Vela Creations is an in-depth resource for off grid living. The site documents our research and experiences, hoping that they might help others interested in pursuing this lifestyle. This blog is designed to document our day to day experiences as we build our new, sustainable homestead. If you are interested in seeing more photos and videos, we have a flickr account at the following url: http://flickr.com/photos/35090117@N05/collections/

Sunday, June 29, 2014

Robert Bridges

"I know that if odour were visible, as colour is, I'd see the summer garden in rainbow clouds." - Robert Bridges

Saturday, June 28, 2014

Edward G. Bulwer-Lytton

"Truth makes on the ocean of nature no one track of light; every eye, looking on, finds its own." - Edward G. Bulwer-Lytton

Friday, June 27, 2014

Carl Sandburg

"Let the gentle bush dig its root deep and spread upward to split the boulder." - Carl Sandburg

Thursday, June 26, 2014

Robert Green Ingersoll

"In the presence of eternity, the mountains are as transient as the clouds." - Robert Green Ingersoll

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Alexander Pope

"All are but parts of one stupendous whole, Whose body Nature is, and God the soul." - Alexander Pope

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

William Shakespeare

"Like as the waves make towards the pebbl'd shore, so do our minutes, hasten to their end." - William Shakespeare

Monday, June 23, 2014

R. Buckminster Fuller

"The earth is like a spaceship that didn't come with an operating manual." - R. Buckminster Fuller

Sunday, June 22, 2014

Frank Lloyd Wright

"Buildings, too, are children of Earth and Sun." - Frank Lloyd Wright

Saturday, June 21, 2014

Charles Dickens

"I only ask to be free. The butterflies are free." - Charles Dickens

Friday, June 20, 2014

William Blake

"Great things are done when men and mountains meet." - William Blake

Thursday, June 19, 2014

Abu Bakr

"It is a matter of shame that in the morning the birds should be awake earlier than you." - Abu Bakr

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Henry David Thoreau

"There are a thousand hacking at the branches of evil to one who is striking at the root." - Henry David Thoreau

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Martin Luther

"God writes the Gospel not in the Bible alone, but also on trees, and in the flowers and clouds and stars." - Martin Luther

Monday, June 16, 2014

Rabindranath Tagore

"Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky." - Rabindranath Tagore

Sunday, June 15, 2014

William Wordsworth

"Nature never did betray the heart that loved her." - William Wordsworth

June'14

Walter Hagen

"You're only here for a short visit. Don't hurry, don't worry. And be sure to smell the flowers along the way."

Friday, June 13, 2014

Plants


Plants


The forest garden is coming along nicely.




Work has started on 3 more rows. They each have their rock retaining walls (so that each terrace can be leveled off somewhat). And we've put a bunch of branches and manure just uphill from the rock walls for longterm fertility and water retention. The whole thing is also fenced off, with orchard netting and electric fence, as we will soon be moving the chickens in there. We plan to do a compost (and insect) tractor in the rows, so that the chickens can help improve the soil (more on that at a later date).


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As for the first row, it's doing well, but it's about to explode. We've been having very hot (110 degrees) days, with no clouds or breeze to cool them off. All the plants, in the orchard and garden, have been looking a little wilted during the day, but they perk up in the evening and morning. Thankfully, the deep watering system in the orchard and wicking beds in the garden have prevented evaporation, so at least the roots can keep cool. The only ones to really suffer have been the potatoes that we planted out of a wicking bed, of which we've had several casualties. The wonderful news though is that it has started raining. We've now had rain for three days in a row and the temperatures have dramatically reduced. Although we still get a high of more than 100 degrees, it's no longer staying that temperature all day long. The clouds build a little after lunch and they dump about 5 in the afternoon. It's awesome.


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So, with rain season here, we are about to plant a bunch more stuff, both inside and out of the orchard and garden.


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We have also dug holes and set up an irrigation system for some trees around the barn area. We want to use trees, whose leaves and fruit can be eaten by animals, and that will provide shade and protection from the wind (mulberry is a perfect candidate). Maybe we'll get around to that next week.







Plants

Thursday, June 12, 2014

Fur and Leather Fanny Pack



Fur and Leather Fanny Pack - I’ve been wanting to make a fanny pack for a while now, something that gives me easy access to coins and notes on market day. So, the other day I set to it and had it finished in less than a day.It has rabbit fur exterior, leather bottom and straps, and fabric interior. There’s a zippered pocket for...

By: velacreations



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Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Fabric Formed Foundation



Fabric Formed Foundation - A lot of the home we've been building over the past 7 years is made of concrete. The downstairs rooms have ferro-cement walls and a concrete roof, upstairs has a latex concrete roof, with concrete mortar used in the brick walls. Plus there's countless examples of poured concrete throughout, like flo...

By: velacreations



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Wednesday, June 4, 2014

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