I will start of by saying that I've had Alaska on the brain for a very long time. Often I wonder what it is about this far-flung state to the north that captures my imagination so. In my mind, it stands as the last frontier; a rugged, sparsely populated, beautiful and harsh wilderness. I can't help being fascinated by such a place, and I couldn't tell you how many times my husband ...
Book, Music, and Film Reviews
I Am a Nurse Log
I Am a Nurse Log "I am a young seed − Air, water, soil and light areWhat I need − If I’m going to grow up right, ohYes indeed − All of this is within sight But all the competition down on the forest floorReally has me wishin’ for something to give me more I need a NURSE LOG, I need a NURSE LOGI need a NURSE LOG, I need a NURSE LOGNurse Log lifts me up − And never lets me down. I am an old tree ...
“Made From Scratch”: A Homesteaders Must-Have
With all the things to do around this homestead, reading has definitely taken a back burner this past year. However, I am proud to say, that after a handful of stolen moments here and there, I finally finished Jenna Woginrich's inspiring do-it-yourself memoir called "Made From Scratch: Discovering the Pleasures of a Handmade Life." I have to say that not only do I wish this book had been around ...
Get to Know Your Home Ground
There are a few books out there that I think everyone living in this country should own or at least read in their lifetime. Home Ground: Language for an American Landscape, edited by Barry Lopez is one of these. Every term for the American landscape that you could think of, both common and obscure are included in this collection of over 850 definitions of landscape vocabulary ...
The Natural History of the Chicken
For a family movie night this weekend, we watched a PBS documentary by Mark Lewis called "The Natural History of the Chicken." My son, who is a chicken person through and through, was absolutely thrilled about this, and I was intrigued, expecting a look back at chickens throughout history. What we saw was very different from our expectations, but far more entertaining. The first ...
This Land is Your Land, This Song is Your Song
“I am out to sing songs that will prove to you that this is your world and that if it has hit you pretty hard and knocked you for a dozen loops, no matter what color, what size you are, how you are built, I am out to sing the songs that make you take pride in yourself and in your work. And the songs that I sing are made up for the most part by all sorts of folks just about like you.” ...
The Taste of Independence: A Down-Home Soulfood Chicken Dinner
In the spirit of Independence Day, we butchered our meat birds this morning (my gentle, vegetarian readers may want to stop reading here). It was a feeling of great self-sufficiency and independence to raise these birds on our own land, and fill our freezer with some good food. Our four meat birds were old enough to eat, plus two stew hens, so we butchered and froze ...
Enjoying our Wild America: The Amazing Wildlife Documentaries of Marty Stouffer
Recently, I discovered a love for nature documentaries. There's something really amazing about seeing footage of places you wouldn't normally get to see, or things that are rare or impossible to observe on your every day walk in the woods. While I am really not a fan of television in general (we don't have TV and never will), I do have a hearty appreciation for the art ...
Something Fresh
Have you ever come across some new music that you thought was so cool, everyone should know about it? Well, I'd like everyone to know about "Something Fresh." Imagine a collection of recipes featuring fresh, local, in-season ingredients, accompanied by a CD of songs by contemporary folk musicians about each recipe. The songs are all kid-friendly and adult-fun, and tout the wonders ...
Alone in the Wilderness: The Inspiring True Story of a Modern-Day Mountain Man
In 1967, Dick Proenneke retired at age 50 and set off on an adventure to build himself a log cabin homestead at Twin Lakes in the Alaskan wilderness. With his journal, and a camera and tripod, Dick documented the process of building a cabin, storehouse, outhouse, and all the furnishings with simple hand tools over the course of a year. A canoe and hiking boots were his only vehicles of ...