The Frost is here

The Frost came one day without a warning, and all of the sudden it hit me: this year is almost over. The year ending happens every year, right? But the changes that happen in nature, will always amaze me. The warmth and cozy moist in the air from where I come from in Venezuela is a little bit different than this. I love both.

This year began for me with the announcement of baby Matia Zucchini, the biggest love I've ever experienced. 

Most of the days would go by in the garden or at the construction site. Mostly by myself, and my belly, and occasionally accompanied by Radar, Shatzi and Mr. O.

Mushi in the backyard

 Hello dear mushroom lovers. I got to tell you about a recent fever I've been developing for the past year. It has to do with mushrooms. I had no idea about kinds, or names and properties, but I surely loved the flavors. Last year I started growing edible mushrooms at home, and that's where it all began...

I'll tell you more about that story another time, but today I just wanted to show you the mushrooms I've found all around the property where we live. It makes me feel so amazing to know that underneath the ground I step on, there's a whole net of mycelium that is way more diverse than I could imagine.

Here's just a handful of mushrooms I found. Please, help me identify the ones I haven't yet. My curiosity can no longer wait. I'll love you forever for that.

I  also love being a member of the Pacific Northwest Mushroom Identification and Information forum, since they've actually helped me identify some of the ones you'll see here.

Also check out the resources at the end of this post for further information on mushroom identification.

 These are a sort of Coral mushroom. Edible with laxative effects.

Oyster mushroom. Ate it for dinner (and dreamed about mushrooms all night).

Not sure what this one is called. Would you help me find out? 

Print this Poster 1: Take me Outside

This poster is just a reminder of getting outside, no matter how cold or wet it's getting. Free PDF download for you to enjot and put it on your wall, at the door, or to give to a friend.

Happy Friday!

Download the PDF here!

Dig a Ditch

The other day I went down to the site to help out digging the ditch, where water is going to be running from the well to the yurt. Mr. O. had been working on it for a few days by then, so I thought I'd give him a hand. I had no idea that digging a ditch could be so hard!

I got down there, with a shovel, and realized how difficult it was for me to scoop any dirt out. I couldn't help but wonder how on Earth Mr. O and his brother had been digging this ditch for the last week, almost every day, and they still had energy to do other things afterwards.

So after 20 minutes of trying to get some dirt out of the ground, I decided to be more useful, and went along the ditch and clipped all the roots that were in the way for them to continue digging.

We are learning how building your own place is a lot of work.

Re-establishing pack leadership

What a great week I had last week. I never knew working on chores and errands could be so fun. I'm loving this new domesticity.

Today I've been reflecting on a relationship I must nurture a bit more: my relationship with Radar.

He's a beautiful friend I tell you. He gets so exited when I come home and always wants to be on our side. He's the most loyal companion you can ever imagine. If you have a dog, and especially if that dog is a German Shepherd, you know what I'm talking about.

 He watches our chickens in the evenings, even from our other dog Shatzi. His bark is the loudest of all dogs I believe, and all the creatures in these woods are very familiar with it. He scares away the rabbits who come to the green house uninvited, and overall, he makes sure everyone is safe around here. His sense of pack is quite delightful.

But there's just one thing Radar has entitled himself to be. He is the pack leader, in his mind. You got to love the guy, he's super cuddly and all (and he'll lick Matia's face whenever I turn around), but sometimes it can be tricky for him to be nice to other threatening males, including Mr. O. Or to not knock you over to be the first one getting out the door.