Jay Angler

If you teach a goose to use a computer…

Is it a technical fowl?

I completed another lap around the Sun, but I only get half a minute to celebrate today.
It’s my thirty-second birthday.

r ransom wrote:Manzanita seems to mean different trees depending how far north or south we are.  

I think the book was local to Oregon, USA. Can't swear it wasn't northern California or southern Washington. Definitely south of my local.

r ransom wrote:

The lids don't have as tight a fit anymore.

Yes, I found that a lot when making biochar which likely uses hotter temperatures than you are using.

1. Square/rectangular boxes with fitted lids such as cookie tins fit our wood stove well, but didn't last long.

2. Round metal paint cans with the "fits in a groove" lid lasted better, but they would still burn right through the side or bottom after only a dozen burns or so. There's a reason that permies strongly discourages the use of metal inside RMH's - there are a few spots where metal can be used when it's far from the hottest flames, but used in the riser, it failed quickly.

3. We're now using stainless steel restaurant "warming trays" with solid, nearly flat lids. The lids just sit on top. You don't need holes, as any gas can just escape around the edge of the lid the way steam would escape if being used for their original purpose. They aren't cheap and not easy to find near me for second hand. Even those - the ones I've used the most - look like they've gone through the fire and have bulges where they didn't use to!

On the topic of material, a book I read talked about making artists charcoal using I think,  "Manzanita" branches. I believe it is a shrubby relative of Arbutus which I know that I see growing in my ecosystem, but I don't recall ever seeing what they described growing. I don't know if Arbutus will substitute. If you're wanting to try it, I can hunt for the book and check the reference and see if I can get the right plant name, but I'm not sure if it gives a botanical name and that plant family is pretty confused...  However, I do recall the author speaking highly of this charcoal for use by artists.

Nancy Reading wrote:

...a bit of ventilation is a good thing in a wood shed!

Exactly! So long as you keep most of the rain off the wood, in our wet climates, the air flow is important to keep things from going moldy!

Nice job!

craig howard wrote: My grandma said to always roast them first.

That's the easy way to ensure they aren't carrying disease such as salmonella.

If they're going back to the chickens, I use sun solarization for several weeks to do the same job. My friend always bakes hers.

I wanted to cook y'all a special New Year's Day Feast - but I ran out of thyme...

May 2026 be our best year yet... Happy New Year Everyone - including dogs, ducks, goats, sheep, frogs... infinity!

seed

Faye Streiff wrote:Don’t just drink teas for taste and comfort, consider how much nutritional boost you are getting from all those minerals in a soluble form.

This is why I like to use a good variety of teas. I definitely don't play favorites - just "preferences"!

First, I find black tea irritates my throat unless I have milk in it. Alas, I'm borderline lactose intolerant, so that restricts my black tea to "out visiting".

Above, someone mentioned they weren't keen on Lemon Balm, which grows like a weed in my ecosystem. I have read it is very good for seniors' brains, so I will share a tip: Grow Apple Mint also, and put leaves of both - fresh or dried - and if you're like me, you won't be as bothered by the smell of the Lemon Balm. If you're not keen on strong mint flavor, Apple Mint also works on its own.

With the weather we've been having, I've been drinking more Licorice Tea. Definitely a "love it or hate it" flavor. It helps open my sinuses, but in large quantities it can raise blood pressure. Mine runs low, so I don't have to worry.

As a gift, my DiL gave me an Indian Green Tea with very aromatic Rose petals added. We've had very rainy weather for the last two months, so the smell of roses when I'm drinking tea is wonderful.

I don't think my tea collection is as large as described above by some, but it's plenty large enough, and there are plenty that I drink just for the liquid, or for health benefits.