Spring calls for newness, creativity, resourcefulness... In alignment with the season, we've been churning out some low-tech Unnovations- our word for the simple solutions we've concocted to solve some of the problems we've encountered in our ongoing, homesteading experiment.
Here's an old sink base we've re-purposed, and put to good use as an outdoor veggie and hand washing station, with a grey water catchment underneath. No need to waste that increasingly valuable water, as the days grow warmer and drier. Framed by a simple 2x4 structure that we designed around the sink itself. No plumbing is necessary, besides the hose attached to an outdoor spigot- the water flows down the drain hole into an old trash barrel, and is later used to water our plant allies. Cadyn did a lovely job decorating it with the leftover paint from our newly painted front door. As for the color, think Cornflower!
Though unrelated to the topic at hand, here Cadyn stands with a flowering rhubarb plant. This is the first time we've ever smelled the indescribable scent of rhubarb flowers, which wafts every which way in the gentle breeze, permeating the air-scape with its intoxicating aroma, projected across an impressive amount of space.
In an ongoing attempt to keep the magnificent, yet voraciously grazing herds of deer from over-indulging on our tender plantings, we've resorted to the lowest-tech exclusionary tactic there is... fencing. We've been getting our untreated cedar and locust fence posts, and rough-cut oak fence boards from a nearby farmer who mills his own lumber, cut from the dead or overcrowded clusters of trees on his own property. It is safe to say that he "respects wood," and we're grateful for his work and to know the source, especially in the context of such a sustainability-sensitive issue as lumber production.
This is our bed of asparagi, beginning to flower and fail under their own weight, with the beginnings of a new fence-line cropping up in the background.
Here is our prototype for a DIY "first flush" debris filter for one of our rain barrels, crafted from a five gallon bucket and some old hose tubing. This is designed to catch the first 4 gallons of water that runs off of the roof in a rain storm, to contain the dirt, particles, dust and pollen that it carries down the gutter with it. When the water level of the bucket reaches the height of the first hose, it then begins to fill the rain barrel, however all the heavy debris sinks to the bottom of the first container instead of flowing directly into our main reservoir. It has proven to be a successful first step toward refining and improving our rain catchment strategy.
And another view- the five gallon bucket on the bottom simply elevates the top bucket/filter, allowing the water to flow easily through the hoses to the rain barrel below it.
In other news, the Tulip Poplars are dropping some celestial gifts. Look for these on the ground near rivers and streams during long walks down gravel roads...
