PHOTO GALLERY
There’s always some strange, interesting, beautiful or fun going on here at the Acre, so I carry a camera. Just in case.
Photo: Last Sunset of Spring 2024
Last night was the final sunset of Spring 2024. Here's a photo from the deck looking west over the Pacific. The first full moon (strawberry) of summer tomorrow.
HOME & GARDEN
Vegetable Garden Kickoff – 2023
Here's how this committed procrastinator and all around lazy man got his vegetable garden cleaned, refreshed and ready just in time for the first day of spring
An Atmospheric River Makes a Real One
All the rain not only created a ground squirrel clearing spring creek, but it also unearthed a strange, blue-eyed relic from a long time ago.
Echeveria agavoides in Bloom
Echeveria agavoides looks like an agave, but it's a succulent from Mexico. The leaves are lime green in winter but turn lemon yellow tipped with red in summer.
Making Chicken Feed
The high price of feed and eggs has people sprouting grain as a cheap form of chicken feed. I tested it with my chickens, but received mixed results.
Mini-Greenhouse Garden Hack
Here's an easy way to get a few weeks headstart on the gardening season with this easy, efficient mini greenhouse made with a roofing panel and coat hangar.
Self-Starting Winter Tomatoes
Despite 10 inches of rain and freezing nights, the keyhole garden continues to defy expectations. Here are Tigerella tomato seedings sprouting in mid-January.
HOME & GARDEN
FOOD & RECIPES
Making Summer Pickles
If you love authentic dill pickles, there's nothing better or simpler to make than old fashioned deli-style summer pickles. This recipe dates back to 1900 and uses just a few spices and natural fermentation to make some of the best homemade pickles you'll ever taste. No refrigeration or fancy gadgets required.
Blackberry Jam Class of 2020
This year's "jam session" yielded about 3 gallons of blackberry and raspberry jam. We picked a little more than 20 lbs of fruit and used this foolproof recipe
Scallop Squash Stuffed with Pesto Chicken
We're up to our eyeballs in squash so I'm always looking for new ways to use it in meals. Here's an easy recipe for pesto chicken stuffed in baked squash that everyone seems to love.
FOOD & RECIPES
Make your own Mustard
Making your own mustard is dead simple and delicious! Here's how to do it. (TL/DR: Click here to skip straight to the recipe) My wife loves mustard. Not [keep reading...]
Terri’s Fresh Rosemary Bread
Finding things to do with all the herbs, fruits and vegetables Sage grows around here, can be a challenge (what does one do with a pound of Borage?), [keep reading...]
Terri’s Biga Recipe
The secret to great bread is old dough. Not the “hey, I found this package of ready-bake biscuits at the back of the fridge” type of old dough, [keep reading...]
Best Pepper Pickling Recipe
Pickling peppers is easy and a great way to store your bounty long after the season is gone Pickling peppers is super easy and tasty too [keep reading...]
AROUND THE ACRE
Live Video Stream
Visit the ChickenCam » (Tip: There are actually more ducks than chickens)
Make a live backyard or wildlife camera just like Chickencam for less than $50. It’s easy!
Weathercam
Live camera shot facing west toward the Pacific Ocean, about 7 miles away.
PHOTO GALLERY
There’s always some strange, interesting, beautiful or fun going on here at the Acre, so I carry a camera. Just in case.
Photo: Last Sunset of Spring 2024
Last night was the final sunset of Spring 2024. Here's a photo from the deck looking west over the Pacific. The first full moon (strawberry) of summer tomorrow.
HOME & GARDEN
Vegetable Garden Kickoff – 2023
Here's how this committed procrastinator and all around lazy man got his vegetable garden cleaned, refreshed and ready just in time for the first day of spring
An Atmospheric River Makes a Real One
All the rain not only created a ground squirrel clearing spring creek, but it also unearthed a strange, blue-eyed relic from a long time ago.
Echeveria agavoides in Bloom
Echeveria agavoides looks like an agave, but it's a succulent from Mexico. The leaves are lime green in winter but turn lemon yellow tipped with red in summer.
Making Chicken Feed
The high price of feed and eggs has people sprouting grain as a cheap form of chicken feed. I tested it with my chickens, but received mixed results.
Mini-Greenhouse Garden Hack
Here's an easy way to get a few weeks headstart on the gardening season with this easy, efficient mini greenhouse made with a roofing panel and coat hangar.
Self-Starting Winter Tomatoes
Despite 10 inches of rain and freezing nights, the keyhole garden continues to defy expectations. Here are Tigerella tomato seedings sprouting in mid-January.
HOME & GARDEN
FOOD & RECIPES
Making Summer Pickles
If you love authentic dill pickles, there's nothing better or simpler to make than old fashioned deli-style summer pickles. This recipe dates back to 1900 and uses just a few spices and natural fermentation to make some of the best homemade pickles you'll ever taste. No refrigeration or fancy gadgets required.
Blackberry Jam Class of 2020
This year's "jam session" yielded about 3 gallons of blackberry and raspberry jam. We picked a little more than 20 lbs of fruit and used this foolproof recipe
Scallop Squash Stuffed with Pesto Chicken
We're up to our eyeballs in squash so I'm always looking for new ways to use it in meals. Here's an easy recipe for pesto chicken stuffed in baked squash that everyone seems to love.
FOOD & RECIPES
Make your own Mustard
Making your own mustard is dead simple and delicious! Here's how to do it. (TL/DR: Click here to skip straight to the recipe) My wife loves mustard. Not [keep reading...]
Terri’s Fresh Rosemary Bread
Finding things to do with all the herbs, fruits and vegetables Sage grows around here, can be a challenge (what does one do with a pound of Borage?), [keep reading...]
Terri’s Biga Recipe
The secret to great bread is old dough. Not the “hey, I found this package of ready-bake biscuits at the back of the fridge” type of old dough, [keep reading...]
Best Pepper Pickling Recipe
Pickling peppers is easy and a great way to store your bounty long after the season is gone Pickling peppers is super easy and tasty too [keep reading...]
AROUND THE ACRE
Live Video Stream
Visit the ChickenCam » (Tip: There are actually more ducks than chickens)
Make a live backyard or wildlife camera just like Chickencam for less than $50. It’s easy!
Weathercam
Live camera shot facing west toward the Pacific Ocean, about 7 miles away.