Checked the weather and it is going to be great for the next week. Time to check the water lines and cut up some downed trees in the woods for heating the house.
My water system is a gravity fed system. Up the mountain there is a spring where the water bubbles out of a rock ledge. I built a concrete cystern around the ledge. At the back of the cystern is the ledge. At the front of the cystern is two pipes - one for the water line and way above it is one for overflow. There is a roof on the cystern to keep it clean. I have a flexible pipe that runs from the water line pipe to my house. Because the cystern is so high up on the mountain, by the time the water gets to the house, there is really good water pressure. It's the perfect system - no electric pump like you would have on a well and the best spring water you could imagine - all for free. Anyway, I regularly walk the water line to check for leaks. It runs through a stream bed until it gets down near the house. The running water in the stream bed keeps the water line from freezing.
No doubt, after that insane snow over the weekend, there are lots more downed trees in the woods. Should be a challenge walking through some areas. I had already earmarked some to cut up for firewood and I am bound and determined to use as little electric heat as possible this year.
I decided to store some mosses in a couple of my cold-frames. Ironically, there's sheet moss growing on the floor of two of them. If I set my cushions and frogs on top, they will be right at home! Funny thing - I decided to move one of my cold frames to another area. When I went over to tear it down, I found a little stray kitty in there! She's a smart one - it's so toasty in that cold frame. So I left it there for her. There are so many feral cats around here from the local farms and I leave food out for them each day. I love all God's creatures great and small!
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Orders and More Order!
So many moss orders this morning! I am pumped!
I will box everything up and get to the post office by lunchtime.
Then I need to get out and hunt more mosses. Unfortunately it just now started to rain. YUCK!
I hear the temps are going to drop like a rock too. Oh! How I hate the winter!
It was a challenge collecting mosses yesterday with all these leaves in the woods. I did manage to find some nice ones. There is a big stand of pines up on the ridge. I think that's where I will head today. I haven't been up there in months. The pines will shield the rain and there won't be leaves around. That will make for an easier time collecting!
I will box everything up and get to the post office by lunchtime.
Then I need to get out and hunt more mosses. Unfortunately it just now started to rain. YUCK!
I hear the temps are going to drop like a rock too. Oh! How I hate the winter!
It was a challenge collecting mosses yesterday with all these leaves in the woods. I did manage to find some nice ones. There is a big stand of pines up on the ridge. I think that's where I will head today. I haven't been up there in months. The pines will shield the rain and there won't be leaves around. That will make for an easier time collecting!
Monday, October 24, 2011
British Soldier Lichen
OH! Almost forgot!
I was down at the towship park and right smack in the middle of the horse shoe pit I found a ton of pixie cups and British soldier lichen! Never before had I seen the British soldiers. I gathered a few pieces of both. I'll probably list the pixies but I am keeping the British soldiers for my own terrarium. Times like this, I just don't know what to do.... I hate to clean out an area but at the same time, if someone plays horse shoes, those lichen are going to be demolished. Regardless, I just took a bit and left the rest for now.
I was down at the towship park and right smack in the middle of the horse shoe pit I found a ton of pixie cups and British soldier lichen! Never before had I seen the British soldiers. I gathered a few pieces of both. I'll probably list the pixies but I am keeping the British soldiers for my own terrarium. Times like this, I just don't know what to do.... I hate to clean out an area but at the same time, if someone plays horse shoes, those lichen are going to be demolished. Regardless, I just took a bit and left the rest for now.
Frog Moss!
Today I went hiking up behind the horse pasture. I haven't been up there in a year or so. I started out looking for an old bottle dump that I remembered from years ago and then gave up and just started looking around. I spied some moss on rocks. It was brilliant green so I went over for a closer look. I expected to see sheet moss that was brighter than normal. (Nothing is normal now that Fall weather is here). It wasn't sheet - it was frog moss! Entire boulders just covered with it! I've never seen anything like it before and so wish I had a camera. There were many, many boulders of it - so beautiful! I peeled one of the rocks and packed it up in one of my bags. It wasn't one gigantic piece as I first thought - it's several 5-8 in pieces that fit together like a puzzle. So cool! I listed a package of 3 pieces and they sold right away to a vivarium person. I've listed another package. That will leave a piece for me - I'll probably use it in my paludarium.
Tomorrow I will be grounded for the day - Emily is using the car which leaves me with the monster jeep. My plan is to do yard work and work on my terrariums. No doubt I'll end up hiking again. If I do, I'll be sure to have my camera!
Tomorrow I will be grounded for the day - Emily is using the car which leaves me with the monster jeep. My plan is to do yard work and work on my terrariums. No doubt I'll end up hiking again. If I do, I'll be sure to have my camera!
Thursday, October 20, 2011
VICTORIAN CHERUB & PILLAR TERRARIUM - LIVE MOSS
I had a pair of white candlesticks with cherubs and a pillar. One was a little chippy on the bottom. Not worth much that way. I looked at it and pictured a boston fern in that pillar. Found some great fern moss and made a terrarium. Listed on Ebay - ends 10/21. Check out the listing HERE
MINIATURE TERRARIUM IN A VINTAGE PERFUME BOTTLE - 2" - TINY!
Sometimes I find mosses and I envision what I would do with them in a terrarium. Then I hunt the best container.This time I found an antique perfume bottle and HAD to do something with it! Here's what I made! I listed it on Ebay and it ends tonight. So many wonderful people have sent me emails about this piece. It was a joy to create. My Ebay listing is HERE.
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