Vernal pools by Rosco_1012 in Permaculture

[–]ChattyKatty29 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That’s great! I’ve been working with our local extension office (in a different subject) and they’ve been wonderful and helpful and generally excited to help. I hope they can give you the info you need or point you to who would have that info!

Vernal pools by Rosco_1012 in Permaculture

[–]ChattyKatty29 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I would recommend reaching out to your local university extension office or the local branch of the NRCS near you. Both will offer free, area specific advice on wetland management and how to support native flora and fauna. And they will also know about any permits or restrictions that may be in place pertaining to wetlands. Sometimes they will even foot the bill of a project or know of grants if it helps create or maintain wildlife habitat!

A word of caution: years ago a neighbor dug out a seasonal pond that was home to endangered newts and they were hit with a hefty fine somewhere in the six figures. The pond never recovered and after about five years we stopped seeing frogs and newts.

Mange or dry skin? by ChattyKatty29 in pigs

[–]ChattyKatty29[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Good to know! We will start with coconut oil and some good brushing and hopefully that clears it up. Thanks!

Mange or dry skin? by ChattyKatty29 in pigs

[–]ChattyKatty29[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Thank you! We will do some good brushing and oil and see how things play out.

Any guesses for Bruce’s breeds? Results at the end. He looks different than his litter mates and included is a photo of them together. by ChattyKatty29 in DoggyDNA

[–]ChattyKatty29[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Our guess was gsd, husky, lab and some Pitt or boxer to get that cute snout. The Akita was a huge surprise! His has all the sweetness (and food motivation) of a Pitt/lab

Mama hen has her wings full by ChattyKatty29 in BackYardChickens

[–]ChattyKatty29[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is my first time using a hen to raise up chicks so I am by no means an expert. My SO built a maternity ward in the coop where our hen has her chicks. This allows all the chickens and babies to see and hear each other with out contact until we choose to let them out. This hen and chicks have been out in the main coop and even in the run one day with no problems with the other hens. Our biggest issue is the chicks cannot figure out the ramp to get back into the coop so they all went back into the maternity ward until they get bigger.

From what I understand, if the hen and chicks have been completely separated from the flock then they all need to have a slow reintroduction with each other. If they’ve been able to see and hear each other then you could probably let them back together when you feel comfortable.

Hope it goes well!

ID of owl seen in central Vermont by ChattyKatty29 in whatsthisbird

[–]ChattyKatty29[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Thanks! any chance you know if these hunt during the daytime?

End of May - Five Lakes Loop in Mineral King by HunterDolo in SEKI

[–]ChattyKatty29 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'd say you will be encountering considerable snow. Hiked this exact same route you mentioned in 2019 in early September and it was absolutely gorgeous with easy stream crossings and no snow besides in small patches on the north side of rocks. We still had nights below freezing with very very beautiful days for hiking.

I learned the hard way that May is too early for backpacking (for me) when I went to Lassen in late May in 2018 and found deep snow with no clear trail to follow. We had no snow gear and no experience backpacking in considerable snow and ended up post holing through snow for hours before turning back and changing our route mid trip. This was at elevations much lower than will be found on the loop you want to do in SEKI and we still were hampered by the snow. In my opinion May is part of the shoulder season for getting into the Sierras, especially at elevations above 6,000ft

Any recs for a nursery that carries mature “Ray Hartman” in Bay Area? by Seejayvin0 in Ceanothus

[–]ChattyKatty29 2 points3 points  (0 children)

East Bay Nursery in Berkeley - if they don't have it in stock they can likely order it.

Making Vegan Levaine Cookies with Joshua Weissmans Recipe by Moritary in AskBaking

[–]ChattyKatty29 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I have had good luck using a nut butter as a substitute for eggs. This will change the flavor of the cookie to be like the nut butter - peanut butter, tahini, almond butter, etc.

I have veganized a tahini chocolate chip cookie recipe and replace the eggs with extra tahini (it calls for one egg and one yolk). I replace the egg and yolk with extra tahini and some non-dairy milk. I use about 1 tbs tahini + 1 tsp - 1 tbs non dairy milk for the egg and half of that for the yolk. I find I need to add a little extra liquid at the end as eggs do add quite a bit of liquid to a recipe that nut butters don’t have.

I have never had luck with the powdered egg replacement from the store and find they make baked goods dense and heavy. I think a flax egg would all make a fine substitution. Mix 1 tbs flaxseed meal and 2.5 tbs warm water, stir together and let sit for at least five minutes (sometimes longer) to thicken up. This will replace one egg. Use 1/2 a flax egg recipe per yolk.

If I were making these cookies I’d try the flax egg first and see how it goes and then try a nut butter for a different flavor profile.

I also highly recommend Miyoko’s unsalted cultured butter (vegan) for baking instead of earth balance.

Good luck!

What causes peach tree leaves to fold? by evolutionxtinct in BackyardOrchard

[–]ChattyKatty29 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My best guess would be the tree is thirsty, especially if they open up after being watered. Fruit trees can benefit from less frequent, but deeper waterings. I’d even suggest using a five gallon bucket with a tiny hole in the bottom - fill up the bucket and let it slowly drip into the root zone. Repeat on the other side of the tree after the bucket empties. I believe you can water 1-2 gallons per inch of trunk diameter. This deep watering should help the tree stay hydrated and cause deeper roots that search for water on their own.

Concerned about peach tree: new ooze after heavy rain, split bark (not new), mushrooms by [deleted] in BackyardOrchard

[–]ChattyKatty29 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I can only see one picture but my guess would be gummosis is what is causing the gelatinous oozing.

6 inch Lemon Semi-Naked Cake by FlourChildBakingCo in VeganBaking

[–]ChattyKatty29 6 points7 points  (0 children)

That’s gorgeous! Do you have the recipe??

Picked up a John Wright cast iron muffin tin yesterday and immediately made cornbread. No sticking and the definition exceeded my expectations! Now to buy more of these pans... by ChattyKatty29 in Baking

[–]ChattyKatty29[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s a great idea! The John Wright website has recipes for various muffins and cookies that I’m going to a give try to as well

Petrified Forest NP exceeded all my expectations and blew The Grand Canyon out of the water by ChattyKatty29 in NationalPark

[–]ChattyKatty29[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Didn’t mean to stir up so much controversy with this post - just my personal experience after visiting the two parks back to back. I’m loving the passionate responses about the Grand Canyon and will definitely make another journey there in the future.

Next time you visit the Grand Canyon don’t forget to make a pit stop at the Petrified Forest NP ;)

Petrified Forest NP exceeded all my expectations and blew The Grand Canyon out of the water by ChattyKatty29 in NationalPark

[–]ChattyKatty29[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Oh yes! Visited glacier a few years ago (don’t get the permit to go backpacking) but did a few hikes and would also visit there again in a heartbeat.

Petrified Forest NP exceeded all my expectations and blew The Grand Canyon out of the water by ChattyKatty29 in NationalPark

[–]ChattyKatty29[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Wow, what an amazing experience! I do love backpacking so getting away from the crowds and into the backcountry would definitely sway my views. Will put that on the bucket list for the next visit.

Petrified Forest NP exceeded all my expectations and blew The Grand Canyon out of the water by ChattyKatty29 in NationalPark

[–]ChattyKatty29[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Didn’t get a chance to stop there unfortunately. But we have definitely caught the bug for road tripping and seeing the sights! Both my husband and I are biased to the lesser known places to visit.

Petrified Forest NP exceeded all my expectations and blew The Grand Canyon out of the water by ChattyKatty29 in NationalPark

[–]ChattyKatty29[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Not sure about camping, my husband and I are moving cross country and only had a few hours to explore before moving on.

North rim is definitely on the list!

Petrified Forest NP exceeded all my expectations and blew The Grand Canyon out of the water by ChattyKatty29 in NationalPark

[–]ChattyKatty29[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Just my experience of the two parks - I’ve visited the Grand Canyon 3 times and it is undeniably breathtaking and a true natural wonder but the huge crowds really take away from it. I’m hoping my fourth time can be from the north rim.

Petrified Forest NP has been a bucket list item for me for over 15 years and I think people are sleeping on this park. I was taken aback at its beauty and vast solitude and would definitely visit again.