evan's ant village log

Thanks Evan.

Days 300-304 (part 1)

Artists Week was fun, but after some discussion with Kai and Jim, I'm now thinking that perhaps future PEA Workshops might work better as just 2 or 3 day events, rather than 5 or 6 day events. If people want to stay longer, that's cool, but maybe more folks will find it easier to get time away from work if it's just a weekend rather than a whole week. I'll be revamping the PEA thread soon to reflect these changes.

I did some (very rough) pencil and paper drawings of some of my ideas for Ava. When I get a chance I intend to make these ideas a bit clearer with sketchup.

First, a little sketch of my latest plans regarding an addition to the downhill side of Siesta: Verona. I'm thinking a ~20'x20' structure with a lighter roof than a wofati, (just enough dirt and mulch to cover it, rather than enough to grow shrubs and such,) with windows on all 4 sides. The southern 5'x20' bit would be a greenhouse, complete with a shower/tub, a big grow bed, and a cold trench. Verona would have both a lower floor and a higher ceiling than Siesta, allowing for a loft. Plenty of space for a big country kitchen with a Walker Stove, (maybe even with a mass bench extending into Siesta.) And a physically but not atmospherically attached compost toilet room, (you'd still have to go outside to get to it but you'd stay under the overhang and it would share some heat.) Verona would be designed to be passive solar and to charge the mass of Siesta as much as possible.

The plans for the earthworks of Ava are almost constantly evolving. The latest entails getting rid of most of Pierce Parkway and replacing it with tons of texture: basically hugel, pond, hugel, pond, repeat. The south and southwest facing slopes of Avalon are still up in the air as far as what exactly to do with them, how best to move the water down them into the big pond at the bottom while leaving space for more structures and hugels and such, so the map leaves that mostly blank still.

Also I made an elephant out of an eraser.

Days 300-304 (part 2)

Another duck was taken by a predator. Melian. This time the sun hadn't even set yet. In an effort to maintain a more consistent human presence in the area, and also to free up more bunk-space for new gappers who may be arriving soon, I've moved out of the Abbey and back under my tarp. Don't worry, my sleeping bag keeps me plenty warm. And I still do most of my cooking and drying out boots and stuff in the Abbey.

Oh man, tarp life! You can use my tent if you like, it should till be set up under my tarp. Might be a little warmer.

Thanks for the offer, Jesse, but I've found that the temperature difference between an enclosed tent and an unenclosed tarp is marginal, while the moisture/frost buildup inside is much less with my tarp. I like the fresh air, and like I said I've got a good sleeping bag. Besides, maybe this experience will incentivize me to finish my house before next winter. Maybe.

Days 300-304 (part 3)

Peeled a log. The bark doesn't come off as easily in the winter as in the spring, but maybe the lower sap content and the dry cold air will keep it from discoloring with mildew.

I'd like to get into the habit of peeling one log a day. If I can do that for several weeks I'll soon have enough materials to build Verona and a bunch of the other crazy structures I have planned.

That crappy plastic sled broke, predictably, so Kai and I built a new one. It's dangerous!

Days 300-304 (part 4)

Kai loaned me a book by one of my favorite authors: Ursula K Le Guin! Thanks Kai!

Speaking of loaning, the Missoula library has a seed library program. So cool!

I'm so sorry about your duck! When we were losing ducks this October, we lost one--at NOON--on a stormy day when I was out of sight but outside with them only a few hundred feet away. Pretty sure it was done by a local bobcat--they don't sleep all day like other predators. I ended up penning the ducks up all day unless I was actively staring at them. I did this for a week or two straight (and felt horrible, especially since I have a toddler and could only stare at them for 30 minutes to an hour a day, but at least they were alive). I did this in hopes of training the bobcat that they weren't food. Then, slowly I've been increasing the time they are out while I'm not watching them. At first it was only in their electrified yard. But, then I let them out for an hour to free range. Still no more losses. Now they get to free range from 10:30-1:30 (when the sun rises over our trees and then sets over them), and then back into their electricified yard they go (I house them at 3:00pm).

I've found that fermenting their food really helps in replacing the nutrients that they normally get free-ranging. It also cuts down the feed costs from by 1/3rd to 1/2. Here's some info on it: http://www.scratchandpeck.com/wp-content/uploads/Fermenting-Feed_7-27-2015.pdf. All you need is water, something to stir the feed with, and two jars (gallon pickle jars work great, and you could probably get away with a half-gallon size mason jar with your current flock size). You could kick-start the culture with some of that sauerkraut juice, too.

I hope that helps and hope that your ducks will stop getting eaten!

This may sound heartless or simply dumb but do you do a cost benefit analysis on keeping ducks (or doing anything else for that matter). From a complete outsider it seems strange to me to exert effort to keep ducks which produce few eggs and little meat and sleep under a tarp.

Starting Ava means more tasks than you have time for, so prioritising them seems imperative.

Your fortitude and motivation impress me no end, so this is not meant as any type of criticism, just a plea to decide which are the forest and which the trees and which are more important.

Sorry to hear about another duck demise.
Is that New Zealand I see on your map of Ava?? What is the significance?

Sue Rine wrote:
Is that New Zealand I see on your map of Ava?? What is the significance?

I expect that's territory for Sharla. If you look closely you see it is "Kew Zealand".