Some April Activities

It's been a bit since I posted anything. I have had a few things on the go.  Below is the making of a ginger tincture. This involves slicing/chopping or even grating up the ginger, putting it in a glass container and covering it with alcohol. I usually just use the vodka but this time I decided to try brandy as well. Make sure that all the plant material is covered with the alcohol and put a lid on it and leave for about six week. I shake the jars when I remember. After the six weeks, with either cheesecloth or a coffee filter separate the solids and the liquids and keep the liquid and compost the solids(though I may boil them up for a cup of tea before I compost them). The tincture will keep for years.

 The birch sap is really starting to run now. This is what I collected the other day. When I bring it in I filter it through a sieve with a coffee filter in it to filter out any debris that may have fallen in the sap. I hope to have time in the next couple days to carve me up a couple more taps for the trees. I have four trees tapped now and would like to add several more. I have found that the sap is running in some of the birch but others are completely dry. Hopefully I will get enough syrup  for at least a sample . Next year I plan to expand on what I am doing with this. Methinks that I will need a pair of snowshoes to accomplish more though.

This little fellow(?) was with a flock of snow buntings that invaded our place the other day. Despite the cuteness that the cubbiness gives him, it proved fatal. I should have gotten a picture of the regular size of this bird.  The bird was so large for what is was supposed to be that its wings didn't meet at the back and he could no longer fly. I don't know if he had gotten into something somewhere or if was just a natural thing.




In the future I hope to cover the building of the new humanure toilet as our bathroom gets finished. The chickens that I plan on getting as soon as I can get a coop built. As well as the changes once we get some of our property leveled(it has to be done). I hope to get started on the greenhouse and the garden.