Speak softly and carry a big stick. (I cut a limb from a recent oak fall and now I’m lugging it back home to make a walking stick.)

I built a candlestick out of a limb that fell from our sweetgum tree in the front yard. The base is made from salvaged door trim. I was slightly concerned that it would catch fire, but so far so good.

I believe these are red oak acorns. Whether they are or not, I’m processing them using these old farmers almanac instructions.

Rachel made persimmon drop cookies!

My “make things, not content” t-shirt gets a surprising number of compliments. The number of people who see the sickness in the usual mode of life online and the need for a more embodied experience is not small.

Made a pasta tree for Rachel to dry her homemade pasta.

Rachel made a zucchini pie and–you know what?–it’s really good. (Y’all, we have so many zucchinis.)

You know what? The pickled kale is fantastic. Crisp and sweet and sour. It would be good on sandwiches or just by itself. Good use of a pound of kale from your garden.

Today: pulling nails on salvaged, century-old 2x4s and listening to Colter Wall’s new album Little Songs.

Attempting pickled kale, using this recipe. I added two cloves of garlic and a jalapeño. Now it sits in the refrigerator for two days.