After you’ve gotten your mead in to your fermenter, you’ll need to carefully watch for signs of fermentation. If after the first week you don’t see any signs of fermentation, you should troubleshoot and correct any issues. Signs of fermentation may include bubbles rising up through the airlock or an increase in depth of the…
Building a Raised Bed Trellis
Adding a trellis to your raised bed is an excellent way to maximize the usable space in your garden. Spreading plants like squash, cucumbers, and zucchini are well known for taking over garden beds. Between munching pests and diseases, you need to get your plants off the ground and out of reach. We built a…
Hiking the Puget Sound
Hiking trails near the Puget Sound offer a wide range of trains, eco systems, and density of people. The variety accommodates the needs of different dynamics of people seeking adventure in the great outdoors. From water views to mountain climbs, the Puget Sound is an outdoor playground. I’ve compiled some highly recommended short hikes and…
Hiking Olympic National Park (with a dog)
The Olympic National Park is a huge draw for those wanting to get out of the city. Just a short drive from downtown Seattle, it’s easy to escape city life and get lost in the untamed wild. National Parks as a whole restrict pets from most hiking trails. However, there are easy and accessible places…
Common Garden Pests in the PNW
Gardening in the Pacific Northwest isn’t without it’s hosts of problems. Common garden pests such as slugs, deer, and rabbits can decimate your garden. What are other common pests do gardeners run into and how do you deal with them? I recently came out to my garden to find many of plants topped off, let…
Building a Raised Bed Garden Tips and Tricks
One of the first projects that we decided to do after moving to Washington included building a new raised bed garden. I had one in San Diego that turned out to be fantastic; all of my plants grew phenomenally. For others out there, you may wonder if a raised bed is necessary for growing plants. …
Building a Horse Wire Fence
Check out our Youtube video on building on horse wire fence, or read on about the process. Our rescue dog, Kona, is a 90 lb mutt that has been compared to a tank, horse, cow, bull… in other words, he’s big. He’s also really stubborn and struggles with separation anxiety. We need a back yard…
Comparing Options for a Cross Country Move
My husband and I recently made the decision to move from Southern California to just outside of Seattle, partially driven by circumstances surrounding COVID-19. While developing our game plan for moving, we investigated different options for a cross country move. Even though we haven’t landed on a final decision, we developed our own pros and…
Sourdough: The Not-Such-a-New-Trend
The recent pandemic has resulted in a surge of home bakers taking the opportunity to try their hand at new or length recipes that their work schedules never previously allowed. Sourdough bread might seem like a new trend, but before the advent of modern refrigeration, baker’s yeast was rare or non-existent. If you wanted fresh…
Scanning Old Family Negatives at Home
Recently, my father in law entrusted me with a box of old family photos and letters. Inside, there were a stack of old, faded negatives. At first, I was afraid we’d have to take them to a professional scanner or photo developer to see the images, beyond just holding them up to the light. However,…