Volume CIV: The Super Natural Sun Day Edition; The Happy Hermit’s Homestead

Hello every One, and welcome to the Sun Day Edition of the Good News Journal, thank King You for Your reader Ship.

Well, covid-19 has officially filled the majority of the world with the fear of God – lest You are on Her Good side. 😉

Is it another coincidence that this Card turned up in Our Tarot read over a year ago?  Oh, right – We don’t believe in coincidences here.  I did say that 2020 would be the year of perfected Vision, and I am thing King this pandemic Will help the world put things in perspective.

So many People find it odd and unusual that I am so Happy in My solitude.  I believe My Mother in particular often worries that I feel lonely and isolated, and it might be part of the reason I try to always have a cat.  I think it makes My Mother more comfortable to know I have some kind of company.

God is My best Friend, I am never alone.  That might be difficult for People to comprehend, but I swear to You it is True.  We argue sometimes, like the moment before I got the Call My apartment application was approved, I was ‘yelling’ at God in My Mind, “what are You doing!?!  I need this!!!”.  But it’s kind of like an older Brother, Playing a Game with Me, pretending He hasn’t done something He promised He would do, only to say, “Did You really think I would let You down?”.  Then, of course, I feel Fool-ish for doubting Divinity.

And here We are, the world panicking over a pandemic, while I am all too Happy to have a reason to stay at Home and continue war King on My Homestead.  Seeds have sprouted, I have sage, basil, catnip (for Gigi), and I’m not sure if they are pepper or tomato sprouts (as they look very similar in the early stages), or perhaps some of each.  There was even a surprise seed in My Cannabis, cracked and looking rather impotent, but it has sprouted, too!  I have potato and acorn squash planted, and Will have some butternut on the Way as soon as I decide to eat the one sitting on My counter.  I harvest and collect seeds from anything I eat if I am able.

I spent the morning fixing blueberry pancakes for breakfast, then took an old bucket left behind by contractors and made My Self a composter; in no time it was noon, and the Sun was beaming down on My patio making the high of -1 feel more like plus 3.  Sometimes I wonder if I might be related to Superman, as I could swear the sun helps Me to regenerate and gain strength and health.

One thing about Me that most any of My Friends who know Me well Will confirm, it does not Matter what situation I am in or how dire the odds, I would probably be voted most likely to survive in virtually any situation.  The exception would be if I were deserted in a barren, sub-zero environment with little to no supplies – the cold is My weakness, I despise cold weather and My body is just not equipped for it, as I have virtually no bodyfat (less that five percent last time a doctor checked).  When I set out for My bike trip from Ontario to British Columbia, My Mother was worried I would get hit by a truck or eaten by a bear.  When I told My best Friend ‘J’ of My Mother’s concerns, he laughed and said, “Did You tell Your Mother that You are the kind of Man who would kill the bear?”.

Of course, I didn’t tell My Mother that, I told her that God watches over Me and not to be concerned.  She knows better than any One how True that is, so she was reasonably satisfied with My answer.

The point to all of this, is that I Will get through this period of isolation, and probably enjoy most of it – and so Will You!  I Will share My Homesteading tips with You because that’s the kind of thing I Love to do, and something all of Us should always be doing anyway.  I suppose it would be nice if I’d had some time to get My Homestead up and running before this pandemic, as some things Will take time (like the compost), but as always, I Trust the Universe knew exactly what it was doing and the timing is pretty much perfect as far as starting seeds and plants is concerned, especially if One is able to get things going indoors.

Anyway, here is the composted that I made this morning from an old mixing bucket left behind by the contractors who renovated My (beautiful) apartment.

The first step was a little time intensive and tedious, but simple.  I used a Dremel with a drill bit and made hundreds of tiny little holes as seen in the first picture.  It is important that a compost has air circulation.  This isn’t necessarily the ‘ideal’ composter, as chicken wire or similar material Will allow the composted material to fall away from the composter.  This design Will not allow for the compost to fall through the bottom, but the cylindrical shape, once fitted with a lid, Will allow Me to roll the composter around to mix the contents.  When the compost is full, I Will just start a new one until this one is ready, mixing every few days or whenever I think of it.  I Will likely need to have three or four of these to get a Good rotation going.  In the second picture, You can see I have placed a piece of cardboard at the bottom.  This is to stop coffee grounds, crushed egg shells and other small bits to fall through the tiny holes.  The cardboard Will eventually decompose too, and is an essential part of the green/brown compost ratio, which should be roughly 1:4 (one part green, four parts brown).  To find out what constitutes green and brown compost material, refer to the chart below.  Finally, the third picture is My compost in use.  I Will add a couple of handfuls of potting soil to help the compost get started.  The final stage is to add a lid, as the compost should be kept dark if possible.  I don’t have a suitable lid right now but Will find something soon enough.  Not having it covered won’t compromise the compost, it Will just take longer for the contents to decompose into potting soil.

Chart courtesy of ‘Beginners Guide to Composting‘.

Getting a jump start on Spring, these are the sprouts that have already sprung.

And finally, I said I would Keep You updated on painting progress, which is how I spent the remainder of My day in betwixt cooking delicious blueberry pancakes and preparing pasta sauce for dinner.

The work is going slowly, but let’s face it, We have lots of time, so who’s in a rush?

I hope You are all enjoying Your solitude and Hermitic Life.  If You have any homesteading tips You Wish to share, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment.

Love and Blessings, stay covid-19 free!  Happy Sun Day.