Mary Leah McCarthy

Hello there! Yes I would like to talk. I am very interested in so-called green building, aquaculture, and land restoration. I am in North Alabama, with an eye towards moving north along the Appalachian Range. My children are both adulting better than I ever did, from a certain point of view.
Let's see,  talk about me. 47 year aged single female. I share a home with my mother and two dogs. I have two grown children, who have both married with children of their own. One lives in the Florida panhandle, the other in Nashville metro.
They're the most exciting thing in my life these days.
I love to read, but have resorted to endlessly rereading my collection, with the occasional non-fiction added in. I am gradually making my way through available texts on this and other sites. I have an extensive dvd library too. I go through periods of binge watching or reading, then go weeks without.
I don't fit in a neat little box politically. I do consider myself a patriot. I'm not finding a great deal in the actions of government or political groups that isn't horrifying appalling.
Goals going forward: continuing to live my best possible life, learning new things, in pursuit of happiness. I'd like to share that with someone.
Blessed be!

 I've never been to the Pacific Northwest, it seems to be an area with a lot of people interested in sustainable living. I've wanted to visit because temperate rain forest and volcanos.
I'm not sure I've ever wanted to live there, though, because constant rain and volcanos.
Is that something you think about?
I live in Huntsville AL, and have done for much of my life. We grew up knowing the place was on the map for nuclear strike, if the cold war went hot.
And tornados.
Every place has something.

Now that I've wildly wandered down tangential thought lane, and probably you're a kind enough soul that you've read this far, to the task at hand.

To whit: I am also seeking a life partner and a forever home.
About me? I am 47. I successfully raised two kids who have decided to also raise kids. I am a grandmother of three.
Currently I share my mother's home. She isn't  in the best of health. On the lifestyle front, I'm the girl that puts food up every year, and proceeds to eat out of my freezer. (I prefer that to canning, canning frequently involves so. much. salt.) I do volunteer at my local garden, I grow flowers and some herbs in the yard. Also, 3 pecan trees.
I don't try to grow food, because despite the fact that I do, in fact, live inside the city limits in an actual subdivision, we have deer, rabbits, moles, skunk, possum, and the usual assortment of chipmunks and squirrels. We've had coyotes and foxes pass through at night.
In short, I frequently have no flowers except lavender and verbena. Also, my dogs eat well, whether I feed them or not.

I am very interested in aquaculture, land rehabilitation, and the conundrum that is 'green building'.

I am someone who believes that vaccinations are one of the best things to come out of the scientific revolution.

And I've probably rambled on for long enough.
Be well!

Thank you!

Does anyone know if these videos are closed captioned? I want to buy them, but without captions it's an exercise in frustration. Thanks!

So the original post is titled growing citrus in the outdoors in the northern US. Which is not going to happen unless you find some method to hybridize citrus. First, the growing season isn't long enough.

Second, even if you keep the ground from freezing, the tree in the air will freeze. Citrus trees require massive amounts of water, and are accordingly structured. These are not hard woods. They are softer than pine.

Oranges, for example are harvested in november, December. In florida. And while a day or two of frost or even ice won't kill them, a week will. it can ruin the harvest if it happens at a bad time.

That said, you can do a combination of passive solar plus geothermal greenhouse that will grow citrus. One set up I've seen on you tube included an active compost heap as part of the path of the geothermal tubing. This seems to be a method that pops up in the uk. Personally, I'm a  little leery of it, since that is methane gas production, which is highly and easily combustible.

Also, the 40 ft hole? You're likely to have water infiltration, which will then probably freeze at the frost line. In the hole. Which if you've used pipe and not, say a steel girder, will break?

On the other hand, and you may be too far north for this to work, you can landscape in some ways that can effectively alter your agriculture zone? I can't remember the proper term. This is done by a partial terracing and using a pond as something of a solar battery. Think roman style amphitheater, with the pond as the stage. This creates a moisture and heat sink, with added solar exposure.

I do love the ideas you've all been tossing around, though.

So. I had to go look up what SAM meant. Because I live in Rocket City and I was fairly certain you were not advertising 38 surface to air missiles.

On the other hand, preppers, and engineers.

The picture was a nice clue, and thank goodness for search engines!

I've enjoyed reading your blog. I'm not caught up yet, but it's been nice to get a glimpse of all the things going on.

Have a joyous day!

A man named stephan sobkowiak has a you tube channel about his orchard. He says that one of the attractors for aphids is too high nitrogen content? It's been some time since I've seen that episode, so I may have faulty recall.

Sounds like you've made a great start! The pictures are fantastic. I've never been to the desert, but it seems a lot of people who are permie minded are drawn there.
I'm a southern girl born and bred, and I too have familial responsibilities, but I'd love to chat?

Hi Bob! I'm new to permies, so I've been lurking. I've really enjoyed reading your posts! Keep up the good work.

Hello!
I actually live in Huntsville. I'm 45, female, and an empty nester of children. . . But I've an elder parent. Relocating full time is not happening right now. I'm campaigning to relocate her, it's likely a losing prospect.
I've also returned to college. (Online for now)
I'm a work tortoise. Not fast but I don't quit.
I'm in dire need of practical lessons in farming type skills. For one thing, at some point, there's working land I will inherit. Having a clue would be nice, rather than relying on cousin R to pat me on the head and tell me that's nice dear.
For the second, I will be moving out of my personal purgatory at some point, and I have every intention of creating myself a homestead to spend the rest of my life.
So yes, I am self motivated.
I'm also mobile and love to drive!
Is it possible our needs align?