The Phantom Planter

 About 2 weeks time my new cabin is getting delivered.  Cant wait for this, it's been way too long living in the rotted cabin I'm in now.  Have been saving for this for years now and really couldn't have did it without your support either guys.  Will be great to get a kitchen, I've been doing all my cooking on tiny stove for the past 7 years in a kitchen you couldn't swing a cat in.  I've got a brilliant wood burning stove that I bought years to go in the cabin that has an oven and cooking hob on it.  I cut a massive chopping block from an ash tree that fell down in the recent storm we had.  Going to chop my own wood and collect my water from a well.  "Before enlightenment chop wood carry water, after enlightenment chop wood carry water".. A Zen proverb.  It's how I want to roll guys for the future.  I was meditating in the forest yesterday and after I was just thinking how much a better life we can have when we stop falling for all the ...

 "Altruism".... Learned this word from Big D. If your spiritual path does not consist of Altruism your on the wrong path.  I always think so many of these spiritual paths people are on today are kind of selfish. Like its all about them. People are using spirituality as a kind of image these days and to profit from immensely too.   Nature, community and the soul are all interconnected.  We can't be all about the soul if nature and the community is suffering. Do we really think the gates of Nirvana or heaven will be open when the world is so messed up down here? I would love to know what the Buddha would teach today. Back in his day the worlds forests was intact and we didn't have all this drink, drug and chemical culture.  I think the ways of earning spiritual merit changes according to our surroundings. Just my thoughts and intuition.  And the one thing there is not enough off is Altruism and generosity.

 Its the Spring Equinox today. After today there will be more light hours than dark hours in the day. From now until the Summer Solstice is my favourite time of year. This is the astrological new year. When you look around though this is the time of year nature really starts to come alive. If your going to set good intentions or resolutions this is the time to be setting it as the energy of nature and the cosmos is on your side. Making new years resolutions in the peak of dark winter after a Christmas of over indulgence and self gratification, we are certain to break our resolutions. We are at our weakest then. If you watch the landscape after today it will be like a light show of colour with all the flowers that are about to bloom. God is getting the glow sticks out is how I like to see it. Once the light hours tilt more than the dark its like a switch for nature to come alive and all the flowers begin to appear. Birds are making their way here right now from the other end of the ...

 Got another 140 apple trees grafted yesterday, had some real good Irish varieties done too. Mrs Perry, Sweet William and Irish Peach were some of the ones we did. Sweet William is said to be a massive sweet tasting apple not like any other. People have been asking me for apple tree grafting videos which I keep meaning to do.  To be honest I just dont have time to be making and uploading videos these days. I'm so busy out doing tree stuff. Once I get a job in my head that needs done nothing else matters, I must get the job done and dusted. Although today I need to take a break, my fingers are sliced off me and need a day or so to heal. The whole making videos and reels is just another thing I dont have time to go down. I downloaded one of them apps before for making reels and it was a headache. People must be spending hours making social media reels and videos. I remember this person I knew who used to spend hours every day making videos and reels and all they were getting out...

 Grafted up another 100 native Irish apple trees yesterday. ( Bloody Butcher, Donegal Green Chisel and Gibbons Russett were the varieties I did). Think I've about another 450 to go then that'll be 1000 apple trees grafted this year. 100 a day is my target for the next week or so and get these all done. You can take grafts from the last 2 weeks in March up until the first 2 weeks in April. Although I'd say using a polytunnel would let you start a bit earlier than the normal timelines. After this it will be back to maintaining the new Lisnabreeny community orchard we have just planted up winter past with over 300 native Irish apple trees. What I love about working with apple trees like this is its seasonal, your working with the different stages of natures cycle. Keeping my soul connected to where it belongs. You plant the tree bare root in winter, you see the flower in spring, summer time you watch the tree thrive and the apples begin to fatten and in autumn you get to taste...

 Had the phantom planters inner council up at the polytunnel yesteday giving apple tree grafting lessons.  Had my ice box filled with scions/cuttings with about 30 different types of native Irish apple and let people pick some  varieties themselves and graft them onto rootstock.  We added their names to each trees and I'm going to look after them until next year in our polytunnel. If they have taken to there new rootstock and grow into apple trees,  they'll be given back to the inner council members for them to do what ever they want with next year.  This was my way of giving back to so many people who have helped me along the way.  Thank you inner council members for all that you for me. Really appreciate it.  We made good progress also, must have got another 60/70 apple trees grafted.  About 400 apple trees we have grafted so far.  My plan and aim for these trees next year is to plant them up into more community orchards so everyone ca...