Chicken Coop
The first project I helped complete on the homestead was fixing a chicken coop to prepare for the arrival of the much-anticipated chickens. Jordan, another volunteer and myself went to work to make sure the chickens stayed in and predators stayed out.For my portion of the project I stapled netting to the perimeter to create a barrier. I also cut the tin pieces that would become part of the roof.
Netting to prevent unwanted excursions by the chickens.
Due to unexpected illness I was unable to complete the roof, but Jordan did a great job of securing the tin and making a great roof.
New tin on the roof of the chicken coop.
On another day more repairs were made to the chicken coop. Jordan had the honor of placing tin on all the doors so the fox couldn’t get inside and also added netting to the back wall of the coop. I placed chicken wire in front of all the doors and covered it with grass clippings so when a fox tries to dig into the coop they are stopped by the wire.
Tin was also placed around the perimeter of the coop to stop wild animals like foxes from seeing the chickens.
I also chopped down all the salmon berry brushes and other brush behind the chicken coop. This created a better line of vision from the main house so the chickens can be accounted for and a fox can’t hide in the brush waiting to ambush.
Cleared area behind the chicken coop so Ginger can watch the chickens form the house.
Before the brush was cleared.
After brush clearing.
Finally, latches were placed on all the doors so the entrances are more secure and less likely to be breached by either the coops inhabitants or unwanted visitors.
Greenhouse Weeding
It isn’t the most glamorous job in the world, but weeding is essential if you want to grow anything. Thus, the project completed at the end of May was weeding both greenhouses because further planting could be done.
The small green sprouts around the base of the green boxes are a troublesome weed that has just started popping up this year.
The picture above shows the same area in the previous photo after weeding.
The two main troublemakers were horse tail and an unidentified weed. Both were taking over the good soil that needed to be used to grow edibles. Both took time to remove for different reasons: the horsetail has a runner root system which means it has one long root and the visible plant is an off-shoot of it and the unidentified plant was small and tedious to remove.
Luckily, efforts showed favorable results and by the end of the afternoon there was a nice, hospitable greenhouse for future planting.
On the left-hand side is a patch of weeded soil ready for planting and the right-hand side shows some young sprouts already planted.
Greenhouse Planting
One of my favorite things I’ve done at Mystic Mountain is planting in the greenhouses. For one, its always quite a bit warmer in the greenhouses compared to outside. Two, it can’t get much better than playing in the dirt.During my first week at the homestead I transplanted a few sprouts, and during my second week I transplanted kale and cauliflower plants. The plants were incubated in milk jugs which kept them safe and helped them grow quick.
The seeds germinated and grew in milk jugs back in March. The jug kept water inside and insulated the plants as they grew. I separated the sprouts and placed them into the soil where they will mature and hopefully produce some good food!
The picture above shows the completed bed after all the sprouts were planted.
Transplanted kale plants.
Outdoor Garden Beds
In the beginning of June, I and another volunteer named Jordan had the arduous task of turning the outdoor garden beds to prepare for the seeding that would occur later. This task took several days and pitch forks (one unfortunately did not make it….). The main goal of turning the beds with pitch forks was to remove the cover of seaweed and hay that was put in place to block weeds and to remove sod and other weeds.
One of the seven outdoor beds before it was tilled.
This picture shows the same outdoor bed in the last photo after it was tilled. This bed is now ready to be planted.
This is the potato bed after it was tilled. Potatoes with eyes are placed in the bed and then as they grow above the soil line more soil is added to increase the number of sprouts.
Potatoes with eyes that were planted.
While this process sounds simple, it took a long time and was fairly hard work. The best part of this project was the end result, which consisted of 7 rows of beautiful brown earth ready for planting.
To add to the previous work done on the outdoor beds, Ginger, Jordan, And I tilled and added kelp and compost to the beds. Ginger and Jordan did most of that while I weeded and covered a horseradish bed. After the weeds were removed, cardboard was placed around the plant to deter weed growth. Then, leaf litter was placed on top of the cardboard. Eventually, the cardboard and leaf litter will decompose and make a great soil for future plants.
Horseradish garden before weeding.
Horseradish garden after weeding.
The final step was to plant food in the outdoor beds. We planted carrots, radishes, lettuce, rutabagas, and more. The produce should taste fantastic later this year!
Outdoor beds with plastic covers for extra heat.
Potato beds.
Fresh plant babies ready to grow!
Chicken Watering System
On June 7th I created a watering system for the chickens so that the water dishes would not have to be refilled every day.The system is very simple: a water jug is held upside-down in a water pan that will continuously refill itself until the jug is empty.
The first step was determining the height of the jug. To do this, a portion of the hillside was cut out and a metal basin was placed on it that would later hold water. Then, a piece of line was tied around a pole holding up the chicken coop. While holding the jug in place, the line was wrapped around the jug and the place where the line met the screw placed on the other side of the log was marked. Then a loop in the line was created so the jug could be secured in place. Tin pieces were also screwed into a piece of plywood that supports the tin basin holding water.
This little contraption will save everyone on the homestead time in the morning to do other things and it just makes our lives easier.
Chicken watering system.
Hanging Baskets
A little fun project that I got to complete was creating some hanging baskets with flowers in them. The first step was to collect moss from dead alder trees in the area. The moss had to be in large pieces so there were less seams when it was placed in the baskets. The moss was then pressed into 5 baskets to create a barrier for dirt. Each basket had either a plate or old newspaper placed inside so when the plants were watered the moss wouldn’t be eroded.
Hanging baskets before flower preparation.
After placing some dirt in the baskets, the flowers were transplanted in the sides and the top of the baskets. The end result was 5 beautiful baskets that will brighten up the homestead.
Hanging baskets with moss, newspaper, and soil.
Three of the five completed hanging baskets.
Honey Bucket Sign
A more artistic project that I completed in June was making a honey bucket sign for the homestead. A honey bucket is a bucket kept in one’s room for when a bathroom is needed but there isn’t an easy way to find one other than the outhouse. After numerous infractions of honey bucket cleaning protocol, Ginger thought it appropriate to make a sign showing guests where to dump honey bucket contents.
Honey bucket sign.
It was fun to pant and use some artistic talent after doing so much manual labor!
Abstract Beach Art
Fortunately, not every project at Mystic Mountain is physical labor-intensive. Heidi, Ginger and I took some time to make art pieces for either ourselves or camp. I took some of the beach glass, rocks, and shells that I’ve found on the beaches and made an abstract portrait of the beach at night. It was a lot of fun to do something creative and fun while relaxing with friends.
Beach picture I created out of scavenged materials.
Ginger's picture frame made of scavenged materials.
Obstacle Course
One of the big projects Ginger wants to complete this summer is her obstacle course. She has slowly been adding different stations to an area of the homestead so that adults can have a fun playground too. The first step in making the obstacle course usable is clearing the paths used to get from station to station. Heidi and I took the time to rake branches and pine cones to make path borders to each station.
View of the ground before raking.
A path raked by Heidi.
Another raked area ready for some action!
The next step is creating the remaining obstacle course stations!
Wild Edibles Harvesting
One way to eat local is harvesting wild edibles. There are quite a few in Kodiak that the crew has tried so far and many more that we want to do in the future. The first wild edible we tried was fiddle heads. These are a type of fern that grows in Kodiak. The new shoots are harvested when they are still tightly coiled at the base of the plant. They taste pretty good sautéed in olive oil.
Young fiddlehead fern.
The next wild edible we tried was bull kelp. We went to a point not too far from the homestead and harvested one bull kelp plant which was huge!
Ginger reaching down to grab the bull kelp.
The bull kelp comes out of the ocean with a lot of algae and slime on it so the kelp was peeled and cut into smaller pieces.
Bull kelp before peeling.
Peeled and cut bull kelp.
The final step to make bull kelp relish was to make the brine, chop the kelp, and can it. This process didn't take long and the brine smelled absolutely delicious.
Bull kelp relish mixture.
Bull kelp in jars.
Muck Spot Cover-up
One recurring issue on the homestead is a muck spot where the truck goes every time a load is driven up from the beach. In the past, the truck got stuck and that caused a whole host of problems. Our goal this summer was to cover the muck spot so the truck could drive over it without getting stuck.First Jordan and I put spruce branches down. Then, weed clumps and brush were placed over the branches. Finally, hurricane fencing and gravel were placed on top of that. The end result is a dry area that can be driven over by the truck.
Muck spot after the gravel and fencing were complete.
Strawberry Plants
Something I learned very quick in Alaska is that slugs are an Alaskan gardener's worst nightmare. This is particularly true when it comes to strawberries. In order to protect this precious commodity, Ginger created two hanging strawberry beds that would prevent slugs from getting to the fruit. The first step was planting the strawberries in a soil mixed with extra silt. Then the plants sat for a couple weeks getting acclimated to the new soil.Ginger expertly hung the planters from the roof of the greenhouses with line and then the only thing left was to put grass mulch on the beds to prevent moisture loss. To do this, I put dried grass through a leaf mulcher and then placed it around the plants. Now we just have to wait and let the plants grow.
Hanging strawberry planter before grass mulch.
Strawberry beds with grass mulch.
Tansy Transplanting
A small project that I completed was transplanting tansy plants to the raspberry patch. Raspberry plants like tansy most likely because they repel pests. This only took a short time to complete, but it taught me about companion planting. Companion planting is understanding which plants do well together naturally which creates less work for the gardener and helps the plants without artificial additives.
Tansy plant at the base of some raspberry bushes.
Stair Repairs
Another maintenance task I complete was repairing the stairs leading to the main house. Some of the stairs were rotten and unsafe for walking. First, I cleared spruce needles from the crevices of the stairs which is what holds moisture that rots the wood.
Spruce needles caught in-between the stair boards.
Stairs before repairs.
Then, I had to take off the stairs that rotted so they could be repaired. This was a lot harder than I expected because some of the screws were so worn down the drill couldn’t pull them out.
Stairs after the rotten boards were removed.
After that I cleared all the needles from underneath the stairs to further reduce the amount of moisture around the stairs.
Later in the week Ginger and I cut a piece of plywood and screwed it to the side of the stair support that was rotten. This acts as a sturdy surface to reattach the stair supports and the new stairs. I also stained it to match the stairs and make it last longer.
Plywood side support.
The last step (haha) was to reattach the stair supports and stairs. This required leveling each support and matching up the boards to cover the most area possible. The stairs now look better and they are sturdy enough to support whatever we throw at them this summer.
Fixed stairs.
Guano Catcher
A great way to give plants nitrogen is by adding guano, or bat poop. There are current a group of bats living in the boathouse eaves and their poop is going to waste. To remedy this and get a good supply of guano for the gardens, Jordan, Ginger, and I created a guano catcher. The design consists of four triangles of plywood that are supported by a small piece of trim wood on each side. These are then screwed into a piece of 2 x 4 which are then screwed into the wall of the boathouse. Resting on the top of the triangles will be a piece of old tin that will catch the guano which we can then harvest.The triangles of plywood were cut using a SkilSaw. This was my first time using this tool and I found it to be a lot of fun (with proper protective eye wear of course!).
Me using a SkilSaw.
The holes in the plywood for holding the copper tube were traced and then a large drill bit was used to create an opening for the jig saw which cut out the actual circle. The SkilSaw was also used to cut the trim board.
Me using a jigsaw.
Finished plywood triangles.
Once all the cutting was done, the supports were assembled and mounted on the wall of the boathouse. Then, a copper pipe was placed in the holes of the supports. This is there to hold all the line not in use. On the top of the supports a piece of tin was screwed down to catch the poop. The final product looks pretty sweet and the guano will definitely help our plants grow nice and strong!
Side of boathouse before installation of the guano catcher.
Completed guano catcher.
Top of the guano catcher.
Salmon Vacuum Packaging
An easy and fun project I completed this summer was learning how to vacuum seal salmon fillets. By doing this the salmon will keep longer in the freezer and prevent freezer burn. The first step was cutting the fish into steaks (the fillets were done the previous night).
Sockeye salmon caught in our subsistence net.
Ginger cutting salmon into steaks.
Then, each fillet or steak was placed in a bag specifically for vacuum sealing.
Salmon placed in vacuum sealing bags.
The bag was placed in the vacuum sealer, and then the machine takes the air out and seals it tight. It might be simple but it is a great way to preserve food!
Salmon in the process of being vacuum sealed.
Chicken Poop Catcher
Inspired by the guano catcher, a day later I made a simple chicken poop catcher for the chicken food prep table. The chickens like to roost on a spruce branch above their food prep table which makes it disgusting, so I cut a piece of tin that can be placed on the table to prevent the poop from covering the table. It also will make the collection process easier so the poop can be used in the gardens.
Finished chicken poop catcher.
Staining
The weather out in Alaska can be harsh, and this creates a lot of wear and tear on the buildings particularly on the outside. During my time in Alaska I stained a couple walls of some buildings on the homestead that had been worn down by the constant wind and rain.The process is pretty simple: wire brush the area to be stained, then apply the stain. The laundry room wall I did was a bit tricky because of the porch and large rock in the ground, but it look amazing once it was done. The wire brush trick I didn’t know until half way through the wall which I learned from Jordan. It makes a huge difference, more than making up for how much of a pain it is to wire brush the entire area before staining.
Laundry room wall before staining.
Me in the process of staining.
Finished laundry room wall.
I also stained the side of Ginger’s house. The house looked so much better after staining that I didn’t mind all the time I spent on it.
Wire brushed side of the house.
Difference between the stained and unstained wood.
Rhubarb Fruit Leather
Ginger has toyed with the idea of selling rhubarb fruit leather in town for some income. The treat is made of just sugar and rhubarb which grows quickly all summer up in Alaska. After harvesting the stalks of the plant, the stalks are chopped into small pieces. The pieces are then simmered with water and sugar until soft.
Puréed rhubarb fruit leather mixture.
This mixture is puréed until uniform and then spread thinly on a plastic disc which is placed in the dehydrator.
Fruit leather mixture in the plastic disc.
The dehydrator circulates air at a low temperature for a long period of time to slowly dehydrate the fruit mixture. The end product is an easy snack that costs almost nothing to make!
Completed fruit leather in the dehydrator.
Bone Broth
Bone broth has some amazing health benefits that make the process of creating it well worth it. First, the bones were split with a hatchet. It was a lot of fun to swing a hatchet and break some bones.
Chopped bones.
Then, the bones were simmered in water over a propane heater for a whole day.
Simmering bone broth.
The good stuff in the bones is cooked out of the bones and now the broth is ready to go. The last step was to heat the broth and can it for the future.
Bone broth heated up on the stove.
To can the hot broth, the jars are put in a heat bath for 20 minutes and then the broth is placed in them. The jars are then put in the pressure cooker and cooked for an additional ten minutes.
Pressure cooker.
The longest part of the process was waiting for the cooker to cool down naturally.
Canned bone broth.
Raspberry Jam
One of my goals this summer was to learn how to preserve foods. At the end of June Ginger and I made raspberry jam. As Ginger says, the longest part is setting up and cleaning up. The raspberries are first mashed up with a fruit smasher.
Thawed raspberries.
Mashed raspberries.
Then, pectin is added to the mixture and it is set to boil.
Pectin and sugar mixture.
Simmering raspberry mixture and hot water baths for the jars and lids.
Once it comes to a rolling boil the sugar is added and it is simmered for an additional minute. Finally, the jam is placed into cans and set aside until its ready to be eaten.
Completed raspberry jam.
Vegetable Pickling
An easy way to preserve vegetables is by pickling. First, the vegetables were chopped.
Chopped veggies.
Then, the pickling brine was heated up. The last step was to put the vegetables and brine into a heated jar and pressure cook them. The jars then must sit for a week. It’s a simple process but it can be incredibly useful.
Pickled Vegetables.
Chair Maintenance
A small maintenance project I helped with was fixing a kitchen chair. The supports of the chair had begun to loosen from the legs which made the chair wobbly and unsafe to sit on. Jordan and I used a drill bit to make the hole for the screw which we subsequently screwed into the chair.
Me stabilizing the chair leg with a screw.
The screws will hopefully keep the chair together and stable.
Tomato Garden
This project was simple but also necessary for the abundance of tomato plants we had on property. Kristy and I cleared a mustard green garden and then added compost, straw mulch, and egg shells to the dirt so the plants had plenty to eat. Next, we put up a piece of webbing attached to two lodge poles so the tomatoes had something to grow on. We also strung line between two wood poles for additional growing space.The final step was planting the babies in the ground. This was our first project together and it turned out great!
Completed tomato garden.
Pizza Oven Materials
This summer Ginger is working on making a pizza oven made from local materials in Kodiak. The first step to making the oven is gathering the materials. The clay has definitely been the most taxing of the materials. First, the clay is harvested from a beach in Kodiak. Then, the heavy stuff has to be laid out to dry on a tarp for a couple weeks. Finally, the clay is smashed into a fine substance ready for use in building. Kristy and I had the pleasure of smashing some of that clay ourselves in preparation for the oven. It was a lot more fun than you think being able to smash something to pieces.
Clay in the process of being smashed.
Banya Porch Remodel
Rotted railings are never a good thing, especially on a porch. The banya porch on site has some rotted railings that need to be replaced. The first step is removing them. I had the pleasure of removing these large lodge poles. First, I tried undoing the lug nuts, but when some were too rusted to be undone, I just took a sledge hammer to them. It was great fun to smash away at the railing.
Banya porch without railings.
Chicken Coop Door
After an incident in one of the chicken coops, the chickens started going the other, older one we call the ghetto. Because this one has no door and thus must be unscrewed each day to gather eggs, we decided to make a door.The first step was taking off the plywood covering the outside wall and sawing off the portion that would become the door using the skilsaw. Then, I took the hinges from the top of the wood and used them to attach the side of the wood back on to the main piece so the door opened horizontally. The last step was to attach twine that could be wrapped around screws to hold the door in place and to secure the wood back onto the coop. It was a longer project that took a bit of thought but it will make egg collecting much easier in the future.
Finished ghetto coop door.
Jar Shelf
To expedite the process of canning various foods, Jordan and I constructed a jar shelf in the pantry to hold canning jars and lids. First, the coat rack was removed so the brackets could be placed on the wall.
Before the jar shelf
Then, a stud finder located the positions of the brackets. The brackets were placed on the wall and then three boards were secured to the brackets with the aid of a leveler.
Creating the shelf was the easy part. The longest part was cleaning the jars to place on the shelf. This took two days to complete but the end product was beautiful!
Finished jar shelf
Weeding the Sitting Area
Over the course of a couple of days Kristy and I weeded the sitting area behind the tool shed. This area was overgrown with weeds to the point where it lost its relaxing atmosphere. It was a simple task that made the area much more enjoyable.
Sitting area before weeding.
Another view of sitting area before weeding.
Sitting area after weeding
Another view of the sitting area after weeding
Clearing a Path to the Woods
A one-day project I completed was clearing the path to the woods in the back of the property. This had become incredibly overgrown in the past month and was due for a good weed whacking. It took around four hours and consisted of manually chopping down push key and then going through with the weed whacker to eliminate all the other brush. The felled brush was raked to the sides to prevent future weed growth. This makes walking to the woods much easier and creates an inviting atmosphere on the trails here at Mystic Mountain.
Before weeding the path
Another view of the path before weeding
After weeding
Fruit Juicing
One of the many preserving techniques I've learned this summer is juicing fruits. Last summer Ginger picked wild highland cranberries and cherries and then froze them for later use. This summer, we thawed the berries and then used a food mill to extract the juice for baking or cooking. The food mill is made of a crank handle that rotates and squeezes fruit along a grate in the bottom which then extracts the juice from it. This can be used immediately or preserved by canning for later use. It was a messy job and by the end of it my face and arms were covered in red juice splotches!Presents for Friends
One of the things I wanted to do before I left was make gifts for my friends and family back home. I spent an entire day creating different crafts. By the end of the day I had completed stack of gifts to bring home later this summer.
Creation of the Mystic Mountain Manual
A place like Mystic Mountain has so many different facets to it that all require a lot of work and upkeep. To keep things straight and provide a guide for the next owners of this wonderful property, I expanded on the beginnings of a manual started by Ginger.The first step was to design the layout of the document including a cover page and the various sections. Then, I went through the sections already completed by Ginger and made corrections and additions as necessary. Next, I made the new sections. For all of these I wrote down a list of pictures that would increase the readability of the document and help new owners and volunteers understand the processes around camp. These pictures are labeled and annotated with the necessary information.
Trail Marking
Since the trail markers had been created, Ginger, Kristy, and I decided that we should at least start marking the trails on camp eve if they don't get cleared this year. We hiked the bluff trail, which runs from the homestead to a beach about a mile away. Every so often we nailed a cut buoy piece to a tree so hikers know where a trail is going. This proved difficult at times when there were no trees or if all the trees in the area were rotted. Hopefully in the future hikers can use the trails with confidence using the markers. |
| Trail marker nailed to a tree. |
Homesteader's Honey
The last project I completed this summer was making homesteader's honey. First, I went and picked over 300 fireweed blossoms, a local weed in Kodiak. Then, the blossoms are steeped in boiling water for 15 minutes. Alum and sugar are added and then the mixture is boiled again. This is set to cool for a bit while the jars are heated in a hot water bath. Then, the mixture is strained and canned for future use. The honey looks and tastes delicious! |
| Homesteader's honey. |
