The Bees are Back?

(My friend Mil's backyard bee setup in Northern California...PARADISE!)

Onto the post...

This is strange.
My dad called me the other day,
and told me that after looking in our really
good hive, he saw NO bees, but it was totally
loaded with some amazing honey.

Good news, and bad news...

I was bummed...why would they leave
all their food right before winter?

What the hell is going on here?

I called up my uncle who has a hive,
and he says that its happened to him too.
Tons of great honey, but no bees.

My dad didnt hear anything...
didnt see anything..he thought they were all gone.
So he brought the whole hive down
to their garage so he could start to
take the honey out of the combs.

But today...he just called me and said that
there are honeybees all over the hive.
The hive is sitting outside his shop
in the sun...its nice and warm there.
Much warmer than the day he
believed that they were gone.

They were there the whole time.
In the bottom chamber...immobile because
of the cold temperature.

Our hive survived! This is such great news!
Now we have to share the honey with them,
but that is not even an issue...we're really
happy that they made it all season.

Im going to take care of 3 hives next year.
We want to build some custom hives
and really set them up for success.
You can get well over 200lbs of honey
from every hive...DO THE MATH!!!!
Remember...you would have to have about
4 levels in your hive, maybe even 5.
but trust me...the bees will fill it if they
have the opportunity to do so.

I really think I would be so happy just raising
bees and growing amazing plants,
then traveling in the wintertime.
Life doesn't have to be a struggle.
We don't have to earn six figures to live
comfortably...we should be smarter than that by now!

I figure a person could make about $2000
off of each hive, so if one were so inclined,
they could build up their colonies to about 10,
and be able to fund all their winter travels
while the bees are resting.

$20,000 from honey and pollen, and maybe
more from fruits and veggies...
I've learned to be happy with less,
so those numbers, which might seem low,
are actually do-able if you don't have to pay for
RENT-FOOD-ELECTRICITY-MORE CLOTHES
CLEAN WATER-ENTERTAINMENT-GASOLINE-
CAR PAYMENTS-ETC ETC ETC.
Might seem ideal...but possible? We'll see.

Strange right...a model begging you to stop buying new clothes.
Embrace the dichotomy.

This morning I blended...
One Vanilla Bean,
2 scoops of SunWarrior Protein,
2 tbls of Greener Grasses,
1 tbls of Fruits of the Earth,
1/2 lb of blueberries,
1 large aloe leaf
Filtered Water...

And it was....
GROSS.

All great products in there,
but not a good combo on my part.
I had to plug my nose to drink it.
I've gotta get some of that clean Minnesota honey!

Leaving NYC tmrw!
(Im dancing a jig in front of the laptop now...)

Earthmother won the last contest!
Healthforce stuff and extra goodies!
Thanks Earthmother for your participation!

One more cartoon for everyone...


-Anthony

Some Cartoons...

My good friend Zach has some of these on

his facebook page...and I was totally loving
all of them. Here are some good ones...

This is EXACTLY how I feel about the economic crisis.

Paying Attention?

Copy and paste...send to friends and
small-minded family members back home!

Anthony

Red Corn...ALIVE.

In the palm of your hand...life.

That cartoonish looking green thing is actually the base
of a still-ripening yellow pepper that I had to pick
before it froze solid. Ripen little guy!!!!

Onto the post...
I was at the Union Sq Farmer's Mkt the other day,
and I saw that they were selling "Indian Corn"
(which means non-GMO, heirloom...and non-hybridized
...also known as REAL CORN).

They were selling it as decorations ironically enough,
but I wondered if I could buy an ear or two
and germinate the seeds for next year. Obviously, it worked.
The guy I bought it from didn't even know if it would work.
Funny!!!

If you buy a packet of good blue or red corn seeds,
usually you get about 20, for $3.00

Here, I probably have about 500 seeds for $1.00

I can't wait to grow it next year, and make
raw corn chips and tortillas out of red
and blue corn. Think about the anti-oxidants!!!

As you know, if you are eating lots of reds and blues
in your diet, you can get in more nutrients than just
greens and oranges and yellows.
Think about the rainbow for complete nutrition.
How about this...eating nothing but foods
that are blue, red and purple for a week?
Could be something fun to try.
Oh, by the way, Blue Razzberry Popsicles
probably don't fit into the regimen.

Anyways...you should be able to find the same corn
around your neck of the woods right now.
I have no idea how it tastes fresh, but I think
with tortillas and chips it should be equal if not better.

Happy hunting...oh yes, and if you hang it in a dry place
until March or April, you'll be all set for spring planting.

***Note to Everyone***

if by chance you sent me an email and I didnt respond,
don't hold it against me. Things have been really busy
lately and I urge you to re-send and I will get to it.
Im not a jerk, just busy with moving.

AND...I will respond to comments later on today.

Anthony

Hello....

Yes, I know...really long time, right?

Things have been crazy busy.

Im sure life has gone on without the rawmodel blog,
but I have to at least explain the absence,
and offer a few pics of what I've been up to.

Ups and downs...

Built the dome greenhouse, FROM SCRATCH.
I cut every damn board, and put the whole thing together.
It took so long. Seriously...those 5 guys on the instructional
video just breezed right through construction...so misleading.

It took me at least 2 weeks, from start to finish.
There was an option to have the wood pre-cut and drilled,
but it was an extra $1000...and since my dad had the tools,
I thought I was in a good position to take advantage.

I wish I would have just bit the bullet and ordered the wood.
It was totally fulfilling to do it myself, but jeez...LONG TIME.

Here are some pics.

Me sitting on top of the dome taking a pic of
deck and the garden.

This amazing passionflower will soon become a passionfruit!
This is growing inside the greenhouse :)

The cedar hot tub will go in this hole
(shoveled by yours truly...) and will warm up
the soil and the air during the winter.

I cant wait to sit in there this winter and eat guavas!!!

My dad working on the walls...THANKS DAD!

My anonymous sister and I weeding...
I was weeding AND eating...oat grass is so good,
and I found a random daikon radish. Who knew?

Some avocado trees...the insulation is on the north side
of the some to keep the heat in...I'll have to prune those
avocados to keep them around 10 feet...but it WILL work.

Cool right?

Garden was CHARGING too...SO many tomatoes still...BUT
many of the got cut off because the temp was dropping under 50F.
They just stayed green...no ripening.
I got started too late this spring...all my tomatoes
were about a month behind, but next year Ill start
early and extend the season by covering them at night
so that we'll get the most out of each plant.

I sat on the deck with my sister eating an heirloom watermelon
from the garden and it was the greatest feeling!
Seriously...this way of life really has something to it.


There were some downers though.
I feel like I got way overcharged on the deck,
and I did sadly lose a hive of bees.
It was always a slower hive,
and we checked it out one day
and there was nothing inside but a mouse nest.
NOT COOL.


Don't ask if it was Colony Collapse Disorder...
I really don't know, and I really dont even want to know.
It was always a weak hive, so maybe it just didnt
make it through the season.

Gotta stay positive though.

I finished reading "Four Season Harvest"
and I BEG of all of you to get it, however possible.
It is a jewel of a book, and really opens up
your eyes to growing your own magically fresh
produce ALL YEAR ROUND.
No imported salad in January!
How about a bowl brimming with
fresh arugula, mache, and kale?

You'll see...its a wonderful read.

Hopefully someone is still reading!

Remember...
You are DIVINE,
Everyone around you is equally DIVINE,
and by growing your own food
you unlock the key to your true potential,
both spiritually, mentally, and physically.

We are Blessed...


Anthony

Hitting the Road...

The moment is drawing near...

This next month...well, actually the next few months
are going to be really hectic.

First off...Im flying back to Minnesota this very Tuesday
in order to finish up the greenhouse and plant the tropical
trees inside them...let me show you a few.

This beauty right here is a wonderful mango.
It was $64.99....but with shipping it came to about $100.
I just can't find quality local mangoes...so I had to
order these and the other tropicals online.

An Avocado on the left, and a Hachiya Persimmon
on the right...bearing some fruit already...BONUS.

This bushy fellow is a passion fruit vine...looking GOOD.
I will only order my tropicals from Clifton's in
Pottersville, CA. They shipped POTTED plants,
and compared to what I was used to at Willis Orchards,
these are AMAZING. I get lush trees from Clifton's,
and basically a bundle of sticks from Willis.
Check out Clifton's at www.buyplantsonline.com.
Its worth the extra price.

These are just a few...I've got many to put in.
AND...the persimmon and figs...they need to be grown
in containers, because if they are put outside,
the roots will freeze, but if they are kept in the greenhouse,
they won't receive the colder "chill hours" that they
need to regenerate. So I'll be forever moving them in
and out twice a year. Oh well...SO worth it.

Back to the travels...

After wrapping things up in Minnesota,
Ill be driving back to NY with my old hyundai,
and loading up the rest of our stuff to bring back
to Minnesota. We are moving out of NY for a while,
and honestly...I COULDN'T BE MORE EXCITED!!!

Its been far too long here, and this whole situation
here is just so disconnected from Nature and fresh air
and peace and quiet...it gets to be too much, no matter
how much you are making. And when you're cramped
in a little studio apartment, it gets magnified.

So where to go??? London! But just for a month.
The surveillance capital of the world...yeech!
My agency over there invited me to come and stay,
and since we have good friends there, we thought it would
be a good chance to make the trip happen.

I really want to get some potlucks together over there too!
Its been a good while since Ive been in London (may 2006)
and I would LOVE to get to Barcelona for a couple of days.
I'm not crazy about spending Euros, but hopefully I'll work while
I am over there...it will be a good time no matter what.

After that...back to Minnesota for a few days, and then we are
going to spend a month or two in Miami...
Again, Ill be able to work some more, earning money
to build the eco-house in the spring, and will be surrounded
by the sun, the beach, coconuts, and other tropical goodies
like black sapote! Maybe we can even pick up some more trees!

My dad sent me a text the other day when more trees arrived
in the mail..."STOP BUYING TREES".
I'm hooked...what can I say?

So...if you arent living where you really want to...
ask yourself HOW can I get there? HOW can I make
this dream of mine become a reality???

We are selling stuff on craigslist and it is
simply amazing how easy it is to get rid of things now.
A person could just buy some stuff on craigslist,
have it for a while, then sell it again for a very small loss, if any.

Its easier than ever to find temporary storage
and places to stay for a month or two.
Don't feel like you are making a huge commitment either...
just go with the flow...see if you like it, and then make the choice!

Seriously...its easier than ever.

Oh right! And the contest for the Healthforce Products!
I picked the top ten replies with the best energy,
and then picked those from a hat.
Rawstrength won, and the package is being mailed to her
dorm tomorrow. I added in a DVD filled with good audiobooks,
conscious movies, and interviews too.

I'm going to be giving more and more stuff away.
It's the least I can do to show my appreciation
to everyone who reads my ramblings....

Ill be doing another contest very soon.

Thanks to EVERYONE who writes in!
I love all the good vibes and ideas in the comments!
It really makes my day...so thanks to all of you who contribute.

Lets just do another round of Healthforce again.
I'll do the same thing. From this post, Ill pick the winner.

I've got a basic mandoline slicer that I want to give
away too...but Ill save that for next week.

Thanks everyone!

Habitation

This smart little home is called a
"Free Spirit Eco-Sphere".
Totally great, but at 100-250K,
I think I might have to pass.

I love the idea of pre-fabs, trust me.
Easy, no stress, quick, not a huge distraction.
But at the prices currently offered,
its FAR more wise to just show a carpenter
the pictures of one, and spend about 30-40%
of the price compared to what a prefab company
might want to charge you.
Of course this depends on where you live.

This is the Wee House (www.weehouse.com)
The prices are more reasonable than than others,
but still...you could have someone build this for you
or do it yourself for FAR less.

I wanted to do this permaculture project in Woodstock, NY
but after realizing how expensive it would be to
build everything there, and how far away it is from my family,
I went with Minnesota instead.

Same with building the yurt. If you have been reading
this blog for a while, you might remember that I've
been really excited about getting a yurt for the living space.

I've totally changed my mind on this one.

A yurt is basically a wood frame, with a vinyl tarp over it.
In itself, this is great and it would totally work.
But for $12-$14,000??? Ouch!
After working on the greenhouse, I realized that building
something similar to a yurt and using wood or some other
material as siding instead of the vinyl would be so much
better and far more affordable. Carpenters are aching
for work right now, and they would be more than
happy to build something like this for you.

PLUS...you dont have to pay for the shipping,
and an 18-wheeler semi-truck didnt have to
ship your yurt to you. Lots of things to consider.

We need a company to come up with an
affordable pre-fab with a greywater system installed,
solar panels already attached, and a rainwater catchment
systems already put together. AND...it has to be affordable.
Paying 150K for a 500 sq. ft. living space is crazy,
with the DIY (Do It YOURSELF) ethos, you gain
experience, pride, knowledge...and save $$$$.

Same idea above...great ideas, but anyone with some
average carpentry skills could make one for you,
and you'd be surprised as to what you could do on your
own if you studied up a bit and had some people help you.

We are FAR more powerful and capable than we could ever dream.
If you are heading towards simplicity, it makes it
even easier for you...we aren't building mansions here,
and we like to spend more time outside anyways,
so why make such a fuss?

I love the grass on the rooftop too...so cozy.

-Anthony