Yesterday, a tornado or tornadoes struck central illinois. I watched the top of the tornado pass to the north of my neighborhood. Alexa got a picture of the "sisters" from her house.

Pictures here: http://www.centralillinoisnewscenter.com/younews?cid=recent

A's neighborhood participated in the city's Earth Day cleanup. The city dropped two dumpsters - one for trash and one for yard waste in the neighborhood. Volunteers arrived around 10 to start cutting the dense overgrowth along the grassy alley along A's property. Five hours later we are taking truckloads to the community dumpster. We would stop ( Read more... )

...except during global climate change.

Flowers at the homestead:

about to bloom red tulips


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First pictures of the garden.
( green, green, green )

I helped build this.

Ziggy's slide show of cob house with living roof construction.
http://small-scale.net/yearofmud/2009/11/10/the-year-of-mud-cob-house-picture-slideshow/

Going to look at 40 acres about 75 minutes from town. $3600/acre. No improvements. No buildings.

Satellite from Goog

Found this through powerswitch

Global Footprint Network (GFN)
GFN supports the creation of a sustainable economy by advancing the scientific rigour and practical application of the Ecological Footprint as a measurement and policy tool, with the goal of making ecological limits central to decision-making everywhere ( Read more... )

Solstice!!

First thing in the morning, I'll head up to the Monastery and the good Sisters of Benedict. We are working at a Habitat for Humanity house - putting in a small vegetable garden. I turn the phone off and may not blog until Sunday night. I'll take the camera for some pictures.

Have a great Solstice!

It may frost tonight so I went out and took the last of the vegetables except those under the cold frame.


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I've been reading Wendell Berry's works including his essays, poems, and scathing condemnation of the USDA's policies. I went looking for more recent pieces and found a May 2008 article in Harper's on Limitless Consumerism. Sobering.