Chaco Canyon or Why someone would volunteer for the Apocalypse?

Many years ago I was a Park Ranger at Chaco Canyon in New Mexico.   In my mind, Chaco Canyon is the most impressive Native American Ruins in the United States.  I feel it is sad that every school kid in america does not know the story of Chaco.  The Anasazi built a great trading network across [...]

Update on medicinal plants: Blooming Ocotillos

I went for a hike last weekend to see what the desert is currently producing.  There are no pods yet on the mesquite,  and no wildflowers yet.  However, I did see several Ocotillo plants in full bloom. Above: Blooming Ocotillo plant. According to Herbal Medicine of the American Southwest by Charles W. Kane the bark and flower can [...]

G.D. you Spring, you bellwether of Summer

Getting ready for the heat.  Today I went to the Habitat for Humanity ReStore - south side – to buy window screens. Lesson Learned: Security bars on windows make it hard to put in screens.  With the bars, putting screens on the outside of the window is impossible.  Putting screens on the inside is awkward because [...]

What I have learned about Mesquite trees

I been studying desert trees because The Arizona Desert Botanical Garden is going to have their spring sale on March 18 and 19th, and I want to know what I should get to add to the backyard. The Velvet Mesquite is the best type of mesquite tree to plant. Pick the bean (or pod) from [...]

The barter system just grows on trees

The Arizona Desert Botanical Garden is going to have their spring sale on March 18 and 19th.   I am getting ready by figuring out what plants they will most likely have that would be good to have growing in the backyard for when civilization conks out.  Thanks to itsadisaster over at the American Preppers Network Forum, I [...]

Weekend Update: Fire and Water

I did not have a lot of success with my experiments over the weekend. On Saturday I dug a shallow bath-tub size hole, put six handfuls of weeds in the hole, and covered it with clear plastic. This was my first attempt at a solar still. Water did collect on the bottom of the plastic, [...]

Weekend plans: Brittlebush, Creosote and a hole

I am looking forward to the weekend.  I had to work last Saturday, which made the last two weeks go long.  I have not been able to do many experiments in the last couple of weeks, so I spent more time doing internet research.    This weekend’s plans include the following: Turn Brittlebush leaves into medicine. [...]

First attempt at eating cactus

Update: The cactus seems fine. I went back the next day, and then a week later. I plan to go again this weekend. The plant before looked like it was drying from that branch, but the root looked firm. The overall plant has about 9 spears. At this point, I suspect it will be fine. [...]

It rained today

It does not rain much in the desert. Water in Phoenix is a not-so-secret achilles hell. I stood in the rain and wondered how much I could have gathered at the last moment.  I know some people build roofs that gather the water and then they collect it.  I wonder how much I could gather [...]