Category: Sustainability
-
Musings from an Ozark nature artist
I’m at an ‘in between’ time at the moment. Between rain showers and rainy days, between things scheduled on my calendar. And since I just finished a painting, I’m between paintings, too. But this is a great time for an Ozark nature artist to get out and enjoy some nature.
-
Coronavirus Hermit | Journal Entry for the week of 032020
So what does a hermit do with her time during coronavirus slow downs? Pretty much the same thing I’ve always done with my time out here. Except now with less internet useage, ha. And there’s an extra little body in the house to be a hermit with during this whole coronavirus deal. We’re coronavirus hermits.…
-
A Nature Artist’s Business Plan | 2020
An artist’s business plan is just like any other business plan, really. It all boils down to a strategy to make more money than is spent. 2019 was my first full year of ‘being an artist’. Last year was mostly one of trial and error, and learning.
-
Activity & Products Lineup for Wild Ozark 2020
Last year I had a lot of plans for a variety of different products. This year I’m streamlining a lot. 2020’s new products plan is an effort to reduce costs and effort and increase sales and income. My next post after this one will be more details about my artist’s business plan. New Products in…
-
The Bear Issue with Our Spring-fed Water Line
So I’ve done a good job of making sure the water is dripping on the cold nights and so far so good with not letting the lines freeze. But this afternoon my water at the kitchen faucet surprised me with only a very thin stream. Not even enough to rinse out my coffee cup. After…
-
Decorating with Nature: Paintings Made from Ozark Pigments
If you like decorating with nature, oh boy, do I have some artwork for you. Think earthy colors and natural tones: ochres, umbers, and siennas. Yellows, reds, browns, oranges, and shades of black and gray. I mean, literally, shades of nature. Nature paintings made with earth pigments are a great way to decorate with nature.…
-
Endings and Hopeful for New Beginnings
Sometimes it takes a thing ending to spark renewed efforts to find new beginnings. Endings One of our little shops in town closed its doors abruptly this weekend. The owner has tried to make a successful business of it, but that’s a hard thing to do in a town with a population of only 500…
-
In Honor of Forests- Two Worthy Fundraisers for Earth Day
We all depend on trees. A single tree planted in an urban lawn is better than no tree, but the larger collectives of forests are needed, too. The Earth needs large swaths of unbroken forests to maintain habitats that support the biodiversity present beneath tree canopies. These habitats are disappearing around the world at unprecedented…
-
Installing a Culvert Retaining Wall was Today’s Homestead Project
Today I built a culvert retaining wall for the culvert on the shop driveway to keep it from washing out around the sides.
-
No Water
This morning I turned on the faucet to put some water on my toothbrush. Nothing but a few drops came out. Then, nothing. No water. No Water My thoughts immediately led to the question in my mind, which was “Where did all the water go?” This isn’t the first time I’ve had nothing at the faucet first…
-
Repairing Our Wild Ozark Spring Water Line
Today I repaired our Wild Ozark spring water line Since I’ve learned how to do this myself, I figured I’d do it while Mr. Wild Ozark was at work. Later this summer we have plans to change out the entire spring water line and bury them, but this smaller repair needed to be done sooner…
-
A problem in our gravity feed spring water system
What is a gravity feed water system? We are fortunate to have our very own spring fed water source that runs all year long. It is a spring that pumps out enough water, without fail, to serve our household with daily water. Even more lucky to have gravity feed. The spring is located on the…
-
Did you know Osage Oranges evolved with wooly mammoths?
Osage Maclura pomifera, also known as Osage Orange, Bois d’Arc, Hedge-apple, or Horse-apple, the osage tree is native to our area. Even so, there aren’t very many of them in our particular neck of the woods. Osage trees were once planted close together so their branches could be woven together as fencing that was “bull…
-
Killing Pretty Roosters
First I tried selling pretty roosters. Then I tried gifting pretty roosters. Yesterday we killed pretty roosters. It was my chore to pick which ones. I felt a bit like Kali (Goddess who is both giver of life and bringer of death). Last summer and fall the hens hatched out some eggs and most of…
-
A Review Round Robin
*** Sorry, but this event has ended *** Join me in a “Review Round Robin” I’ll send you 10 Common Plants in paperback format, and none of this costs anything for you, not even postage (but you don’t get to keep the book, unfortunately – you’ll send it on to the next reviewer). 1. I’ll send you…