Category Archives: Scientific
Neem oil to control chicken lice – a.k.a. I am such a geek
Yesterday was sunny and ‘warm’ (45 F), so rather than watch the Superbowl, we treated our chickens for lice. After talking with fellow members of the Seattle Farm Co-op, I opted for the soapy bath with neem oil treatment in … Continue reading
Making Bacon Soap
We eat a lot of bacon. Even our vegetarian meals tend to have a strip of bacon. And I save every drop of grease. How could I not? I grew up with a mug of bacon grease in the fridge for frying eggs in the morning. This was ironic because we otherwise avoided animal fats (the fat-free craze was gaining speed at that time). Instead we used Imperial Margarine (Canada’s premier butter-substitute) for baking and ‘buttering’. Except for potatoes and popcorn – those were butter. I guess my parents just made this stuff up… Continue reading
Urban Birds – 6 species in 6 minutes!
It is a cold rainy January morning here in Seattle. I realize that several of those words are redundant. ‘It is January in Seattle’ would have sufficed. There is nothing special about today; a hard rain all night, and a … Continue reading
Holy Shiitake Mushroom Log!
Three years ago we bought shiitake mushroom spawn. The instructions recommended hardwood, specifically oak, as a substrate. Biking around town we found an oak tree chopped into logs on someone’s lawn. We knocked on the door, obtained permission from a … Continue reading