Eastern Red Cedar

One of several eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana) trees that we felled when building our house. We saved all the trees to be used in the house. We felled this tree almost a year ago, it has been laying  a brush pile since; yet no signs of insect or water damage - gotta love cedar!

This evergreen tree typically grows from 16 to 66 feet tall with a trunk typically 12 - 39 inches in diameter. It's commonly used for fence posts (for it's rot resistant properties), cedar closets, and cedar chests (for it's insect and moth repellent properties). 

Notice the white sapwood and reddish/purplish heartwood.

Dragonfly

Thieves Vinegar

So you want to be immune to disease, you want to remove and prevent mold and mildew, you want to repel insects, or any of the other wonderful things thieves vinegar is touted to be able to perform, now you can.

According to Scientific American in1910, thieves vinegar is a medicated vinegar invented by four thieves of Marseilles who successfully employed it as a prophylactic during a visitation of pestilence. In other words, this stuff supposedly protected four thieves from the plague while they robbed the homes of the dead. There are many other stories out there about the origin of thieves vinegar and evidence that it existed prior to the bubonic plague and the supposed four thieves. While the origin remains to be proven and the mixture varies with the individual making it and the plants available, Scientific American lists the recipe as:

• 4 oz.     Rosemary tops, dried
• 4 oz.     Sage lowers, dried
• 2 oz.     Lavendar flowers, dried
• 1.5 oz.  Rue, fresh
• 1 oz.     Camphor, dissolved in spirits
• 1/4 oz.  Garlic, sliced
• *1 drm.Cloves, bruised
• **1 gal.Distilled wine vinegar, strongest

Digest for 7 or 8 days, with occasional agitation, pour off the liquor, press out the remainder, and filter the mixed liquids.

* - Note that a dram (drm) is 1/16^th oz.

** - Many recipes I have seen call for Apple Cider vinegar (the good stuff, with "the mother") - I recommend using Apple Cider vinegar with "the mother."

Other recipes I have seen call for:

• 2 TBSP Thyme, dried)
• 2 TBSP Rosemary, dried
• 2 TBSP Sage, dried
• 2 TBSP Lavender, dried
• 1 TBSP Mint, dried
• 4-8 cloves of minced garlic (optional)
• One 32-ounce bottle of organic Apple Cider Vinegar with “the Mother”

Place the dried herbs and garlic in a large glass jar. Pour the vinegar over the herbs and garlic. Seal the jar tightly. Leave in a cool, dark place (I've also heard leaving the vinegar in warm location, or a location that gets morning or evening sun for warmth but is still shady) for six to eight weeks. Shake daily. After six to eight weeks, strain the mixture - the vinegar is now ready to use.

Personally, I like my thieves vinegar to sit for longer periods; like pickled foods, sometimes a longer soak yields a tastier product.

Snail

Spaghetti Squash pictures

We spread some of our compost around the house this winter, guess there was a Spaghetti Squash (Cucurbita Pepo) in the compost.

 

 

Red Amarillo - Amaryllis Belladonna

Just a few pictures of our Red Amarillo's:

Organic Shampoo and Conditioner

For a cheap organic shampoo and conditioner you can use a combination of baking soda and water (shampoo) and apple cider vinegar and water (conditioner).

It may seem odd in today's chemical society to think that baking soda and apple cider vinegar can effectively clean and condition your hair, but it works great. After a while of using the baking soda and vinegar, the chemicals built up in your hair will dissipate and you will find that your hair is much healthier and that the natural oils will come back to your hair.

The baking soda is a weak (gentle) alkaline. The apple cider vinegar is mildly acidic and counteracts the alkalinity of the baking soda. Together, the baking soda and the apple cider vinegar make a great hair cleaning and conditioning combination. However, used alone, the baking soda can make your hair dry and frizzy (unless some sort of conditioner is used). The apple cider vinegar, however, will work with any shampoo.

The baking soda will gently strip the build up of styling products and conditioners from your hair and help restore your hair to its natural, healthy condition; leaving you with soft and glimmering hair. The baking soda also helps to strengthen the hair shaft. The apple cider vinegar will balance your hair's PH level, kill bacteria, and help cure dandruff.


I have read a lot of differing recipes which are all fairly similar. Some recipes to consider are:

Shampoo - 

• Mix 1/4 to 1/2 baking soda to water mixture (1 part baking soda to 4 or  parts water) to make a thick paste. Put the paste on wet hair, rub into the the roots, wait 5 minutes, rinse.
• Use a 1:5 (1 part baking soda, 5 parts water) mixture in a bottle. Shake well before and during use. Apply the mixture to dry scalp and massage into the roots and scalp. Let it sit if you like, rinse well.
• 1 tablespoon of baking soda to one cup of water (this is closer to the recipe that I personally use on my hair).

Considering the above recipes, I have found that using an old bottle (with a resealable cap) and filling the bottle with baking soda approximately 1/8 to 1/4 full of baking soda. Then, I add water to the bottle each time I wash my hair to make the mixture the consistency I prefer. Then I apply to my hair and rinse after a couple of minutes. With a little trial and error I am sure that you will find the right mixture for you.

Conditioner - 

• Apple cider vinegar 1:5 mixture (1 part apple cider vinegar, 5 parts water). Apply to the hair and let sit 5 minutes to 30 minutes. Rinse.
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar to 1 quart of water. Leave it in for a few seconds and rinse. 
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar to 1 cup water.

Again, I have found that using an old bottle with a resealable cap is a simple and cheap applicator. I fill the bottle 1/8 to 1/4 of the way full with apple cider vinegar and add water to make the mixture the strength I prefer. Then I apply to my hair and rinse after a couple of minutes.

Note: A word of warning for those with colored/dyed hair - The baking soda may strip the color from your hair. I have read that the apple cider vinegar will not harm your color treated hair and is still a great conditioner (although I recommend consulting your hair professional to confirm this).