a great success.
There's a catch...there's a critter living at Straw Hollow who likes nothing better than to nibble on tender young shoots. This is Warren the Woodchuck, and he has so far respected our hastily erected garden fence. We hope he doesn't have a girlfriend and babies to feed, or our lofty ideal to live in harmony with all the critters of Straw Hollow might be in jeopardy.
Speaking of rodents... the good news is that a pair of beavers have taken up residence in our pond. In previous years we have had to build our own dam with sandbags in order to keep the water level high enough to justify the term "pond". But this year we have free labour. The pond level has been rising at a rate of about an inch per day, and although we haven't actually seen the beavers yet, there is plenty of evidence to prove their presence: gnawed willow trees, packed mud and a fine looking piece of dam construction.
Ain't nature grand?
But wherever there's good, there's usually evil. In this case, blackflies. The little bastards are getting quite intolerable, especially when they insist on flying into ears and mouths. This picture was taken as we were landscaping the old house site in total protective gear! Long pants, long sleeves, and groovy bug-proof hats!
From previous experience, we know that the mosquitos will come next, followed by the deer flies, then we'll get some relief in late July-early August.
Here's our latest purchase. For $17.99 we bought the latest in laundry technology. It's the StrawHollo-matic 1000 washing machine. Here's how it works... we fill the washing machine with water we pump from the stream, which is clean and clear. We add biodegradable washing detergent, our dirty clothes, then let it stew a while, turning and shaking the barrel occasionally. We then wring out the clothes and hang 'em out!
Here's our kitchen... pretty fancy, huh? Martha Stewart might not approve, but it works well, and food cooked outdoors always seems to taste better.
We're eating (mostly!) wholesome and healthy meals, and our food budget is well within limits. We're staying fat on much less than $10 a day, which will decrease significantly when we can harvest our own food.

Well that's about all for now. Life is fine here on the homestead. We have everything we need, except for well water.
Apparently the well is in great shape, except for the necessary pump and wiring, so by the time we next update our site, we're hoping to have enticed a plumber to come over and get that all fixed up for less than a king's ransom. We'll also update you with the fascinating news of our HUMANURE project.
Y'all come back now!
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