sb country n news-views good

SB COUNTRY N NEWS-VIEWS GOOD

one of the things my wife she and i are trying to do
since we moved here
is to try to see and get to know this area

what ive found if you arent careful
you get busy doing the day to day things
and
you dont get to enjoy whats around you

we had noticed this sort of happening to us
as we eased into living here

so you can stand here
look to the ocean
turn 180 degrees
to
look to the mountains

it is when you stop to absorb the beauty
well
it stirs things deep inside
makes you take a deep deep breath
and
sigh
so you can really enjoy what you are looking at

we have started at least once a week
doing hikes in this area
starting from a book on local hikes a relative gave us
eg
our first was a 2 mile hike
along a creek up the mountain
with  magnificent views back over the city
and
over the ocean

this week
we simply walked a few miles along the beach
out then back
when you are walking
you see things better
you smell the smells better
you hear the sounds better

we plan on continuing this long term
hoping
this gives us the essence of this place

when i was home for our reunion
my older sister pulled out this dried pod
she said
i thought you might want these
purple hull seeds to use in your garden

now in the south
you hear words like
black eyed peas
crowder peas
cream peas
purple hull peas

here i hear one word
cowpeas

more than likely
unless you are from the south
you dont enjoy them quite the same as we do

talking with a gardener recently here
he mentioned using cowpeas as a cover crop for the garden
i thought
nope
ill eat those suckers

so i planted them last week
i hope to have peas for new years day from our garden

a cover crop is a crop you plant that will fix nitrogen in the soil
then can be cut down and left in place
or
tilled under
to provide nitrogen and carbon mass in the soil
like the old farmers used to do

things used are vetch rye wheat cowpeas buckwheat eg

now i just cut them off in the ground
leaving those nutritious roots with its minerals in the ground
for the veggies to use
then
leaving the above ground part of the plant laying where its cut
or
placing it in the compost pile

so what i have noticed here
is no matter where you stand and look
if you can see in the distance
well
the view is good

the organicgreen doctor