Starting 2023 with fresh carrots from my garden. Not sure if I should celebrate this accomplishment, we really shouldn’t have carrots this time of year, and yet, here they are.
January 2023 carrots from our garden.
Survivors of the December frost, some from the ones I planted from seed in August in the clay soil, the others from my straw bale seeded carrots.
These welcoming small jewels from my garden remind me that nature is much smarter than us humans. Always adjusting, always adapting to constantly changing situations in order to survive and thrive.
Thank goodness that we experienced a natural mushroom vacation and not one that has been threatened for weeks by the terrorist state of Russia!
I didn’t need to go on vacation to study the types of mushrooms that can pop out of decomposing materials, my straw garden has produced many types in the last 10 weeks of gardening.
*** Disclaimer- I am not a mushroom expert and do not collect mushrooms to eat! Never eat mushrooms from the wild unless you have been trained in what is eatable.***
A sort of fungi that grows out of my straw bale garden.For whatever reason this straw bale has a variety of different mushrooms.
But this canoe vacation took us took us to two different Dutch National Parks (De Weerribben and Dwingelderveld) it was interesting to find so many different mushroom varieties.
The temperatures have been unbelievable warm for late October. Ranging from 15-20 C! Making it very nice for our canoe paddles and for our hiking in the forests.
A nice collection of yellow mushrooms. Closer inspection A fungus on a dead birch tree.These look like a perfect a Halloween prop.These are like small umbrellas This type we found around a standing stump.These looked like alien life forms coming out of the groundThe morning mist helped give these mushrooms a glossy look.These are huge! I used my hand for perspective.This one was peeking out of the leaf forest mulch.Mushroom lifecycle.This sort was hard to spot in the leaf litter and had the most delicate stem.
We really enjoyed our mushroom sightings. I was so taken by all the different kinds that I purchased a identification book at the park visitor center.
Taking time to slow down and really see what is in the forest was a nice vacation activity.
As my regular followers know the Hummm file never knows what the universe will throw our way, this month was full of such surprises.
Let’s start with this…
Was at the grocery and found this new toilet paper. Wonder what they are making the comparison. Is it less crappy than other TP? Or is this the option to use when you have choices to make and just wish for a less crappy one? Congratulations you sold me! I laughed out loud and placed several packages in my basket. Not much Hummm…in this photo, just Namekagon on the water for a paddle. But getting to the lake and back takes us through the Green Heart Land (farming country) of The Netherlands where we noticed the following.Hummm…What a cool celebration, is it like a National holiday? Nope the Dutch flag is upside down… this is farm country and the upside down flag is the protest symbol of the farmers.Hummm… here…and…Here…
We then had our own farming moments of the summer as we finally were called and offered a garden plot close where we live. Late in the summer to start a garden but we got to work and within a week we have cleaned out the weeds, hauled in 26 bales of straw, built a processing table, and started amending the nearly dead soil.
That has gotten some raised eyes from neighboring plots but hopefully by next Spring we will have things going towards raising all our own veggies. Since I don’t like to weed and have a bad back the straw bale garden method should be a win/win for adding nutrients to the very poor soil and not having to bend or be on my knees pulling weeds.
Hummm… if you are wondering what this entire straw bale thing is… it comes from my home state of Minnesota. You can listen to a podcast all about it here …
Our back porch on the hottest July day. Hummm…the heat didn’t stop these people from having a great BBQ at Adult Care Facility. Just look at those 80 somethings go with the dance line!!!Hummm… what can I buy on ESTY, how about cotton from the USA! No way! Yes! A 1/4 lb of handpicked cotton from North Carolina arrived in the mail. With the seed. Could our readers see a future Hummm of a cotton farmer in The Netherlands? Let’s see if Fox News could get that as wrong as how they explained the farmer protests. 😳🙄👩🌾👩🌾👩🌾
The truth is out there and people should not get on the conspiracy bandwagon without all the right information!!! The environmental laws were placed into law here in The Netherlands years ago to help control the CO2 emissions.
Some of the smaller farmers who didn’t and still don’t have the capital to make the upgrades could be forced out of business.
That sucks if you are a farmer or a consumer of farm products (like that is anyone who likes to eat!).
The fact is the climate is changing, and all people on this planet have to make changes to help everyone, not just one nation or one culture or be fearful of what others have or don’t have!
I do feel that the farming community here in The Netherlands was unfairly targeted when the laws were made. There are many large corporations and businesses that place toxic chemicals into the air here and around the world each and everyday and are not held to the same standards. I do not think the way of protest should ever be the destruction of property (that goes for anyone! Even the farmers). Peaceful protests with constructive helpful diplomacy will make for a better future.
The Cedar Journal 