Herbs Are Done

I finally got my herbs into their containers, watered and put out in the sun, or at least where the sun will shine eventually...haha.

I had to add some dirt to the Christmas tree too since the poor thing has been knocked over several times since December and it needed some extra cushioning...

I still need to repot my three house plants but that is for another day.

Hobbit Feeder Visitor

So since I have put out the feeder, I have gotten quite a few birds on it, but just no images as of right now. I have managed though to catch my local squirrel...the WC Rufus. He was hanging out on the fence and underneath the feeder trying to figure out what his options are.

I am in the process of getting some video footage of his attempts to eat from the feeder but for now this image is a cute one of his little fat belly.

Hobbit Basement Stairs

The door to the basement stairs is short and narrow. The stairs themselves are short, steep and narrow. Fortunately there is a light switch at the top of the stairs and there are lots of things to hold on to, or I would already be a rotting body at the bottom of the stairs.

You actually have to hold on to something on the way down because the ceiling is also low. In order to duck in the appropriate spots and not lose your balance, holding on is a must. This means I have mastered the laundry basket with one hand (yes folks, the washer and dryer are in the basement).

The basement itself is pretty big but you can only stand up (and I am of average height) in it, in half of it. And it is not the washer and dryer half...so when I am doing laundry, I have to hunch over a bit or my hair is up in the rafters of the basement and who knows what might live up there...haha.

There is a door from the outside into the basement, so perhaps when the weather is nicer, that will be an easier way to get in, but for now, I just laugh at my temporary life, as I am walking up and down these stairs.

Birds In, Squirrels Out

I got this birdfeeder and shepherds hook today because I miss being able to feed and watch the birds like I did when we lived on the East Coast.

The birdfeeder boasts that it can keep the squirrels out...we'll see if it lives up to its claims. The idea is that if the squirrel gets on it, it slides shut from their weight. I will be interested to see if the squirrel doesn't either figure something else out, or get pissed enough to try to tear it apart. I don't know if I will have another Rufus on my hands or not...could be funny.

I filled this one up with black sunflower seeds because if any of them go to seed, I won't mind having sunflowers to look at...haha. I put it in a spot so I can see it from my desk if I want and if I do get some cool birds, I can get some photographs too!!

Hobbit Herbs

I have a front porch at this house but it is not covered so I don't use it since I have a big covered patio in the back that is much easier to access. So to keep people from using the front door, I have plans to put up a little sign but also to fill the porch with plants. It has the advantage of having one of the spots that gets a lot of sun too so it is ideal for some herb pots.

This weekend, I purchase the pots, dirt and herbs to do three planters. I will have a medium one that only has lavender in it, and then I will have two larger ones that will have three herbs each in them. One will have basil, sage, and oregano, and the other will have mint, chives, and rosemary in it. I love fresh herbs on food, the difference in taste is amazing.

I am hoping to get the pots actually planted in the next few days, and even an indoor plant replanted. I am thinking of getting a few hanging pots for the back porch too...plants make me feel better and right now, anything that makes me feel better is a good thing.

Lighting the Path

The walkway at the hobbit house is long and dark from the street. This is compounded by the fact that I don't use the front door, instead opting to walk around the house to the covered patio.

From day one, I have wanted to put some kind of lighting along the path to at least show the way, even if it wasn't enough to actually illuminate the path fully. So I looked every time I was in the DIY store, specifically solar ones, since I am only rented and didn't want to wire anything, but the prices were always a bit high.

A few days back, I was in our favorite one stop shop and saw these solar lights on sale for 1.99 each and buy two get one free as well...I decided to give it a go and bought 15 of them.

They sat around the house for a few days before I had time to get them out, but they are out now and they work great to show the path. They have a led light in them and a solar cell on the top so they stay lit all night long and turn off in the morning.

You might still need a flashlight or keychain light to see the steps in the dark, but at least these little guys give you a direction in the dark!!

And I Thought The Hobbit House Was Small

Just read this article over on Yahoo about a woman living in Manhattan in a 90 sq ft place...watch the video to see how she does it.

Hobbit Sized Fishtank

When I lived in Japan, I had a clear glass vase in my kitchen with plants, rocks and fish in it...little fish. Didn't need filtration because of the plants, just cleaned the tank out when it would start to get cloudy or too algea'd up. This was in addition to my 20 gallon standard tank with fish, heater, and pump that I had in the livingroom.

Since I don't currently have my 20 gallon tank here with me, I decided to do another small kitchen tank.

This is the new hobbit tank for my counter top in the kitchen. The tetras seem to be happy and I am enjoying having them and the extra plant life around. This tank is only about 6 inches tall and 5 inches square.