Simple living

Guilt Trip

Posted on May 17, 2012 by Laura

Still no word about Baby.  Apparently the bike hospital cannot figure out what is going on with her.  Even so, I took the train from Hamilton to Kingston today.  I am going on a boat bash with a gang of girls tonight in Kingston.

The trip down was great.  Sat with a fantastic woman, Bonnie, for most of the trip and we had a great gab.  I bashed the monster, which is always good sport even if this is an easy target.  Too, the Via rep was a total sweetheart and easy on the eye, all in all not too shabby!

Forgot my sunglasses in Hamilton and hope that my husband will pick them up for me when he comes tonight… I can’t reach him, but think that time will tell me.

The guilt trip, I confess, is that I had to stop by at Tiny House Ontario.  You see, when I left last Sunday I sprayed for carpenter ants (I hate to do this but the eco traps were not working).   The nest in the dead tree next to the house seems to make them think that Tiny House Ontario is a part of their territory.  I am afraid that if this does not do the trick, I am going to have to remove their home.  I really hate to do this because it brings the woodpeckers and insect eating birds right up to my windows.  I really love to see the birds up so close and personal.

If anyone has and suggestions on how to get RID of ants without chemicals, I would really like to know!  Again… I want to have them as tasty little NEIGHBOURS that bring in birds.  Their home is four feet from Tiny House Ontario.

You know, I really hate to poison them because I think that poisoning is an awful, awful way to die.  Also, I also want to keep the house organic… but I already blew that last week when I relented with poison.  The tipping point, was that I cooked a pot of rice and found that an ant had fallen in and this was gross to me.  Vegetarians also don’t eat bugs – unless they were Starbugs clients that is, because as we now know that company have been feeding bugs to the people who chose to buy $5.00 cuppas for a long time.  Thankfully, I never go there.  So, the pot of rice-a-la-ant went to the compost and I started again.  Propane, water, rice and time all wasted.  As soon as I could I went to Home Hardware and bought some big gun spray… squirted out the stuff for 7 seconds and shut the door and left for Hamilton.

The point, I went to wash the floors and wipe the counters and table so that when the dogs get there, they will not be exposed.  There were about 50 dead ants on the floor.  I was not surprised!  It was absurd how many there were in the Tiny House.  They were crawling out all over the place.  Thankfully when I went to wash up today the only sign of life (inside of the house) was me.  I really hope that this stays that way because I really hate to murder even the smallest of creatures, even those who are intent on eating Tiny House Ontario.

Categories: Nature, Simple living, Tiny House Ontario | 1 Comment

Siding

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Laura

The local saw mill has still not been able to get its hands on 16 foot cedars to cover Tiny House Ontario.  Sadly, without any covering she had a little leak this past winter and the interior boards on the North East wall sustained a little bit of damage.  This damage is behind the kitchen cupboards so it does not show… still it bugs me.

Even with this, I still think I want to wait for local cedar (and don’t have any of my own) but I also want to keep Tiny House Ontario safe from the weather.  So… I decided to flash the whole house.  I figure that this can stay on forever and will act as a great barrier against everything Mother Nature throws at a home.

It should cost about $400 to do the whole house.  24 inch wide rolls of flashing that are 100 feet long can be purchased at Home Hardware for a little over $200/roll.  I had used about 35 feet which I bought last year at the base of Tiny House Ontario to keep and rain water away from her at ground level, and also to keep ants out.  So this is what the brown line at the bottom of the house that comes up about a foot from the cement pad is.  This year I bought one whole roll of it and started the process of nailing it on.  I don’t have a bender or anything but since it is not meant to be a final cover just a protection for now, it does not matter if it is a wee bit wobbly.

I have used about a third the roll now and this is where I am so far.  I think it looks better than the Typar, but soon I am going to have to look up Gananoque Home Hardware in the phonebook instead of just looking at the outside of the house.  The top of the house does not have the number because it is a left over and donated bit from Leo.

I think I have enough to get up to the second floor windows.  Not exactly a fairy tale look, but it will do the trick!

Categories: Off Grid, Ontario, Simple living, Tiny house, Tiny House Ontario | Leave a comment

A Little Flooring

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Laura

This is the entry way at Tiny House Ontario.  When I built the stairs with my husband last year I was in a terrible hurry, so I built a square box out of plywood and never bothered getting back to it.  Too many other things needed doing!

This year my husband and I removed it, custom fitted it from the door to the stairs and we got some flooring from Gananoque Home Hardware to put in there.  Nothing fancy!  .49 cents a sheet – 8 sheets cost $4.  plus tax.  The trim was $20… so the foyer was redone in an hour or two and cost about $25.  It wipes up easily too which is great.  While I hate to produce garbage, I don’t think of this as my forever floor, rather as something to protect the 5/8ths of plywood and the 2×10 base..  Still, even though it is not my forever floor, I would be happy if it lasted until all the landscaping and so forth is done.

I do have a plan for good floors to go in.  Matter of fact, I plan to use that big hickory tree that is dying at the front of my land as the floor for Tiny House Ontario, but I don’t want to mill this until it is totally dead.  I expect that the big hickory will do the whole house, easily, but I don’t want to put it in until the very last because I don’t want it to be damaged by the coming and going of construction.

The grubby cement floor and bamboo mat will have to do us this year, in the rest of the house.  Perhaps longer, since I want to hand hew those boards after they are quarter sawn at the local mill.

Anyone ever hand hew a hickory floor?

Categories: Environmentalism, Erazim Kohák, Materialism, Simple living, Tiny House Ontario | Leave a comment

LaMar Alexander

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Laura

Thank you Devlin for sharing LaMar Alexander with me!

He is very clear and he has cheap ebooks, which I am going to get today!

Categories: Environmentalism, Money, Off Grid, Open your eyes, Simple living, Sustainable living, Tiny house | Leave a comment

Mullein

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Laura

I have a bumper crop of Mullein growing at Tiny House Ontario.  Check to be sure that you are not allergic to it first like with any plant, but this is a GREAT toilet paper replacement if you get caught in a pinch.  I am going to dry some of it this year too.

 

I have not tried any of these things and thus do not suggest that you be my guinea pig.  I understand that Mullein Leaf has served many purposes over the past few centuries, from making candlewicks to casting out evil spirits. However, as an herbal treatment, Verbascum thapsus was primarily used as a cure for diarrhea, respiratory diseases and hemorrhoids. The leaves and flowers of the Mullein Leaf are classified in traditional herbal literature as expectorants and demulcents.

Mullein Leaf or scientifically referred to as Verbascum Thapsus is a wildflower native to much of Europe and Asia which can grow almost anywhere. Because of its thick, soft leaves, it is also called Grandmother’s Flannel and Our Lady’s Flannel. The word Mullein is said to be derived from the Middle English word for “soft” which is moleyne.

Traditionally, Mullein Leaf has been used by medicinal herbalists to aid with problems of the respiratory tract, such as cases of irritating coughs with bronchial congestion. Some herbal treatments extend the therapeutic use to pneumonia and asthma.

As far as natural herbs go, the Mullein Leaf is purported to reduce inflammation of the trachea along with soothes irritated tissues. Due to its high mucilage content, Organic Mullein Leaf is also recommended for topical applications by herbalists as a soothing emollient for inflammatory skin conditions and burns. Externally, an extract of these herbs made in olive oil is used for soothing and easing ear problems.

Mullein Leaf is also thought by some herbalists to provide constipation relief, help with sleeplessness, care for the kidneys and help with nervous tension.

The Mullein has very markedly demulcent, emollient and astringent properties, which render it useful in pectoral complaints and bleeding of the lungs and bowels. Slightly sedative and narcotic properties.

Demulcent, emollient, astringent and sedative.

 

Categories: Environmentalism, Forest, Magical, Nature, Off Grid, Simple living, Sustainable living | Leave a comment