All posts by Munchkin

Belize, Farming, Philosophy

What’s Happening On The Farm?

Well, I think I need to cram in a few posts before Christmas especially when our website was down for a wee while. Some people may need an extra dose of Munchkin and Gnome…Ha-Ha!

Anyway, the first grey water pond is dug and is receiving washing machine, dish-washing and bathing water. It’s not completely full because of our conservative use of water (still hauling buckets due to pressure tank giving out) and it has been dry and sunny. Here is a picture of Gnome digging…I cannot emphasize how hard it was to move this heavy dirt with a spade and muscle power…

Pond Digging.

Moving quickly on, we are constructing more concrete beds to plant cassava, sweet potato varieties (we have the Belizean yellow, the orangey one and a purple!!) and any other root we can get our hands on. In our efforts to plant roots and tubers, we have found that the raised bed works the best since the soil is loose and it allows ease of digging. Also, with the torrential rains here, the beds are good for water drainage.

New Nursery Beds.

Panda and I have been clearing at the pond area. Mostly we are using machete and muscle power. Gnome says that I should take snap shot pictures every week so that we can see the work coming along; it is a shame that I didn’t take the pictures from the beginning because this place was just bush! Anyway, I am pleased with our efforts and I am happy that I can wield a machete and chop things up; I use it as a cardiovascular workout!

Clearing Site, East side.

You can see the bamboo in the picture; before the place was cleared, you could only see the high tufts. The plan is to plant bamboo all down the east side of the area.

Cleared Space.

This used to be all bush!! Look at the work of Panda and Munchkin!! Look at that!!

And this is the west side:

West side.

This is the line cleared on the west side. So, there you go…this is how we all keep fit on the farm. No need for exercise bikes and jogging…

I will leave you with a sunset picture from our farm; you can see the silhouette of the palms underneath and the swirls in the sky are amazing to look at:

Evening View.

Okay, I think I got the hang of WordPress 5…

Belize, Blog

Blog Back On-Line!

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The Blog is back on-line!  I don’t think anyone actually noticed and we didn’t realise until Gnome’s Mum told us that our website was down and what’s happening?

So, for about a week the website has just been a blank page and there was no text to be seen.  We really thought that we had lost it all.  My first thoughts were: “…oh…all my zillions of recipes!!” and, “…oh, Gnome, how are you going to remember the Pet Lime-Sulphur recipe??”  I wasn’t  devastated about it and was prepared to email (do people email anymore?) a few (maybe six)) of the people who follow our Blog regularly with updates.  Gnome didn’t show any signs of emotion; he was neither happy nor sad.

Anyway, we asked Panda to sort it out and came back to us today to tell us that it was something to with a plug-in.  So, we are back on-line and a special thanks to Panda for assisting in the continuation of our chronicles.  Anyway, I need to get the hang of WordPress 5.0 which is a lot more visual and requires more clicking on icons.  I was happy with the good old-fashioned way!  Why do they keep on changing old stuff around when it was all perfectly fine? I will write more soon with a picture of the completed pond and our new vegetable beds.  Yes, still working like little troopers…

Belize, Farming, Food

Hot and Sunny!

The weather is hot and sunny right now.  This is probably a good thing because Gnome is in the middle of pond digging.  The first pond is almost done…just needs to go a foot deeper.  The first part that I showed you last week has been lined with construction plastic, the sides have been weighed down with heavy rocks and taro and peanut have been planted.  I am not going to show you a picture yet because it still looks like a messy construction site.  We had to also fence off the whole area because the goosies thought that the new pond was a new swimming and socialising area.  I had to chase them off with a broom when they started tearing up the planted peanut.  Yes, those dastardly goosies are getting all feisty for breeding season and they are spoiling for a fight!

Goosies.

This is a picture of “Silly Goosie”; she is a bit of a loner and makes a weird “whir…whir…whir” noise as opposed to the more familiar “ghwaa! ghwaaa!”  You may only appreciate my goosie communication observations  if you are being surrounded 24 hours a a day by a gaggle of geese!  Usually she walks about in the yard all the day talking to herself while the rest of them go off swimming.  She seems happy enough.

Silly Goosie.

Aside from digging in the dirt, Gnome has been air-layering to get more fruit trees for our newly organised orchard.

Air Layering Black Sapote.

I have been planting black pepper cuttings:

Black Pepper Cuttings.

The plan is to plant 10 to 20 vines behind the house to harvest enough pepper to use for the year.  I have neglected the pepper in recent years and have resorted to buying white pepper…I know…that’s not like me at all!!  The bought white pepper is bad quality and I just can’t get that lovely, Chinesy peppery flavour and aroma into my food.  Time and time again, I am finding that money can’t buy everything and if I want something good, I have to do it myself!  So back to looking after my plants and harvesting and processing…

Black Pepper.

Belize, Farming

Cleaned Up!

This time last year, our teeny weeny house was surrounded by bush and it  was fast encroaching upon us!  This was all because of machinery failure and the only thing that we had working was a weed-wacker to clean the 10 acres of land!  Here are some pictures of our bushy yard:

Bush behind house.

Bushy Yard.

Well, this year the walk-behind brush-mower worked the entire year (that is a record for us in the last 15 years!) and we have managed to get the place cleaned up.  I guess Gnome’s parents might appreciate these pictures as they saw the place last year…they wouldn’t recognise the place now.  Ooooh look at this; beyond the pond:

Cleaning up.

Cleaning up fence line

We are piling up all the branches and leaves…there are probably about a dozen of these piles now after our mega clean-up!

Brush Pile.

Thanks also to Panda who has been helping us with the big clean-up…an extra pair of hands and a machete is always a great help!

Amusing, Belize, Farming, Food, Plants

Farm Plants.

Hello!  Still here on the farm and still hauling water up into the house.  It’s not a huge deal (with Munchkin’s well trained strong arms!); it is only an issue when we are trying to do a washing machine load.  The washing machine takes 40 gallons in total (=8 pigtail buckets) with the wash and rinse cycle so that’s the real pain.  But, of course we still have to do it and the clothes need to get washed!  Right now, we are still in the midst of the grey water drainage project #135 so the water tower preparations are not in the forefront yet.  The last few days, Gnome has been digging (I believe that’s what Gnomes do amongst many, many other things) our first drainage ditch which takes all the washing-up, clothes washing and bathing water out of the house area.

Digging First Drainage Pond.

The pond is actually bigger than this now and the final size will be 3 feet (90cm) by 30 feet (9metres).  We will be planting edible plants (taro, lotus, etc) in this first pond.  The overall plan is to have several of these connected ponds draining from one to another until they reach their final destination which is a great big banana and plantain grove.  That way, all the nutrients from our grey water can be used to water a whole bunch of food plants as it wends its way from food pond to food pond.  What a great way to water your own food!

Anyway, food is always in abundance on the farm and I am so pleased with our harvests.  This is the lifestyle for beings (like Munchkin and Gnome) who like to eat and cook good food.

Just got a sweet potato harvest today:

Sweet Potatoes.

Barbados Gooseberry is producing…

Barbados Gooseberry.

Oh and look at the flowers of the Barbados Gooseberry…

Barbados Gooseberry Flower.

And yes we are eating dandelion salad right now…

Dandelion Bed.

Some hot peppers; this is a funny story.  For quite some time, we have been trying to procure durian (Asian smelly fruit that all Asians adore and adulate).  We tried to buy from Ebay several times: “fresh seeds from China.”  If anyone knows about Durian, the seeds are the size of chestnuts but each time we received our seeds they would be pepper seeds!!  These Chinese…they really are something trying to pass off pepper seeds for durian seeds!!  So, these are our “Chinese Rip You Off Not-Durian Ha-Ha Pepper Seeds.”  I guess it is still something…

Chiney Pepper.

Oh this is a pretty edible: celosia; kinda like a spinach:

Celosia.

Okay, guys have a good night!!

Belize, Construction

Pressure Tank Done Broke!

Oh the silly little ironies, right?  Gnome just finished the plumbing…the sink, washing machine and the bathing area…and now what??  The pressure tank has stopped working.  It is filling up but there is no pressure so it looks like there is probably a leak in the bladder.  Here in Belize, I have not seen any pressure tank bladders for sale so it looks like a brand new tank has to be bought.  The one that we have was not cheap and it is only about two years old.

Well, anyway, we’ve been working through our list of projects quite diligently and the new water tower was not scheduled until late next year.  So Gnome said that the best thing to do was to turn this unfortunate incident into a fortunate opportunity to begin water tower construction early.  He said that if Munchkin could whine sufficiently enough about hauling buckets of water into the house, he could probably get the water tower up in record time.  And so begins the complaining and the whining…it’s for a worthy cause, right?  🙂

Water Tank.

It is going to be a big project and no mean feat for a Gnome to accomplish.  Water will still be collected in our tanks which are close to the ground…a solar pump would be used to pump water up to a single tank placed on a water tower.  The water tower will have to be high enough (Gnome says about 30 feet (10 metres)) to give pressure to the water as it cycles back down into the plumbing system of the house.  This new system is a step in our direction of independence as we will harness energy from sun and gravity rather than relying (and paying) for electricity.  Okay, let’s see what happens…

We will try and turn this into something good…

Amusing, Belize, Construction

Home Decor With M & G…

Gnome Magic.

Hello!!  Yes, thought I would squeeze in another Blog post so that you don’t think that it is every 7 to 10 days only!!  You know what…time just flies by and before I know it, I haven’t written for ages.  Anyway, we are now in November-December time…the last leg of the year when it goes crazy-fast and you are left spinning in a whirlwind.  I really do think that from Thanksgiving time to Christmas/ New Year time, time accelerates and if you are not careful, projects come to a stand-still.  We are making a huge attempt to hold onto our sensibilities and keep on going!!  The veranda is getting its make-over.  Master Make-over Gnome has been plumbing and tiling.  The sink (love the sink!) and the bathtub are plumbed and working…oooh, look at that…

Sink and Bathtub.

We also re-located the washing machine-sans-case since the outer white cover was donated very generously by Gnome to the goosies as a nest:

Nesting Boxes.

Gnome Decor: attach the control panel to the wall and remove outer covering and lid.  Who needs frivolous washing machine accessories like that?  The washing machine, believe it or not, works absolutely fine.  On the plus side, stripped of its case, it is easier to move and takes up less space:

Gnome Washing Machine.

There you go…I now have all water stuff in one place…we will keep on going….

Here’s a tune for Gnome for doing everything that he does: “Gnome Does It Better.”

Belize

What Have We Been Up To?

Yeah, we are still here.  Sorry for not writing for a while but have been busy-tired-busy-tired-hot-hot-hot-busy-tired.  Anyway, we had a successful Guy Fawkes night despite a deluge the night before and the morning of the event.  It was so wet and puddle-ridden, we thought that we might have to call the whole thing off.  Luckily, the sun peaked out late morning and we decided that it was worth it to go on. The afternoon consisted of wheel-barrowing stuff over to the pond area (I want donkeys!!) and Master Fire-starter Gnome started a bonfire and fire (pits) for cooking.  Here is Guy, traditionally made by Panda every year:

Guy Fawkes.

We had our usual merry friends around the camp-fire (did not sing Kum Ba Yah!) and we had a jolly good time.  We had roast chicken, potatoes and onions cooked in coals.  Very Nice…definitely the best way to cook chicken!

Camp Fire Chicken.

The sitting area was very comfortable and kept bug-free with the fires;  Gnome being organised, had set up the shelter the day before and we had a test run of camp-fire food together in a romantic Munchkin and Gnome usual way…

Sitting Area.

It did not rain on Guy Fawkes night so the shelter was used as the food serving area.  All in all, another good year so looks like we will keep the Bonfire Night Tradition going…

Amusing, Belize, Farming

A Few Things…

Hello, Good Morning to y’all! We have had a two days of showers and this morning kinda looks bright and sunny (cross my fingers).  We are sitting down with a cuppa getting ready for some farm work.  Some days, we have our Yorkshire tea and other days we have our own cinnamon leaves boiled for 10 minutes, steeped for 5 minutes and sweetened with honey.  It is a natural stimulant and sometimes we choose this over tea when we prefer a milder wake up!

Cinnamon Leaves.

Since it is generally drying up, Gnome has started a big mow again…the pond area was done first in preparation for our yearly bonfire for the the 5th of November (Remember, Remember…the 5th of November).   Ooooh, I wonder if Gnome will do a double bonfire again!!  It is an evening that we have friends around with bonfire(s), food cooked over coals and home-made wine.  We also undertake a little tradition every year that involves burning a
symbolic representation of an aspect of our life that we no longer
feel is necessary.   Hmmm…I am not sure if I am ready to burn the Pringles…it is one of my last links with consumerism!!  😉  This is the Guy from last year:

Guy.

What else…oooh, exciting stuff…sink is plumbed and we have a bath-tub/ trough for bathing…hee-hee.

Gnome asked me,“…it’s not exactly Martha Stewart…are you okay with it?”

Munchkin reply: “…who’s Martha Stewart anyway??  That is exactly why I love it!!”

I will have a better picture for you next time.  Fine decor with Munchkin and Gnome where Practicality is all that matters.  What do you think…can we market this lifestyle??!!  😉

Bath Tub.

Anyway, I will leave you with a picture of a morning gift from our Beloved Cat (he is like a son to us: lazy good-for-nothing-but-we-love-him and uses the place like a hotel).  Cat:

Cat.

A Gift from the Cat; he left this outside the front door and nonchalantly walked into the house to his eating area.  If he could talk, he would say: you guys can have the rat, I will have the gourmet liver that Munchkin serves up everyday, ta very much! 

Gift From the Cat.

This is what I said to Gnome: “…we could eat it…I have seen enough episodes of Alone to work out how to prepare the rat for food….”

Gnome: “…hmmm…don’t tell me you are starting to think you are an expert on survival skills from watching television!!”

Ha-Ha!!

(Alone is an American reality TV series where people are left to survive in the wilderness by themselves and expected to use their skills to hunt and forage to survive.  Many of the contestants have ended up catching rats to eat.

Belize, Farming, Food

Munchkin And Gnome On The Farm!

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I am writing today because I seem to have a bit more time and I also feel like writing.  This morning started off with very dark and ominous clouds; despite the warning signs, I pushed ahead and made the decision to work outside.  Panda came with a pick-up truck of sawdust and emptied it in record time.  It started bucketing down at about 9am and I had never seen Panda run so quickly to get out of the rain…but he forgot his shovel in his haste!  Anyway, thanks Panda for the sawdust which we are putting around the house to raise the ground up.  The rains and big, flat goosie feet have caused so much erosion that we have lost about a foot of dirt all around the house!

We are officially on Possum Alert right now.  A couple of nights ago, we awoke to the din of goosie squawking and Gnome ran outside immediately.  He managed to spy a predator and with the aid of a flash-light, he could make out the silhouette of a possum.  Yes, they are back: Back with a Vengeance!  The traps are out and we have warned the goosies to stay close to the house and not to go out in the dark alone after 9pm…fat chance they will actually listen!!  We haven’t caught anything yet but are already talking about having a nice possum curry.

Possum.

The big rain this morning lasted about an hour and now it is sunny again.  Gnome has been doing a spot of plumbing because we would like to move the sink out of the house and onto the veranda.  I was going to take some pictures but then I stopped and wondered if anyone actually wanted to see a picture of pipes!  Ha-Ha!!

Well, here is a prettier picture for you!  I never thought that I would be so happy with dandelions…but, aren’t they lovely…Dandelions in Belize.

Dandelions.

We have been enjoying dandelion greens in our salads.  We plan on growing a whole bed of dandelions for roots and greens and are collecting the seeds right now in preparation for this project.

Dandelion Seeds.

That’s all for now folks!!