The First Year on the Farm

Home Sweet Blue Moon Farm!

I like to think of the big sky here in the prairies. 

Sometimes it's so clear and other days it's often colourful, casting magical hues. 

I'd like to spend time to catch the true likeness of the coloured light,

so the effect can be felt through the photographs.

Looking back, we realize we've nearly forgotten some of our accomplishments as we maintain a steady forward lean. But it's important to review (especially our first year), 

which we did in the round-about way of looking through our photos of the past year. 

We recalled triumphs and discussed better methods and options for this year, 

while cleaning up the files, choosing some to print and contemplating, 

from an artistic photo snapping point of view, more than the memories, moments or subjects, 

our favourite photos of 2016: 

I do like to shoot somewhat macro with blur. Here are my favourite examples:

Against neutral patterns Georgi's green eyes really show up. 

This is probably my favourite, because the colours are bold and complimentary and frame Rori in just right.

Blur in the foreground as well as the background shows more depth, and here gives a sense of the location.

I prefer natural light, as without it getting depth in bright colours can be challenging.

Same idea as above but not as effective at conjuring a setting.

The macro, the colours, and as in the photo of George a neutral yet subtly interesting background sets off the subject.

Well you'd not put this on your wall, but you can sure see the details of our lovely asparagus!

The style and lens are really for portraits, but I tend to have more things to photograph than people, 

so until people begin to let me practice taking their photo, and they become as cooperative as flowers,

I'll have to be satisfied with objects.

On that note, a couple of lovely models:

Farm Friends

I'm delighted Christmas brought me up dates in speedy photo processing, and I'm keen to keep practicing and aiming for more good shots.  

Farm goals include a time saving, somewhat automatic, watering system, planting our dream fruit 

and perennial plot, painting out buildings and house trim, fence and pen repair, 

and insulating our shop so we can get more accomplished in the long, cold season, 

meanwhile our focus is to lean up our practices for simplicity and efficiency. 

Have you ever read, "The Lean Farm", by Ben Hartman? 

It's full of good ideas.

I have been debating over our bedroom since we moved in, and with a very Canadian addition at Christmas I now have the perfect direction in which to proceed. 

Hopefully I'll be able to show some progress soon. 

More on the homemade personal care products soon, too. Secretly it's kind of consuming me. 

Once you have real soap and a human/earth friendly sanitizing solution, 

you also suddenly need real moisturizer and shampoo and chap and laundry soap... 

and the list goes on. 

I have some willing testers lined up to help me perfect the products! 

Now all I must do, is get making (the best part!). 

Speaking of making, this was the most extravagant cake of 2016. Go Rosie!

I'm proud of our progress - animals, sign, garden, barn, and commitment to some of the 

drudgery and keeping up with the random, accidents, and unexpected. 

Which brings me to the love of capturing candid moments:

George jumped off a post onto Jordan's shoulder, which triggered Rori's backward evacuation.

Ying and Yang - a brief moment of unusual stillness.

In the moment

Apart from the love we grow on our farm (awww yuck!) 

the animals are the next largest source of joy. 

There's nothing like raising babies into delightful egglayers, a faithful, command obeying pooch (when food is involved), or just getting them past the first 5 days when it comes to kits. 

Then there's always the special case, which for us is George. 

Awfully curious... and cheeky, little fur cat that made it. What can I say? We love them all! 

 Which is your favourite photo?

Happy New Year!

I hope you rang in 2017, with whomever, wherever pleased you most. 

Above, my beautiful New Year's Baja vista! 

I didn't get a schedule that made time for New Year's plans, but I woke early with a clear mind, and a brand spanking new agenda to fill up. Yes agenda. My decision was based on time savings (I don't need to make the basic spreads), mistake reduction (avoiding date mishaps by leaving the calendar making to the professionals), my favourite agenda company, PaperBlanks, and the leeway to borrow from the bullet journal's best traits (pencil, systematic bullet points, trackers...)

Would a post be complete without a tad of farm life incorporated? 

I think not, so here are my chickens:

The hens carefully checking out their newly cleaned and refreshed coop. They gave it the long, beady-eyed once over before coming inside. 

Once inside, they seemed to have approved of the changes 😉. 

Time to reflect, make goals and put the future in motion! 

Best wishes for all your new year aspirations! 

You can be sure many of my hopes and dreams are farm related. 

The Year-One review and favourite photos coming up, shortly. 

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

Merry Christmas Everyone! 

It's Christmas Eve and I've finally begun feeling the spirit today, mostly due to the fact that though I have to work straight through Christmas, at least I got to deadhead on West Jet's 'Frozen' plane, right after I enjoyed an Eggnog Latte. 

We had our little decoration party early in December so I've been able to enjoy a festive home, albeit a very dry tree. Since I like to click around looking at other people's decorations on Michael Wurm Jr.'s Inspiredbycharm.com Christmas Home Tour, and secretly covet a spot on it, here's a quick look at what is waiting for me when I get home to celebrate. 

Maybe next year we will have a tad more time to develop our country Christmas décor! And enjoy it, together. 

I'll be back once more before the end of the year for a little 2016 round up and direction for 2017. Before that happens, I need to decide on a pre-printed agenda or a new book for more bullet journaling... 

What's your preference?

Peace, joy and love! 

Soaps, Detergents, Cleaners, Disinfectants...

On the subject of homemade and natural cleaners and their effectivity - I know I shared an idea I'd put together a while ago (a vinegar and borax solution) - I've delved deeper and with quite some research and found some really good, simple, safe solutions regarding disinfecting. 

The spay I shared will suffice for relatively clean cleaning. 

You know, the stuff that only needs minor cleaning and /scrubbing and not so much disinfecting. Which is necessary, so it won't go to waste. 

There's some internet discussion on how acids and bases may cancel one another out, 

but in my world I actually don't care about my cleaner's pH, 

rather how it cleans my house, and it does. 

Although we often use these terms interchangeably, it's interesting to be reminded of their definitions.

Soap: "a cleansing and emulsifying agent made usually by action of alkali on fat or fatty acids and consisting essentially of sodium or potassium salts of such acids" (Merriam-Webster) 

or more simply put, "...oils react with lye to create a solid mass... the result of saponification is soap and a small amount of glycerin mixed in." (the Soap Queen)

Detergent: "a powder or liquid that is used to clean clothes, 

dishes, etc.:a chemical substance that is like soap" (Merriam-Webster)

Cleaner/Cleanser: "a substance used for cleaning things" (Merriam-Webster)

Disinfectant: "a chemical substance that is used to kill harmful germs and bacteria" 

(Merriam-Webster)

What I found out, in a nutshell, is that there will never be a disinfectant more effective than bleach, and yes we are talking chlorine bleach. Chlorine bleach is 100% effective, when used properly. 

We also have a 99% effective option which happens to be not only safe for the environment, 

the water table, you, your family and pets, but also easy to use and make, 

plus it's likely you already have everything you need. 

So, if you're willing to sacrifice a 1% possibility of parasitic infection, 

for other awesome benefits, please read on. 

Firstly, I must say, I noted in a number of the articles I read, a valid point worth mentioning 

(based on how I've seen some people over the years 'clean' something, 

and the article PhD authors' respective repetition): "when used properly". 

That does mean, regardless of what you want to use as a disinfecting agent, 

you must first prepare the area by cleaning it up. Mop up the mess (discard if necessary) 

and then clean thoroughly with hot soapy water. 

I thought that was obvious, but maybe not... 

Then disinfect as per the instructions on the Chlorine bleach bottle, 

if that's your choice (and I will still be using this for anything really nasty, just to be sure) 

or follow this simple solution, which is again, only 99% effective (like birth control, when used properly!): vinegar and hydrogen peroxide. 

You'll need: 

Vinegar (5% acetic acid, which is standard, or stronger, but stick to white vinegar for the least amount of lingering scent)

Hydrogen Peroxide (3% is the dilution required, and luckily just how it's most often sold in Canada, however I happened to have a food grade 30% strength bottle on hand, which I diluted myself {I'm sure this is the cheapest solution in the long run})

Two spray bottles, empty and clean (it's best if they 'mist' well)

Add the vinegar to one bottle, the hydrogen peroxide to the other, and you are ready, assuming you've already cleaned up the area to be disinfected. Now spray either on the surface and wait a minimum of 5 minutes, wipe it dry (or perhaps it already has dried), then spray the other and wait a minimum of 5 minutes, wipe it dry. That's it. 

*Don't combine the two because together they form another chemical compound 

which will not disinfect. 

*I noticed that to end up with the most neutral smell, it helps to start with the vinegar. 

*The vinegar/hydrogen peroxide does not make your skin feel all weird the way bleach does if you aren't wearing gloves. Which I never want to do. Another win!

The great thing is a person only really needs dish soap, vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, borax, baking soda, and hydrogen peroxide - possibly chlorine bleach standing by for those truly drastic incidents (non-chlorine bleach's active ingredient is hydrogen peroxide, so it isn't sold as a disinfectant, btw, but colourfast for your clothes and also not as bleaching as the original), to clean their home. 

My previously blogged water, vinegar, borax and tea-tree spray is a useful and handy combination. 

It seems to remove soap scum as well as any other cleaner when used in conjunction with baking soda for a scrub. (I love the fizz).  

The frugal cat also gives a mighty PURRR for such a cost effective solution!

I guess I have to ask, if chlorine bleach is the active ingredient in most cleaners on the market, what the heck else is in there, and what side effects do they have? (Maybe I don't want to know). 

As if that isn't reason enough to go Au-Naturel when it comes to your home. 

Not that I suggest or condone ingesting or bathing in any of the items I listed. 

Anyway, next up on the investigation list of cleaning arsenal is dish soap, as they are not all made equally, and because most of the information on the internet is geared toward the US, not Canada, where I buy cleaning products. 

I see that Dawn is the favoured brand of the US, but that's more likely because the lucky animals during the terrible Gulf of Mexico oil spill got washed with Dawn, than the actual wonderfulness of Dawn as a cleaner and its biodegradable-environmental impacts. 

Heck, even plastic biodegrades after thousands of years. 

A grand publicity scheme if ever there was one. But also for a good cause. 

I'm all for washing petroleum-ed wildlife.

I have an inkling this is going to take me down the road of saponification, which is right along the lines of chemistry I love (home made and from scratch!) though more expensive to start out than the above, so we may have to add lye and oil to our shopping list!

I just have to quantify it all for myself. Knowledge is a powerful tool. 

Brrrr...

Just a little bit brrrr... I know it will plummet soon.

No snow for some time now, but lots of ice fog making beautiful statements 
out of our trees and yard.

After four days of the growing crystals, the sun came out!

Time for some pretty cookies and warm loaves of bread out of the oven.

I even figured out how to braid four for my loaf. 

Now I just need to learn to fishtail my hair ;)

Chocolate Salted Caramel Sandwich Cookies

The chicken's egg laying quota has reduced somewhat 

- I hope not too much more - 

but they aren't scared of the cold!

I, lucky me, got an early Christmas gift, allowing me to update myself in the 

savviness of computer intelligence, blog with ease, and manage my photography properly.

That's the idea anyway. More on that shortly. 

Marsa Alam, Egypt

At Warsaw Airport 

I hadn't before had the opportunity to fly to Egypt during the day, 

or to fly anywhere other than Sharm El Sheik, 

which for me isn't the Egypt I've ever dreamt. 

Alexandria and the Mediterranean Coast

In the summer I went to Marsa Alam, 

and though it's on the Red Sea we flew over the mainland to get there. 

It was cloudy over Giza, so no pyramids for me,  

but a view of the Nile valley from about Asyut to Luxor. 

Near Luxor

The Nile is the centre of a striking, fat, green snake that stands out clearly against the sandy desert. 

Luxor 

It was very hot in Marsa Alam and on the approach we suddenly saw this 'town'. 

It came out of nowhere and we both wondered if it had been a mirage. 

It was indeed a real town, but the feeling or illusion may still have been caused by 

the same type of light refraction that causes a true mirage. 

Islands in the Red Sea

I guess I keep getting closer to visiting the ancient places of my childhood dreams... one day! 

Egyptian Red Sea Coast

Saudi Arabia in the background

Now it's all Cancun and Canada for the foreseeable future! 

(Until next year...)

Rosie the Riveter

Surprisingly, I haven't been making many cakes recently. 

Only two in October, and one of which an order. So I guess it's fair to say I'm craving cake. 

The first cake was a repeat that could be appreciated so many times over. 

A pumpkin, chocolate, cream cheese cake, which ganache. 

Always delicious in my book and as expected it disappeared rather quickly.

The second cake was an affair. I always feel fondant makes for a grand affair. 

In reality kneading fondant is the main chore, giving one carpel tunnel, 

all the while worrying about the finished cake.

Fondant cakes are something that is meant to look a certain way, while icing is so versatile...

Each is different and has its applications.  Here, fondant was the obvious choice. 

I was given no instruction other than to make a Rosie the Riveter cake,

so I took the liberty of using a sort of comic book style and I'm quite pleased with the results. 

As always, I hope it tasted good!

Colder days mean more time for the kitchen, so hold on tummy, I'll fill you up!

Colder days mean different types of projects: 

Tidying up, organizing, sorting, preparing, dreaming, planning, reading, 

while wearing long-johns and wooly, downy, furry everything. 

Having animals and still having high standards of cleanliness inside our home has meant 

a rather bothersome amount of cleaning, very regularly. 

It has also brought me to consider what I'm using to clean. Obviously it has to work.

I like soap, rags, and water, but what I needed was a germ-ridding spray. 

I mixed a cup of vinegar with a cup of water, added and stirred until I dissolved  

a 1/2 cup of borax, and added about 15 drops of tea tree oil.

So in one spray bottle there's cleaning, deodorizing and disinfecting all in one. 

Interestingly, it leaves almost no sign of a vinegar or tea tree scent, 

just freshness, which is good because we don't ultimately care for either!  

Don't those flowers just make you want them to last? As an oil, perhaps?

On the subject of essential oils, I'm quite interested in distilling some of my own. 

It's totally okay if you want to, 

but I'm not into spraying them around my house or diffusing them, 

since for me it not only makes the air feel heavy and thick 

(and unclean like the air needs serious degreasing), 

but becomes a lingering smell refusing to vanish despite fresh air... 

but rather to use them for homemade natural cleaning and cosmetics.

I think lavender, calendula and rose could be places to start. 

But this falls under the above category of dreaming... 

Speaking of dreaming, I think this little one might be!

Snuggle time with mama in the sun. 

oh so cute