M Ljin

Was about to listen to Pearl’s songs but got distracted by a rabbit hole (will right after!) I’ve been listening to different versions of Gypsy Davy and singing it whenever I’m out alone. There are so many good songs from the days before accompaniment. But this version is lovely, such a movement and energy to it that is characteristic of the song but expressed especially. The version I learned is a different tune and words but the energy is the same.

 Cordelia’s Dad - Gypsy Davy

It didn’t seem like any part was salvageable, even the skin—it seemed too fragile. It might have had to do with pouring hot water over first, which helped a little with my squeamishness and the thawing out but maybe not in other ways.  I thought maybe the gut could become a string but it seemed fragile.

I buried the chipmunk in the garden.

Darn, it’s all cloudy! Something felt rather weird.

Paul Wheaton’s method:


I don’t make nearly that big hugels because I am one person working alone, decently strong but not extraordinarily (well maybe not that strong), and I use hand tools. All the sawing, dragging of logs, etc. are a lot of effort. I hope to do more in the future but for now, 2 or 3ft hugels are what works.

Apples like their space and sun, and so do oaks to some degree. I’d give them at least a road’s-width apart. In which you can grow other plants, greens, small shrubs, berries, etc!

According to Wikipedia Solanum scabrum (garden huckleberry) are grown in Africa not for their berries, but for their leaves, which are eaten. Over the world, black nightshade and similar species are enjoyed by many for their greens (which I should try one of these days). Their berries, rather than being used for food, are used for dye.

Maybe something got mixed up when it was taken to other parts of the world!

I have never had garden huckleberries (maybe fortunately?) but I do look forward to enjoying black nightshade berries, Solanum ptycanthum, every late summer into fall. They taste like sweet cherry tomatoes but a little more of a potato or eggplant flavor to them (they are more closely related to the last). I wish I had more but they are picky about soil and moisture so I just try to nurture the ones I have with the resources that are a available. I have yet to eat the greens, which are edible after a quick ten-minute boiling so I’ve heard, but plan on trying some day if I find them where they’re especially lush.

Skin it is then. Will take out and thaw when I have the time and determination.

I’ve used a simple two bucket urine diverting toilet. Essentially, a hole is dug in the ground to fit two buckets that touch each other. Two stones are placed one on either side for steps. Then you adjust it so that when you squat the poo goes in one bucket and the pee goes in the other. It shouldn’t be too hard to keep clean and doesn’t require any complexity in regards to how urine diverting toilets normally work. A sitting version might be possible too but may require more thought. I’m not using such a system now, but you’ve got to be on top of emptying the urine bucket frequently… after that a quick rinse will be beneficial.