Too much water, too little water

Posted on September 1, 2017 by Myke Johnson

I have been thinking about the flooding in Houston, and all the other devastating ways the planet is adapting to our carbon in the air, with changing weather patterns, intense storms, different water patterns. Thankfully, my sister and other family members in the Houston area are safe. Meanwhile, we have drought here in Maine. It hasn’t rained for over ten days. I don’t have answers for what to do about the new reality of flooding in our land, but I thought I could talk about what we are doing to address drought here in Maine.

So, last week, we were able to finish the rest of our rain barrels! One of the useful aspects of rain barrels is to preserve water in the landscape to be able to weather the ups and downs of water flow. We now have rain barrels gathering the run-off from each roof on our land.

The final rain barrel is finished!

Measure the downspout I want to post about the learning session that Dave led on the 23rd to finish our rain barrels and teach a few of us more about how to install rain barrels. I will talk today about how to attach the barrels to the downspouts of our gutters. Once the rain barrels themselves are positioned, you can measure and mark the downspout about 8 to 12″ above the top of the barrel.

Unscrew the downspout attachment

Then remove the downspout by unscrewing the fastening screws on the wall and to the gutter. Once those are unfastened, you can pull the vertical downspout apart from the connectors to the gutter.

Unscrew the connector

The fun part is cutting the downspout itself to the right length with tin snips, using both right-handed and left-handed snips. (Right handed are red-handled, and left are green.) The basic idea is to mark the downspout with a pencil line all around, and be aware of the part you are going to keep, and the other part which will not be part of the finished downspout (the scrap side–but you can save it for other uses.) Then punch a hole with the point of the snips near your line, but in the scrap side, and start cutting around the marked line. But, also, about an inch further into the scrap side, you start another cut, so that you can work both those cuts at the same time. It makes it easier to go round the downspout. If you are right-handed, you use the right hand snip for your “good” cut, and the other snip for the helping cut. This picture shows a left-handed person making the good cut. As you go around the pipe you can cut off that little strip so it doesn’t get in your way. Cutting the downspout

Once the downspout is cut, you reattached it to the gutter, and reattach the screws, or make new ones as needed to attach it to the wall. Then, attach a plastic downspout extension piece that you can buy at a hardware store in large or small sizes, and position it to end over your rain barrel (see first picture). Hurray!

Wounds Remembered

Posted on July 20, 2017 by Myke Johnson

[View from our tent Friday morning, photo by Margy Dowzer]

Healing the Wounds of Turtle Island was a powerful, moving, four-day gathering, with teachings and ceremonies led by Indigenous elders from near and far. It included the stories of so many people, many of which are not mine to tell. But I want to share some of my own story at the gathering.

Wabanaki means people of the dawn, and there were ceremonies at sunrise each day led by Bobby Billie, a spiritual leader from the Seminole in Florida. I am also a person called to the dawn, so I was present each day for that time.

The first day, several of us had gathered near the arbor in the mist around 5 a.m., but no one had yet arrived to lead the lighting of the fire. So I prayed my own dawn prayers, and felt this message from the sun–“You are all bathed in love.” Later that morning, Anishinaabe women from the Midewiwin Lodge sang a song about the love the Sun has for all of us. I was so moved by the melody, the voices, the drumming on the Little Boy drum. It went straight to my soul. They said it was about the first woman to walk the earth, expressing her joy at seeing everything in creation.

The first day was devoted to healing the wounds carried within the hearts and minds of the people from our long history of violence. The wound that became clear to me was a Great Forgetting: first there was a great disconnection of my ancestors from their connection with all of creation, and then there was a great forgetting so that the people would be unaware that they were wounded, disconnected, and thus never realize that they had once been connected. At the end of the ritual, we each were invited to offer tobacco to the fire and make a solemn promise. My promise was to remember, to remember the wound and to remember the connection.

Also coming into my thoughts was the herb that has appeared on our land–St. John’s Wort–which has traditionally been understood as useful for depression, and also as a wound healer. I seemed to hear in my mind, this plant can help when you remember the wound of disconnection, when you open to the pain underneath the great forgetting. I had harvested some of the plants earlier in July, and they were infusing in oil at home–the oil turns red from the plants. When I got home, I also harvested more of the plants and hung them to dry in our garage, for making tea.

I know that there will be many more rememberings, lessons I carry from this time, but perhaps that is enough for now. I do want to offer my thanks to Sherri Mitchell who has carried the dream of these ceremonies for many years, and who called us together and enabled it to come alive.

Healing the Wounds of Turtle Island

Posted on July 13, 2017 by Myke Johnson

Margy and I are packing up this morning to drive north for a special ceremony. It has been difficult to pull everything together. This packing, the 2-3 hour drive, finding the strength it requires to travel–all of this is really a part of the ceremony. We bring our complete selves, with our own wounds and brokenness, our own love for the earth. We ask that our participation may be a blessing. Send us your blessings too. It is quite an amazing gathering and hundreds of people from around the world will be together from July 14-17. Here is the call and description from the event page posted by Sherri Mitchell:

Prophecy of the Eastern Gate

Our ancestors tell us that the Eastern Gate is where we will gather to begin the healing of this land. It is here in the East where first contact was made between the Native peoples and the newcomers. It is here that the first blood was spilled between our people, and our history of violence began. So, it is here on this same land that the healing must begin.

The Wabanaki, the people of the first light, are the keepers of the Eastern Door. We are the first peoples to greet Kihsus, the Sun, each morning, and Nipawset, the Moon, each evening. Now, we open our hearts and our homes to greet all of you, so that together we may begin to heal the wounds of Turtle Island and set a new path forward for all life.

This ceremony will be a coming together of people from all over the world, to acknowledge the common wound that we all carry from our shared history of violence. No matter where we come from, we all carry the wounds of historical trauma within us. Whether we were the victims, the perpetrators, or the witness to that violence, that wound is imprinted on our spirits. Now, the time has come for us to acknowledge that wound, together, so that we can heal it and begin working together to heal Mother Earth.

Structure of Ceremony
The first day will be for healing the wounds carried within the hearts and minds of the people. The second day will be for healing the wounds of Mother Earth. And, the third day will be for healing the energetic and spiritual imprint of that wound that lays over the Earth.

The ceremonies will be conducted by spiritual elders from Indigenous communities around the world, and by spiritual leaders from other traditions. We will be gathering on healing ground, along the Penawahpskek (Penobscot) River, at Nibezun in Passadumkeag, Maine.

People from every corner of the world, and from all walks of life are welcome. We ask that you come with a good heart, and good mind, and carry the intention of healing with you.

It’s Called Penobscot for a Reason

Posted on July 10, 2017 by Myke Johnson

[Penobscot chief, Kirk Francis, speaking at the rally]

Yesterday, I went up to Bangor for a Penobscot River Sovereignty Rally. This was in response to a recent Appeals Court ruling that stated that the Penobscot River is not a part of the Penobscot Nation–despite the history, despite the fact that the water has never been ceded by any treaty. This description is from the Event Page:

On Friday, June 30th, the First Circuit Court of Appeals sanctioned the State of Maine’s territorial taking of the Penobscot Nation’s ancestral waterways, by ruling against the Tribe in the Penobscot Nation v. Attorney General Janet Mills, case.

We will not accept this decision. We now call upon ALL of our friends to come and stand with us during this critical time, to say no to the State’s continued infringement upon Tribal rights. Their attempts to violate standing treaty rights and the Maine Claims Settlement Act, by continuing to diminish tribal rights is a shameful shadow on Maine’s history. The Attorney General’s attempts to mislead the public regarding the facts of this case are egregious. She has continuously spread falsities regarding the nature of the Tribe’s interest. It is time that her lies be dragged out into the public sphere and made clear for all to see!

The Penoscot Nation has shared these waterways freely with all of our relatives along the Penoscot River for generations. We have guarded and protected these waterway for all users for centuries. And, when the State allowed it to be contaminated, we took responsibility for cleaning it. Now, the State wants to take these waterways from us, so that they can allows industry another opportunity to desecrate these vital waters, through mountain top mining and hydro-fracking.

The Penobscot Nation has held these waters in trust for all Mainers, and we are the only ones that have taken the initiative to restore these waters to health. We now ask all Mainers to stand with us, so that we can protect these waters for future users.

There was a good article in today’s paper that explains some of the legal issues involved. I encourage everyone to read Diane Oltarzewski’s Maine Voices: Judge’s dissent in ruling on Penobscot River sets vital legal precedents.

I feel indescribably sad about the continued colonization against the Penobscot people and other Indigenous people on this continent. When will our society ever stop?

Layers of Community-Fire

Posted on July 5, 2017 by Myke Johnson

Coming back to the Permablitz of June 24, another project that was completed that day was a fire circle. As Lisa Fernandes said, every home needs a place to burn things. So she was our team leader for the fire circle, and gathered in the layers of community for the element of fire. With a community of workers!

Ground prep for Fire Circle Lisa & the boys First they had to remove big pile of bittersweet brush (that we will eventually burn) from the spot we had chosen. Lisa and Kristen gathered together the stone blocks that would be used. (But there could have been other helpers–at that moment I was over in the garden beds.) Then they prepared the ground with a layer of sand. Our youngest permablitz members got into the sand-tamping process, as well as Lisa and Kristen.

I love the first layer of stones, and the circle that it creates on the sand. I heard that they found this method of creating a fire pit via a youtube video. The second layer (in case anyone wants to copy) uses a staggered spacing on top of these, and includes four openings for air–which they positioned to the north, east, south, and west. Then a third layer is placed on the top. Somewhere in the process, for the middle layer, you have to knock off a little edge on the bricks. Fire Circle first layer on sand.jpg Finally, they brought a whole pile of pine mulch for the seating area around it, and then laid some bittersweet brush and pine cones for our first fire. Permaculture is not just about a way of gardening but also about how communities care for each other. Its three principles have been summed up as earth care, people care, and future care. So having a place to gather with others is an integral part of our permaculture design.

By the way, if you want to see all the photos from the day, you can find them at the Meet-up site.

Layers of Community-Rain Barrels

Posted on July 2, 2017 by Myke Johnson

[Margy and Dave testing the spigot height]

Part of the work of our Permablitz on Saturday was installing rain barrels. How is this a layer of community? Because water creates a link between all living beings. When it rains, water washes over the land, and also pours from our roofs into gutters and downspouts. By installing rain barrels, we have the capacity to slow down the flow of water–to bring more of it into use for the community of plants we are cultivating. So when it rains, it waters our garden twice–once during the rain, and then once more when we use the water in the barrels to water plants on the dry days. Mike & Sharon hauling cinder blocks

AND: we had a community of people helping to install the rain barrels. First they had to haul cement blocks to the five sites for the barrels.

Rain barrel team-Dave, Chris, Carla, Harold, Mike, Sharon (hidden)

Then David taught everyone on the team the process of the installation. I wasn’t able to be a part of that team, but some things I observed.

Rain barrels Carla & Chris

The land at the site was cleared of mulch and grass, and leveled off. Then sand was added, and tamped down and leveled. The cement blocks were positioned on the sand base.

Rain Barrel Spigots Dave & Carla

Meanwhile, another part of the team was drilling correct size holes in the barrels for spigots. These spigots are able to be removed in the winter, so the rain barrels can stay in place. So the spigots were installed. Holes were also drilled for connecting tubes for overflow and to connect more than one barrel per downspout.

Rain Barrels Dave & Sharon With all that done, the barrels could be positioned on the concrete blocks. Then, the downspouts were cut short, and a curvy connector was attached to bring the water to the barrel.

Finally it was possible for it all to be hooked up. The team was able to complete the hook up for four rain barrels, and do everything except the hook up for two more. We have two more rain barrels that we hope to install later.

The Layers of Community

Posted on June 28, 2017 by Myke Johnson

[Before–Growing beds marked with flour and flags]

On Saturday, we hosted our Permablitz! (See “more before” photos here.) Over 20 people came to our yard and worked together on projects such as installing rain barrels, building a composting system from pallets, building a fire circle, and creating five more growing beds for future fruit trees, raspberry bushes, & hazelnut bushes, and one bed for flowers & herbs. We also got the first shovelfulls dug for a pond.

[Opening Circle]

At the end of the day, I got teary-eyed with the sense of Gift. The generosity of so many individuals coming together and creating something so beautiful and full, helping us to realize our dreams for this piece of land was deeply moving. There is something about this giving and receiving of human attention and wisdom and care, that feeds our hearts. Much of our lives are shaped by transactions—we pay a certain amount of money, and receive a product. Or, we put in so many hours and receive a paycheck. But giving and receiving freely and generously touches something much deeper. Giving and receiving must trigger deep neurotransmitters in our internal chemistry, sparking a profound sense of well-being and belonging.

I also realized how many layers of community are involved in such a project. One layer is this community of people who care about the earth, and who come together to give and receive, to learn, to share, to grow, to get to know each other. People connections are made.

Another layer is the community of the soil. During the blitz I was mostly working with several others on the project for creating new growing beds. We were adding nutrients through sheet mulching so that the soil could create a thriving fertile community. I have learned so much about the variations in soil communities from the book The Holistic Orchard by Michael Phillips.

What a food forest needs, what fruit trees need, is soil whose fungal community is stronger than its bacterial community. In contrast, annual vegetables and flowers and grasses prefer soil with a stronger bacterial community. A bacterial community is enhanced by tilling the soil and incorporating organic matter by turning it into the soil. A fungal community is enhanced by no tilling, but rather adding organic matter on the top of the soil to decompose, as it happens in the forest. (Similarly, compost that is left unturned will generate a stronger fungal community.)

[Cathleen forking the soil]

We prepared the soil by aerating it with garden forks–since it had been rather compacted. We added some granite dust for mineral enhancement, then put down a layer of cardboard to kill grasses and weeds.

Raspberry Bed-manure & chaff Mihku & Heather

[Mihku & Heather adding manure and chaff]

Then, we added chicken manure, coffee chaff, seaweed, leaves, grass clippings, composted manure, and a really thick layer of deciduous wood chips. We were able to get a delivery of 8 yards of wonderful ramial deciduous wood chips–these are chips which include lots of thin branches, which have more lignin content that is not yet woody. The wood chips are the most important part of enhancing the fungal community.

We also made several pathways with cardboard and wood chips, and I will complete those bit by bit in the next days. Now, the process works on its own–I add some water or it gets rained on–and the microbes will work together over the next several months (and years) to create a thriving soil community. We will plant trees and bushes next spring. My friend Roger Paul said that the Wabanaki word for “soil” means giver of life. After-Fruit Tree & Flower/Herb Beds

Permablitz, almost here!

Posted on June 21, 2017 by Myke Johnson

We’ve been getting ready for our Permablitz this coming Saturday–a big permaculture work party where 20 or more people gather to do projects in our yard. We’ve gathered cardboard for sheet mulching, had a great big pile of deciduous mulch delivered, got a bucket of granite dust, ordered concrete blocks for rain barrel stands, got clearer on a few design elements, met the wise and wonderful folks who will be team leaders for our various projects, and many other details. And we’ve talked to our blitz coordinator and friend Heather many many times. Thank you Heather! We still have to gather seaweed, and get pallets, and make food, and…. You can find more details about the blitz here: https://www.meetup.com/maine-permaculture/events/240585144/

In the meantime, our cherry tree polycultures are now green with clover. Cherry Tree clover rings

Here are some “before pictures for the yard, first, where fruit tree, raspberry and herb and flower beds are going to be created.

Permablitz before photo

And here the yellow markers mark a future bed for hazelnut bushes to form a little hedge. Permablitz before photo 2

Permablitz!

Posted on May 6, 2017 by Myke Johnson

We just found out that we were chosen to be a Permablitz site this season, on June 24! Permablitzes are organized by the Resilience Hub in Portland, and as described on their website:

Permablitzes are essentially the mother of all work parties, permaculture-style. With permablitz events we tap into our own local “barn raising” ethos to help each other install edible landscapes, renewable energy, water collection systems and more all in one day.

Our hopes are to install several rain barrels, create a frog pond and a fire circle, maybe help with our bittersweet control, and do more soil enhancements and aeration. We think of these as structural components of our garden, and it is also suggested by permaculture experts to do any earth shaping projects near the start of your work–the frog pond is in that category. Also, depending on where we are in our planting process, we might get help with sheet mulching and plantings for our cherry tree guilds, and Sylvia’s herb garden. Our friend Sylvia, who helped us plant our cherry trees, has studied herbal healing. She doesn’t have land where she lives, so we invited her to create an herb garden here at our home. We are so excited about this collaboration!

I have been to several Permablitz work parties over the last few years, and while there is a great benefit to hosting a Permablitz, there is also a lot of benefit to participating as a worker. Along with the joy of helping someone’s garden grow, I have learned a little more each time about the principles of permaculture, about strategies for water collection, about soil health, about growing gardens in general, about ideas for edible landscapes that I might never have heard about. It is also a lovely way to meet folks who care about the earth, and our relationship to it. So if you will be in Portland on June 24th, you are invited to come to our Permablitz. When the event is posted with all the details, I’ll share it.

Permaculture Design, Phase One This is a section of our evolving Permaculture Design for our yard. (It didn’t really work to try to put the whole design into one photo, so this is of the half of the yard nearest the house.) I had started this design by measuring everything in our yard and putting them on grid paper–the grids equate to 3 feet square. Then we had lots more input with our Intro to Permaculture Design class, and a conversation afterward with the leaders, Heather and Julie.

Last weekend, I went back to the original, and filled in some trees that were already on our land, and then began adding the design elements that are among our first steps in the plan. I added color! I haven’t drawn in all of our future ideas. We are growing our garden slowly, so that we can learn what we need to learn as we go, and not take on more than we can handle right now. (I am thinking of taking this design and making copies on which to draw our speculations for future ideas.) I also haven’t yet drawn in Sylvia’ herb garden, which will be near the ornamental cherries, but she hasn’t determined the configuration yet.

I love the design part of the process, and while I sit in the back yard, I am always getting new ideas about where future plants might go. Blueberries, hazelnuts, apple trees… and then I step back and breathe, and let myself go slow, and enjoy. Because every step of this process has been such a joy!

Planting the Cherry Trees

Posted on April 30, 2017 by Myke Johnson

Today was the perfect day to plant our cherry trees, May Day Eve. I had figured out the locations, and marked them the day before. Our friend Sylvia came to help with strength and muscles. She dug the holes! Thanks, Sylvia!

Our friend Mihku had given us compost from her garden (Thanks, Mihku!) and we realized we needed even more, so Margy drove to buy some, while Sylvia and I positioned the first tree. I applied mycorrhizal inoculant to the roots (from the wisdom of Mihku), while Sylvia held the tree. Then we filled in what we could.

[Photo by Margy Dowzer]

When Margy returned, she took photos while Sylvia and I finished filling the hole with compost and dirt. I placed the Lapins Cherry closest to the patio, and the Black Tartorian Cherry about twelve feet beyond. We discovered the soil under the Black Tartorian was darker and richer, so we used some of that to fill the first hole too.

It felt so good to have my hands in the dirt, to give good energy and nutrients to these young beings that will live with us in our home. It also felt good to have help from a younger stronger friend, my aging body just not able to do as much physical labor as I used to do. It felt really good to share the process, to create a celebration of earth and sun and soil and friendship and the fertility of the land.

More photos: Sylvia starts digging