Black and White Lining Up

Black and white baby calves with their Mom-mas.
Three day weekend for projects.
Cross off the accomplishments on your list.

Weeded hillside and planted five pounds of sunflowers.
Italian White, Lemon Queen and Red Sun reach up to
touch the Wolf Moon the other night.
Rain helped in the work, making the soil let go tap root filagree,
bristly mallow and bermuda buttercups. My hands ache. I like the
cheerful yellow buttercups but they are toxic to livestock. This
reminds me of outlet covers, baby proof dishwasher and cutting grapes
in halves. Caring is habit, makes me happy.

One of the Polish chickens, Red McRib recovered from "self poisoning."
She persists in eating succulents until drunk. I removed the plants; but,
she obsess on other dangers. Naughty teenager.
Update: tried a tiny pony tail on her to test if lack of eyesight is the
source of her crazy behavior.
Here's a video of her behavior:

Last weekend her party endeavors left
her shaking and blurred vision. Red black and gold
feathers scattering everywhere in a dervish.
She spent the week in the screened porch.
Isolation is hard on chickens.
I set up a soft box inside a huge plastic bin, and forced her to drink water and eat every two hours. Red's back with the crew, but not back to normal.
More skiddish and crazy yelling than before, sigh.

Below is a Kiger Mustang stallion. He visited a neighbor and is on his way
to Utah. These majestic horses are amazing.  He nods his head, yes.

I asked Dave Malone to edit the Climate Change novel, I'm still playing
with titles. Okay leave me a comment: Vote - 1. Climate Change
2. The Great Drought 3. you make it up the story is about a woman
prepper in the future when water is drastically scarce.

Began the next long form novel, and booked a studio for
the Audio book. The year ahead I have my plans written down. News
media has distracted us all. I'm reading everything, mis-trusting main
stream media- frankly all print propaganda. Stay positive. Keep your
eyes open. Be extra kind to others. Big hugs to you all.

Intercontinental Hotel Friday night I will be sipping a Rob Roy
meet me there




Copyright 1/15/2017 Caroline Gerardo

Sepia Dust

Sepia

Compost builds soil

Sepia tones in potted succulents

Earth structure

Rock sifter for road to ranch this machine is 30 feet tall and three trucks long

Dust to dust

 dust you shall become

Sepia tones cuddle fish grisalle 

Moved to the ranch.

debt free 

Life turn

No more $7568. monthly mortgage.

No more Homeowner Association. 

Arboreal lights in the sunset?

Painted a future.

can be

Hips burn

Now a cow bell announces guests.

Now miles pf dirt road driveway. 

Is Pinterest homesteading easy?

Buried beloved dog,

under tree.

Times turn

Today peanut butter rat traps.

Today haul huglekultur logs

I washed chicken baby butts?

Dust to dust

dust you shall become

Sepia tones cuddle fish grisalle 

horse shoes, antique iron

Ancient mortar pestle found in riverbed where I now live

Copyright June 20, 2016 Caroline Gerardo
Images taken on my iphone 4

Ranch Home Off Grid

Front yard BEFORE PHOTO Weed cutting

My new life on the ranch. Off grid.

Days roll along stealing time. Long lists on yellow pads flow as rivers. Try to limit daily chores to achievable ends. Lists reappear next day to be re-written. Good, keeping mind and body busy.

I grieve loss of Honey. Her presence at home for fourteen plus years was sweet. She’s the kindest soul in the universe. Because of moving and repairing new digs I'm home more often. The hours when she followed me about as our family Nanny ache in my back. I pretend I still have requirements to get up early to take her out to relieve herself. But she isn’t here on earth.

The lot below the house is cleared. Weed whacking the acre took two days. My hands hurt from the vibration. Running a mower over land untended would toss boulders into the blades and ruin the machine. This is gloves on hands shovel work. With the first course of cut, pile, and dig out roots now black tarps blanket the soil. On top of the inky river cardboard boxes from moving add weight. Cover the soil to kill seeds and make it uncomfortable for rabbits, voles, rats and snakes.

Next duty is securing the chain link fence. Before moving I toyed with cutting truck loads of willow branches and weaving waddle fences to hide the industrial appearance of metal wire. I have elaborate drawings of my gorgeous waddle fences as if I’m in a temperate Irish hillside. Those dreams are on hold. For now it is urgent to secure the fence from the National Forest and her critters. Small pests attract predators who pose real dangers. I’ve seen two rattlesnakes, a bobcat, and a mountain lion. Other creatures- couple male deer, coyotes, rabbits and raccoon s are visible but less ominous. On the yellow to do list is to dig an eight inch trench under the chain link fence, add fine gauge wire under and up in an L shape then bury with concrete and rocks.

Blair and I picked up pullets over the hill at Kohoots. She didn’t want to mail order baby chicks. She thought it cruel to ship them across the country in a cardboard box. I didn’t have the heart to tell her, and I don’t really know but I think the fuzz balls are born in a hatchery. Our main ranch has egg layers. We plan for a small flock of chicken pets who are interested in eating bugs up at the house. Daughter is set on raising Silkies and mild mannered Polish. She tells me as if reading from the Farmer’s Almanac, “Bantams means small home pet style chickens, it’s not a breed Mom.”

I Will post photographs of the baby chicks today.

I’m pleased with my make do clothes line. Again I researched then adapted plans to real life. Amazon has numerous upright cage clothes lines. Cost around two hundred dollars to four hundred. Forget it. I read a lovely blog post about Amish clothes lines. Ah, the aroma of summer in sheets and the music of children laughing as they hand their Momma pins. Stop. Okay so I had some 2 X 4’s left over from repairing the chicken coops. These long poles will stand in the rear of the house to hold up my three dollar Wallmart canvas line. Not as romantic as a pulley system from my kitchen window, but functional for now. Cost for clothes line -$3.00. I will make a rock step to access the hillside in coming months, for now there is the old ladder. (Reminds me about accidents on ladders…) Plenty of rocks here, perhaps this land was an ancient river bed?

After driving around abandoned lots across Ortega Highway looking for their office I contacted Sierra Compost. Her email says, “we closed the commercial lot, no longer have offices for cost savings.” Sierra Compost will deliver five yards when I'm done with the fence security next week.

Big on the list is to install phone reception. Cell phone isn’t working at home. I bought two different boosters (junk doesn't work.) Called ATT 17 times from my office. They say they will send me an operable micro something to boost the cell service. According to Public Utilities Commission since they are my only emergency phone possible they should provide access. It remains suspenseful IF the booster box shows up at Post Office Box.

What else shall I share on my list? Son comes home from college next week. Blair sorting her boxes emptied. Living room disorganized. Paintings wait to be hung. Plumbing issues ninety percent operational. Losing the war on critters.

BUT having fun! No electric bill, no so Cal Gas bill, no Cox cable bill and debt free.

Much love from my new home, the Rancho - Off Grid

Copyright 6/5/2016 Caroline Gerardo

C G

Front yard before I moved in

Front yard organic solarizing the weeds and seeds

Black plastic tarps kill weeds

Simple clothes line

Add caption

Clouds Do Not Deliver

Morning drive to post office. I now live on a dirt road. Third visit to set up rural mail. No box at the ranch. Above is second gates into my new home.

One post lady doles out boxes. She was in today but needs to verify I can't get mail. Neighbor "Duke" says, "it's free because the U. S.  Postal Service won't drive our road."

Mail lady, "I'll check with supervisor."

Her counterpart suggests I contact the US Postmaster General for service.
Dear Megan Brennan: Glad you reduced price of stamps, please send rain.

 Left in limbo, waiting for refund checks.  Search begins for commercial post box near my office instead or relay mail from Wyoming via Pony Express.

Waiting for plumber to show between 10 and 12, scrolling the internet sitting in my car - have service at the Highway. Because there are several gates I have to sit in my car 5 miles from house for any service call. Satellite cable install window was 8:00 AM- 3:00 PM.  They showed up on second appointment of all day wait. Honey sat in car with me for company. Under old growth oaks we watch trucks speed by on the highway.

Daily the sky threatens to give a down pour but only delivers a dribble on dusty windshield. A drop blends the pine sap on the outside of the windshield. The spots don't change the corduroy lines in the dirt road behind me dredged by the Road Maintenance Gentleman.

Other projects ahead- trying to sell and trade cars for suitable four wheel drive. Bought a Subaru and looking for a Jeep Wrangler two door. Jeep Wranglers are popular.  They demand crazy prices and few are available. Car dealer acted like I'm asking to buy a Rare Barna fresco. When I said this he became angry.
"Okay so you aren't my car guy. You've never been to Pinacoteca Nazioinale."

I love those muted peach, gold, and
dusty tones mirrored in the hillsides
where I live
Barna of Siena around 1550

Next issue on yellow paper list...
Many to tackle on the road ahead.
Living off grid on a ranch joys.

Caroline Gerardo copyright May 25, 2016