Put an ounce of milkweed seed in freezer . other guidance said seed should be wet and put in refrigerator . Three years ago I tried planting acre of milkweed and got nothing .
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Try just throwing the seeds on the ground in the fall. That weed is nearly impossible to get out of my fields I sould send you tons of seeds If I knew you wanted them…
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One way I have found to cope with these cold winter days is to think back struggling to get through Death Valley 
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As soon as I saw your struggle the song “cool water” by the sons of pioneers popped into my head.
Great picture
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This Kingston Trio song popped into my head
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Finally, I am done
Only one is missing, marzipan potatoes, which has to wait till tommorrow I will buy quality cocoa powder.
When I made the bottom line, final amount get close to 70 pounds.
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Kamil,
One of each would be nice–very impressive. My friends have to be content with corn meal or grits from the charcoal-powered mill, and peanut brittle–yum yum.
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KKubu!!! Oh those look soooo good. You are an amazing pastry chef!
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Make another batch and ship them to me I will be happy to share on this side of the pond. Then we can give you international references. 
WOW.
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KKubu
It is hard to look at those pictures only once . I found myself looking them over 3-4 times . 
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My favorite place in the world. Even took my wife there on our honeymoon. One winter Calif had a lot of rain during the winter. That spring I went there and saw plants that only bloom after these heavy rains, which ocurre once every 5 or 6 years. And there are the fresh picked dates. Like any fruit, they are so much better right off the tree. And since DOW has adopted char coal, there are a group of kilns, each about the size of a two car garage, that were used to make char coal to smelt the silver over in Silver City, Ca. The town and mine are a ‘‘gost town’’ now. Really interesting place if you pick the right time. TomC
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I shipped it twice already across the pond, @wobigtd. Some five years ago when my daughter was at high school at Fort Worth, TX. It came edible even after quite long journey, but lost a lot of “look&feel”
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I might have gained 5 lbs just looking at all those yummy things…
Oh on a totally different note my pigs are settling in well. Tonight when I fed them they actually acted hungry for the first time. I just thought well that is odd they had enough for breakfast oh well. Then I noticed their bedding was all crushed down and I could see the cement so I got another bale of hay for them. Well they where done eating grain when I got back with the hay and they started eating the hay. I googled it and learned that some pigs can be feed almost 100% hay.
I guess I know why they where not hungry all week. Knowing they are eating the hay I will actually get them so good quality hay from my Timothy clover field next time.
Anyway I was just wondering if anyone else had experience with pigs eating hay because it is a new one on me but the Berkshire large black cross pigs I have definitely seem to enjoy it.
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I learned something today . 
Sure. They will eat hay (good quality-clover) happyly. However people here dont do that because it may cause occasional problems, constipation. I was a witness to this once, pig wuldnt eat, got fever… father in law put a finger in his ass and pulled the hard ball of poop out. It was not a preety sight belive me…
Anyway, l think thats only a problem with farm raised pigs geting hay for the first time in their life, eating too much and not being used to it. My pigs are free ranged and will feed on fibrous material from birth to slaughter.
A lot of people come here and cant belive their eyes when they see pigs grazing grass like sheep. They will do just fine and get fat from just grazing plus foodscraps in the summer, then acorns and chestnuts fall in the fall and pigs will barely be able to walk draging their bellys on the ground 
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Thanks the farm these pigs came from had them on pasture before I got them. I thought I was just putting in some bedding for them so they didn’t have to sleep on a cement floor.
I have seen a dog have the same problems you mentioned but so far these pigs haven’t had any troubles like that.
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Well that was interesting.
Grid power flickered in and out then out for 20 minutes.
All O.K. We’d finished breakfast. It is light outside. The woodstove over working it heart out.
Wife just took out her new Christmas jig-saw puzzle.
Then the power came back on. A clean re-power up.
Then watching the living room satellite base, TV, DVR and old VCR seeing power self-check re-power back up.
The kitchen array was all working in-power when this happened. So their own re-power self-checks.
Some after self-checks and re-loading, going back to live use. Or, off-use stand-by. Ha! Some not in use by soft switched in standby then turning on live.
In the old days it would have been running around to manually mechanical switch everything off. or unplug for re-power up starting up safety.
Now uses evolved equipment’s. ANG the power grids added over-voltages localized surge protectors it is just, sit ,wait, and watch.
Lap tops and tablets are self-isolated safe. The old desk tops it was fuss if the IPS was still working, charged and functionable.
Two days of 1/10 inch an hour steady raining has us in localized puddles flooding now.
Time of day says someone in a hurry tried to bash trough one of these over-the-roads flood-puddles; lost it and wiped out a grid power pole.
This new satellite internet system has proven to be self-starting durable too.
Important factors when I have developed for woodgas home generating using pure direct hopper-out; gasification weakens; engine-generator slows, and stops management.
This can be done.
I am set up to do this.
Regards, Oh-yes . . . know-it-all, smarty-pants, who ditches out all weak sisters
Steve unruh
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Well, that is interesting. What did you do? Had breakfast, it is light, wood is burning. Did you start your generator or enjoyed the silence?
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Enjoy.
Even if dark. Turn on the four now florescent rechargeable batteries lanterns. Finish out the day. Go to bed.
Not worth even firing up the gasoline inverter generators for less than a 12 hours grid-out.
Occurrence before breakfast, almost always need to run at least one generator. For the girls after showering electric hair dryers. Me watching satellite news for indications of why, how long, without Grid.
2-3 day out; like common in the past decades; then only worth the effort to go to woodgas. By 5-7 day be woodgasing for certain. Be down 8-10 gallons of gasoline by then.
Yesterday the wife had me out at a regional GoodWill thrift store. Two new books for me. Hurrah! And color-tag half-off day on the clothing. I bought two more mens all wood extra-large sized sports jackets. $3.50 usd each.
For asked for, woodgasifers systems visits. I then pull out and ditch any found foam filters. Layer in the loose wool fabric. Here. Use this. A Gary Gilmore gift inspiration. Better results. Organic. Washable.
Practice today, for tomorrow.
S.U.
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Steve; If you are going to be out practicing to day for tomorrow, could you please take some pictures of your set-up? (generators/ woodgas generators etc.) I have known for years that you are set-up to switch over to generating your own electricity when the power company fails you, but have never seen what you have. TomC
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