Mack is Back

Intro

I am back to my blog here and likely back to stay. I have been posting a lot of my garden stuff on my Facebook page this summer. With the length of my posts and all the pictures I decided I should get back to blogging and make it more of a regular thing. That was when I... rediscovered? this blog of mine. 

I am not sure I still identify with the title of A Homesteader's Odyssey anymore.  Is it still me? Is it still what I am doing? I suppose in a way it still is. When I started this blog I was working for the Department of Homeland Security and bouncing all over the country so odyssey seemed to fit. I have since settled down back within a stone's throw of where I was born in Washington and the odyssey has become less physical and more metaphorical.  However a journey is still a journey I suppose, whether it takes place across the length of a country or within a single state or within your own mind.

I do not plan to stay in my exact location for the rest of my life, but I do intend to start my homestead here in Washington state somewhere. At the moment I have a very tiny mini homestead that I have started just north of Seattle. I am renting a room in a friend's duplex. I have a great deal of freedom within the space and a great bit of freedom to landscape and add to the property because I am renting from a friend. All my improvements to her property add to the value of her house. I just wish she would take some of those improvements out of the rent! All things considered I am already getting a great deal and a lot of leeway on things, so I guess it all balances out. 

Last Summer

I spent this last summer growing and building my little homestead. I already have a small little 15 pound chiweenie as the dog for my small ranch. Over the summer I experimented with different types of growing I tried planting in the ground, raised beds, and hydroponics. I tried herbs, fruits and veggies. I learned that hydroponics kits are best used with herbs and not for fruits and veggies.  I learned that with our growing season here I need to start growing things EARLY and I need to plant a LOT to get get a good harvest. This year I got little more than samplings of everything. Having a truck or a car is a huge help too.

At the tail end of the summer I was able to get myself a truck. My dream truck. It has taken me a while to realize this but my dream truck is a 90s era GMC pickup with an extended cab. I got a great deal on the truck at a local dealership, it's in great shape and was well taken care of. I have only had it for about two months now, and I am learning what a gas guzzler it can be and these crazy gas prices are not helping. However as my little homestead grows and I get my own house and property I know I will appreciate that big engine and all it can do, especially at harvest time. 

As you can see in my pictures my hydroponic garden is full of ripe peppers. This year I had 11 different varieties of pepper: bell, Anaheim, poblano, jalapeno, Hungarian hot wax, red Marconi, cayenne, Thai, Scotch Bonnet, habanero, and ghost. I plan to overwinter these this year and add a few more varieties next year. 

Next Post: I'll do a bit more of a proper introduction of myself, next Sunday?