July 2010 – Page 2 – Into the Woods

Farmer's market, etc.

Tomatoes are not yet plentiful. When they are, the price will come down.

Ken and I went to the Danbury Farmer’s Market today. Ken took some photos along the way. Here are today’s photos, along with a couple of older catch-up photos.

As for the rainfall, one farmer said they got about half an inch last night. Another farmer got almost an inch of rain.

This is the stand of the farmer couple that this summer we’ve been calling our favorite farmers.

The vines at Oak Valley Vineyards, not far from Priddy’s General Store and about five miles from Acorn Abbey

The tobacco crop seems to have handled the hot, dry weather very well.

Ken built a firepit down at the edge of the woods. We had our first fire in it last Friday evening, a rare cool evening.

Ken with his last supper before starting a three-day fast. He’ll end the fast at dinner tonight, for which he has requested pizza and apple pie.

Finally, a little rain

Young grapes, still wet from the rain and the dew

This week has been the hottest, most miserable week of weather that I can remember. For three days, the temperature went over 100. I believe the highest temperature we reached was over 102. The ground was dry, hard, and baked. The grass was turning brown. Ken and the water hose have been hard pressed to keep the garden and the new plantings going.

Finally, just before midnight last night, a storm moved through. This storm was moving from north to south out of Virginia, and it hit Stokes County head on. Here on the eastern side of the county, we didn’t get as much rain, but from the looks of the radar, most of the county got a good soaking. I’m going to the farmer’s market at Danbury later this morning. I can’t wait to ask the farmers how much rain they got.

Into the woods, for your health?

The New York Times reports on studies that have shown that going into the woods improves immune function. One Japanese study, for example, found that spending time in dense vegetation lowered cortisol levels, lowered the pulse rate, and lowered blood pressure. Another study found that two-hour walks in a forest over two days raised the number of white blood cells and caused natural killer cells to rise 50 percent.

Basil season

One of the compensations for the heat spells of July is the fresh basil for pesto. Now if the tomatoes would just get ripe.

Getting along with the neighbors

I am flattered that such a variety of wildlife want to live close to Acorn Abbey. Too close. Last summer, the groundhogs moved into new digs less than five meters from the house. I harassed them (by throwing things and making noises) until they moved back to the edge of the woods.

This year there was a bumper crop of bunnies. They live in the thicket just downhill from the house. We see them in the yard almost every day in the morning and evening, eating clover. This evening a bunny came up onto the steps of the side porch at Acorn Abbey.

I’m particularly happy about the rabbits. Three years ago, before I cleared away an acre of pine trees to build the abbey, there was really no nearby rabbit habitat. I never saw rabbits. Now there’s a large area of thick brush — a thicket — between the house and the woods on the lower side of the house. It’s perfect rabbit habitat: Good cover in the thicket, with lots of nearby clover and such for grazing.

Ken Ilgunas took these three photos.

The high cost of financial illiteracy

The July 5 issue of the New Yorker has a short but excellent essay by James Surowiecki on the high cost of financial illiteracy. Most Americans, Surowiecki says, can’t explain what compound interest is. The less people know, the more they get into financial trouble. Over a lifetime, Surowiecki says, the difference between knowing something about your finances and knowing nothing can add up to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Financial illiteracy also makes people much more susceptible to financial predation, which is raging out of control in our era.

We know that the poor pay more for pretty much everything than do people who are more well off. That, no doubt, is a combination of financial weakness and financial ignorance.

An important point that I have not heard made, though, is that frugality and financial ignorance are not compatible. Frugality requires not merely financial discipline. Frugality also requires laser sharp, Ph.D.-level financial sophistication. Frugality is more than not buying what we don’t need. Frugality also is about paying no more than absolutely necessary for the things we do need — a home, transportation, food, etc.