Don't know if your crazy mylonite. But food production will be a very important part of survival as our world moves towrds a psot carbon direction. Edible landscaping will be most important to feeding what is left of us when TEOTWAK arrives. I got a late start as I knew nothing about food production before 2/11/08 and by the time my garden was ready to accept some seeds the summer was about a quarter over. But, as the saying goes...better late than never. My lot is only 2/3 acre and I have to use the intensive method of planting. My main garden is about 750 SF but it has rock paths. I also have 6 smaller beds that are from 20 SF to 80 SF each. Also have 26 fruit tress. Here is main garden. [IMG]http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk187/fookisan/reargardenvuew.jpg[/IMG] Next year will put in another bed on side about 30 SF and a few more fruit trees. if things get tougher, l'll put in squash bed about 359 SF Here are 3 good books for those interested in developing an urban homestead. [url]http://www.amazon.com/Food-Not-Lawns-Neighborhood-Community/dp/193339207X[/url] [url]http://www.amazon.com/Gardening-When-Counts-Growing-Mother/dp/086571553X[/url] [url]http://www.amazon.com/Self-Sufficient-Suburban-Gardener-Jeff-Ball/dp/0878574573[/url] I think we have a real food crisis brewing for the world. Not enough young farmers replacing the old, we will run low of fertilizer as the NG dries up and that food which is grown is devoid of nutrition and not healthy. And to make matter worse, fewer people can even afford to buy produce. With the recent food shortages in the news I have to wonder as Richard Heinberg brought up "Who will be growing our food 20 years from now?" "The average American farmer is 55 to 60 years old. The proportion of full time farmers younger than 35 years of age has dropped from 15.9% in 1982 to 5.8% in 2002. Who will be growing our food 20 years from now?" from "Peak Everything" by Richard Heinberg "Amish farmers can't compete in conventual agriculture farming. 40 years ago 90% to 95% of the Amish were farmers. Today less than 10% are farmers." from: "How the Amish Survive" DVD And even if the farmers keep up with production, many people cannot afford the high prices of produce. At Krogers a butternut squash was $7, a large apple was $1.85, a rutabaga was $3, an artichoke near $5 and a lemon was $1.35, a bag of cherries was $14.75, ONE organic yam was $8.25. And these high priced produce are being offered when times are still relatively good What will this stuff sell for when gas is $10 or $15 a gallon? Peak oil, peak NG, peak water and food as well as peak uranium will fuel mass starvation as our artificial and unsustainable world decomposes around us. As people buy less produce due to affordability issues and the produce stops selling and rots on the shelves, the farmers will grow less produce that just rots unsold and less potential farmers will be entering that field. Book and DVD list. All available from your local library. Beyond Oil: the view from Hubbert's Peak by Deffeyes, Kenneth S. [url]http://www.princeton.edu/hubbert/[/url] The Coming Economic Collapse - how you can thrive when oil costs $200 a barrel by Leeb, Stephen A Crude Awakening - the oil crash Lava Productions AG, Switzerland DVD [url]http://www.oilcrashmovie.com/[/url] The End of Suburbia - oil depletion and the collapse of the American dream by Greene, Gregory DVD [url]http://www.endofsuburbia.com/[/url] Fed Up [url]http://www.amazon.com/Fed-Up-Angelo-Sacerdote/dp/B000CNGC6G[/url] High Noon for Natural Gas: the new energy crisis by Darley, Julian [url]http://www.highnoon.ws/[/url] The Long Emergency: surviving the converging catastrophes of the twenty-first century by Kunstler, James Howard Oil Apocalypse History channel DVD Peak Oil Survival: preparation for life after gridcrash by McBay, Aric Powerdown: options and actions for a post-carbon world by Heinberg, Richard Resource Wars: the new landscape of global conflict by Klare, Michael T [url]http://www.amazon.com/Resource-Wars-Landscape-Conflict-Introduction/dp/0805055762[/url] A Thousand Barrels a Second: the coming oil break point and the challenges facing an energy dependent world by Tertzakian, Peter Twilight in the Desert: the coming Saudi oil shock and the world economy by Simmons, Matthew R. Well written book examining 12 of the key Saudi oil fields. Who Killed the Electric Car? Sony Pictures Classics release [url]http://www.sonyclassics.com/whokilledtheelectriccar/[/url] Zoom:the global race to fuel the car of the future by Iain Carson and Vijay V. Vaitheeswaran. [IMG]http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk187/fookisan/victorygarden.jpg[/IMG]

I pulled out the washlet manual. The 350e uses "e-water+" which is a hypochlorous water generated from chloride ions in tap water via electrolysis. Often used for cleaning and disinfecting utensils and baby bottles, "well water may not deliver required effect as the level of chloride ions is low." "Clean sterile water helps to minimize dirty surfaces, but does not make cleaning unnecessary". So the washlet uses this ewater+ or EO to clean the wand and also as a pre-mist (per manual "to make it more difficult for dirt to adhere") and also as an after-mist once the wand cleaning is done. If the wand or bowl has not been cleaned for 8 hours, the wand cleaning cycle and mist automatically run. All of these auto-functions can be turned on or off. I use a bowl brush on our Kohler at least weekly and usually more often if I'm in that bathroom, because the men in this house won't clean it to my satisfaction, leaving that essence of pee scent behind. The Kohler actually has a good flush but it's 20 years old and not particularly water-saving. There is rarely "residue/dirt" left behind. I expect I will swirl a toilet brush around in the Totos also just to freshen it up or sanitize rather than only trusting in "e-water+". I will have to go read the toilet manual next, probably no bleach or heavy duty cleaners allowed.

Thanks, Fun2BHere! I'll check them out. Sonni1, great notion if his free time weren't all taken up by swim. Anglophilia, many thanks for the perspective and insight into what's coming. Islay is quite right that he doesn't need a special diet at his age. Just one that's more meat and vegetables, less cheese and sweets, than your average kid or cookbook. The fitness cookbooks might be good for that. I'll give them a close look. I talked to the mom about this today, armed with suggestions from you all. She seemed to like the idea of the wok, and talked it out. In the end, we decided together that the boy isn't quite ready for it. It came up without prompting that she already gets Cooking Light. I'm leaning toward books and maybe some specialty tools.

Thank you, @Jilly. There are several planned developments with ornamental grass along the streets. I need to find out what variety it is because I would like some on the front yard. Maybe the purple would be okay in the ground. I did meet a better salesperson at the garden shop last trip, so I will look for him again. Our biggest project for the house has been a carport addition over the guest parking area. I showed two photos to the framer and said "make it look like it's always been here." Then he sent me a CAD drawing and BAM! Carport! Has a storage room (because the dang garage is small and we are not going to park outside) and room for DH's smancy street legal vehicle and a guest. DD2 was happy not to park in the sun when they were here for Thanksgiving. We also took down the the signs the previous owners left on the directional pole, cut replacements for the ones they took and then I painted and personalized - all 16 of them. Currently making two more DH wanted to add. Kaya, those petunias are crazy beautiful!