Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Return to Lighterwood
[from Jesse on his pine tree farm and homestead, Moore County, NC. LOVE THAT SOUND!]
Hey folks
Just wanted to let you know the Whip-poor-wills returned to the farm tonight. Although it was quite cool, they could not resist making some noise at that incredible Moon. With this bird, returns spring toLighterwood Farm. This makes the 24th year I have recorded their return. Jesse
Hey folks
Just wanted to let you know the Whip-poor-wills returned to the farm tonight. Although it was quite cool, they could not resist making some noise at that incredible Moon. With this bird, returns spring toLighterwood Farm. This makes the 24th year I have recorded their return. Jesse
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Drumming Up the Equinox in Sou Pines
Meet at 1:00 Saturday, Spring Equinox, downtown park, Sou. Pines. If you're into potlucks and can join us, come around noon to Raven's Wing Healing Center, 325 N. Page. We'll walk and/or ride to the park from here.
Some folks will have extra drums. Bring anything percussive to welcome Spring!
Some folks will have extra drums. Bring anything percussive to welcome Spring!
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Get Ready!
Peppers and tomatoes getting ready for Farmer's Market, Downtown Sou. Pines, opens April 17.
HABANERO CHILE Capsicum chinense Native to Central America's tropical lowlands, this world-famous, scalding hot pepper thrives where summers are long, hot, and humid. Lantern-shaped fruits ripen to a striking golden orange. Reported to be 1,000 times hotter than the jalapeno!
RING-O-FIRE Chile Capsicum annuum While a little longer than the traditional cayenne fruit, this chile packs even more heat, is higher yileding and easier to pick. Great dried, fresh or strung up in a ristra.
RED MUSHROOM PEPPER Wrinkled, flying saucer-shaped fruit are unique-looking. They are flat, 2" across and a glowing red color when ripe. Very hot with a superb, fruity flavor and unique taste that keeps you wanting more. One of the prettier and tastier peppers you will grow, especially if you like them hot! Attractive plants set huge yields as long as you have lots of warm summer days.
CORBACI PEPPER A unique and wonderful sweet pepper. Very long, 10” fruit are curved and twisted, very slender, like a Turkish scimitar. This rare heirloom from Turkey has a very rich flavor, perfect for pickling or frying. One of the most productive of all peppers, out-yielding all others in tests by the U. of CA.
CORNO DI TORO PEPPER The traditional favorite in Italy. Long 8" tapered, bull-horn shaped golden-yellow peppers are sweet and spicy. They are great fresh or roasted. Large plants yield well. Among the best peppers you can grow and so delicious. Pure Italian seed.
PATIO RED MARCONI Ideal for growing in pots or raised beds. Compact plants are perfect for limited spaces. Ripe fruit are intense red and very sweet.
SWEET CHOCOLATE PEPPER Bred by Elwyn Meader and introduced by NH/AES in 1965. Ripens from green to chocolate on the outside and brick-red inside. Thick, sweet flesh.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
ROMA TOMATO Lycopersicon lycopersicum ‘Roma’ Small, plum-shaped bright red, thick-walled with meaty interior and few seeds. Excellent for paste, cause, canning or freezing whole.
SWEETIE Tomato Cycopersicon lycopersicum ‘Sweetie’ Bright red over 2” diameter are unusually sweet with high vitamin C content. Staking recommended as the vine bears fruits in long clusters of 12 to 20 fruits. Great for snacking, salads and low sugar preserves.
CHEROKEE PURPLE Tomato Lycopersicon esculentum Traditional 8-10 oz.fruit. Purplish-brown, flattened 10-12 oz. globes with outstanding flavor. Indeterminate yet short vines.
MARGLOBE Tomato Developed in 1917 by Fred J. Pritchard of the United States Dept. of Agriculture by crossing together the tomato varieties Globe and Marvel. The Marglobe was formally released to the public in 1925 and was one of the first tomato varieties resistant to both Verticulum and Fusarium Wilts. As time went on, Marglobe became a popular tomato variety with tomato canners and was the parent of many new varieties, most notably the famous Rutgers Tomato. It produces a large crop of smooth, solid fleshed red tomatoes of approximately 6 to 7 ounces in weight, crack-resistant and excellent for canning. The vine is determinate, producing a large crop of tomatoes at one time.
AMISH PASTE TOMATO Many seeds savers believe this is the ultimate paste tomato. Giant, blocky Roma-type tomatoes have delicious red flesh perfect for paste and canning. World class flavor and comes from an Amish community in Wisconsin.
COUR DI BUE TOMATO This Oxheart type Italian heirloom, a favorite in Italy for many years. Beautiful 12 oz. fruit have a delicious sweet taste, similar to the shape of a heart, great for fresh eating or cooking. Large vigorous vines. Hard to find.
FOX CHERRY TOMATO Delicious large, red heirloom cherry tomatoes, one of the best-tasting large cherries around. The vining plants are very reliable; even in years when the wilt kills about everything else, these seem to do great. The fruit weigh about 1 oz each, perfect for salads.
CHILE VERDE TOMATO A far-out and really cool tomato developed by Tom Wagner, who also bred the ‘Green Zebra,’ this one is especially fascinating, with its amazing, pointed pepper shape and the mellow green skin, nearly like a green chili. The flavor is also good, strong and earthy, perfect for canning or for making green ketchup! One of the few green paste tomatoes and, like most paste types, this one has few seeds. Plants are vigorous with thick stems and large leaves.
ISIS CANDY CHERRY (Indeterminate) Delightful round one-inch fruits may vary in shades and blush patterns of reds to yellows, usually with golden flesh. Typically carry an intriguing "cat's eye" or star in yellow on the blossom end. The flavor is outstanding, sweet and fruity. Kids adore them!
FURRY YELLOW HOG TOMATO Small bright lemon-yellow fruits occasionally reach 8 oz. Pleasant citrusy flavor, very full-flavored and more acid than most yellows. Fruits are slightly fuzzy like peach-type tomatoes. Plants bear over a long season.
LOLLIPOP CHERRY TOMATO Delicious, light yellow translucent cherries. The flavor of these is really good--both sweet and fruity. Plants set good yields. A real winner!
BLACK FROM TULA TOMATO A unique, large, dark tomato exhibiting a rich, deep purplish-brown color. Some seed savers say it is the best tasting of all the dark tomatoes. Very rich, old-fashioned flavor, sweet and spicy. Rare Russian heirloom.
ARKANSAS TRAVELER Medium-size pink tomato, smooth and a beautiful rose color. Excellent heirloom from Arkansas, tolerant to heat and humidity, crack and disease resistant. Good flavor, a Hillbilly favorite.
SUNGOLD SELECT II This is a selection from the regular Sungold tomato, sent to us by Reinhard Kraft of Germany. This is one of the tastiest orange cherry tomatoes.
SAN MARZANO PASTE From Italy. Compact and prolific producer of bright-red, slim, 2-3 inch, plum-type, fruit over a long season. A paste tomato with pointy end, heavy walls and little juice, so it's great for tomato sauce. Crack resistant. Better tasting than Roma.
BURBANK RED SLICING Plant produces good yields of medium size red tomatoes, very flavorful and turning red when mature. Plant does well in dry regions and does not require trellising. Heirloom variety developed by Luther Burbank in 1915.
PRIZE OF THE TRIALS Best overall cherry tomato for flavor, yield, and crack resistance. Productive vines bear orange, apricot-sized fruits that thrive in hot dry climates.
HABANERO CHILE Capsicum chinense Native to Central America's tropical lowlands, this world-famous, scalding hot pepper thrives where summers are long, hot, and humid. Lantern-shaped fruits ripen to a striking golden orange. Reported to be 1,000 times hotter than the jalapeno!
RING-O-FIRE Chile Capsicum annuum While a little longer than the traditional cayenne fruit, this chile packs even more heat, is higher yileding and easier to pick. Great dried, fresh or strung up in a ristra.
RED MUSHROOM PEPPER Wrinkled, flying saucer-shaped fruit are unique-looking. They are flat, 2" across and a glowing red color when ripe. Very hot with a superb, fruity flavor and unique taste that keeps you wanting more. One of the prettier and tastier peppers you will grow, especially if you like them hot! Attractive plants set huge yields as long as you have lots of warm summer days.
CORBACI PEPPER A unique and wonderful sweet pepper. Very long, 10” fruit are curved and twisted, very slender, like a Turkish scimitar. This rare heirloom from Turkey has a very rich flavor, perfect for pickling or frying. One of the most productive of all peppers, out-yielding all others in tests by the U. of CA.
CORNO DI TORO PEPPER The traditional favorite in Italy. Long 8" tapered, bull-horn shaped golden-yellow peppers are sweet and spicy. They are great fresh or roasted. Large plants yield well. Among the best peppers you can grow and so delicious. Pure Italian seed.
PATIO RED MARCONI Ideal for growing in pots or raised beds. Compact plants are perfect for limited spaces. Ripe fruit are intense red and very sweet.
SWEET CHOCOLATE PEPPER Bred by Elwyn Meader and introduced by NH/AES in 1965. Ripens from green to chocolate on the outside and brick-red inside. Thick, sweet flesh.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
ROMA TOMATO Lycopersicon lycopersicum ‘Roma’ Small, plum-shaped bright red, thick-walled with meaty interior and few seeds. Excellent for paste, cause, canning or freezing whole.
SWEETIE Tomato Cycopersicon lycopersicum ‘Sweetie’ Bright red over 2” diameter are unusually sweet with high vitamin C content. Staking recommended as the vine bears fruits in long clusters of 12 to 20 fruits. Great for snacking, salads and low sugar preserves.
CHEROKEE PURPLE Tomato Lycopersicon esculentum Traditional 8-10 oz.fruit. Purplish-brown, flattened 10-12 oz. globes with outstanding flavor. Indeterminate yet short vines.
MARGLOBE Tomato Developed in 1917 by Fred J. Pritchard of the United States Dept. of Agriculture by crossing together the tomato varieties Globe and Marvel. The Marglobe was formally released to the public in 1925 and was one of the first tomato varieties resistant to both Verticulum and Fusarium Wilts. As time went on, Marglobe became a popular tomato variety with tomato canners and was the parent of many new varieties, most notably the famous Rutgers Tomato. It produces a large crop of smooth, solid fleshed red tomatoes of approximately 6 to 7 ounces in weight, crack-resistant and excellent for canning. The vine is determinate, producing a large crop of tomatoes at one time.
AMISH PASTE TOMATO Many seeds savers believe this is the ultimate paste tomato. Giant, blocky Roma-type tomatoes have delicious red flesh perfect for paste and canning. World class flavor and comes from an Amish community in Wisconsin.
COUR DI BUE TOMATO This Oxheart type Italian heirloom, a favorite in Italy for many years. Beautiful 12 oz. fruit have a delicious sweet taste, similar to the shape of a heart, great for fresh eating or cooking. Large vigorous vines. Hard to find.
FOX CHERRY TOMATO Delicious large, red heirloom cherry tomatoes, one of the best-tasting large cherries around. The vining plants are very reliable; even in years when the wilt kills about everything else, these seem to do great. The fruit weigh about 1 oz each, perfect for salads.
CHILE VERDE TOMATO A far-out and really cool tomato developed by Tom Wagner, who also bred the ‘Green Zebra,’ this one is especially fascinating, with its amazing, pointed pepper shape and the mellow green skin, nearly like a green chili. The flavor is also good, strong and earthy, perfect for canning or for making green ketchup! One of the few green paste tomatoes and, like most paste types, this one has few seeds. Plants are vigorous with thick stems and large leaves.
ISIS CANDY CHERRY (Indeterminate) Delightful round one-inch fruits may vary in shades and blush patterns of reds to yellows, usually with golden flesh. Typically carry an intriguing "cat's eye" or star in yellow on the blossom end. The flavor is outstanding, sweet and fruity. Kids adore them!
FURRY YELLOW HOG TOMATO Small bright lemon-yellow fruits occasionally reach 8 oz. Pleasant citrusy flavor, very full-flavored and more acid than most yellows. Fruits are slightly fuzzy like peach-type tomatoes. Plants bear over a long season.
LOLLIPOP CHERRY TOMATO Delicious, light yellow translucent cherries. The flavor of these is really good--both sweet and fruity. Plants set good yields. A real winner!
BLACK FROM TULA TOMATO A unique, large, dark tomato exhibiting a rich, deep purplish-brown color. Some seed savers say it is the best tasting of all the dark tomatoes. Very rich, old-fashioned flavor, sweet and spicy. Rare Russian heirloom.
ARKANSAS TRAVELER Medium-size pink tomato, smooth and a beautiful rose color. Excellent heirloom from Arkansas, tolerant to heat and humidity, crack and disease resistant. Good flavor, a Hillbilly favorite.
SUNGOLD SELECT II This is a selection from the regular Sungold tomato, sent to us by Reinhard Kraft of Germany. This is one of the tastiest orange cherry tomatoes.
SAN MARZANO PASTE From Italy. Compact and prolific producer of bright-red, slim, 2-3 inch, plum-type, fruit over a long season. A paste tomato with pointy end, heavy walls and little juice, so it's great for tomato sauce. Crack resistant. Better tasting than Roma.
BURBANK RED SLICING Plant produces good yields of medium size red tomatoes, very flavorful and turning red when mature. Plant does well in dry regions and does not require trellising. Heirloom variety developed by Luther Burbank in 1915.
PRIZE OF THE TRIALS Best overall cherry tomato for flavor, yield, and crack resistance. Productive vines bear orange, apricot-sized fruits that thrive in hot dry climates.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Dumb and Dumber
GOD: Frank, you know all about gardens and nature. What in the world is going on down there on the planet? What happened to the dandelions, violets, milkweeds and stuff I started eons ago? I had a perfect no-maintenance garden plan. Those plants grow in any type of soil, withstand drought and multiply with abandon. The nectar from the long-lasting blossoms attracts butterflies, honey bees and flocks of songbirds. I expected to see a vast garden of colors by now. But all I see are these green rectangles.
St. FRANCIS: It's the tribes that settled there, Lord. The Suburbanites. They started calling your flowers 'weeds' and went to great lengths to kill them and replace them with grass.
GOD: Grass? But grass is so boring. It's not colorful. It doesn't attract butterflies, birds and bees; only grubs and sod worms. It's sensitive to temperatures. Do these Suburbanites really want all that grass growing there?
ST. FRANCIS: Appaently so, Lord. They go to great pains to grow it and keep it green. They begin each spring by fertilizing grass and poisoning any other plant that crops up in the lawn.
GOD: The spring rains and warm weather probably make grass grow really fast. That must make the Suburbanites happy.
ST. FRANCIS: Apparently not, Lord. As soon as it grows a little, they cut it, sometimes twice a week.
GOD: They cut it? Do they then bale it like hay?
ST. FRANCIS: Not exactly, Lord. Most of them rake it up and put it in bags.
GOD: They bag it? Why? Do they sell it?
ST. FRANCIS: No, Sir, just the opposite. They pay to throw it away.
GOD: Now, let me understand you. They fertilize grass so it will grow. And when it grows, they cut it off and pay to throw it away?
ST. FRANCIS: Yes, Sir.
GOD: These Suburbanites must be relieved in the summer when we cut back on the rain and turn up the heat. That surely slows the growth and saves them a lot of work.
ST. FRANCIS: You aren't going to believe this, Lord. When the grass stops growing so fast, they drag out hoses and pay more money to water it, so they can continue to mow it and pay to get rid of it.
GOD: What nonsense. At least they kept some of the trees. That was a stroke of genius, if I do say so. The trees grow leaves in the spring to provide beauty and shade in the summer. In the autumn, they fall to the ground and form a natural blanket to keep moisture in the soil and protect the trees and bushes. It's a natural cycle of life.
ST. FRANCIS: You better sit down, Lord. The Suburbanites have drawn a new cycle. As soon as the leaves fall, they rake them into great piles and pay to have them hauled away.
GOD: No!? What do they do to protect the shrub and tree roots in the winter to keep the soil moist and loose?
ST. FRANCIS: After throwing away the leaves, they buy something which they call mulch. They haul it home and spread it around in place of the leaves.
GOD: And where do they get this mulch?
ST. FRANCIS: They cut down trees and grind them up to make the mulch.
GOD: Enough! I don't want to think about this anymore. St. Catherine, you're in charge of the arts. What movie have you scheduled for us tonight?
ST. CATHERINE: 'Dumb and Dumber', Lord. It's a story about....
GOD: Never mind, I think I just heard the whole story from St. Francis.
St. FRANCIS: It's the tribes that settled there, Lord. The Suburbanites. They started calling your flowers 'weeds' and went to great lengths to kill them and replace them with grass.
GOD: Grass? But grass is so boring. It's not colorful. It doesn't attract butterflies, birds and bees; only grubs and sod worms. It's sensitive to temperatures. Do these Suburbanites really want all that grass growing there?
ST. FRANCIS: Appaently so, Lord. They go to great pains to grow it and keep it green. They begin each spring by fertilizing grass and poisoning any other plant that crops up in the lawn.
GOD: The spring rains and warm weather probably make grass grow really fast. That must make the Suburbanites happy.
ST. FRANCIS: Apparently not, Lord. As soon as it grows a little, they cut it, sometimes twice a week.
GOD: They cut it? Do they then bale it like hay?
ST. FRANCIS: Not exactly, Lord. Most of them rake it up and put it in bags.
GOD: They bag it? Why? Do they sell it?
ST. FRANCIS: No, Sir, just the opposite. They pay to throw it away.
GOD: Now, let me understand you. They fertilize grass so it will grow. And when it grows, they cut it off and pay to throw it away?
ST. FRANCIS: Yes, Sir.
GOD: These Suburbanites must be relieved in the summer when we cut back on the rain and turn up the heat. That surely slows the growth and saves them a lot of work.
ST. FRANCIS: You aren't going to believe this, Lord. When the grass stops growing so fast, they drag out hoses and pay more money to water it, so they can continue to mow it and pay to get rid of it.
GOD: What nonsense. At least they kept some of the trees. That was a stroke of genius, if I do say so. The trees grow leaves in the spring to provide beauty and shade in the summer. In the autumn, they fall to the ground and form a natural blanket to keep moisture in the soil and protect the trees and bushes. It's a natural cycle of life.
ST. FRANCIS: You better sit down, Lord. The Suburbanites have drawn a new cycle. As soon as the leaves fall, they rake them into great piles and pay to have them hauled away.
GOD: No!? What do they do to protect the shrub and tree roots in the winter to keep the soil moist and loose?
ST. FRANCIS: After throwing away the leaves, they buy something which they call mulch. They haul it home and spread it around in place of the leaves.
GOD: And where do they get this mulch?
ST. FRANCIS: They cut down trees and grind them up to make the mulch.
GOD: Enough! I don't want to think about this anymore. St. Catherine, you're in charge of the arts. What movie have you scheduled for us tonight?
ST. CATHERINE: 'Dumb and Dumber', Lord. It's a story about....
GOD: Never mind, I think I just heard the whole story from St. Francis.
Friday, March 5, 2010
A Thought For You
You Reading This, Be Ready
by William Stafford
Starting here, what do you want to remember?
How sunlight creeps across a shining floor?
What scent of old wood hovers, what softened
sound from outside fills the air?
Will you ever bring a better gift for the world
than the breathing respect that you carry
wherever you go right now? Are you waiting
for time to show you some better thoughts?
When you turn around, starting here, lift this
new glimpse that you found; carry into evening
all that you want from this day. The interval you spent
reading or hearing this, keep it for life-
What can anyone give you greater that now,
starting here, right now in this room, when you turn around?
by William Stafford
Starting here, what do you want to remember?
How sunlight creeps across a shining floor?
What scent of old wood hovers, what softened
sound from outside fills the air?
Will you ever bring a better gift for the world
than the breathing respect that you carry
wherever you go right now? Are you waiting
for time to show you some better thoughts?
When you turn around, starting here, lift this
new glimpse that you found; carry into evening
all that you want from this day. The interval you spent
reading or hearing this, keep it for life-
What can anyone give you greater that now,
starting here, right now in this room, when you turn around?
Monday, March 1, 2010
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