Dreaming of Home

92 days left until we move. Time seems to be almost at a standstill at the moment. *sigh* I can't wait to have 4 seasons again! It's almost May,... in about 4 months, I will be smelling the crisp aroma of autumn! Feeling that chill on my skin! Seeing the leaves in their blazing glory of red, orange, and yellow, And going out to the giant pumpkin patch in Green Bluff to pick the perfect jack-o-lanterns for the front yard! Look! Green Bluff has a website! http://www.greenbluffgrowers.com/
But I'm getting a season ahead of myself. Summer in Spokane is almost like living here in Hawaii. The temperature is mild, the weather is wonderful, and the lush landscape can look almost tropical. Just look at this picture:
This isn't a rain forest in Brazil, this is the Little Spokane River in it's summer dress! Here's another picture:Isn't it pretty when the water sparkles like that! And here's a picture from up in the mountains around Mt Spokane:

I just love looking at pictures from the Northwest! We have a million pics too, but they are all the old fashioned kind piled in boxes. One of thse days I need to sit down and start going through them. Maybe someday I'll get caught up with our scrapbooking. HA! Now I'm really dreaming!

Giant Water Lily

From: The Living Rain Forest

"The Giant Amazon Water Lily was discovered growing in the River Amazon in 1801, and first grown in Europe in the mid 19th Century. Known as the “Giant Water-Platter,” the structure of its exceptionally strong leaves inspired Sir Joseph Paxton to construct an immense conservatory at Chatsworth House, in which the lily flowered for the first time in Britain. The leaves of the Brazilian species, Victoria amazonica, reach six feet across and can support the weight of a well-balanced adult.".....

Wow! That's amazing! I knew of these giant lilies, but I never know you could actually sit on one! I would love to grow these someday, but I don't think my whole pond will be much bigger than one leaf of these giants! Not for a few years, at least. The flowers are one foot across!

Here's another article click here where the story of the giant lily gets even more interesting. Check this out:

"Travelers to the Amazon observed that each huge flower opens for only two nights and that large brown beetles are often inside. In the 1970's, a team of scientists from Brazil and The New York Botanical Garden were the first to unravel the complex relationship between the beetles and the flowers. ...
....On the first night, the flower unfurls and scarab beetles are drawn to its butterscotch-and-pineapple scent and pure white color. They are also drawn to its warmth. The researchers found that the flower actually heats up. If the air temperature is 80° F then the inside of the flower can be a cozy 98° F. The beetles crawl inside to stay warm and eat special supplies of sugar and starch. Later that night, the flower cools, closes, and the beetles are trapped inside. As it closes, the flower changes color from white, to pink, to purple. All the next day the beetles stay inside, munching their special food.".....

Making Your Own Herbal Hair Shampoo
By Rudy Silva

Here is a natural shampoo that you can make. First collect the following items:

• 4 oz of castile soap with any scent is that available – plain, peppermint, eucalyptus.

• ½ oz of rosemary - stimulates the hair follicles and helps to prevent premature baldness

• ½ oz of sage – has antioxidants and keeps things from spoiling and is antibacterial

• ½ oz of nettles – acts as a blood purifier, blood stimulator, contains a large source of nutrients for hair growth

• ½ of lavender – controls the production of sebaceous gland oil and reduces itchy and flaky scalp conditions

• 2000 mg of MSM – provides organic sulfur to your scalp, which improves the health and strength of your hair. It also helps to drive herbal nutrient into the skin and follicles where they can do the most good.

• One empty 8 oz plastic bottle, or any other empty shampoo or soap bottle.

Mix the herbs in a mason jar, which has a lid. Boil 2 cups of distilled water. Add 3 heaping tablespoons of the mixed herbs into the boiling water. Pull the boiling water and herbs off the stove. Let the herb mixture sit for 30 – 40 minutes. Put the 2000mg of MSM into the herb mixture after 30 minutes of cooling. After 40 minutes and the MSM is melted, strain the herbal mixture into a bowl.

Pour 2 to 2 1/2 oz of strained herbal tea into the 8 oz plastic bottle. Now, pour the 4 oz of castile soap into the 8 oz plastic bottle. Cap the bottle and shake to mix the ingredients.

The shampoo is now finished and ready for use. Use this as a base for all of the shampoos you make. You can add different herbs as you learn what these herbs do and how they help your hair. You can vary the ingredients according to your taste. But now you have a shampoo that has no additives that can harm you.

We're gonna try this out! I'll report back after we've used it for a while.

(about the picture- translation- "frizzy head?" ... "enjoy the benefits of hair soft and manageable with no frizz")

Rosellas!

Rosellas are one of my all time favorite birds! Native to the forest lands of Australia and surrounding islands, they are not loud and squawky like most parrots. In fact, they have a very pleasant voice. They are inquisitive, playful, and are usually quite tame when raised in captivity. And WOW! What colors! There are 8 main varieties in the wild. Not everyone agrees where to draw the line between the species. If you ask me, if chihuahuas and St Bernards are the same species, then rosellas must be all one species too! But hey, what do I know?
Anywho, I will tell a bit about the 8 main colors found in the wild. Numbers refer to the picture below, left to right. Click on the picture to see it full size.

1. Green Rosella- or Tasmanian Rosella- Platycercus caledonicus- 37 cm- from Tasmania and the larger islands in Bass Strait
2. Crimson Rosella- or Pennant Rosella- Platycercus elegans- 36 cm- east and south east Australia. It has also been introduced to New Zealand and Norfolk Island
3. Adelaide Rosella- Platycercus adelaidae- 35 cm- Southern Australia
4. Yellow Rosella- Platycercus flaveolus- 33 cm- lives along the Murray River
5. Northern Rosella- or Brown's Rosella- Platycercus venustus- 28 cm- northern and northwestern Australia
   
6. Mealy Rosella- or Blue Rosella, includes Blue-Cheeked, and Pale-Headed Rosella (white cheeks)- Platycercus adscitus- 30 cm- Cape York Peninsula, Queensland, Australia
7. Eastern Rosella- or Common Rosella, includes the Golden Mantled Rosella- Platycercus eximius- 30 cm- South-eastern New South Wales and South-eastern South Australia
8. Stanley Rosella- or Western Rosella- Platycercus icterotis- 26 cm- Coastral Areas of South-western Australia

We Have Orders!

Well, the military was finally gracious enough to 'order' us to go home. It took a bit of doing. What happened was that Don retired between the time when the military did things the old fashioned way, with a pen, paper and PERSON, to doing things the new way, with a click and a prayer. In the 3 month time rift between the two systems, Don got lost in hyperspace. No one seemed to know how to handle it. So after the people at Hickam told him to contact Randolf AFB in San Antonio, TX, and then the people at Randolf sent him back to the people at Hickam, Don had had just about enough. He went in to Hickam this morning, armed and ready to threaten them with a formal complaint, but he was pleasantly surprised when they decided to print the orders. Thank goodness somebody had a teaspoon of common sense for breakfast this morning!
This picture is of Nef and me sitting on the cliff watching for whales in the distance. But also out there over the horizon is Washington!
Yes, it is breathtakingly beautiful here. But there are also places in the Pacific Northwest that are just as incredible. My heart is there, so that is where I want to be. But I will never forget the beauty I experienced here in Hawaii. I will miss it! (yes! it is that cold. On 'winter' days here when it is cloudy, cool (in the high 60s), and misty rain driven by strong wind, it can feel downright cold! I'm glad we had our cosy wraps with us that day! It never hurts to be prepared around here!)

Plants can call for help

I just read a really neat article on page 14 in the May issue of Organic Gardening about how if a plant gets attacked by, say, aphids, it sends out a chemical distress call that beneficial insects can hear loud and clear. Then the "5th ladybug army battalion" storms to the rescue, attacking the invaders with a hungry vengeance. The chemical distress signal the plants exude is called methyl salicylate. A healthy plant can send out this chemical 911 that predatory insects can smell from far and wide. They come in droves to feast on the attackers, making harmful sprays in many cases unnecessary!

Isn't this a cute picture?
The ladybug looks like
he's sitting down. What
a way to enjoy this tasty
little red aphid snack! The
picture above is an attack
of yellow aphids.

The Ryukin

Another cute little chubby goldfish that looks very much like the Oranda (from a few posts back) is the Ryukin. These fish do not have a bulky hood, but instead they have a deformed high spine and distended belly, making them sometimes appear vaguely like an angelfish from a profile view. Again these have basically the chubby shape I like in a goldfish, but the hunchback effect is not something I go for. And ryukins just look like they must have an aweful bellyache! I wonder what would happen if I crossed Ryukins and Orandas? Maybe we'll find out! *sly grin* Here are the two types side by side. On the right is a young Oranda. On the left is a Ryukin. Notice the smooth transition from head to back on the oranda and the angle of the ryukin.


Here's another Example. Oranda on the left, Ryukin on the right:

Yellow Cardinal

I grew up with the charming, bright, chirpy North American cardinal. When we moved to Hawaii, I got to know their cute, feisty South American cousins. But I just found out there is another cardinal! The yellow cardinal! Here's the
Bird Life fact sheet
The yellow cardinal is from Argentina and surrounding areas in Southern South America. It is a threatened species due to capture for trade as a song bird, as well as deforestation of its habitat. I hope the Argentine government takes steps to save this jewel! What a cute little bird! I hope I get a chance to see one someday.

Make Your Own Toothpaste!

From Oramedia: Dental Self-Sufficiency. This site is a MUST SEE! There are two e-books available there that everyone should read. I am searching for hard copies! Here's some info from the site on making your own toothpaste:
"Proctor and Gamble and Lever Brothers-and any number of other manufacturers-would like us to believe that the only proper way to care for our teeth is with expensive, highly flavored toothpastes that come in non-biodegradable, throwaway, zinc-and-lead (Now plastic -ed.) tubes.'Tain't so !".............
" MAKE YOUR OWN TOOTH POWDER. Thoroughly mix 3 parts baking soda (the cleanser and sweetener) with part salt (the abrasive) and funnel the compound into a short small-mouthed container such as a pop or beer bottle. You'll find that the creation has a satisfying, different taste and leaves your mouth feeling very fresh and soothed. If you'd like, add a few drops of peppermint or wintergreen oil to the concoction - or mix the home "brew" half-and-half with a commercial tooth powder - to give the dentifrice a more pleasant flavor.........
" MAKE YOUR OWN TOOTH PASTE. This formula is simply an extension of the tooth powder recipe: To each half cup of homemade powder, add 3 teaspoons of glycerin, 10-20 drops of flavoring (peppermint, wintergreen, anise, cinnamon or whatever) and 1 drop of food coloring. Mix the ingredients thoroughly in a bowl and add just enough water to make the concoction "tooth-pastey". Spoon the substance into a small refillable plastic squeeze bottle or any container that dispenses easily and won't leak. VoilÁ! Toothpaste!"
"... homemade creation won't be as smooth...but I know you'll find it more satisfying, less wasteful and - above all - less expensive. You'll be able to make a year's supply of toothpaste (for a family of four) at a total cost of around a buck and a half!"
Much more information at that site!

Going Off-Grid

Sustainability is one of my favorite topics. If we would all live this way, there would be no pollution! Here's a great website full of articles and resources about solar and wind power, composting toilets, greywater systems, and much more! Have a look around!


Here's a great article on setting up a wind generator system.
click here
Here's a magazine! Cool! If you're interested in the subject of Home Power, this magazine is for you! Older articles are all online! This is a huge recourse on renewable power! A real must see!

Home Power Magazine

Breeding Hoodless Orandas

I have always loved the oranda goldfish. I love their long fanned tails. I love there chubby bodies. But what I DON'T love is the oranda "hood"- a bumpy, overgrowth of flesh that grows on top of the fish's head as it gets older. Like this poor guy:

I have always thought that this feature made an otherwise elegant, streamlined fish look top-heavy and very uncomfortable. So I have decided to focus my efforts on breeding hoodless orandas. My favorite colors are calico, and panda. Here's a coulpe pictures of pretty calicos I found online. Also, I found a couple of neet articles. The first, a fish school? No, I mean a school for fish! Just have a look... it's really cute: fish school
And this is a great article on the oranda from Koko's Goldfish World

Oversized Tomatoes!

Nothin' says "fresh from the garden" like a home grown tomato! And I just love those big monsters where ONE slice is almost too big for a sandwich! I think it was Beefsteak that my Mom always planted. But I've heard the raves about Brandywine, and I thought I might give it a try, too. It will be interesting to compare size and flavor of these two mega-maters side by side. .... hmmm.... maybe I'll cross them and develop my own variety!
Here's an article on more than you even wanted to know about the Brandywine tomato: click here
and here's a great article on growing Beefsteaks: click here

Cinnamon!

Nef aksed if we could grow cinnamon. We use lots of it around here, at breakfast on toast, in our cookie-making or (of course) fresh hot cinnamon rolls! Yummy! I know almost nothing about cinnamon, so I Googled and found these:
this source
another source
cinnamon article
It looks like they are not all that easy to grow.... but I like a challenge! :)
We will need a place to keep it in winter, as this is a tree that must not freeze.
Who knows? Maybe we can sell cinnamon in a few years?

The St. Vicent Amazon

One of my favorite parrots of all time is the St. Vincent Amazon. This seriously endangered parrot lives ONLY on the Island of St Vincent in the Caribbean. Part of my vision is to be able to join the effort to save this breathtaking bird and provide and protect a sanctuary for this feathered rainbow. For more information:

http://research.amnh.org/users/russello/ConservMangWorkshop.html http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=0006DF41-A667-1C75-9B81809EC588EF21 http://www3.upatsix.com/gallery/smyth/fact_sheet.htm

Plumeria sprout

Look! My plumeria finally sprouted!

Leadbeater research

If ya know anything about breeding Leadbeaters Cockatoos, you know of the high risk of the male killing the female. Well, I think I may have found a way to reduce that risk. First, Leadbeaters MUST have a very large flight with plenty of activities and distractions to keep Dad busy. It's already pretty common knowledge that you can't breed Leadbeaters in small enclosures. And here's my idea: Have a small flock of budgies in the flight. Provide plenty of cover for them to duck and dodge the larger birds. ...but this would provide a great outlet for Dad's protective instinct and aggression. He could chase the budgies around and hopefully leave Momma-bird alone.
I'm researching breeders as we speak to get on the wait-list for babies in spring 2008. If I'm lucky, maybe I can get a yearling pair.

Moving Update!

The date is officially July 31. Don still has to get orders cut, (The military has to order him to move home?!) but this will be our fly-out date. The movers will be here a couple of weeks before, so that leaves us 3 months to enjoy our time left here in Hawaii. I hope the trades die down a bit. It isn't much fun being outside when the wind is hauling 90-to-nothin!
Lately the sky has been absolutely breathtaking! Crystal-clear deep blue and brilliant puffy pure-white clouds. And afternoons when we have a rain shower- a blazing rainbow across the puffy clouds and blue sky! Truly a site to behold! Here's a picture of one such rainbow at Hickam Air Force Base (next to Pearl Harbor for those who don't know)

The Best-Tasting Corn in History!

Mirai, The Best-Tasting Corn in History!
Story from Park Seed

"The story of this corn's wild popularity is incredible. It was bred on the Ahrens family farm in Illinois by J. David Mackenzie, a plantsman from Cornell University. As the economy worsened for family farms in the early 1990s, the Ahrenses hired Mackenzie to research new strains of sweet corn for market use. When he discovered Mirai®, he was really just trying to create a more disease-resistant variety. But one taste changed all that......"

WOW! It sounds like corn has arrived at perfection! I guess that means I'll be giving this variety a try this year!

Update- I grew a batch of this corn. My family was not impressed. I found a variety that we like much better. Ruby Queen. Look for a later post on this variety.

Carrots

I was doing a bit of research on which carrot varieties I want to grow and a ran across this article.
http://www.cals.wisc.edu/media/news/02_00/carrot_pigment.html
Who knew there was so much to know about carrots! Did you know that orange carrots are relatively new? Check out this quote:
"Surprisingly, purple and yellow carrots were grown and eaten as long ago as 900 AD in Afghanistan, says Simon. People began cultivating orange carrots only about 400 years ago, and most of the world eats them today."
Cool!

On the Move!

This is it! Qwatra is coming to life! I have spent the last 20 years on the move with my hubby as he served his country in the US Air Force. Now it is time to put down some roots and build our own little world. The world of Qwatra! At the end of July we will be moving back home to Spokane, Washington! At first I will begin Qwatra in my own backyard, growing a big garden and setting up my breeding birds and a koi pond. But in all honesty, My goal is much bigger!
This has always been my dream..... always? hmmm.... Well, ok that's a lie! ;)
I grew up on a small farm in Mississippi, and I HATED working in the hot muggy sun-beaten garden, getting pricked by plants, bugged by bugs, stung by wasps and ants. When I left home with my new husband for a life of adventure, vowing never to spend a moment in a garden ever again, little did I know that what I once hated, I would grow to adore with a passion! As the years went by, I longed for the fresh taste of a sun-ripened tomato, the crisp, green flavor of fresh-picked lettuce. To my astonishment, I missed the smell of the earth, the buzz of the bees, and the rewarding satisfaction of holding in my hand a basket full of food I have grown myself

The green garden is just one facet of life on the farm. Over the years we also had chickens, rabbits, cows, ... One of my favorite memories of childhood is going to the hen-house to collect eggs. Growing up in the country gave me a lifelong love of wildlife and the wonderful diversity of nature. As kids we kept all kinds of "pets" from snakes, lizards, frogs, and turtles, to an occasional wild songbird who never seemed to be happy in captivity, so after a few days, I never had the heart to keep it confined. We had several ponds and streams to play in, and we frequently caught tadpoles, minnows, tiny catfish and other fingerling game fish to bring home and watch in a big washtub until finally Mom bought us an aquarium. (Of course we caught a lot of other fish that were eating size!) We grew up in nature. We hunted and fished and cut fire wood. We canned, dried, pickled and preserved the harvest. Though days were long and life was hard at times growing up on a farm, I would not trade it for the world! I am so wholly and completely grateful for the opportunity to experience the joys and trials of farm life as a child!

And NOW...

I want to give back to the world what nature has given me!
Qwatra is my Garden of Eden. It is my passion and goal to bring all the elements of creation alive in this beautiful place I call home. I want to share in the love and joy of nature, share its knowledge of complete health and healing medicine, share its bounty and abundance with others, and share the beauty with all who pass my way!

With heartfelt joy I say,
Welcome to Qwatra Gardens!