We are watching Malcolm X. We are thinking about the difference between his message and that of Dr. Martin Luther King. And we are thinking about his influence on society.

Given that its impossible to get curious about things completely unknown or obscure, I see it as my job, as an unschooling parent, to point some stuff out.

Yesterday my friend and I put up two different kinds of soda to ferment, strawberry and watermelon. While we were working with the bug, the wort, and the jars Angel Baby came inside for a visit. Hopefully we made delicious naturally carbonated soda loaded with natural enzymes, B vitamins, and probiotics. If the goal is nurturing a rich biome while hydrating, a visit from a little goat can't hurt!

Feeding goats organic grains last year, plenty was spilled in the yard and kicked around by chickens and washed around by rain. We decided to let the resulting grass grow to seed. Here are the results. I think. I'm really not certain what any of it is. I've labeled as best I can according to this USDA chart. But I've never seen a sheaf of cereal grain in my life. I tried to figure out the names of the native grasses. I failed but did learn about green sprangletop, which grows exclusively in Texas and Florida. I just like the name. Green Sprangletop. Please note that all these grasses grew to roughly the same height. I plonked them down thoughtlessly wonky for the picture. Also note: dogs, cats, and chickens apparently adore a good high stand of grass. Which quickly results in a no longer high stand of grass.

native grass,    barley and wheat,    oats,    native grass

Speaking of fun ecology, after some previous false starts, I'm getting the hang of fermentation. This is pretty much what it always looks like next to my kitchen sink these days: stuff fermenting along side fresh milk jars waiting to get washed. Currently we have a ginger bug, beet kvass, and carrot, beet, garlic, ginger salad all set abrew this morning while my family was asleep. I've tried fermentation before and it never really took. Mostly because it felt scary. Can you really eat this stuff? Aren't we supposed to avoid food that's alive? Take a look around. Our culture has been carefully demanding ever increasing spirals of death from our food, on every level. And that isn't working out very well. Time to change direction.

I've been inspired by our family's participation in the Wildlife of Your Home, current writing by Michael Pollen, Sandor Katz, a new love of kim chi, and not least WholisitcSquid who makes fermentation look like child's play.

I grabbed my camera and snapped a series of shots that illustrate 10 minutes on this Sunday morning. 

 We've borrowed a few goats to eat the brush off our septic field. Funnest ecology ever!

 We're calling this little boy Angel Baby because he's Angel's baby. He is distinctly not afraid of Jackson. 

 Angel is more concerned. Especially since Angel Baby fits through the fence easily. 

Nothing cuter than babies happening this morning. 

"O' Be Joyful"   Remind yourself as often as necessary...

A few shots I loved but couldn't include the other day: