The Kraken!

Interesting

I attended a permaculture workshop at TS Designs in Burlington yesterday, and the subject of untidiness was raised. I was not aware of it, precisely, when I named this blog, but apparently Bill Mollison, one of the founders of today's permaculture system (much of it is ancient wisdom, really), had problems with tidiness, too. A couple of quotes:

"Untidiness is a natural state, tidiness is maintained disorder"

"Order is found in things working beneficially together. It is not the forced condition of neatness, tidiness, and straightness, all of which are, in design or energy terms, disordered. True order may lie in apparent confusion . .
Thus the seemingly-wild and naturally-functioning garden of a New Guinea villager is beautifully ordered and in harmony, while the clipped lawns and pruned roses of the pseudo-aristocrat are nature in wild disarray.
Neatness, tidiness, uniformity, and straightness signify an energy-maintained disorder in natural systems."

So, perhaps I am on the right track. I so prefer a sprawl of jungle like plants, buzzing with beneficial insects, giving shelter and food to birds and wildlife and me, to a neatly manicured lawn. I am glad to know that I am not the only one who is crazy in this particular way.

Here we are..

The untidy farmer has moved! I am now a resident of Plowgirl Farm in Chapel Hill, NC. It has taken almost a month of moving, as I have brought 30 chickens, 4 turkeys, 12 geese, 3 dogs and a kitten. Shew! We have joined 3 beautiful horses and 5 amazing goats, the current residents on the farm. We will all soon be joined by 10 hives of bees!

It is quite the glorious zoo.

And then there's Henry.. He was a foster dog, rescued from a terrible animal shelter, that was living here, and is currently undergoing heartworm treatment. Since he and Maybelle have become such good friends, and since he is such a sweet and intelligent fellow, erm, mwell, I guess he will be staying with us. What's one more?

mystery plant

It sort of looks like an azalea, with a growth habit more like a climbing rose-I have only seen them in yellow. Does anyone know what it is?

sheepish

Now, this felted messenger bag did not turn out very well, but in the interest of this story, let us pretend it is not a wonky mess, ok? Thank you!

Ernesto

Success!

Meet Gladys' new son. There was no problem with the birth-in fact, it happened so fast, we missed it! The foal started out a bit weak though, and the vet had to give him a plasma transfusion, hence the bandage, but he is doing very well now.