Celebrating Earth and Its Nature: Picnic For The Planet 2012

Ruth Sandra Sperling
RSS Designs In Fiber - My Handmade Designs on ARTFIRE and in the SHOPPING MALL by PAYVMENT on FACEBOOK

PICNIC FOR THE PLANET??

Now what does that mean??

The Nature Conservancy has an Earth Day Campaign this year (2012):  "Picnic For the Planet 2012" -- encouraging everyone to enjoy Nature by having a Picnic this Earth Day.

But "Picnic For The Planet" means, as I understand it -- a lot more than having a Picnic out in Nature on Earth Day.

From one of their emails about "Picnic for the Planet 2012", I got this link:

http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/habitats/riverslakes/explore/balancing-between-food-water-and-nature.xml?e.nature 

The Key Phrase here is:

"Balancing Between Food Water and Nature".

I thought it was kind of funny -- and kind of great -- that it was about a place I have occasionally frequented, traveled through and written comment letters about:  Keeping the Santa Clara River of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties in Southern CA a Free-Flowing River.

Actually, where I live now - in the Eastern Antelope Valley of Southern California - I live a little bit east of the eastern end of the Santa Clara River Watershed - as pictured in this photo, which I found on Wikipedia:

SANTA CLARA RIVER WATERSHED, SOUTHERN CA

I live some miles east of Palmdale in the Map.

But long before I lived in the Antelope Valley, I use to roam the more rural areas of Southern California for several reasons:

1. To do my Landscape Photography

2. Find remote, rural, open spaces with a variety of Nature for Walking and the Joy of it!

3. Buy Local Fresh Healthy Produce

--- and the Santa Clara River Watershed is one of the places I use to go to.

I do believe there were times when I would travel practically the whole length of it from Canyon Country into Ventura County, stopping at Produce Stands along the way or stopping along the way for a Walk (like at Lake Piru) -- sometimes ending up at one of my most favorite places in all of Southern California, just south of the Santa Clara river Watershed in the Western Santa Monica Mountains:  Nicholas Flat above Leo Carillo State Beach (there are no signs to Nicholas Flat - you have to get directions and just be good at going down Santa Monica Mountain Roads).

One of my days out in Nature - seeing and feeling some Wide Open Spaces!!

For me it is really true:  Every Day is Earth Day!!

Read about the Local Farmers in the Santa Clara River Valley Watershed at the above Nature Conservancy link.  You can really buy their Produce in the Watershed -- and have a great trip doing it!!

But there are some things, for me, that mean more than that as part of "Picnic For The Planet " in any year -- I started this blog article with a picture of my very own Rosemary Plant sitting outside my Front Door.  I went out this afternoon to cut off some Rosemary Leaves to put in my Salad I was making - oh, also got some Fresh Oregano and Fresh Basil from my very own plants -- part of "Picnic For The Planet" for me means growing my own fresh herbs to cook with.  The Rosemary Plant I have had for years -- the Oregano Plant is a couple of years old.  Fresh Basil plants I buy every year -- and I bought my first one this year on April 8th!!

My Earth Day Picnic this year:  I think I will take a walk through some local wild fields over to a local park and under some Cherry trees, have my own Picnic all right -- including some dishes made with Fresh Herbs I've grown myself!!

HAPPY EARTH DAY!!

Celebrating Earth Day with Nature Themes in My Designs In Fiber

Ruth Sandra Sperling
RSS Designs In Fiber - My Handmade Designs on ETSY - and elsewhere online!

Cottontail Rabbit in A Bush

Well - here it is -- my most recent "Inspired by Nature" piece!  And just in time for Earth Day!!

My "Inspired By Nature" pieces are available in my online shops  - or I can do a Custom Order privately!

Though I do Nature themes all the time -- and, for me, Every Day is Earth Day -- this is a project especially for this Spring and for celebrating Earth Day 2011!

You see -- I designed it based on the real Desert Cottontail Rabbits I see in the wild fields in the town where I live (like in the field in the photo of my small town in upper left-hand corner of this blog!) -- they are grayish brown with white Cottontails -- and they run through the fields and then dive under bushes or jump down holes!!

So funny - they make me smile!

Like I said above:  Every Day is Earth Day to me!!

Most people who read my blog already know!

It is how you live -- and how you make decisions in life, such as Re-using, Recycling and therefore Reducing our waste. 

And how about Restoring? 

And getting Locally Grown produce - or at least growing your own herbs, like I do!  You can grown them inside if you have nowhere outside to grow them!

Now that Spring is really here and the below-freezing nights are over, I am pruning my herbs, which are growing more now -- and I have my first Basil plant of the year already!!  My Rosemary plant of several years is doing very well -- and my perennial herbs:  Chives, Oregano, Stevia and Mint plants are all coming back!!  It so great to have the fresh herbs just outside my door -- and fun, too!!

So, Celebrate Earth Day as a Reminder -- Every Day is Earth Day !!

Here are a few other of my Designs In Fiber that show my love of Nature!!

Tree Tapestry Pillow

Mountain Cabin Landscape in Filet Crochet

Bear Head Silhouette in Filet Crochet

Proud Rooster in Textured Filet Crochet

Tree Tapestry Home Decor

Celtic Woven Garden Suncatcher or Ornament

TO LIFE!!

More Little Fiber Art Pieces - Inspired by Nature

Ruth Sandra Sperling
RSS Designs In Fiber - Internet Shop of Handmade Items In Fibers



Sometimes I see something in life -- and I want to make something!

Well, this is one of those instances!

My Rosemary Herb Plant in my front yard has some little Light Blue Blossoms on it now! I have had this plant for years now -- I actually use it for Fresh Rosemary in my cooking -- and my garden book says it is supposed to bloom in winter -- so I guess it is a little early this year, as it is late summer (we did have some cooler days and nights ???), but Whatever -- I saw them and decided to whip out something in my crochet!!

This is what resulted:




Truly Inspired by Nature - just the other day!!

I have literally hundreds of patterns and I can take different stitches and components and put them together to create a certain design.

This looks like a rather simple Round Design with a small Blue Flower inside some Green -- but the pattern is a bit complicated -- and, of course, I had to add something -- the final edge is done a little different - threw in something I learned in Celtic/Irish Crochet to give the edge a little bit more than a flat look - you can see that it curls up a little bit in this closeup!





You can find this pair in my Etsy Shop - BLUE ROSEMARY HERB BLOOM COASTERS OR TRINKET DOILIES!

It is also with a lot of other Flower Designs in Threads in this GUIDE here on my blog!

What have you seen in life that inspires you to make something??????

This Year's LOCAL HARVEST - Yummy!!

Ruth Sandra Sperling
RSS Designs In Fiber - Internet Shop of Handmade Items In Fibers




Late June or early July is the start of the season for pick-your-own orchards - at least, where I live here in the Antelope Valley of Southern California!!

I've been there twice so far this month - it was for the Apricots!! They only have them for a few weeks early in the summer and they are absolutely one of my favorite fruits!! Picked 20 ibs of fruit both times -- and most of them were Apricots - 2 varieties. So delicious!!

Though I still have fresh ones in the fridge, I have a whole bunch of them halved in the freezer - hopefully, they will last for months!!

Also, picked a few peaches and plums!!

Boy-oh-boy!! Fresh fruit right off the tree -- nothing tastes as good!!

I HIGHLY recommend finding an orchard to go picking in, if you can find any where you live.

• Better tasting.
• Usually Better for You!
• And definitely Better for the Environment - picking locally!! They call it "Low Carbon" - less packaging, less transportation, less carbon emissions for what you buy!
  

And the quality of the fruit is so much better - doesn't compare at all to store-bought fruit!!

I admit - at this point, I am a bit spoiled!!

The local orchrds in the Antelope Valley usally have fruit on the trees through sometime in October or early November - though the Apricots are only for a few weeks, they have different varieties of Peaches, Apples, Pears and Plums at various times through the months. If you don't want to pick yourself, they usually have some fresh-picked fruit in their cold-storage, which you can just buy.

There are a vsriety of orchards that either sell on-site or let you pick yourself in the Antelope Valley -- and east of us, I believe in what is known as Apple Valley.

Check http://www.localharvest.org for what they have listed, wherever you live -- or maybe the local Chambers of Commerce can help!!

It is really really worth the time and effort to go and pick your own fruit -- some of us even think it is FUN!!!!

Harvest Season - My Last Trip to Pick My Own Fruit

Ruth Sandra Sperling
RSS Designs In Fiber - Internet Shop of Handmade Items In Fibers








Mid-October now -- Harvest Season for sure -- but for the fruit trees, it is the end of the season of blooming and new fruit.


The local orchard where I have gone to pick fruit has closed its gates for this year.


Last Wednesday I went -- and even though I meant to be frugal and only pick half a bucket -- well, I couldn't help myself and I picked most of a bucket --


-- still some late peaches on the trees - just lucious -- have cut up at least half of them and put them in the freezer - a few fresh ones still in the fridge. I will at least have some frozen slices of peaches to thaw or put in smoothies for some weeks to come!


-- lots of late pears on the trees and I picked a bunch -- still hard and firm -- the people at the orchards say that is the best way to pick them -- maybe they will last! When I have bought them in the grocery stores they soften and turn dark almost right away. Just checked this morning - still firm in the fridge!!


-- Ah-h-h! The apples!! Just love the fresh apples picked off the tree -- again infintely better than the grocery store ones -- they said I picked some Fujis and Granny Smiths -- just love those tart Granny Smiths, but also love the slightly sweeter Fujis and Galas!!


I have been told that the Granny Smiths will last for 3 months or so in the fridge, so I'll be eating the Fujis first -- and I can always make some lucious apple sauce in my crock pot -- did that last January!!


Picking my fruit -- no matter if it is a little difficult physically for me to be walking around with a bucket of almost 20 pounds of fruit (LOL) -- is so much fun -- and I will miss it until next summer!!


Hope some of you others found some freshly-picked local fruit -- or got to pick some yourself!!

LOCAL HARVEST - Local Antelope Valley Orchard - Now Open with APRICOTS!!

Ruth Sandra Sperling
RSS Designs In Fiber - Internet Shop of Handmade Items In Fibers


Called The Local Orchard in the Antelope Valley today to see when they would be open with their first crop and my favorite fruit -- APRICOTS!!

And they are open!!

They expect to have PEACHES to pick after July 4th!!

Will go next Tuesday and pick some APRICOTS - ripe and lucious right off the tree!!

Looking forward to it!

If you are anywhere within driving range of the Antelope Valley and like APRICOTS, it is really worth it! These APRICOTS fresh off the tree - especially picked yourself at the ripeness you like -- are the best I've ever tasted.

They have 2 varieties and hopefully the later one will last a bit into July. I will pick a bunch -- and pit and halve the ones I can't eat pretty quickly and I'll have fresh frozen, yummy APRICOTS for months probably. Did last year.

Then in July -- some PEACHES -- and boy they are also incomparably better than any I have ever found in any kind of store!! Also ripe and lucious right off the tree!!

Have a fun outing -- and get some fresh, local, tree-ripened fruit without the packaging and transport!!



Ruth

LOCAL HARVESTS - Local Pick-Your-Own Fruit Orchard in the Antelope Valley of Southern CA

Ruth Sandra Sperling
RSS Designs In Fiber - Internet Shop of Handmade Items In Fibers


I am a strong supporter of getting at least produce that is relatively locally grown.

Of course, I live in California, a major agricultural state. When I shop locally, I make a point of watching where the produce comes from and I usually make a point of buying locally, which for me means California or maybe Mexico.



I make another point of not buying anything from a different continent - including Central America and South America and Europe, etc. I really think it is funny when the local stores here in the Antelope Valley of Southern California have fruit and vegetables from Chile -- just saw some green grapes last Friday, but they were from Chile, so I put them back.



One of the reasons I think it is so funny is that the Antelope Valley of Southern CA is agricultural and there are various orchards and even a few vineyards and other agricultural business right in our own valley.



I personally know of a small Pick-Your-Own fruit orchard a few miles from where I live in the east Antelope Valley.



I've been getting fruit from there during the season when they have fruit for years now -- and my personal experience is that you can't compare the fruit you can pick fresh off the trees there to anything you can buy at any grocery store - or even any of the farmer's markets or fruit stands that I have been to.



Of course, I prefer to pick my own, though I sometimes get the pre-picked fruit they have available also (for those who can't or don't want to pick their own). When you pick your own, you get it ripened on the tree to the level of ripeness that you like.

About the first 4 weeks of the picking season each year, they have 2 varieties of apricots. Now apricots are one of my favorite fruits of all time -- and I could never find ones in the stores or markets that taste as good as theirs -- but I am picking right off the tree!! I pick as much as I can during the weeks they have them -- then some I halve and pit and put in the freezer before they go bad -- after all I can only eat so much!! I remember that last year I still had some in the freezer in September.



They have different varieties of Peaches starting about early July through about mid-October.



They also have Plums and Pears and lots of varieties of Apples!!



This March, I still had a few of their apples in my refrigerator from last fall (they had lasted a long time) -- I was not supposed to be eating fresh, raw fruit at the time -- so I cut them up to make apple sauce in my crockpot and it was so yummy!!

IF YOU LIVE ANYWHERE NEAR THE ANTELOPE VALLEY IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA -- OR WILL BE PASSING THROUGH, YOU MIGHT WANT TO STOP BY AND PICK A PAIL OF FRUIT (OR MORE!).


There are various Pick-your-own Orchards in the Antelope Valley.


I have found out that this year they expect to open sometime mid to late June with Apricots - and they expect a plentiful crop. That is an estimate - they open when they have fruit that can be picked. You can call - at this time of year they either have a message on their answering machine or whoever answers the phone will know what is happening.

IF YOU LIVE SOMEWHERE ELSE IN THE COUNTRY, CHECK http://www.localharvest.org TO SEE WHAT LOCAL FOODS YOU CAN FIND WHERE YOU LIVE. 


 I JUST CHECKED AND FOUND Morgan Botanicals from Tehachapi, CA who I am now following on Twitter.



I'll bet if you check it out and try it, and maybe even do some comparisons, you'll find that local fruits and veggies taste better than others that travel long distance.



It is also better environmentally - as no travel means no carbon emissions from transporting the food (this is called eating low carbon).



My fresh herbs in my own container garden in my yard taste better than any dried herbs could taste and, since I snip off the plant when I want to use them, they are better than any fresh ones you can buy in the stores!!



For the best fruits, vegetables -- and meats, if you can find them -- GO LOCAL!!






Ruth