Annie Collins

Carla Burke wrote:Please avoid tea tree/ melaluca for cats and dogs. It is highly toxic to them.

While I also heard that any essential oil is not to be used on cats, I have been treating the many dogs either in my home or under my care outside my home with Tea Tree Oil when necessary for about 25 years already. I have found Tea Tree Oil especially helpful for hot spots on dogs. It dried out the hot spots in a matter of a day or two, then I would continue spraying on for another day or two just to be sure it was all taken care of. I diluted the TTO with water making about 1:1 ratio. The stuff works amazingly for so many skin conditions and I never had a dog show a problem with it. Of course, I never gave it internally. I probably wouldn't use TTO for itchy skin though, preferring to address that internally, wanting to get at the cause rather than just treat the symptom externally.

I had a dog who was terribly itchy. Her coat lost its luster and she started getting little scabs on her skin as well. After much research, the thing that worked and turned everything around for her was neem leaves. I started adding about a tablespoon of the dried herbs (leaves) to her food and within a few days she was feeling much better, and within 2 weeks she was like a new dog. After the research, I was so impressed that I started making little capsules filled with the powder for myself as well. Amazing stuff!

Thank you, everyone, I appreciate your responses! I thought it may be a clay and/or cob mixture, but the slight sheen on it had me unsure.

In the following video link, titled "Tiny Homestead in the City Grows Half a Ton of Food Per Year",  at 8:30 of the video it shows a wood burning stove that has what I assume are heat holders on each side. Can someone give me ideas what material/s you think they are made of?


As an aside, the video was enjoyable to watch.

M.K. Dorje Sr. wrote:I might add that you might try  consulting with your local extension agent or fruit tree nursery person about the best varieties for your area. You want trees (and rootstocks) that are low chill, bear lots of delicious fruit, can take the heat, pollinate themselves (or each other)  and resist local diseases.

Yes! Local extensions offices are a wonderful resource (in most counties, anyway). The one where we live even sells many types of fruit trees in the spring, and at a very good price, too!

Nirmal Vidura wrote: For the fruit trees, consider spacing them at least 15-20 feet apart to allow for growth and airflow.

I was just going to say the same thing about spacing. I almost planted mine too close to one another. It's hard to remember to give them so much space when they are still such young, small little stick-looking cuties.

I don't eat eggs, but they are a large part of what I feed to my dog in her homemade food. After hearing the above, all I can say is that I am so glad that one of my neighbors who lives around the corner, started selling their eggs about 3 weeks ago.  In zone 7b. I guess the chickens are laying plenty in this zone? I am confused about it all. We had some snow that is actually hanging around longer than I thought it would, but they are still selling eggs. The people don't wash them, and judging by the bits of debris on the various eggs, they look very fresh. In what zone do the chicken ladies start slowing their laying way down in winter?

I've been learning about hypochlorous acid solution. It sounds like a very effective solution for all kinds of viruses, including avian flu and covid, among many others. It is used in hospitals as a very effective disinfectant as well. It is very easily made at home once one has the right equipment, which is an initial investment of between about $50 and $100, depending on the size container one opts for. After that, it is simply a matter of mixing non-city water, non-ionized salt , and vinegar into the equipment and mixing a few minutes. One is also able to test strength of it by getting testing strips for pH as well as levels of chlorine.

Here is a link to a youtube video showing a bit more about it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUAS2FrAojw

And here is a science experiment done with it on avian influenza:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4363024/

There are many more such experiments and information on the internet about it as well.

I read that some people are also taking it internally as a preventative.
And it seems mammal bodies make hypochlorous acid naturally  as a defence mechanism against infectious organisms.

I find it all sounds rather promising!

Like you, I also did not manage to plant fruit trees that I purchased at the beginning of this year -- February, to be exact.  When autumn came along and it started getting quite nippy, my plan to winter them over was that I would "tuck them in" by placing them all close together and then putting blankets around each individual pot, then around the whole group (there are about 25 of them), then to put them under an overhand to protect them a bit and also put a tarp around 3 sides. But when the very cold winds started whipping along, that idea made me rather uneasy. So I brought them all into the basement, where they all currently sit. I don't know if they will make it, but I intend to water them periodically and otherwise hope for the best. I have one fig tree in a pot that I've been waiting to plant for 3 years already, just waiting to finally get to a property where I would be at for quite a while. That tree made it very well each year. However, I always waited for it to lose all its leaves before putting it in the basement. I  was not able to do that with all the other fruit trees I have now; a lot of them still had their leaves when I brought them down. So, as I said, I really don't know if they will make it. But that is all I was able to do for them, along with continuously sending them love and appreciation, of course. We'll see how they show themselves come spring and I put them back outside. I'll be very curious to hear how yours fares.

Wow, it looks amazing! And I love the arched door! Good thing you had the dragon family help inspect everything along the way. I quite enjoyed their company in the pictures, too! Please thank them, along with yourselves! Not only has this thread been educational, but quite entertaining as well. It certainly caused lots of smiles in between the oohs and ahhs of the build!