Enjoying Amsterdam

Here I am on this June 21st evening, in the Netherlands, sitting out in 'my' little yard enjoying the evening sun. It's actually so warm at 8pm, I think I am getting tanned, or burnt! 

The absolute BEST part of the Dutch Life is biking and bikes. It's such a convenient mode of transportation and everyone seems to partake. That can make things a little tricky riding at rush hour in Amsterdam, but it works better than you'd think. Of course it's flat here, and that's what ultimately makes this work, but the design of keeping cyclists and cars apart, and making it easy to get about following extensive bike routes, truly is the cherry on top. By flat, it is really. Shockingly so. In fact, I went home to the prairies for a week and the first thing I noticed were all our hills, mounds, and slopes. I'd never really noticed them before, but there's nothing like going away to appreciate home, correct?! In addition to the flatness, there are many dykes. They range in size from ditch to river, and are even used to contain animals in a field moat-wise. The likelihood of affording waterfront here is quite possible! Of course I'm also very fond of their cheese, licorice, and stroopwafels. 

I'd mentioned before, about the lushness, and early rising of the Spring plants in this part of the world. It makes me kind of jealous, but mostly it's been a study in plants. It's rather odd that I don't know if all the plant species I have identified here even grow at home, but one of these years I'll spend the summer at home and become more acquainted with my surroundings and I'll be able to answer. For now I've been having a wee bit of fun finding those that are edible or herbal in nature, and picking some here and there. It seems the term for picking from the wild, for personal consumption, is wildcrafting. It strikes me as a contrast, my feeling of uncomfortableness at doing so, and human nature to simply collect from the wild. I prefer to be alone harvesting my found delicacy as if I'm trespassing on, well I don't know what on. It's not as though I'm doing so in someone's yard, only Mother Nature's yard, and in general I'm taking weed fragments, unwanted by many. 

What do you think of wildcrafting? Or simply harvesting nature's bounty? 

I don't feel very apologetic when I pick blackberries. Maybe I just need to get used to it. Anyways, I've become a cycling weed collector of sorts. Never leaving the house without a sack for treasures, diversifying and freshening up my menu options. Greens alone, that I know of include, dandelion, it's cousin, mustard, nettle, plus there's been hawthorn, elderflowers, chamomile, yarrow, red clover, salmon berries, plantain, comfrey... 

Cat Hotel

I like Amsterdam, and find I prefer its Jordaan area, which is a little less touristy, and a little more hip in an old secondhand cardigan kind of way. Many other places around the country have been beautiful, too - I personally suggest exploring them by bicycle! 

Since this is perfect weather for reading, I'd like to mention how informative and interesting my birthday gift, The Hidden Half of Nature, has been. Absolutely fantastic book if you are interested in nature or human biology. Which are subjects I love. I mean, I live in nature, and I have a body, so it's applicable to me ;) 

Wind, Wind, Go Away

I have been thinking a fair amount about sheltering our yard. The wind we have had so far this spring has been beyond normal, and destructive, but I suspect not that much more than the current annual average, which is still too much for someone like me, my animals, my yard, my house, and I feel the need to protect my space. (By my, I mean our...) I especially do not like strong wind. Ow my ears! 

Just because other people, even people who live near you, who grow (or don't) the same things, tell you you cannot, or there is only one method, or such and such doesn't work, through trial and error, or even luck, you will find your best methods and what works in your garden. This could be applied to a few things I've been told so far...

On the other hand it doesn't mean don't listen to good advice. Or scientific facts. Which, I'd like to point out, are much more difficult to get, since they don't usually offer themselves out loud. Just take it all with a grain of salt. Think about it, give it a try, modified for you. 

Work hard, take notes, and don't give up. Everyone who's trying, is in the same boat. Or rather their own tippy, leaky version. Find strength and motivation in that. 

We have many problems, ideas and projects. Some are easy to fix, or realize, and others may have an underlying issue, or be too much work (as in more hours than in a day!) to have a point. 

One thing that effects every last thing we, here at Blue Moon Farm, do or don't however, is the wind. There's just way too much of it. Alberta publishes shelter-belt plans, methods and ideas, and I think we must go in that direction. When you look around, they are not as common as I think they used to be, or designed properly. Like when it actually mattered your garden feed you all winter - when houses weren't so airtight. I see the old homesteads often enclosed in a square of green. New homes aren't. Hummm. Our own spot is very partially protected. Maybe the winds have changed their paths somewhat since those lines were planted. Maybe old windbreaks have been cut down? I don't know. Maybe global warming (Yeah, it's a thing. For real, by the way.) is changing the direction and velocity of the wind.  

Now, where to find the energy to do all this? I've already dug a few hundred holes this Spring. Okay, Rori did help a bit :) 

While I work up the energy, I'll review what didn't work, what might be a better variation, and keep track to try not to repeat the mistake... 

Like: Starting Indoors - This is a lot of work. It worked rather well initially, but the hardening off was a disaster. I only had a small window in which to do it, or not. I chose to. Because not hardening off is generally a bad idea. The weather was a scorching and powerful wind. Clearly not helpful. I lost 80% of my perfectly happy plants. Peppers and tomatoes were the survivors. Interestingly, the two plants I'd generally need to start indoors, and consider temperamental. 

On reflection: If, like this year, I'll only have a very slim window of opportunity with the weather, I'll save time and only start tomatoes and peppers. Everything else could be direct sowed, and when the wee sprout peeks out and sees the big bad wind, huffing and puffing, it'll grow with more precaution. Who ever said, "precaution to the wind". Also large bale stacks could be helpful for the transplants... Then let's look at the winners of direct sowing and try to make the best of these plants. 

So there's me, trying to punch up some enthusiasm when the weather gets me down. 

How do you recover from the blows of your efforts?

Home and Farm, My Favourite Work

 

Time passes quickly - especially as we get older, and when we are having fun. My recent, quick stay-cation on the farm seems to have been proof of both. I do love my farm, my home and being on vacation, and I have also racked up another full year of life, despite the fact of only being a single day older than the day before... 

When we still though we had time to make nice breakfasts...

As always I'm trying to accomplish more than I ever do indeed get done. This work-ation being no different, plus the fact that we had a giant storm mid-week that resulted in two days without power. And how greatly we rely upon that buzzing grid of electricity. Water, heat, laundry, lights, animal watering, cooking... and the list goes on. Clearly, I've learnt, we are not anywhere near being self reliant, and one should build in buffer days to one's lofty to-do lists. 

My helper, who has helper history. 

(Oh my sweet little puppy dog!)

Nevertheless we now have a little orchard to tend. Little I say because everything in it is little, however it does encompass a reasonably large amount of space, meaning that, one day if it all matures well, we may have far more fruit than could ever be used by one household. I have my fingers crossed! Step one (of a million) on the path to farm diversification. I also have my fingers crossed for a few fruits this year, just to get a taste. The bees have been busy, so perhaps those lovely little pollinators will make my wish come true. 😋 

Before and after. Hopefully it gets bushier soon! 

Admittedly this isn't the best photo for showing details... but everything is planted! 

I told you the plants are little! 

Schipol...

The best days at work are days when it's clear enough to see the scenery. 

Bavaria/Austria Border

Actually there are many types of enjoyable days at work, and recently I was reminded about how nice it is to fly with great people. That's a work culture, different than anywhere else I've been, I miss, from the GGN days.. Maybe it was a place where the pawns had to stick together just to survive, but whatever the cause - it was nice, and lovely to bring that back to mind because I was flying with an old colleague. It certainly makes a double stop in Turkey go better. 

Großglockner, the highest peek n the Austrian Alps

Despite best efforts, on time performance is basically a pipe dream. It's my job to make us on time. If that's accomplished I can only rely on luck thereafter. And taxiing at Mach speeds that don't even touch the contrails of KLM...  

Santorini, Greece

I'm striving to finish a day on time. Then I'll go for even a minute early. 

Work is great, but, you know I could use a love song...

Which is why I'm on my way home for a visit, and a lot of gardening!

The theme to effectivity is a planned electronics disconnect, 

and to begin with, a reset to zero.