Mind Your Dirt – Page 25 – The weirder side of urban organic gardening with a smidgen of backyard chickens and danger

July 7, 2015

Sasha's Third Birthday

So I’m going to get off topic because today is a very special day in my home. Sasha turns three today!! Every birthday is a special one to me you see because Sasha’s fate was in question before I rescued her. Here’s a little back story for you.

I rescued Sasha from the San Diego Humane Society when she was 7 months old. Her previous owners gave up this absolutely beautiful and sweet girl because she had major hip dysplasia and they couldn’t afford the surgery. At least that was what I was told at the time. A year later I was trying to track down the previous owners to see if they wanted to see Sasha again and if they had any puppy photos I could have. I’m still dying to see her as a little puppy! Well, it turns out they gave her up because they’re landlord didn’t want them to have a dog. Now if it was me, I would’ve moved. No way would I give up Sasha for any reason. Ever! I’ve given up the search thinking that maybe it’s for the best that they are separated. Choosing an apartment over this sweet angel speaks volumes about their priorities.

Sasha was born with the hip dysplasia in both of her back legs and could never really walk very well. The surgery would’ve been fairly steep, somewhere in the neighborhood of $1,400. So off to the pound she went. Poor baby girl!

The good people at the Humane Society decided she needed to be walking again so they actually footed the bill! How awesome is that!? It’s super awesome; to answer my own question. When I saw her for the first time, she was one week out of surgery and was still a bit wobbly. But oh so cute and happy to meet me. The woman who introduced us told me that she would be on meds for the rest of her life and it would get expensive. I decided I didn’t care because if I didn’t take her, then who would? The thought of her medical condition keeping her from being adopted was too much for my heart to bear. So I adopted!

The actual vet talked with me next and reassured me that she would not need any medication at all and hip dysplasia surgery was often extremely successful. She even said that Sasha would be running around in no time! I was so relieved. I think that other lady was trying to keep her for herself. I just had to keep her from running for a week and do stretches with her for about a month. I also have to keep her weight down so she doesn’t suffer from arthritis later on in life. I like to give her food rich with omega 3 fatty acids that really help with joint problems as a secondary way to battle arthritis. Today she runs and jumps and dances about like a fool.

Here she is when I brought her home. She loved her new bed I got for her. You can still see the surgery remnants in this photo.

Sasha right after adoption taking nap — Fuzzy Wumpkins!

My heart still melts every time I see her or think about her or see a photo of her. Basically, my heart is always all melty. It’s true what they say about rescue animals, they do in fact end up rescuing you in the end. After I lost my pop in 2010 to the cancer, I was an emotional wreck most of the time. Just all around lost and disinterested in just about everything. I put on a strong face, but it was all bullshit. I was a hot mess. Sasha came into my life and turned it all around. I’m now merely a luke-warm mess. I owe her everything for what she’s done for me. Now my heart is a bazillion times bigger and soars like an eagle! And just for poops and giggles, here’s us in a boat on the 4th of July…

Sasha and Me Boating on the Fourth of July — We’ve come a long way kiddo.

So that gets you all caught up. Now for her 3rd birthday surprise! In keeping with supplying her with those aforementioned omega 3’s I made a delicious meal of food. For the eating!

For tonight’s dinner we will be serving lightly sautéed wild caught Alaskan salmon with a flaxseed oil and oregano glaze on a bed of roasted walnuts and freshly harvest Swiss chard with a side of slow roasted lamb bone. The main course has more omega 3’s than you can count on two hands. It’s riddled with it! Bon appétit.

Sasha's Birthday 01b_Alaskan Wild Caught Salmon Sauteed in Flaxseed Oil on a bed of Walnuts and Swiss Chard — A lovely medley of Alaskan wild caught salmon richly sautéed in flaxseed oil on a bed of warm roasted walnuts and fresh Swiss chard.

At first she was skeptical that this place setting could possibly be for her. Or perhaps it was my unnecessary inclusion of silverware…Who can say?

Can it be true? Yes Sasha, that is all you baby! The next few moments were a blur of fur and tooth. I took a bunch of photos but was only to capture one decent one.

Sasha's Birthday 03_Sasha Swallowing the Salmon WHole — Wild-eyed and driven mad with flavor!

Seconds later and the plate was all but empty.

Sasha's Birthday 03b_An Almost Empty Plate — “nom nom nom.”

After the main course, she thought it best to enjoy the second course on the front of the estate.

Sasha's Birthday 04_Sasha Prefers Her Second Course on the Lawn — “Quid pro quo. Did you hear the lambs Clarice? What were they doing Clarice?”

As I write this she is rolling around in the grass in some form of fattened pure joy that I will never truly experience. So raise your glass to the bestest cutest fuzziest wumpkins in the whole wide universe! Happy birthday Sasha!

Sasha Portrait 01 — “I’m tree years ode!”

A boy and his dog — The boy and his dog fade off into the horizon…

June 29, 2015

The @#&*+$% Waterfall Pump is Clogged Again!

It creeps upon me like a slow death, void of meaning or romance. From my bedside I can hear the daily lessening of its once mighty cry as it slowly dies. A single tear forms in the corner of my tired eye as I realize in the dreamy state that something is terribly wrong. The deafening roar of water that once dominated my senses begins to weaken to a soft purr of drip-drop failure.

My failure. My shame.

My waterfall pump.

Were I a better man, I would have cleaned out its sterile, dwarfed and paltry mini micro filter daily. But I didn’t. Because it’s @#&*+$% God-awful annoying to do that. I curse the pump filter demons that have taken hold of my once amazing water feature! Just look at this pathetic thing; after three solid days of “work” it’s all gummed up.

Waterfall Pump Clog 01_Useless mini filter that comes with the pump — “Hi, my name is Useless the Blob. Can I get you some failure or misery?”

Continue reading “The @#&*+$% Waterfall Pump is Clogged Again!”

June 23, 2015

The Grapes of Wrath Part III: Juicing and Grape Popsicles

Okay, I am officially over these grapes!! As I am certain that you, my gentle readers, are over them as well. This represents my very last post on the subject. Until next year’s crops come in that is. So I’ll make this brief and to the point so we can all move on to bigger and better things!

When I close my eyes at night I have flashes and visions of grapes washing over me. They have it in for me I’m sure of it. The more I harvest, the more I find. They are multiplying and hell-bent on taking over the world! All that stands between you and total grape global dominance is my tenacious efforts to eat them in multiple forms before they overpower and crumble governments.

I am the man on the wall and your last hope for grape free salvation!

Last weekend I enlisted the aid of the lovely Nury to help take out a large portion of the grapes evil troops. She held aloft the giant bowl of power as I hacked and plucked with great fervor and determination. The strain from the shear weight of these fallen soldiers was almost too much for her to bear. Yet she held fast!

The plan of attack was to pull the life giving juices out from the harbingers of grapey destruction leaving nothing but food for the worms and the despairing cry of thousands of fallen grape warriors.

In other words, we made juice.

Not sure why I felt the need to add so much drama, but there it is regardless. If you require some more backstory in case you’ve arrived here directly via the mysteries of the interwebs, check out this article and this article. Then you will better understand why I’m over the grapes at this point.

The juice needed some straining in cheese cloth that was purchased after this photoshoot, which explains its heavy sediment. Having this grape pulp added too much bitterness to the juice for my liking, but once it was strained it was crazy good.

The popsicles were made by adding a mixture of water and sugar to sweeten them up. I’m sure there’s a fancy culinary name for that mixture, but damned if I know it. A sugar reduction maybe (edit: simple syrup)? Either way, they were also very refreshing.

I also had a sneak peek into the upcoming concord grape harvest as one of the bunches began ripening way earlier than the others. I’m sure there’s a name for this as well. Now there’s a grape I can stand behind! I haven’t had a decent concord since I moved to SoCal fifteen years ago. Like an old friend. I can’t wait for the rest to come in.

So now I’m through more than half of the Niagara grapes and am taking orders for all friends and families and neighbors in the local vicinity to come and harvest the rest as I am, like I said, officially over all things grape related! See, that wasn’t too long and drawn out now was it?