Earwigs: The Banished. A Trick I Use!

This post was written years ago but never published! So here is a blast from the past. I no longer have kids in carriers, now they run rampant and leave me dizzy.

First off let me tell you I broke my camera today. So sad. I had the strap clipped inside my Ergo (baby carrier) strap. When I took my youngin' off my back I dropped the camera and it bounced and came apart. So, these are pics from my phone. Not too shabby I must say, I'm impressed with my phone at the moment.

So this is how I trick earwigs into a firey death. That's right, death. First, we have to understand that earwigs and sow bugs (and rolly polies) love decaying matter. Love it. Thrive on it. Unless you have a crazy infestation of said buggers (and for the record, sow bugs and rolly polies are NOT insects, they are isopods which are more closely related to crabs than to insects!) your blamed buggers are not the culprits. The added bonus of sow bugs et all is that sow bugs (et all) need moisture to live. NEED it. They can be found in the quiet, moist, luxurious cracks of things. I don't blame them. I like it there too. I'd string a hammock and I bet they would too. Now it's important to know that they really won't go after something live and fresh. Usually. Slugs. The word itself is dirty but it's important to realize that slugs and snails are the usual culprits to damage to seedlings and strawberries and greens and .... They really are the ones to blame most of the time. The slugs and snails do their damage while the sun rests and then the sow bugs (et all) move in to clean things up because that is their nature and I can only imagine we should be glad for that job they do! But... if things are out of hand we must protect our food. First, go out at night and get rid of those dang slugs. Pull them off. Throw them to your chickens or give them a good stomp. Do it regularly. Enjoy the moon and the (coming) summer wind. Love every second because soon it will be winter again! (shhh)

Collect straw/grass clipping/pulled weeds and shove the into a pot/broken gourd/mason jar, whatever! Turn upside down and rest on a stick that has been driven into the ground. I find I have the best success when the upturned container is several inches off the ground. Check container daily, be careful to not let them drop out when you check -- I do it over a paper bag and throw it in the fire.

Oh it has been busy around here! I'm about to do an update of our animals and garden but first I had to share some very beautiful things I had the fortune to enjoy over the weekend. I travelled back to Maine to attend my 20th high school reunion (!) and while there took time to visit with some family and old friends and was lucky enough to visit an amazing. garden store and a fabulous garden I look forward to seeing every time I visit.

First up is Snug Harbor Farm in Kennebunk, Maine. My cousin has worked here for years and has told me so many incredible things about it but I never was able to visit until this past Saturday morning. It is incredible. Incredible.

These green houses are HEATED in the winter -- can you imagine?

The following day I went to a lovely garden in Gorham, Maine. Maine blows my socks off really. It is so lush and the lilacs! Oh the lilacs! This is Friend's Corner and it is sprawling and perfect. Truly amazes me the amount of work that goes into this.

The hostas and bleeding hearts grow so easily here. Stunning.

First Day of Spring

I just realized today is the first day of spring, although you wouldn't know it with the wind and rain here this week. I'm glad to have some bonus rain as we tend to be dry nearly all summer. As I lumber out of my blog hibernation (the last post was winter solstice? Really?) and settle in for the first post of the "official" growing season, I thought I'd share what I've brought inside today from our garden and spare the camera a soaking outside. In my hiatus we have remodeled our kitchen (almost done, everything goes more slowly with children) so while my husband took the boys outside in their rain gear I had some quiet time inside to make dinner and play around with the lighting in our new setup. What a very lovely way to spend the afternoon. Ahhhhh.

Happy First Day of Spring!

I made a batch of stinging nettle compost tea this winter and fed the entire garden with it last week, I look forward to showing you how well it all went! I'm about to don my rain gear and go join in some splashing while harvesting a new batch.

Happy Winter Solstice

Goats!

Oh we have been busy. Quiet blog, busy life. Or so it tends to be around here. We have been working on fencing and teeny barn building (with all reused materials except for the screws!) and.... we have goats! Yes! Our friend, Jamie of Serendipity Farms, was downsizing her herd a bit so we were fortunate enough to get 3 young Nubian beauties ready for breeding. And you know what that means! Cutie baby goats and after a bit of solo baby/mama time... fresh, raw goat milk!

This is the best photo of this journey: An abandoned back-carrier for the youngest of our human brood, along with a half dug water station. Yes, this is how WE roll. Little bits, as the littles in our lives allow.

How cool is this? 3 generations of fence builders!
Forging new ground: We expanded our chicken "pen" (they can get out, but the neighbor dogs can't get in) to nearly an acre. Or more than one, we aren't certain since the perimiter meanders here and there around certain trees.

Just for fun, the 2 hens who share these 4 chicks. They are amazing little co-mamas and a true demonstration of something I strongly believe which is FAMILIES COME IN ALL SHAPES AND SIZES.

Gratitude

For this beautiful life I get to live, for my little boys who are so eager to learn and help, an amazing husband to share this journey, and for the chance to raise some goats for fresh raw milk! We're building their shelter in preparation for new life on the ranch. Exciting times, so very grateful.

Cuteness

The one day old chicks came out to soak up some warm sun this afternoon and enjoyed their first meal: Figs and amaranth from the garden.