An unusual 12 foot swell was washing away significant amounts of Caribbean sand on Playa Flamenco, thereby uncovering many years of trash that had become part of the dunes and that we would be collecting several hours each day. The ocean did reward us for our efforts: we found around $35, two pairs of chacos, a flotation noodle, and other treasures (including a 14K gold earring and a glow-in-the-dark rosary). Among our bounty was also a large coil of old and tangled rope that I felt would be useful for something. Sure enough: the next day I came across some camping chairs with ripped fabric that beach goers had left leaning against a garbage can. After 2 hours of untangling the Gordian knot in the old rope I start weaving new seats. The result is some sturdy beach furniture that I hope to still find here when I return next year.
Archive for December, 2009
from chicks to chickens
The girls go through their teens quickly: the 25 lb bag of chick feed slowly disappears while the real “chicken-look” slowly appears. They are a lot less scared: they don’t mind hanging out with the bunny and they enjoy their first hours in the garden. Today I planted an Italian plum tree and three different blackberry bushes (all of them thorn-less varieties) that I got at alden lane nursery.
planting before take-off
My friendly neighbor Dave applies weather-proofing to the raised bed frames while I plow through the soil with bare hands trying to remove as many stones as possible. I want to get the beds ready for the winter rains before taking off to the Caribbean. After covering the beds with straw I plant a few kale, collard greens, and Brussels sprouts seedlings and put in fava beans everywhere else. I also put two olive trees in the strip of land along the curb.
creating an urban farm in downtown livermore 