Snow Update
Snowfall, Wednesday – Friday: 12 inches.
Calories burned shoveling snow: 1224 (408 x 3 hours).
Man, my back is not happy today. I’m hoping it will loosen up while I’m out snowshoeing.
In other news, the chicken coop delivery is rescheduled for some time when we can see the ground. 
The box & heat lamp are set up in the greenhouse for the chicks, when we get them, but I think we’ll all be a bit more at ease when we actually get the coop and run set up.
We’re getting closer and closer to seed-starting time: it’s technically just a few weeks until the peas get planted, too, but it’s a little hard to imagine with the beds under 12 inches of snow.
(And of course the apple trees still need to be pruned, but the repair of the chainsaw will dictate when that can happen.)
Snowshoeing!
I’m whupped! Went snowshoeing up in one of the local parks: it’s got a big nice field with a long downhill side & a long uphill side (where you have to regain all the altitude you lost on the way down), and it totally kicked my ass.
I think a few more times this week, and I should be starting to adjust to it: it’s just killer the first time.
Also, got my pickling stuff in the mail today, so I’ll be doing some mad scientist stuff very soon (sauerkraut, kimchi, pickled daikon, etc.)…I’m really looking forward to it all. Yummy!
Between the Snowstorms
We just got over an underwhelming “snowstorm” on Saturday, and are heading for another tomorrow: I’m at home, doing freelance work & am up to my eyeballs in homework, so I’m hoping I get out to play in the snow for a few minutes.
All the hard work of spring still seems like a million miles away.
(and yes, the apple trees still need pruning: the weather has not been cooperating at all AND we’ve been lazy. This month, it’s gotta happen this month, or we suck.)
We’ve finally got a coop worked out, and it will be delivered in March, and that means we can get chicks soon after. Yay! No idea of breed yet, but at least we’re making some headway.
I’ve been tinkering a lot in the kitchen: growing various bean sprouts (yummy), making vegan caramels (successful & sticky), and I’m thinking of trying my hand at fermentation, as in pickles, sauerkraut, natto, etc. I LOVE Asian pickles, and can rarely find them or afford them, so I thought I’d get fresh daikon radish & lotus root & make the pickles myself.
And everyone knows I love natto, but no one else does, or even likes hearing about it, so I’ll shut up. I have a fine gallery of natto pictures on Flickr, if you’d like to be frightened by fermenting, stinky beans, be my guest: here’s the link
Don’t say I didn’t warn you, though.
Fermentation is supposed to be a much better source of probiotics than taking acidophillus pills, so I’m strongly considering it. We’ll see.
Otherwise, not much happening around here. Let it snow.
My Dad’s Pet Fig Trees
real food challenge
my awesome cousin