orange and black butterfly on woodland sunflower, NW Georgia, July 2018, part of a natural yard

Wildflowers and Butterfly Beauty: Three For The Price Of One

Wildflowers and butterfly beauty is one of the best parts of rural life. As people go back to the woods or the fields, focusing on being self-sustaining and off-the-grid, one of the first questions they ask is: “What should I DO?” One of the most vital things I tell them is what they should NOT […]

Get ‘Er Done: Vashon Island Treehouses Starts Growing

A New Project: Vashon Island Treehouses My brother Gene Kuhns Jr. has always been a “doer”. With his wife Jan by his side (and often, slightly in front of him), they get more done in a week than many folks get done in a year. That’s why I’m excited and anxious to watch the progress […]

If You Look For Mushrooms, Will They Appear?

It’s a dream to find edible wild food, but you have to really look for mushrooms. Gene and Jan are interested in putting up tree houses on their acreage on Vashon Island, WA, and running a bed and breakfast. They also enjoy foraging for wild food (and creating their own, where possible). Dreaming of oyster […]

Nature’s Guys Saturday Planting: It’s Not a Contest, Is It?

I have to confess: With all the things he gets done, my “little” brother Gene (the West Coast Nature’s Guy)  is sometimes a motivator … and sometimes I wonder if I can keep up with him in our rural life. His Live Innovations Farm and Education Center Facebook posting from Saturday said this: March 24 at 11:33pm Had […]