Dateline: 9 January 2015
Well, so much for my idea of “Deliberate Agrarian Lite,” which I announced late last year. I guess I’m not capable of being brief. So I’ll blog as I have been, blogging and when I get overwhelmed, I’ll just take another month off.
January and February are very slow months for my Planet Whizbang business (so it’s easier to find time to blog). I still ship mail orders out every single day but not in large numbers. Ricky, my mail man, appreciates this time of year too.
Things start to pick up in March and take off from there. We thoroughly enjoy the downtime. It’s a season for updating my web sites, building up product inventory, dreaming, and doing some creative projects.
Here’s a few odd things that I find interesting, and you might too...
The Deliberate Agrarian
Is A Top Prepper Web Site (?)
While I don’t present this blog as a “prepper” web site, it is, apparently, interpreted as such. I recently found it mentioned in Michael Snyder’s Get Prepared: 122 of The Best Prepper Web Sites on the Internet.
Dale Nichols
Agrarian Artist
I posted a picture of a painting by Dale NIchols awhile back. That picture led me to a nice 5-minute YouTube clip about him and his art. Here is the link: The Forgotten Artist: A Nebraska Story
Pastoral Symphony &
Rethinking The
Wringer Washing Machine
I have added a new blog to my list of agrarian bloggers (on the right side of this page). Check out Pastoral Symphony and, in particular, be sure to read The Economics of Laundry, which had me looking for old wringer washing machines on Craig’s List. They are out there, and they are still working, and they are reasonably priced.
Granny Miller’s
New Shed
Granny Miller’s blog is back and she has a new studio shed that is simply beautiful. It has me thinking that I need another shed (for my business) and that it doesn’t need to look like just another shed. Click Here to see what I mean.
Also, “Granny” has a new photo blog at The Homestead Daily.
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14 comments:
i am glad you are back to regular postings... i always appreciate the thoughts or things to consider in any given day.
i think these days, any comment or blog that is "self-production" is labelled as "prepper". our consumer culture is so ingrained, that when ideas of producing anything for ourselves immediately is outside mainstream, and can be seen even radical. too bad.
i remember cringing as a high schooler at the label of "consumer"... and still do.
Last night my 5th grade daughter told me how their music class often colors pictures while listening to music from other cultures. i'm off to determine how much "music" class is spent learning new musical skills and how much is "consuming music." Even the high school english class spends days watching movies related to literature they should be reading...
many school and church talent shows over the holidays were full of lip sync and "air band" performances. used to be talent shows demonstrated a talent that was produced by hard work and a learned skill.
sorry for the soapbox. thanks again for posting more ;-)
We live close to David City Nebraska. May have to take a trip over to the museum to see more of Dale Nichols work. Love to read your blog so am glad you are back to the "regular".
Dear Herrick Kimball,
You may consider this a fan letter. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading The Deliberate Agrarian for about two years. However, this is my first time to leave a comment. I just wanted to say a big THANK YOU for expending the time, effort and energy to share your ideas and insights on your blog. I usually agree with you. You often inspire me, and I also learn much by reading your posts.
Please keep on doing what you do. I'm sure I must represent many others out here in cyber land who benefit from your blogging, but have never yet let you know - until now. Whether you blog long or short, regularly or just occasionally, it is all appreciated.
I turn 70 next week and live with my good wife on a seven acre mountaintop homestead. We grow most of what we eat, chop the wood that warms us, do our own building, and create our own fun. I didn't know we were "agrarians" until I stumbled across your blog. You articulate so well many things I have long felt but have never fully expressed.
Thank you again.
I am pretty sure your chicken butchering writeup and garden blogging qualifies you as a prepper site.
I had to look on Craig's list too and yes, a couple of wringer/washers popped up and pretty reasonable too. "Just keep your fingers out of the wringer!" (a comment by the salesman to Anna Kennedy in "The Hard Surface Road".)
I too want to echo Stephen from TN's comments. The Chicken butchering site is what I used to teach myself chicken butchering. I wrote out the steps and taped them to the back of my Whizbang Scalder so they would be handy. I've done enough chickens this year that I have the process down pat, but it was pretty clumsy at first.
Write when you can and don't beat yourself up when you don't have time. I've been tempted to start my own blog lately about the farmhouse I am gutting this winter. (We hope to live there one day.) I think some people blog to gather feedback or helpful advice on projects. Accountability, and a Journal would be other good reasons.
I am a fairly recent arrival but very much enjoy your writing Herrick. I try to write regularly and know what a feeling of a time sink it can be. Thank you so much for doing it.
wildbillb,
Your comment reminds me of 8th grade music class. It was 1972. The class wasn't much interested in music and the teacher sensed it. So he told us to bring in records we liked and the class could listen to them. I didn't own a single record at that age. But one of the kids brought in a record with Country Joe McDonald singing the song that made him famous at Woodstock. "Gimme an F"... and so on. I had never hear the song before and, judging from the teachers reaction, he hadn't either. It was playing loud and the teacher's face got beet red when he realized what was happening, but he let it play all the way through.
Anonymous—
Let me know what you think of the Museum of Agrarian Art. Have you ever heard of Kimball, Nebraska? I once e-mailed the town web site and asked if there were any Kimballs in Kimball. I got a reply that there hasn't been any Kimballs in Kimball for a long time. So I reckon if I ever move to Nebraska, I'll move to Kimball. Because it's just not right that Kimball doesn't have a single Kimball.
Stephen in Tennessee,
It's a pleasure to have you comment here. I'm pleased to know you're a reader. I reckon you were agrarian before agrarian was cool. Best wishes.
Hi RonC,
Thank you. I had forgotten about the wringer washer in Uncle Clyde's book. I'm going to e-mail you a couple of stories Clyde wrote for FH magazine years ago.
Torid & etc.,
Time sink. You've got that right. But there is something in me that gets satisfaction out of writing. I'm glad to know that others enjoy the result. Thanks for the comment.
Mr Kimball, you already know that I am an ardent fan. But you really do make a difference. I am so glad others feel the same way about your writings.
Pam Baker
Is a Planet Whizbang laundry wringer up next? I too have been watching Craig's List for them, thinking I might be able to run my sorghum stalks through one, but they aren't cheap (or least not cheap to me) around here. I think I have the spare parts, but probably not the know-how to build one. One more "some day" project.
"Time sink. You've got that right" Reading them is also a time sink but relationships are. Yours is very instructive and close to the heart. It is like chatting with a like-minded friend.
Jim in Texas
Thanks for the link to the video on Dale Nichols. I grew up near David City, NE, but had never heard the name. I do recognize some of his paintings, though.
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