Plugging Away. Pun Intended.

Precise holes drilled into logs, then a
sawdust/spore mix is plugged into the holes
using mushroom injector thingies.
Let me know if I'm getting too technical.

Making sure the plug is tamped into
the holes.  See stacks of logs in background...

Melted wax is then daubed onto the holes
to seal and protect the spores.

For mental health purposes, I spent a cold, rainy, windy day inoculating maple and oak logs with shitake mushroom spores.  Doesn't everyone?  No?  I am so shocked.  Friends are starting a mushroom enterprise and I volunteered to trade labor for mushrooms.  Can it get better than that?  Spending some hours in rhythmic mindless-ness with music and good company?  I think not.  Unless it's the fact that I also worked out a trade with buckets of llama beans for organic tomato plants.  Woot!

Seed-starting workshop

Saturday morning started out the same as Friday - cold, wet and raw.  I went to the seed-starting workshop that was put on by a local organic farm that also has a foundation dedicated to self-sustainability and community involvement.  I have bought awesome vege at their roadside stand and have spent time gawking lovingly at their herd of Scottish Highland cattle.  Our instructor was a winsome young woman who was articulate, enthusiastic, well-organized, and an overall wonderful representative for anything food, farming and sustainability.  The only photo I had from the workshop is the inane still life above.  I was too busy taking notes and planting winter lettuce and kale.  I came away with a wealth of information and a six-pack (of seed starts) - two hours of good stuff for a donation of $10.  It was so worth it.  Then Melanie and I hoofed it back to my place for a picnic - my donation, thanks to Michelle, over at Boulderneigh, was Russian Carrot Pie.  I have all the Moosewood cookbooks, and had forgotten how many of the recipes in the Enchanted Broccoli Forest book I loved!  If I can tolerate this crust, it is going to become my go-to-pie crust!

Nut crust, using Einkorn flour and ground
pecans.

In my own defense, I did send M home with extra...

Melanie brought sandwiches on Udi's GF chiabata rolls with fresh mozzarella, roasted peppers, pesto and sun-dried tomatoes - OMG.  AND her amazing sweet potato salad with red beans, sweet potatoes and peas. 


The weather finally started to perk up in the afternoon, so I did get a start on my composting complex and got some celery seeds started.  On Sunday, I was out and at-em early, got some errands done - trash to the transfer station, things dropped off with a neighbor - and then back outside.  I have the composting complex almost finished, I cleaned out two of the raised beds and got started on a third, did some general clean-up around the yard, hung three loads of laundry on the line, and cleaned off the back deck.  It was so glorious to be outside without seven layers on - with the sun shining and just enough breeze to 'stimulate' my laundry.  The dogs got lots of fresh air and ran non-stop for a couple of hours.  There was much snoring later that evening.  I fired up the grill for the first time and, all-in-all, it was a great weekend.  I squeezed in another load of laundry to hang out this morning before leaving for work - all the dog's laundry - as this is another glorious day.  Tomorrow it starts to go downhill, weather-wise, so I am trying to take advantage of every nice moment.