Composter

I decided a while ago that I would put in a garden this year. I want to grow some herbs and veggies to get the freshest and most nutritious food available. So yesterday I decided to give over some of my cooking time to making a composter and starting it off. I had a plastic garbage can that has not been getting much use since I started recycling in earnest. So I hopped on the web and searched out recipes for home-made compost bins from garbage cans.

I was amazed to see how many postings there were on the subject....and how many differing and, in some cases, conflicting opinions existed. I read as many as I could stand and came up with a kind of hybrid plan of attack. Needless to say, we are looking at an extremely simple project here. Basically, we are drilling holes in a plastic garbage can (sides, top and bottom) to turn it into a compost bin. The size and spacing of the holes was gleaned from the web postings and the conformation of the trash can. I created five rows of holes 4-6" apart vertically, drilled into every second "valley" - about three inches apart horizontally.

Now it was time to build the compost. My sources said to begin with a layer of small sticks. This was a piece of cake (except for the bending over part) as my property is littered with small sticks and I collected a bucketful. Next was a layer of shredded paper. So I went to my office and shredded paper, tidying up somewhat as I went, until I had a bucketful. Next was a layer of green material. My gardener had just trimmed a lot of the plants and stacked the clippings in a pile that will ultimately be run through the chipper. I filled the bucket once more and added it to the compost. Then came a layer of soil. This process was repeated until the composter was almost full but with room to accept kitchen waste which will be converted to nutrient-rich soil in a relatively short time. Of course, I had to water the materials as I introduced them and will need to ensure that the compost is moist. Other than that, the only maintenance necessary is to shake or roll the trash can around once a week.

As recommended, I placed the compost bin on concrete blocks just outside of my outdoor kitchen. This way, I can access it even in rainy weather (of which we have six months) to deposit kitchen and other material. The added advantage is that my volume of waste material will be further reduced as will my carbon footprint as what would have been landfill is converted to soil and ultimately to food. The rainforest will be a better place.

Gate Repair and Clicker

I made a set of gates when I moved here eleven years ago. I made them from wood because that is what I was used to and felt comfortable with. They have served me well, keeping the roaming cattle out of my property.

One of them was smashed once by a friend who had come to drop off some pastries she had made. I wasn't home and I gather when she was reversing out of the driveway one of the gates had swung into her path and got crunched. She was back to repair it the following day.

On another occasion, my ex drove through the gates in a golf cart. I know what you're thinking. Yes, it was deliberate and made a mess of the gates. But I was there the following day to repair them.

They are made of pochote, a beautiful tropical wood that is easy to work and has the reputation of being insect-resistant. But after ten years of service, some of the members were beginning to rot. When I came home the other night one style was missing as was the chain that held the gates closed.

So I had to implement, at minimum, a temporary solution. After all, the cows might come at any time. So I dragged my hundred-foot extension cord out to the gate and, with Missy bouncing all around my feet and running away at the sound of the drill, I stiched a short length of pochote to the top rail, drilled a hole in it and tied a rope loop through it. The loop drops over the style (which is not missing) of the companion gate. Voila....temporary repair affected in short order. I was able to take advantage of a lull in the rain that has been more or less continuous for three days. I was told this morning that we have received more than ten inches!

On my to-do list is an instruction to replace the gates. I had identified the deterioration months ago and pondered what the replacement should be, i.e. metal gates, swinging or rolling, wooden, etc. I can fabricate wooden gates myself but metal gates will need a manufacturer and installer.

I started training Missy today. The training program I am following prescribes the use of a "clicker" to provide a "bridge" between a behaviour and a reward. Makes good sense to me and the demonstration video is impressive. So I think, "Where in the name of God can I get a clicker in the rainforest?" Perhaps a toystore would have such an item, even incorporated into something I could dismantle. But there are no toy stores handy. Then I realized that the lighters I have for the grill and the gas range click. And I had a spare. Dismantling time. I burned off all the butane in the spare which was considerably smaller than the current and went to work.

A few minutes later, I had a clicker! It is not as loud as I wish it were, but it definitely clicks and, I believe, does the desired bridging. I went to the local convenience store and procured some el cheapo hot dogs. Missy loves them and I believed they would serve as a worthy reward. I had one training session with Missy. She will now sit on command and she's only eight weeks old but very smart. The training system is awesome and gets quick results. This is going to be fun.

Missy in my Life

On Saturday a new joy was added to my life. Missy is an eight week old Shar-Pei-Dor. That is to say, her mom is a Shar Pei and her dad is half Shar Pei and half Labrador. Missy is pure delight. She was born in the country and raised with 14 other dogs. I wondered what kind of separation anxiety she might suffer. I brought her home just before dark on Saturday and introduced her to Gracie, my other dog.

They sniffed and snuffed and Missy barked at Gracie. I showed Missy around the house. I showed her where she would sleep. I gave her a toy but she wasn't interested. We watched television for a while. Then she asked to go out. Now it was dark and I was a little concerned about this. I don't have a collar her size yet so I just threw a leash over her head, noose-style and took her out. She wasn't fussy about the noose but it was all I could think of doing at the time. So she refused to perform and we went back inside.

The next thing I knew, Missy was missing! I hate it when that happens. I searched the house to no avail and was just preparing to launch a search when I heard whining at the door. Here was Missy asking to be let in! She had exited through the back door where a panel of screening had been torn free by li'l Sally some time ago and gone out to do her business all by herself.

I was impressed! She has only been here for two days and now she goes out on her own...no problem. She lets me know when when she needs to go out although when she gets a little bigger, she will be able to let herself out. I may try to train her to let herself back in by attaching a pull-rope to the patio door.

She has settled in really well. She slept through the night in her kennel the first night. Last night she kicked up a bit of a fuss when I put her in the kennel but settled down fairly soon. This morning I had to kennel her while I went on my bike ride. She protested a bit but was all tranquila by the time I got home and does not appear to begrudge me her kennel time.

I started training her today and she responded really well. This is going to be fun. Balance has been restored to my life.

Sprouted Lentils

Success....my right-out-of-the-package lentils have grown little tails. This is so exciting. I have been experimenting with sprouted-grain bread because it is so healthful. The only thing I have been able to sprout is garbanzo beans, again out-of-the-package and they make an awesome bread.

So this weekend, I will try the sprouted lentils and then perhaps a mixture of the two. Happy day!!

Back on the Bicycle

A while ago, I sold my car because I didn't use it enough to justify keeping it. I have a Honda quad which is my principle means of transport. I got to thinking that I should have a backup and considered getting a bicycle. Bicycles are almost ubiquitous here in the rainforest. It is not uncommon to see whole families somehow clinging to a single bicycle. Nor is it uncommon to see a cyclist having a cell phone conversation while riding the main road.

Living on a floodplain, the bicycle takes well to the almost pancake-flat terrain and is relatively inexpensive to acquire and maintain.

A friend of mine was leaving the country recently and I knew he had a bicycle. So I asked what he planned to do with it when he left (it is common practice for visitors here to purchase a bicycle to use for the duration of their visit and then to sell it prior to departure). Michel advised that he would store it at a friend's farm. In response to his query, I explained that I was in the market for a bicycle and thought perhaps his would be for sale. He told me I was in luck as he had another bike that he had purchased for a friend who came to visit. It had only been used three times and was in mint condition. He invited me to drop by his house to have a look.

So I bought his extra bicycle and he rode it home for me. Then I set about customizing it. I bought a rack for the back and a light for the font and installed them. I had some saddlebags that my sister had brought down for me some years ago. I had converted these to use with my horse when I was riding. So I re-converted them and installed them on the back rack. On a trip to a neighbouring village I purchased a tail light and a lock and installed them. This is our rainy season and unless you are prepared to live with a brown stripe up your back, you had better install a mudguard. I fashioned one out of some leftover rubberized upholstery fabric that I covered my P.A. speakers with some time ago and installed it on the back rack. All set to go....almost.

My gardener was here last Saturday and I showed him the bike which, it turns out, is identical to his. Jesus advised that the shifters (it's an 18-speed) were junk and would need to be replaced with better quality Shimano equipment. He offered to make the appropriate arrangements. I was content to wait until the change was implemented....no rush.

However, I just acquired a new pair of athletic shoes for my morning walks. Well, breaking them in, they ate my little toes to the point that I had to give up walking until they heal. But this morning I remembered that I have a bicycle. So , for the first time in years, I went for a bicycle ride. When I said this floodplain is "almost pancake-flat" the operative word is "almost". There is actually a delta of 16 feet from the top of the community to the ocean and from the centre, the land drops off, albeit gently, both to the north and to the south.

From my house close to the beach, it is uphill all the way. You don't notice when you walk or drive but you sure can feel it on a bicycle. Long story short, my relief was considerable when I headed home and was riding downhill. My twenty-minute ride was a harder workout than my usual hour-long walk. I will probably stick with the bicycle until further notice.....it was wonderful. I grew up on bicycles but I would probably not have revisited this classic form of transportation had I not retired to the rainforest.

The Rest of the Day

After the skunk was disposed of, the rest of my stay-at-home Sunday was near perfect. I did go out to the grocery store, however, to pick up some essential items. I started my day by making some chicken breakfast sausage. I had ground the chicken last week and taken it out of the freezer the previous day. I experimented a little further with the seasoning mix this time and look forward to trying it.

When I returned from the store, I made a chicken-garlic pizza. I had made the (whole wheat) dough on Saturday and it rose again rather nicely. This is one of my favourite pies.

While the pizza was cooking, I started prepping for Greek cinnamon-stewed chicken. This is a skillet-based concoction and pretty much takes care of itself. I had run into the chicken lady not long ago and purchased a whole chicken with this dish in mind along with chicken breasts that I grilled and froze. One of them became the pizza described above.

While the Greek chicken was stewing, I prepped for a spinach pizza and had it in the oven in what might possibly have been record time.

While the chicken stewed and the pizza pied, I made a batch of one of my new favourites - healthy chocolate pudding. Made from avacado, banana, cocoa and coconut mik, the food processor produces a smooth, to-die-for tasty pudding reminiscent of what I ate as a child - comfort food...can't beat it.

As if this weren't enough, I proceeded to make a batch of healthy superfood fudge packed with nutrition. I confess it's a little large on the calorie count but I am advised that's fine if eaten sparingly. I'm working on this part....it's sooooo good, it's difficult to walk away from it. So I obviously need to practice some more, right? And to keep practicing until I get it right, right?

Bummer note: I did so much cooking I totally forgot about the hockey playoffs. Well, that's just how it is in the rainforest.

Sad Start to my Favourite Day

Yesterday morning when I went out the back door to turn on the pool pump, I was greeted by a powerful fragrance in the air and the head of a small animal protruding from the open end of a drainpipe I installed to carry rainwater away from the back patio. I couldn't tell what type of animal it was but I could certainly tell it was dead. My best guess is that it crawled, for some reason, up the pipe and got lodged inside. Sad.

Now....how to get it out? I did not care to touch the critter, so I tried prodding, pushing and prying to no avail. Finally it occurred to me that the appropriate tool was near at hand. When I was building, the welder fabricated several tridents to hunt crabs on the beach and I had one that I used to spread barbecue coals. Funally, I was able to get some purchase on the corpse and with no little effort, coax it out of the pipe. As it exited, I was able to determine that it was a skunk! My nose should have disclosed that but skunk, mixed with the smell of death and tropical fragrances, made for an unusual smell and it failed me.

The critter has been removed but the smell lingers. That's just how it is in the rainforest.

Back in Business

Things are back to normal again....almost. I got some athletic shoes and did my beachwalk in them on Sunday - a great improvement. However, they will need some breaking in...they were a trifle irritating this morning. I don't have any socks and they are a little on the large side. Since I am walking on the beach, however, I can give my feet a break tomorrow and wear the crocks.

I also got a new ice-maker. I just couldn't live without it! My buddy and I are going to try to repair the old one when we get a chance.

I started installation of the new kitchen overhead fan/light combo. I have to wait until tomorrow to get the electrical cable but the fan/light should be in place real soon now. It will be wonderful to get some more light in my kitchen.

I had a very busy Sunday. I made up a batch of coconut milk, a fabulous chocolate pudding, a batch of healthy, good-for-you fudge, a pasta dish, baked a pizza and two loaves of sprouted garbanzo bread. I love Sundays.

New Stuff

Ok...I'm just plain slack. I haven't posted anything for some time. But I do have an excuse. I suffered major trauma on one of my morning walks. Something weird happened to my glasses and I could barely see through them. So I took them off when I walked, which was ok on the beach but was not ok on the road. I kept catching my feet on rocks and stumbling until eventually I took a major fall. Yeah, I know....dumb as a box of rocks.

But I was making arrangements to get new glasses ( which I now have) and even tried to get athletic shoes unsuccessfully until yesterday. So now I have my eyesight back and new shoes to walk in...no more excuses.

I also bought a bicycle. Well, it's not a bicycle like when I was young. It has shocks and 18 gears and it's red. I bought a rack to put on the back and installed my old saddlebags that I had converted to use with my horse a few years ago. I installed a light, a rear reflector and purchased a lock. Again, good to go....almost. My buddy Jesus, who has an identical bike informed me today that the gear changers are substandard and need to be replaced with Shimano. I have organized that.

I also got a new ice making machine. I have had a countertop model for a few months and it has been an outstanding piece of kit. Unfortunately, it self-destructed recently and ceased operating. Fortunately, I had a friend headed for the "big smoke" and he was able to procure a replacement and it is now churning out ice cubes just like the old one did. I have my life back!

I also got a wall fan. I installed it in my mini-gym and it makes an incredible difference when I work out. I purchased a ceiling fan as well...one with lights. I plan to install it in the kitchen directly over the island. I need more light there and the cooling effect of the fan will be welcome. The trick now is to pull together all the parts necessary to drop the fan two feet from the peak of the roof. I know how I would do it and where to get the hardware if I were still in Canada but these exercises are always more challenging here. I consulted with my contractor buddy, Okie Dave, today and he will assist me with this project.

Today's challenge was the repair of the return line to my swimming pool. For some mysterious reason, the pump appears to have simply spit out the threaded connection to the return line. The return is a small manifold that allows me to return filtered water to the pool or to purge it if I think it contains usavoury elements. My intention was to replace the entire manifold. However, when I consulted the Water Board's field technician, my employee and friend Juan Carlos, he discouraged me from doing so and, instead, recommended cutting the feed and, by scoring the remnant that resided inside the connecting Tee into small slivers and popping them out with a screwdriver and hammer, I could salvage the two valves and the Tee, having only to replace an elbow and union. Yeah, easy!

So that is how I spent a goodly chunk of my Saturday. The good news is that the repair has been made and the pool is operational again. I was able to vacuum it today and to infuse algaecide - regular maintenance. Altogether, a good day in the rainforest.