More Easter Eggs

[ShadowHM]

We did it again.

We spent Easter at the cottage, and took a break from brush clearing to have some fun with Easter Eggs.




The brush clearing was heartbreaking, btw. We lost 23 trees , not counting the poplar that we actually did want to lose. And there are at least two more that really do have to go, and another two that will probably die in the next year or so, but which we have spared for the nonce. My privacy has gone away. Once we get the stumps pulled, I can start re-planting and, with the fullness of time, maybe my grandchildren will have trees and privacy there again.

[KingOfPain]

Were there suppose to be pictures included in your post?

..maybe my grandchildren will have trees and privacy there again.

That (grandchildren) might not be too far away if your oldest son is not careful

[ShadowHM]

Were there suppose to be pictures included in your post?

Maybe the forum software doesn't like large pictures?

The Easter Egg pictures are here:

http://ca.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/shadow1.../my_photos

That (grandchildren) might not be too far away if your oldest son is not careful

Ah, but even should they arrive that soon, they will still be my age (or older) before there are large trees there again.

For some photographs to show how barren it looks now, I have them uploaded here:

http://ca.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/shadow1.../my_photos

There are also some pics showing what young'uns need to do after patient and diligent application of artistic skills.

[Amy]

Ah, but even should they arrive that soon, they will still be my age (or older) before there are large trees there again.

I wouldn't be terribly sure of that. When I was about 5, my dad planted a lot of conifer seedlings at my grandmother's house. When I was about 35, she was giving him all kinds of grief that he needed to cut down those towering 40-foot trees that were blocking her light. I don't think he was able to bring himself to do it.

So not only your grandchildren but you yourself may still be around to see the fruits of your reforestation efforts.

[ShadowHM]

I wouldn't be terribly sure of that. When I was about 5, my dad planted a lot of conifer seedlings at my grandmother's house. When I was about 35, she was giving him all kinds of grief that he needed to cut down those towering 40-foot trees that were blocking her light. I don't think he was able to bring himself to do it.

So not only your grandchildren but you yourself may still be around to see the fruits of your reforestation efforts.

Yanno, I had this same conversation with Angleiron yesterday.

We are not talking about the same climate, terrain or soil here.

Our cottage is on a point of land in a bay off Lake Huron (climate zone 3). We have bedrock, topped by about 8 inches of rock rubble, with a teeny tiny bit of soil in the interstices. And that is it. It takes a long long time for any tree to manage to grow in that. I can and will be trying to kick start the process by bringing in some topsoil and composted manure. But I don't think I am likely to see anything like 'replacement' sizes in my lifetime.

[Amy]

Well, this was climate zone 4 with high acid/clayey soil. Do the zones mean the same thing across the continent? My book just talks about "the West's 25 climate zones."

But really I think the issue is that you're taking a far too limited view of your mortality prospects.


And who you calling Yanno? Is that kind of like the Stupendous Yappi?

[ShadowHM]

Well, this was climate zone 4 with high acid/clayey soil. Do the zones mean the same thing across the continent? My book just talks about "the West's 25 climate zones."

As far as I know, the standards for climate zones *should* be about the same across the continent. High acid certainly suits the soil description at Pike Bay too; the problem is that there is precious little of it.

But really I think the issue is that you're taking a far too limited view of your mortality prospects.

Ah, now there you may have me. If I live as long as my grandmother and her mother before her, I have forty years left. On the other hand, I think those trees we lost were older than that by a fair margin. I promise to count rings on the stumps next time I am up there.

And who you calling Yanno? Is that kind of like the Stupendous Yappi?

*hangs head* Mea culpa. If I am going to be the grammarian elsewhere, I had best keep my own language clean, eh?

[Cyrene]

Sigh, your family looks like a fantasy to me

My idea of an Easter egg, as done by my son:

[Sirian]

Wow, those look better than the ones I remember doing. (I'm talking about Cy's family's eggs here. ... Shadow's are like from a parallel universe or something!)

Of course, IIRC, Shadow drills and drains the eggs, in the full tradition of egg painting. A lot more is possible there than with hard boiled eggs.


- Sirian

[ShadowHM]

Of course, IIRC, Shadow drills and drains the eggs, in the full tradition of egg painting. A lot more is possible there than with hard boiled eggs.


- Sirian

It is more like poke and blow than drill and drain.

We use a standard push-pin (as in the type you use to stick things to a cork-board) to poke holes in the ends of the eggs after they are decorated and cleaned. Then lung-power is used to force the innards out. This does result in attrition when the blower is not very careful to avoid crushing the eggshell.

And the only reason we do this is to be able to keep the results for more than a few weeks after the decorating session. Actually, hard boiled eggs are much less fragile and, hence, easier to handle.

The tools for the job (every job has tools, right?) are easily obtained at a Ukraininan store. At least, it is easy for me, because there are many people of Ukrainian descent here in Toronto. A kistka costs about $5, and the dye packets are about $2 apiece. We use farmer eggs, which are brown, instead of white ones, just because we can get them before they are rinsed with disinfectant, which can cause the dye to not 'stick' to the eggs. We don't bother with a drying rack, because we don't varnish the eggs afterwards.

A list of tools is here: http://www.learnpysanky.com/supplies.html

And, for Cy: the main thing is that you did have the fun of making the eggs with your children. If the outcome wasn't 'pure art' so what? Hopefully, they had fun and so did you. And that is the real quest, isn't it?