Who needs air conditioning? Well... maybe us, but central air is not going to be installed in our little house for quite a few years. It's just too expensive. Sometimes little problems like this are good, because they lead you to find interesting and smart solutions. For example, a solar attic fan.

I didn't know much about attic fans until recently, but it seemed like a good solution for one of our major heat problems: hot air from the attic dropping down into the house on summer nights and turning our house into an oven. Attic fans help suck hot air out of the attic and keep cooler air cycling through. Getting a solar attic fan means we don't have to hook it up to our electrical system, saving us money and, you know, saving the planet.

Our solar attic fan is made by Solatube. It doesn't have a thermostat, so it just automatically turns on when the sun hits it. The stronger the sunlight, the faster it spins. There are other varieties that are a bit more expensive and have a thermostat, but we felt that it was better to get a simpler system with less parts that might break. This fan is really simple, and comes with a 5-year warranty for the solar panel. We bought it from a small distributor in Sherman Oaks.

The attic fan was quite easy for Dakota to install. He just cut a circular hole in the roof, slipped the flashing under the shingles and screwed it all down. I'd say the whole project took him about 45 minutes last Monday.


Dakota installed the fan on the front of the house, because that part of the roof gets the most afternoon sun. I was worried it would look ugly or weird, but the fan has a really low profile, so you can barely see it. It's also completely silent. I don't even know it's there. Of course, I hope I notice its effects once the weather starts getting hotter.

If you:
1) live or work anywhere near Burbank
2) have a lot of old sneakers you can't donate to Goodwill
3) like recycling
I have a tip for you. You can drop off your old sneakers at the Burbank Recycling Center. They collect a big bin of old sneakers and then take them to a Nike Reuse-A-Shoe drop-off point in Santa Monica. Nike takes all the shoes and grinds up parts of them to make sports surfaces like tracks and tennis courts.

I dropped off a bunch of our old sneakers at the Burbank Recycling Center a couple of weeks ago. We actually had a big pile, since Dakota really wears out his sneakers pretty quickly, and, of course, he wears a size 15. So, they'll have a lot of material to recycle of his old shoes.

I guess I have never really showed off the (mostly) final coop setup on this blog. So, here it is:



The coop and run have been completely connected by the patented Witzenburg Chicken Tunnel(TM), and Jackie and Lisa seem very happy with their little home. They love the tunnel, and enjoy hanging out in there, probably because it's both safe and shady. Here's another angle on their set up.



Since these shots were taken, Dakota has added some locks and other little items for safety and ease of cleaning. The whole compound is both stylish and secure, in my opinion. So far, there haven't been any incidents with predators, although there were some small holes dug at the edge of the run a couple of weeks ago, and we've seen some suspicious footprints. Dakota is confident that the chickens are quite safe when they're locked in the coop at night, though, and I agree with him. They seem happy in there, too.

The only things still needed are a nesting box addition on the coop, which can wait until Jackie and Lisa are old enough to lay eggs, and the green roof. We might also add a little shade-creating overhang or ledge in the run, for when things get really hot this summer.

Happily, Jackie and Lisa are quite comfortable with their daily routine. Every morning, I open the door to their coop and then close it behind them once they come out into the run. At night, one of us goes down and opens the door to the coop, then comes back a bit later to lock them in for the night. They are usually very eager to get inside at night as it gets dark. If we get home too late, we'll find them already asleep inside the tunnel, pressed up against the closed coop door. They sleep so soundly that it takes some effort to wake them so we can open the coop door to let them in. It took them about two weeks, plus some bribes and a little shoving, to get used to the schedule, but they seem pretty attached to it now.

I've been getting a lot of excellent harvests from my winter garden in the last couple of months, which is good, because summer is almost here. I had great success with the turnips, carrots and chard in particular. I've always been intimidated to grow leafy crops like chard and arugula, but they have turned out to be easier than I expected.

Dakota's favorite garden-fresh meal ever came from the vegetables pictured below. I peeled and braised the carrots and turnips together, using a simple recipe from How to Cook Everything. Then I cooked the chard with a bit of garlic and olive oil until it wilted, and steamed it briefly in the pan. Served with a bit of wild rice, it was a pretty delicious and extremely healthy meal.



Just a couple of weeks ago, I pulled these lovely beets. They're kind of striped on the inside, although not as stripey as the picture on the seed packet. I roasted them, which is my favorite way to eat beets.



The biggest crop this winter has been carrots. I've pulled several big bunches so far, and I still have quite a few left in the garden still waiting to be harvested. This winter I grew pretty traditional carrot varieties, but, this summer, I'm going to try a more exotic type called Dragon Carrots.



And of course this summer I'm growing tomatoes and peppers, plus eggplant, radishes and, for the first time, corn. The corn was planted last month and is coming along nicely. I hope it works out--and so do the chickens. They love corn.

We now officially have free range chickens. Well, semi-free range. Yesterday, since Dakota and I were both in the back yard, we decided to let the chickens out for a little stroll.

At first, they were pretty nervous. They walked up to the open doorway, cautiously stuck their heads over the frame, ran back in the run, considered again, then took a careful step out. This went on for a while, with Jackie and Lisa eventually getting about a foot outside the run, looking around, then running back inside again.

When they finally summoned the courage to venture out for a longer period, they walked practically pressed against each other at first. After stumbling around nervously for about five minutes, they eventually got the hang of the whole free range chicken thing and then began happily exploring the yard.



Here's a video of Jackie and Lisa checking out the yard, eating some grass seeds, scratching in the dirt and generally enjoying the afternoon. I think they had a good time, and we'll probably let them out again this afternoon and most weekends when we're out in the back doing yard work.


Free Range Chickens from Audrey on Vimeo.

The chickens officially moved into their coop on Sunday. Dakota spent most of Saturday making a connecting tube and getting everything set in the ground and attached properly.

Here he is (or part of him) attaching the chicken tube to the chicken run.



The chicken tube was Dakota's elegant way to attach our snazzy coop to the run in a way that looked nice and kept Jackie and Lisa safe. They actually really like the tube, and sometimes hang out inside of it insetad of going into the run.

Dakota put a little door in the top of the tube so we can access the chickens while there in there, and so we can open and close the door to the coop at night.



Here are the chickens taking their coop for a little test drive on Sunday. The hopped up on the perch right away and got comfy. They seem to really like their new home, as they should. It's a pretty beautifully-designed chicken coop, if you ask me. Perhaps it will soon be featured in the pages of Dwell Poultry or Elle Poulet.



They are still getting the hang of their new all-outdoor routine. It's a bit of a struggle to get them to go into the coop at night. (Lisa made a new, more grown-up sound last night when I was pushing her in there. It was something between a peep and a squawk, which I took to mean, "But I don't want to go in there!") And, of course, it's tough to get them out of the coop in the morning. Although they can be bribed with strawberry tops, their favorite treat.

I'm hoping they get the hang of the run in the day, coop at night routine soon. But, you know, they are chickens so I don't expect them to be fast learners. No offense, Jackie and Lisa.

In the last few weeks, everything in our yard has burst into bloom. It's been really nice to watch all our plants flower, especially since they are mostly low-water-use perennials.

In the back yard, we have flowers all over the place.

Daisies





Lavender



Various blooming bushes





Even the trees are blooming



The front yard is looking pretty great, too. The plants have really matured and grown bushy in the past year. It looks nothing like the boring, ugly grass yard it was when I moved in. I feel pretty proud of all the work Dakota and I have put in to make it nice. And I think our neighbors appreciate the effort, too. They often comment on our healthy plants. Plus, I haven't had to water it in months. I love native plants.



I am still working on the plot on the left side of the house, and much of the backyard still needs work, but this years bounty of flowers gives me some encouragement. I can't imagine how gorgeous Spring will be in another couple of years, once I've landscaped some more, added more veggie plots and used my super-fertile chicken compost to improve the terrible soil. I can't wait.

Last weekend was another eventful one for Jackie and Lisa. They got their first chance to inspect their new chicken run. Dakota got all the sides and the top on the run completed, and so the girls got to spend much of Saturday and Sunday outside. Here he is attaching wire to the top of the run to keep out the hawks.



The run is probably four or five times as big as their brooder box, and they really loved the extra space. Jackie and Lisa are getting so big, and their brooder is starting to feel a bit cramped. In fact, the other morning, Jackie tried to jump out of the brooder when I was changing their water.

There's not much inside the run at the moment, but they seemed to enjoy just scratching around in the dirt. Once they move in permanently, we'll put some perches and logs in there to keep Jackie and Lisa entertained. Here they are in another wildly exciting chicken video.


Jackie & Lisa in the New Run from Audrey on Vimeo.

The chicken area is really looking great, and I'm excited to move the chickens outside permanently in another couple of weeks. The only work left to do on the run is to install the door and add some boards on the lower part of the run to prevent raccoon attacks. Then we have to set the coop up and attach it to the run.

I have already discovered that I really like just sitting and watching Jackie and Lisa wander around and do their chicken thing. For some reason, I find it very relaxing.

I wanted to do a little winter garden update, especially since it's pretty much Spring here now. It's supposed to be in the mid to upper 70s this weekend. Nice! Luckily, the veggies I planted a while back are getting close to harvest, and some are even ready to eat now. But I'll get to that in a second.

The chard is probably still a week or two away from being ready to pick, but, it's really looking good. I am excited to eat it, perhaps with some garlic and olive oil. Here's some I've plated in a pot on the deck. It's Rainbow Chard, so there are red, yellow and white stalks growing. Pretty and delicious.



And, down in the garden plot, there's some chard in the front, and tasty carrots in the back. I'm pretty happy that the garden plot is actually producing some nice veggies. Last year, the carrot situation was pretty bleak.



Finally, the big thrill: The first turnip harvest! Aren't they pretty? They are a Seed Savers variety, of course, called Purple Top White Globe. That pretty much describes them. I cooked the turnips up and we had them for dinner on Sunday and they were delicious. I feel like the flavor was fresher and more delicate than other turnips I have eaten.



I also cooked up the turnip greens with some mustard greens and had them for lunch. Of course, first I had to wash off the thousands of aphids that were covering the turnip leaves. They were everywhere! I guess my turnips are healthy enough not to be too effected by the bugs, at least not yet. Since I am gardening organically, I guess I will just leave the aphids be for now. If they start to kill any of the veggies, I'll look into getting rid of them. Soapy water spray sometimes helps.

So, that's the current vegetable gardening news. I think I should have a good pea harvest soon, too. I noticed some pods when I was watering this morning.

Jackie and Lisa had a very exciting day yesterday: They had their very first outdoor experience.

The chicks have been getting pretty rowdy in their brooder box lately--knocking over their feeder and filling their water with shavings--so we thought they could use a change of scenery. We brought them outside while we were both working in the backyard.

Jackie and Lisa spent a few hours hanging out in an improvised chick playpen--just a circle of wire set on the ground under the deck. They really seemed to have a good time, pecking around, picking at the grass and weeds and enjoying the sunny day. I even made a little video of the occasion, because I knew you'd all want to see them in action. (Ahem.)


Jackie & Lisa's First Day Out from Audrey on Vimeo.

It was great to see how much the chicks enjoyed being outside. It seems like they will be ready to go outside for good, or at least for longer stretches, in just a couple of weeks. Luckily, Dakota is hard at work on their coop and run, and it's coming together nicely. Here he is yesterday placing the posts.

So Arrowhead now has this "eco-shape" water bottle that is supposedly so much better for the environment because it uses 30% less plastic. When I saw the commercial for this a while back, I was immediately annoyed. I mean, the idea that any bottled water can be considered eco-friendly is absurd. Classic case of greenwashing.

And speaking of the scam of bottled water, here's some more info on that from Food & Water Watch. They are leading a campagin to "Take Back the Tap," by putting out the real truth about bottled water by highlighting:

• the fact that tap water is much more strongly regulated for health and safety than bottled water
• that bottled water pollutes the environment during its production process, its transportation to stores and the empty bottles that end up in landfills
• that it's a big waste of money

If you're interested, you can sign their Take Back the Tap pledge by clicking here.

And if you want to find out more about the water coming out of your tap, check out the National Tap Water Database.

Now here's a photo of my sister's dog enjoying some natural spring water in the San Antonio River.

It's now been two weeks since we got Jackie and Lisa, and they have grown a lot. I was out of town last week, and when I got back on Friday night they really looked different. They are definitely taller with bigger feet and longer necks. But, their most noticeable growth has been their feathers. They have more wing feathers and tail feathers, and their bodies are getting feathers now too. It's a bit of an awkward teenage look, but I still think they are cute.



While I was gone, Dakota switched their flooring from paper towels to pine shavings. He also put a stick in the brooder for them to use as a low perch. They seem to like the perch so far, and are getting better at standing on it and gripping it with their little toes. They've been trying out some other fun chicken behaviors as well, like scratching and dust baths--although, in this case, they are shavings baths.

They have been getting a bit rowdy at times, running and jumping and chasing each other around a bit. Dakota put a wire mesh over the top of the brooder to keep them in. We don't want them hopping out and running around the house while we're gone. What would Nigel think?



So, the chicks seem pretty happy and healthy at the two week mark. It's been fun raising them so far, and I'm excited for all the adventures to come.

As of today, we've had Jackie and Lisa for one week. Both chicks seem to be quite happy and thriving, and they are growing very quickly. As of today, they have some wing and tail feathers, and they've grown much taller and leaner. Here they are this morning by their feeder.



We'd better get to work preparing their outdoor coop and run. Dakota is planning to add a nest box area on one side of the coop. Then we'll need to create a fenced-in run so that they can hang out outside during the day, but still be protected from predators. Besides our neighborhood cats, we'll need to protect them from skunks, raccoons, foxes, coyotes and hawks. It's a dangerous world out there for Jackie and Lisa. But, I'm confident Dakota will make something safe and secure for them.

Here they are on Day 3. They are getting more feathers and seem very comfortable in their new space. They grow up so fast!


Jackie & Lisa getting bigger from Audrey Diehl on Vimeo.

We have been trying to hold Jackie and Lisa up for a little while each day so that they get used to us. It freaks them out a little, but they do okay. The cutest part is that the chick who's left alone in the brooder starts looking around and peeping really loud. She misses her sister immediately.

Look at the cute sleeping chick! Awwwww. Luckily, one of my books warned me that chicks look kind of like they are dead when they sleep. Otherwise, I might have been a bit concerned.

This photo shows Jackie and Lisa on their second day at home. As of today (day 4), they have even more feathers on their wings and are starting to get some tail fathers. They have also gotten a little rowdy. Yesterday when Dakota got home, he saw that they had knocked over their thermometer and were standing on top of it, peeping.

Despite this, Jackie and Lisa continue to be very cute.

Check out Jackie and Lisa hanging out in the brooder.

Jackie & Lisa Day 1 from Audrey Diehl on Vimeo.

I'm so excited because today we went down to John's Feed 2, on Florence in South Los Angeles, and got two chicks. They are female (pullets is the technical term), and they should be Rhode Island Reds. The feed store guys were nice, but don't all speak English fluently, so I can't say I'm 100% certain what breed they are. But I am pretty sure they are reds of some kind, and they are likely Rhode Island Reds, which are a common laying breed. I was happy we found some pullets, because most places seem to be carrying "straight run" chicks, which means there are males and females mixed together. I definitely did not want to accidentally end up with a rooster.

Anyway, here is the first photo of Jackie and Lisa, our new pet chickens.



Aren't they adorable? We brought them straight home and put them in the brooder box that Dakota made them. They peeped the whole way back in the car.



They seem pretty happy and got used to their new home in about 15 minutes. Now they are just peeping away happily and eating and drinking and pooping like pros. And peeping! Non-stop peeping.

I can't wait to see how they grow.

It's been raining like crazy lately, and my winter garden is very happy. In particular, my turnips have been doing very well.



The tops are starting to swell on some of them, so perhaps in a few weeks I'll be able to pull them up and roast them. I've also got beets, carrots and chard in my little garden plot. All are coming along nicely, and hopefully I'll have a nice root vegetable harvest by the end of February.

Up on the deck, I'm growing peas. The variety I picked are dwarf, so they should do well in pots or in the ground. I have a few in both places. Fresh peas are so delicious. I wish they would grow a little faster!



I also have chard in one pot, and some brussels sprouts seedlings slowly getting bigger and bigger. Oh, and some onions. Onions take a long time, so I started them about a month ago in small pots and will transplant them into the garden this spring once I pull the turnips and beets.

My arugula has been extremely happy in the cool weather. I've got several pots of it growing on the deck at the moment. I really like growing my own greens. They spoil so quickly in the fridge, so to be able to step outside and cut some fresh arugula for a salad or sandwich right when I need it has been great. My parsley, cilantro and chives are also quite happy, as you can see.



When the chickens grow up, I will be able to feed them weeds and bugs from the garden. And, in exchange, they can provide me with some excellent fertilizer. Of course, I'll probably need to fence in my garden plot so they don't gobble up my veggies when we let them wander the back yard.

The progress towards getting our chickens has begun. My first step has been extensive research. I received two chicken books for Christmas and purchased a third. All three seem like they will supplement each other well. I have one book, Keep Chickens!, which is written specifically for a keeper of a small flock of laying hens like me. The other two books are more like general reference books, but should be very handy. Those two are Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens, given to me by Chad, and The Chicken Health Handbook, which Autumn gave me.

I managed to find one good LA-area article on backyard chicken keeping in the LA Weekly. Most of the other news stories and blogs I've found are about New York, Seattle or Portland urban chickens. Portland in particular seems to be a hotbed of city chickens. I did find one very nice blog of a chicken owner in Northern California, called Urban Chickens. It's nice because it's about a family that had never kept chickens before--like us--and details how they've been figuring it all out in an enthusiastic, personal style. Oddly, I have been unable to find a blog about raising chickens in Los Angeles. So, perhaps this blog will help other LA chicken novices in the future.

Another excellent site I've found is BackyardChickens.com. They have a TON of information and even a message board. So, they seem like a great ongoing online resource.

Speaking of resources, I was very excited to discover that a local pet store very near our house carries chicks. Their first shipment comes in this week, and the guy at the store said they would likely be Rhode Island Reds, which is the breed I am primarily interested in. So, that's exciting. I am going to see if they are open today so I can check if they have chick feeders and water containers and chick feed, which we'll need when we get our babies.

Next step, putting together the brooder for our chicks!

Today is the fourth anniversary of the day I adopted Nigel, the cutest dog ever. I got him as an adult dog from a Los Angeles dog rescue group called Perfect Pet Rescue. They found him at an LA County animal shelter.

Nigel is truly one of the sweetest, quietest, calmest dogs I have ever known. Plus, as mentioned above, he is the cutest dog ever. I am really glad that I was able to adopt him.

For his birthday, Nigel received a few tummy rubs and... a bath!


Poor guy! We'll have to give him a special food treat tonight as well.

Nigel is around 7 years old, we think. The other day the vet called him a "senior citizen," which he did not appreciate. He's still in good shape and we hope to have him for years and years to come. I just hope he doesn't get too mad about the chickens.

This is the first mushroom to grow from the shiitake mushroom log I got for Christmas from my Dad.

You can only "fruit the log" every 8 weeks, but the next time I fruit it I should get way more mushrooms. In the meantime, I have to soak it in room temperature water every two weeks to keep it moist. It's a bit complicated, but probably worth it. We ate this shitake after it got a bit bigger, and it was delicious!

Now that the holidays are over, here's a wrap-up of how we made our Christmas fun a bit more environmentally friendly.

For the second year in the row, we got a living tree as our Christmas tree. Last year, we got a more traditional fir, and planted it in a corner of the back yard in January. This year, we picked up a kumquat tree. It's really great-looking, covered in tiny orange fruit and will nicely replace the old kumquat tree that didn't make it in our back yard. (I think I've learned enough about taking care of trees in the last year to make sure this one survives.) Here is our kumquat decorated for Christmas in a sunny corner of living room.



For additional decoration, I took some fallen branches, spray painted them gold and strung them with some tiny lights I got at Ikea a few years ago.



That was about the extent of our decoration, except for a wreath on the front door, which I made last year out of spray-painted zip ties, and some colored LED lights on the front porch. We kept it simple, but our house still felt festive.

Gift-wise, Dakota and I received several excellent items that will make 2008 our greenest year yet. These included some gardening and green roofing books, a log with which we can grow our own shiitake mushrooms and, most exciting, a chicken coop! I should say, a custom-made chicken coop, hand-crafted by Dakota from left-over cedar pulled from his workshop. Check out its lovely design.



Before Christmas, we had been talking about getting chickens, but hadn't really officially decided whether to get them or not. So, the coop was a complete surprise. But, a great one.

You'll be hearing a lot more about backyard chicken prep on this blog in the coming months.

In terms of gifts for friends and family, I tried to make as many as possible. I went on a knitting frenzy--mostly hats--and sent those off to various cousins and friends in colder climates. I also got a wood-burning tool, which I used to decorate wood picture frames and a cutting board. Wood burning is hard, but some of them came out okay. And then we gave donations to relatives who have all the "stuff" they could ever want. Dakota gave my mom a gift certificate to the micro-lending site Kiva.org, which has been getting tons of press coverage lately. It was actually started by some guys I know from Stanford, and it's great that they're doing so well. (I think Kiva was even on Oprah!)

Christmas is getting really close now, so I thought I'd do some holiday-related posting. First up, office gift giving.

For my coworkers, I love to give donations and other do-gooder-style gifts. I find this is a good call because:
1) I don't know everyone I work with well enough to get them the perfect personalized gift. And I don't want them to be stuck with some piece of junk they don't want.
2) It allows my co-workers to gently mock me about my tree-hugging, do-gooding ways. Good times.
3) I always get a really positive response from these types of gifts.

In the past, I have given my coworkers "animals" from Heifer International. It's kind of fun because you can give everyone a different animal, and, you know, try to pick an animal to fit their personality.

This year, I did the following:

For the assistants in my department, I got SIGG bottles. These are snazzy metal-lined reuseable water bottles with cool design. I have one that I use every day at work. I highly recommend a SIGG bottle as a gift for an office mate or for a friend who does a lot of outdoor activity. It's are a nice accessory of sorts that also elimintes the need to use disposable plastic water bottles. And, as we all know, plastic bottles are evil!

For the other executives I work with, I gave a two-part gift. First, I made a donation in their names to America's Second Harvest. Then, I extended the grocery theme by taking some cotton shopping bags and personalizing them with paint and letter stamps. I think they came out pretty cool, and people seem to like them.

Both these gifts were simple and fairly inexpensive, and both will hopefully make a long-term impact by getting my coworkers to use fewer plastic bottles and fewer plastic shopping bags. At least, that's the hope.

A week after I made the hot pepper vinegar, I tried drying as a second way to preserve all the hot Red Thai Peppers from my garden. Basically, I cut off the stems, strung them together with a regular needle and thread and hung them up in the kitchen.



It was pretty easy, although I think I should have worn gloves. That pepper juice can burn! And it stays on your hands for a while even after you wash them.

The peppers have been drying for several weeks. They look good, still red, and aren't molding or anything. So, I think I have succeeded.

I am not sure if I'll eventually put them in a bag or jar and use them whole. The other option would be to grind them into a powder and use them as chili powder. That might be cool. We'll see. Maybe I can do both. There are still two plants outside that haven't ripened yet.

I love spicy food, but not really enough to eat all the peppers I've been growing as soon as they are ripe. So, I looked into ways to preserve my peppers and came up with a few good methods. The first one I tried was preserving them in vinegar. It was relatively easy.

First, I boiled some jars to sterilize them. (There are jars in there, I promise.)


Then, I put some nice, spicy peppers in each jar. (Those are Red Thai Peppers. Very hot!)


Next I warmed up some vinegar to just below boiling...


...poured the vinegar in the jars, capped them and that was it!


It really was very easy, although I would have liked to have some better jars. The ones I am currently using are mini Martinelli's apple juice jars. They are cute, but not good for sprinkling spicy vinegar. I will probably have to transfer to other containers before I use it.

I tasted some the other day and it was hot and sour, as intended. I think it could be very tasty on potatoes or other starchy foods. Maybe seafood, too. It's basically like home-made Tabasco sauce, or that's the intention.

Next up: drying peppers.