Category: Sustainability
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Warm Winter Fires & Charred Bones for Pigment
The last time I made charred bones in the woodstove was when Rob was still working overseas. So, when I presented my foil-wrapped tin box to put beneath the fire he was building yesterday morning, it was a new request …
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Windbreak for the Horses
It’s not all art and painting in the life of an artist who lives out in the rural parts of the country. As part of yesterday’s talk of preparing for bad weather, we’re finally working on a project that’s …
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Running Errands, Preparing for Bad Weather
The approaching weekend and the week after has foreboding forecasts, so today I spent the day running errands. And preparing for bad weather. That usually means COLD weather out here. The only other thing we get during warmer months is …
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Musings from an Ozark nature artist
I’m at an ‘in between’ time at the moment. Between rain showers and rainy days, between things scheduled on my calendar. And since I just finished a painting, I’m between paintings, too. But this is a great time for …
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Coronavirus Hermit | Journal Entry for the week of 032020
So what does a hermit do with her time during coronavirus slow downs? Pretty much the same thing I’ve always done with my time out here. Except now with less internet useage, ha. And there’s an extra little body in …
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A Nature Artist’s Business Plan | 2020
An artist’s business plan is just like any other business plan, really. It all boils down to a strategy to make more money than is spent. 2019 was my first full year of ‘being an artist’. Last year was mostly …
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Activity & Products Lineup for Wild Ozark 2020
Last year I had a lot of plans for a variety of different products. This year I’m streamlining a lot. 2020’s new products plan is an effort to reduce costs and effort and increase sales and income. My next post …
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The Bear Issue with Our Spring-fed Water Line
So I’ve done a good job of making sure the water is dripping on the cold nights and so far so good with not letting the lines freeze (since the first time I let it happen this year). But this …
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Decorating with Nature: Paintings Made from Ozark Pigments
If you like decorating with nature, oh boy, do I have some artwork for you. Think earthy colors and natural tones: ochres, umbers, and siennas. Yellows, reds, browns, oranges, and shades of black and gray. I mean, literally, shades …
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Endings and Hopeful for New Beginnings
Sometimes it takes a thing ending to spark renewed efforts to find new beginnings. Endings One of our little shops in town closed its doors abruptly this weekend. The owner has tried to make a successful business of it, but …
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In Honor of Forests- Two Worthy Fundraisers for Earth Day
We all depend on trees. A single tree planted in an urban lawn is better than no tree, but the larger collectives of forests are needed, too. The Earth needs large swaths of unbroken forests to maintain habitats that support …
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Installing a Culvert Retaining Wall was Today’s Homestead Project
Today I built a culvert retaining wall for the culvert on the shop driveway to keep it from washing out around the sides. I was grateful for the overcast and dreary day so I could do this work without getting …
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No Water
This morning I turned on the faucet to put some water on my toothbrush. Nothing but a few drops came out. Then, nothing. No water. No Water My thoughts immediately led to the question in my mind, which was “Where …
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Repairing Our Wild Ozark Spring Water Line
Today I repaired our Wild Ozark spring water line Since I’ve learned how to do this myself, I figured I’d do it while Mr. Wild Ozark was at work. Later this summer we have plans to change out the entire …
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A problem in our gravity feed spring water system
What is a gravity feed water system? We are fortunate to have our very own spring fed water source that runs all year long. It is a spring that pumps out enough water, without fail, to serve our household with …
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Did you know Osage Oranges evolved with wooly mammoths?
Osage Maclura pomifera, also known as Osage Orange, Bois d’Arc, Hedge-apple, or Horse-apple, the osage tree is native to our area. Even so, there aren’t very many of them in our particular neck of the woods. A bedraggled osage tree. …
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Killing Pretty Roosters
First I tried selling pretty roosters. Then I tried gifting pretty roosters. Yesterday we killed pretty roosters. It was my chore to pick which ones. I felt a bit like Kali (Goddess who is both giver of life and bringer …
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A Review Round Robin
*** Sorry, but this event has ended *** Join me in a “Review Round Robin” I’ll send you 10 Common Plants in paperback format, and none of this costs anything for you, not even postage (but you don’t get to …