I have spent some time thinking about how we can convert our big fish tank into a greenhouse to start seeds in, while also making sure the cats couldn't jump in. The original covers the tank came with would have been ideal, but the hinges on those broke long ago. Since a piece of the … Continue reading Converting the fish tank to a cat proof greenhouse, part 1: starting a cover
DIY
Crab Apple Cider Vinegar: bottling day
For those of you who have been following this blog for a while, you may be wondering what happened with our cider vinegar. Yeah. The stuff we were supposed to taste test 2 months ago, to see if it was done! It's been sitting in the old kitchen all this time. Given how cold it … Continue reading Crab Apple Cider Vinegar: bottling day
Wood carving: completing the set
Having made an olive server, using my new gouge, I thought it would be good to use some of the remaining wood to make a spreader and olive fork. After cutting a length off, the first thing I did was split the wood down the middle. Here, you can clearly see the rotted out core … Continue reading Wood carving: completing the set
Wood carving: testing the new gouge
Lo and behold, I had an open day today! Which means I finally had the chance to do a bit of wood carving and test out the wood gouge I got a month ago. I had a particular piece of maple from clearing behind the pump shack that I wanted to use. After looking at … Continue reading Wood carving: testing the new gouge
This year’s decorations; what’s working, and what isn’t!
I've already posted photos of dehydrating orange slices and using them to make decorations for Christmas this year. I will post more on those in a moment. The other experiment I tried was to make a baking soda and cornstarch dough (which I wrote about here), which was supposed to be good to roll out … Continue reading This year’s decorations; what’s working, and what isn’t!
This year’s decorations, in the works
Today, I finally started working on the Christmas decorations I was planning to make with the dehydrated orange slices I'd prepared earlier. Of course, things didn't work out to plan! 😀 Do they ever? 😉 I was going to use cinnamon sticks, plus some little decorations I'd saved from Christmas crackers over the years - … Continue reading This year’s decorations, in the works
Winterizing: window fix
I got a couple of bigger jobs done in preparation for winter. The smaller one was taking care of a window on one of the sheds. This is the one my brother and I had patched the roof of earlier in the year, and is one of the few sturdier sheds left. My original intention … Continue reading Winterizing: window fix
Progress: sun room door and cat kibble shelter
There was quite a crowd of kitties this morning! There are 12 cats in this picture. Happily, Rolando Moon is still hanging around, busily hissing at any cat that comes near. We haven't seen Creamsicle in a while, though. I hope he is all right. The cat butt sticking out of the entry is a … Continue reading Progress: sun room door and cat kibble shelter
Almost to plan
Well, most of what I intended to get done today, happened. Plus, some unplanned stuff got done. 🙂 There was quite the crowd around for breakfast - and not all of them are in this photo! Most of them came out of the cat shelter, which was quite gratifying to see. They were hungry enough … Continue reading Almost to plan
Crab apple cider vinegar: straining day
After three weeks (and a day) the crab apple cider vinegar has been strained. For those new to this blog, you can catch up on the process by clicking on the following links. Each should open in a new tab, so you won't lose your place. Part 1: getting startedPart 2: oopsPart 3: progress While … Continue reading Crab apple cider vinegar: straining day