Gots My Feets in Soil

The Salad Bar Garden is SOOO rich, so well worked that today, as I weed weaseled between the rows, I had to kick my flip flops off and stick my tootsies in the beautiful loamy soil.. How decadent! Like having one's tootsies immersed in rich dark chocolate... Darn, too bad it's not the lickable kind.....

The voles got my Walla Walla onions, and the slugs got my spinach and my broccoli and my cuqs ... I laid eggshell traps all about the Salad Bar .... and planted some more Walla Wallas and cuqs....

>^,,^<

Grief & Amazing Grace

Amazing Grace
This past year I have been told time & again that I am holding on to my grief too hard, too long... That I am being unreasonable in my sorrow. So I am writing this, not for an audience, not for the Family, not to explain. I am writing this for me. Vinnie & I were friends longer than we were adults, longer than we were lovers, deeper than the hollar, longer than the song of a whippoorwill. I know there will come a time when my thoughts of him will not come with the price of a knife dragged across my heart. I know this. He left me. It was not the first time he'd left me, he left me during our long long relationship every three years. Sometimes for a short time, the last three times he left me, he'd leave me for up to a year. He'd leave me dangling, wouldn't return my calls, leave me selfishly, leave me with no warning, leave me without a chance. But he'd leave me KNOWING in his heart that when he was ready to come home, that I'd have that home to come home to. Except for this last time.
Lyrics
My Immortal
Vinnie always considered Memorial Day Weekend "his". This was "his" Birthday, "his" time to gather "his" Tribe to him, to his heart. This is the first year that Vinnie hasn't been here to gather his Tribe. I miss him. I miss him in the world, I miss knowing that he was HERE. I do not miss his Peter Pan ways, I do not miss the idiot drunks he'd bring home from the bars, cursing and out of control sitting in the driveway... I do not miss the abuse he'd heap upon my head. I don't miss his telling me that all our problems were as a result of my menopause. I don't miss all the cruel names he called me. I don't miss the drunken nastiness. But damn, I miss the shining light that he was, how he could be when he was happy... I miss the psychic connection we had. I miss the instinctual camaraderie, the history we shared. I miss his spirit. I miss him. I miss my Vinnie. I miss my friend.

At his funereal, I felt so lost, so forsaken. I fully understand that people grieve in their own way. Some people are demonstrative, some are not. Some people are so filled with regrets that they simply must have a "villain" to blame. I realize my part in this. I have taken these lessons to heart. At his funereal, I think all I could actually vocalize was that I was a lousy wife. That is the only thing I regret. Damn it, I wasn't a "lousy wife", not unless you compare me to Betty Crocker. I did the best I could. I gave the very best I was. None of the positive things I wanted to say would come out verbally, they only came out in my tears, in my memories. I had written a... an emotionally honest tribute to the man I married, but all I could verbalize was that I was a lousy wife. And really, I was, as long as you held me up to an unattainable pedestal.... I did the best I could. I gave you the very best I could The Best of My Love the very best I am. It wasn't enough. That is neither a condemnation of you, nor I, my Dear One, my Friend. I'm Feelin' You Lyrics
I'm Feelin' You
I wish you to know something. You, who are my friends, my family, Vince's friends
I felt deeply about Vince. He was my dear friend for a very long long time. (longer than we were grownups. I know I have said this before, but it is important to know. We were children together. We grew up together.) But Vinnie was not my GREAT LOVE. Nor was I his. He was definitely a great love and a great friend, and he was a big part of who I am today. But he wasn't the "greatest love of my life"... and again, I don't believe I was his. We were a comfort to one another, support for one another
(at least at one time) but my ability to love deeply and thoroughly did not die when he did. I need to know this, I need to hold this fact next to my heart. For my own protection.

I grieve for him. I wasn't given the opportunity to express that at his funereal... and I wasn't given the opportunity to fight, or argue or ... much of anything... when he left. The many times that he left me.

So mostly, I am dealing with a heart full of unexpressed emotion, within a person of great emotion. I.... I guess I am not very good at expressing things like this.. maybe because it's all so RAW... maybe because I stuff the raw edges away so they won't trouble others. So this Memorial Day, I will say Goodbye to you, my friend. My Vinnie, of all the men in my life, you have been the one old friend who has known me throughout all my life, who was there for me through my griefs and my triumphs, my sorrows, my silliness. You were there to help me with my Grammy's passing, you helped me bury my darling pets. You were my good life friend. You will always be in my heart. I wish you would have been able to love this new life as I have. I wish ... oh there are so many wishes I had for you .. for us. Damn it, you are NOT my Immortal. Vinnie, you know you aren't, you left me too many times. I am NOT your Good Bye Girl.

But if wishes were horses, beggars would ride.
So. My point.

I Am Unwritten

Do not let one single moment go be without telling, showing, demonstrating, hell SHOUTING!!!@! making a fool of yourself if need be... just Shower the people you love with love

With the death of my Grammy, and then with Vinnie's death, this I know... do not not hesitate to tell the people you love that you love them.. Do not hesitate to forgive the people you love their weaknesses, their trespasses. Do not hesitate to offer a kindness, do not hesitate to be patient... Do not hesitate to love open hearted, with open arms.

>^,,^<

The Dauphin of Dirt

I tried on "Duchess" but it just wasn't "rich dark chocolate" enough for this sensually loose fragrant blend of garden soil and fertility which now blankets my garden plot, my Venus of Vernality. But now, "Dauphin", how elegante!! Magnifique! How Fabulicious!!! So perfect a description for the fecund composted earth I shall soon be delving, deep and lustful plungings into this readied & stimulated plot of heaven... So royal a requiem for regionally refulgent radishes and rhubarb.... Such an adequate abraxas for the abrosial effects of the alluring apples & artichokes soon to be added to the bounty of my kitchen... I shall adorn the Title as a Wild Woman adorns a living kitty about her shoulders, filled with purrs and perfection.

I shall endeavoure to upload photos soon, mes ami! .... (I didn't plant artichokes yet, tho....)

off to plant more veggies! I shall take pictures! (but they shall be late in arriving!)

>^,,^<

I Made Myself a Grammy Sandwich

We get so busy with our lives, making the mortgage, paying the bills, working at a job -- even if you love it --in order to pay those bills, trying to make a Refuge from the Worrisome Ways of the World, working to make a sanctuary in one's own One Mile Radius... We tend to forget what makes us happy, we tend to forget what makes us smile, we tend to forget the little things in life, and sometimes, we tend to forget the ones we love, both past and present. It is definitely in self-preservation. We must shield ourselves sometimes.

But sometimes, life throws us a curve ball, and we swing anyways. I took my new puppy Nihki out for an off-leash run Teaching with my Spirit, up in the Top Yard. She was driving me crazy inside the house, and I thought "OOOO I shall wear her out with FUN!" I snapped a bunch of pics, and then we got caught in the deluge. After about an hour --me drenched, the puppers drenched, neither of us caring much, after all, we are not made of spun-sugar-- we hei'd ourselves back to the house.

I got out of my sopping wet clothes into some dry warm ones, and fixed myself some food. By that time it was 3 pm, and I had forgotten to eat, AND forgotten to take my Advil, so I was hurtin' for certain. As I fixed this yummy sandwich --on home made wheat bread, with ripe avocado, tomaties, clover sprouts and sharp cheddar cheese-- and some green tea, I was overcome with memories of my Grammy, and the lunches I made her. Extra yummy sandwiches filled with as much fresh produce as I could stuff in them, because she was anemic I added spinach instead of lettuce. because she wouldn't eat her veggies, I stuck 'em in her sandwich! And she used to rave about my "special" tea, (I always added a shot of Cap'n Morgan's Spiced Rum, to help cut her pain, and make her mellow)

I miss my Grammy. I hope that where she is now, she knows I did my best, and that she'll forgive me for the times I didn't quite make it to my best. I am so grateful for my friends, for my Tribe, and for my Family.

and now, me's'a gonna eat that sandwich.

>^,,^<

Back in the Saddle Again

*whew!* Gardening Season in the Glorious Pacific Northwest has landed with a VENGEANCE! The Garden Center MGC (Webpage awaiting construction as soon as I get the "extra" time) has been just crazy. This year, I get the distinct impression that gardening has broken the "Old People Barrier" into the mainstream. I see more and more young people coming in asking for advice on what they can do to plant a garden, in particular, a vegetable garden. I am also noting that a strong majority of these new gardeners are actively wanting to grow organically.

I find this validating.I have been advocating "going green" for decades longer than I have been a Plant Nerd. My Great GrandPops used to tell us that this is our ONLY Home, and we must take care of her. He used to make a game of finding and picking up and carting out at least ONE item that we did not bring in. He said if everyone did this, there would not be a pollution/garbage problem. I tend to agree.

Well, heck. There's never enough time to write what I am thinking, and my fingers are waaaaay slower than my mind is at thinking them. I watered the Salad Bar Garden this morning, and I can see how the wee weeds will be a pain in the patootie to dislodge. I can do nothing about them yet, as I really need to allow the veggies to get established before I muck about in the roots dislodging weeds. I 'spect that'll come sooner than late. The half lot of tomatoes I planted Saturday look FABULICIOUS! and in just 2 days, I am seeing wee blossoms popping! C'MON little bees! C'MON and POLLENATE!! I saw many Bumbleybees, mason bees and honey bees buzzing busily about in my Garden Farm, I am very happy to see their honey-sweet selves.

Whelp, off to fetch Nihki the Puppy Shark and hei us off to another work day.

Happy Gardening!

>^,,^<

Happy Mother's Day!

Just in time to avoid the scheduled outage, I wish you all a VERY Happy Mother's Day

>^,,^<

Gearing up for WAR

Tuesday, May 12th, the Oregon Legislation in having a public "working" committee on a couple of important Constitution affecting Bills: SB391 and HB2470.

One is about how many dogs you can own. I guess I am WAAAAY Libertarian, and publicly state, if my animal are well loved, and well kept, who the heck has the Right to tell me how I can observe my Constitutionally guaranteed rights of Life Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness?

The other is SB391, the Exotics Ban Law. We "exotics" or better known as "different" animal owners are being targeted as a "beginning" of an Animal Rights agenda. My neighbor has Savannah cats. They are SO well loved! In GREAT condition, in SUPERIOR containment... I wish that every domestic cat owner would take a lesson on how these so-called "exotic" (read this racially, please) animals kept. MY friends and fellow "racially different animal owners" keep THEIR animals well contained. They don't wander into the neighbor's garden and crap. They DON'T wander into the neighbor's yard and bite the neighbor's FIV-free innoculated cat and infect him with Feline Immune Deficiency Virus. They DON'T wander loose on Publically health-risk packs of marauding vicious "exotic" gangs.

I have another neighbor who has crocodiles. GUESS WHAT??? The only animals I have seen on his property "running loose" (and well-contained ON his own property) are his BEAUTIFUL!!! *sigh!* Fresian horses, and his Llamas. I didn't even know he HAD a crocodile!

I would would rather have my neighbor have a well-contained and well-loved Tiger, than I would my neighbor have a loose at-large dog. My neighbors' (plural) loose, at large dogs crap in my Yard, put my well-contained babies at risk with unknown pathogens, kill my livestock and my way of life.

SO I offer my argument against Species Ban Bills.

Thank you for hearing me today.
My name is Kat Malstead
Owner of Wolfdancer Creek Farm Mission Statement
Webite to follow: Wolfdancer Creek Farm
Member Wolfdog Rescue Resources
Board Member of National Wolfdog Alliance
Member Phoenix Exotics Inc
Member Rexano, Inc
Contributor of Wolfdogs Magazine, Inc
Registered and Active Voter
Registered Member of Certified Naturally Grown, Inc
Member Estacada Garden Club
I am speaking here today in opposition to SB391. I have been told that there are many people that have spoken to this legislation in support of SB391. In my many letters of opposition to this very poorly conceived Bill, I have been told that I needn't worry, that wolfdogs are not on the list of banned species. They are, as they should be, listed as Canis Lupus Familiaris. However, even though I have voiced my opposition in every manner that I can without jumping up and down in rage, even though I have hand carried copies of the Humane Society's true goal in the 2005 legislative session, even though I, and many other law-abiding animal lovers have repeatedly pled for our rights of responsible private animal ownership, I now stand here before you with my heart in my throat, terrified, and I think of Clergyman Martin Niemoller's famous speech:
"In Germany, they came first for the Communists, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist;
And then they came for the trade unionists, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist;
And then they came for the Jews, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew;
And then . . . they came for me . . . And by that time there was no one left to speak up."
Amongst the arguments in support of this Bill are concerns for the publics' safety and health. I would like to ask this Legislation where responsible private owners of ANY animal puts the public at risk. If there is a problem at all, it lies with the fact that the Common Sense Laws that Oregon currently abides by are being laid to the wayside. It lies with IRRESPONSIBLE animal owners. So why are we attempting to legislate & punitively punish ALL animal owners???? Is it just because we so-called "exotic" animal owners are "different"? Isn't that profiling in nature??
I lost an endangered domestic duck, one of my nesting females, the other day to a neighbor dog's attack while running at large. Why do we not enforce our current excellent laws rather than effectively banning animal ownership? It wasn't my neighbor's Lion or Tiger who killed my duck, it was my irresponsible neighbor who let his pet run loose.
The people who sponsored these Bills, the Humane Society of the United States, have stated in plain English that their ultimate goal is the abolishment of animal ownership. This is an Animal Rights organization. They are NOT an Animal WELFARE organization. Let me reiterate: HSUS' goal is to abolish all animal ownership. In their own words:
“We have no ethical obligation to preserve the different breeds of livestock produced through selective breeding. One generation and out. We have no problem with the extinction of domestic animals. They are creations of human selective breeding.” Wayne Pacelle, Senior VP of Humane Society of the US, formerly of Friends of Animals and Fund for Animals, Animal People, May, 1993."
HSUS’s senior management includes a former spokesman for the Animal Liberation Front (ALF), a criminal group designated as “terrorists” by the FBI. HSUS president Wayne Pacelle hired John “J.P.” Goodwin in 1997, the same year Goodwin described himself as “spokesperson for the ALF” while he fielded media calls in the wake of an ALF arson attack at a California veal processing plant. In 1997, when asked by reporters for a reaction to an ALF arson fire at a farmer’s feed co-op in Utah (which nearly killed a family sleeping on the premises), Goodwin replied, “We’re ecstatic.” That same year, Goodwin was arrested at a UC Davis protest celebrating the 10-year anniversary of an ALF arson at the university that caused $5 million in damage. And in 1998, Goodwin described himself publicly as a “former member of ALF.”
HSUS president Wayne Pacelle described some of his goals in 2004 for The Washington Post: “We will see the end of wild animals in circus acts … [and we’re] phasing out animals used in research. Hunting? I think you will see a steady decline in numbers.” More recently, in a June 2005 interview, Pacelle told Satya magazine that HSUS is working on “a guide to vegetarian eating, to really make the case for it.” A strict vegan himself, Pacelle added: “Reducing meat consumption can be a tremendous benefit to animals.”
And HSUS won’t stop at initiatives aimed at livestock farmers and trappers. At the 1996 HSUS annual meeting, Wayne Pacelle announced that the ballot initiative would be used for all manner of legislation in the future, including “companion animal issues and laboratory animal issues.” Pacelle has personally been involved in at least 22 such campaigns, 17 of which HSUS scored as victories. These operations, he said, “pay dividends and serve as a training ground for activists.”
Can you see why we responsible animal owners feel betrayed by these kinds of laws? I Voted for you under the expectation that you would represent my interests. That you would at least listen to your CITIZENRY. Instead, I feel as if the only voices you are hearing are those of a well-funded political Lobbyist group bent on creating panic and fear where there is no cause, and on exterminating pets. I feel as if we are reacting in a knee-jerk manner to a invented situation.
I have no doubts in my heart that each and every one of you are attempting to do your very best to protect animals, and to protect the public's safety and health. But I believe you are being manipulated by a very slick and extremely well-financed organization bent on impinging on MY and other RESPONSIBLE animal owners' Constitutionally guaranteed Rights to Life, Liberty & the Pursuit of Happiness. I have no children due to a medical mishap where I lost my only daughter. My animals are all I will ever be granted to nurture. The HSUS would deny me this, saying that if I "need" to nurture, I should nurture my own species.
According to Animal Legal Defense Fund, Oregon has some of the toughest animal abuse laws on the books. Upon light research, the Oregon regulations already in place are quite inclusive and cover all contingencies. The Law as it stands reads: Pursuant to 609.309 Policy on exotic animals. (see OR ST § 609.205 - 609.335 Oregon Department of Agriculture) "It is the policy of this state that the keeping of exotic animals be regulated so as to ensure the health, welfare and safety of those animals and to ensure the security of facilities in which they are kept, so as to avoid undue physical or financial risk to the public. It is the policy of this state that regulation place no more burden upon the keepers of exotic animals than is required to accomplish the purposes expressed in this section." [1985 c.437 §1; 1999 c.699 §4] Oregon's private owner base is peopled with dedicated & responsible persons, who are already regulated by common sense laws. Oregon law even includes a very common sense dangerous/nuisance dog law. http://tinyurl.com/6j7v8 (see Oregon Statute Title 48, Chapter 609 Citation: OR ST § 609.010 - OR ST § 609.994)
In summary, Oregon does not have a problem with exotic animals running at large. We are an independant State with a rich history of Common Sense. I BEG you to oppose these kinds of Ban Laws. They are NOT in the best interests of animals, or of your constituents. They only serve the political aims of the Animal Rights movement, not of Oregon citizenry. Please, enforce our current excellent laws. I beg you again, PLEASE allow the people who are trustworthy the opportunity to succeed.

References & Citations:
Oregon SB391 1st Legislative Summary
Quotes from Animal Rights Activists
75th OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2009 Regular Session

Humane Society of the United States

As they say, "I'm Mad As Hell, and I'm Not Gonna Take It Anymore." I just hope to God, NAY, I PRAY to God that our Representatives decide to come to their senses and not follow HSUS' yellow brick road path over the cliff like lemmings.

/heaves huge sigh.

>^,,^<

Patience! Yes, Carol, there IS a Lesson here!

I had a wee bit of a respite to write while Nihki was sleeping --a rare occurrence in itself-- so I went a'reading and a'catching up with a few of my fellow Gardening Faes. I read about Carol's patience! and I must say, I sure am glad I listened!

Yesterday, JUST after I put Nihki out for a brief visit with her Uncle Teeghkii & Auntie Spirit, as I was walking back into the house, I saw the sky light up with a BIG flash, fairly closely followed by the BIG Bang (but not the one which generated life) and Lo! & Behold! the skies opened right up, and BEAN-sized hail dumped upon our heads!

I hurriedly marched back around and scooped up my poor wee bairn, who was huddled beneath the semi-leafy arms of the apple tree, cowering at the nasty beans of hail pummeling her, and we went back inside and snuggled on the couch.

Now, if I hadn't been practicing patience, my seedlings would have been smashed to smithereens. Shredded leaves, torn limbs, tender veggies all pulverized. BUT! Because I was patient, and had NOT planted out my starts yet, all my wee baby plants were gazing at the weather event from beneath their sheltered glass.

YAY for Patience! What a strom!

>^,,^<

Spring is Always Eagerly Awaited, and TOO FAST!

I wait and I wait *open*open*open* for Spring to finally GET HERE! especially after a rather long cold lonely Winter, (Little Darlin') and once she sneaks in on pussywillow feet, BAMMO! I have no time to write, no time to think, no time to muse... I clutch at my spare moments desperately, always intent on cramming as much into them as I possibly can, and generally always overbooking myself.

A friend needs a pruning done? SUUUURE! No problem, I'll be right there. A customer would like to hire me to prune their yard, SUUUUUUURE! I'll spend my day off working. Another friend, who is in his 90's, has macular degeneration, and can no longer see to garden, wants me to come over three to four times per week and work his garden. I have planted 2 flats (nearly 35 four inch pots) of Bonny Best tomatoes, and a flat of assorted celeries for him, and they are doing VERY well! Stout and sturdy, they will be ready to plant on Mother's Day.

I have my own garden to tend as well, my joy! the breath in my heart! the sighs of Mother Nature when I breathe in, as she breathes out. I have a BUNCH of beautiful tomato plants ready! (I think I've already listed them *laughs*) Box Car Willies, Abe Lincoln, Bonny Best, Sun Golds! (YUM) Early Goliath, Celebrity, Carbon Black, and for the life of me, I simply cannot remember the names of the other four without trouncing out to the greenhouse to see. *bah* Old Timers.

My seedlings are now plantlets, and will be ready to plant out along with the tomatoes on Mother's Day. They are pretty well hardened off, and ready. I planted seeds, and THEY are coming up well! I see the tender red heads of the Bull's Blood beets peeking above the soil line ! The tender "Y"s of the spinach reaching for the light, the tiny lettuces and even the baby grass blades of the Walla Walla onions. It takes vewy vewy caweful observation to see them, but I do. My peas are almost 3" high now! WEEEEE! And I broke down and bought a bulk package of Drunken Woman Frizzy Headed lettuce to plant for this year as well.

And then add to my stack of spinning plates, Ainihkiwa, and I think I'll go take a nap now.... It's cold and rainy and I really can't do much in the garden today anyway, except get soggy and watch the garden and the puppy grow...

Happy Gardening!

>^,,^<

Happy Day After May Day!
1920 – The first game of the Negro National League baseball is played in Indianapolis, Indiana.
1945 – World War II: Fall of Berlin: The Soviet Union announces the capture of Berlin and Soviet soldiers hoist their red flag over the Reichstag building.[citation needed] German forces surrender in Italy. German forces surrender to the New Zealand Army in Trieste.
2000 – President Bill Clinton announces that accurate GPS access would no longer be restricted to the United States military.
Polish Flag Day
Events of May 2nd
and the most important one, Blaidd and I slept on the bed with only ONE tiny mishap.
What? You don't know who Ainihkiwa is? Heeeeeer's Nihki! & Sibs
Your Basic Daily Dose of Puppy!

Yet More Puppy Cuteness

Bad Grandpa Teaches Puppy to Eat Shoes

Puppies!

Puppies!

My New Baby Grrrrrrl. She is the neice of my Teeghkii.
And boy have I been busy!

Julie/Julia
I have to see this movie!

It's back to rain rain rain, I am glad I haven't yet planted out my starts, as they'd've been flattened by now.. They are still in the greenhouse, awaiting Mother's Day.
My thoughts are with you all. Happy Gardening!

>^,,^<

Gracious Gracious Life is Good, and I Beleaf

Friday we had snow in places, I saw wee flakes floating, floating, drifting aimlessly across my window, like soft fragile leaves of imagination. Saturday, the greenhouses hit over 95*, and I was able to open up both sets of windows for ventilation. It was actually uncomfortable ! to work in the third greenhouse, the Nursery/Baby House. Where the wee small tomatoes, peppers, celery, and such are germinating, and growing.

I'm rather struggling with Alfonso, the OTHER gardening Guru, about the importance of AIR CIRCULATION. He says (in his broken English) "Peppers, they like hot". I say "PLANTS, they HATE slimy molds!!!!" So I take my wee plastic fork, and I gently, oh so gently, fork over these wee tiny 4" pots' top soil, to break up the slime crust. There's no dampening off, there's no HARM, but the soil needs to breathe.

The tiny wee plantlets are loving the heat. We have small heaters on at night, I close up the greenhouse around 4 pm to conserve the day's accumulated heat.

It's GLORIOUS! splendiferous! fantabulicious! to see the sun, to realize that TODAY, I get to get OUT of my sweats & my thermals!

I opened up my own wee greenhouse for the air. My seeds are sprouting on the TV tray perched along the south glass doors. The garden soil is still too wet to till (again, for the sixth time this year) or to rake smooth, but it's getting there. The pea seeds I planted last Wed. are swelling, are ripening up to pop their wee rootlets.

We will get more rain mid-week. But for Today, Life is Good. Gardening is EVERYTHING. Bright Blessings!

>^,,^<

April Fool

Here it is, April 1st. Fool's Day. I am an April Fool.
The Fool
The Fool Defined

"The Fool represents the "everyperson" - the essence of us all embarking on the journey of life, self-discovery and mastery. He is the innocent, the whimsical, the "inner child" mixed with the "inner sage" that lives down deep inside of us all. He faces life and his journey unafraid, trusting, the perfect example of total and utter faith that all will be well, that every experience has a deep essential meaning. He trapses along the crags of life, regardless of any hidden peril or disappointment, his eyes are turned to the heavens and he knows that he will be kept safe and whole along his travels. Key words associated with the Fool are new beginnings, important decisions and optimism.

The Fool is sometimes known as the most worthless card, yet also as the most valuable one. He is the first and the last, the alpha and the omega. It represents both the fledgling beginner and the adept master. The Fool reminds us of things, sacred things, that we have forgotten or repressed. The Fool knows his or her own ignorance, thus is seen as the most wise."

So at my most foolish, I planted garlic (two new kinds) in early March. Shame on me, I was told, you are supposed to plant garlic in the Fall, it needs cold. Then we got 2+ weeks of snow & freezing, and hoar frost, and hail. My new garlics are pushing up, all lovely and healthy. I fed them all a lovely supper of bone meal.

Now at my most foolish, I go forth to plant my peas in my new garden. It's a chilly 39* outside, drizzly, and supposed to reach a high of 47* WEEEEE!! with more rain. But I am going to plant them anyways, because I got a foolish feeling that this is a Good Day to plant peas. We will have a couple of dry warmish days coming this weekend, so my wee pea children will have wetness in order to swell and germinate, followed by a couple of days of warmth to combat the rot which threatens them. I have Pea Innoculant to help the battle as well.

I started some cole crop seeds inside, and to my surprise, the Walla Walla onions didn't even wait a week to push their wee heads up to search for light.

Hope Springs Eternal! Happy Gardening to Thee!

>^,,^<

It's HERE! I can SMELL IT!!

I have my organic Grafitti cauliflower, my Walla Walla onions, and my organic biodynamic spinach in cells awaiting germination! I have my Thompson's organic brocolli ready to cell up tomorrow and do the same! My peas aren't planted, but I intend to plant them tomorrow, even in the rain! My new 50' X 20' garden is only awaiting some dry days and sunshine --and of course, germinated seeds-- to embrace veggies! My tomatoes and peppers are about an inch and a half tall, and some even have the beginnings of their second true leaves! (these, of course, are still in the greenhouse. They won't be planted until Mother's Day)

But it's HERE! I see my Flowering Quince's buds swelling. I see flowering cherries in town, one tree is already in full regalia! My weeping pussy willow has a few fuzzy yellow catkins peeking and meowing at the day. My peach trees are swelling, as are the plums.

I have given my garlic and bulb boxes a nice feeding of bone meal. I still have to take the chainsaw out and top the apple trees of their more exuberant growth, and spray them with Neem for the season, but it's been too rainy to spray.

Glory! Spring is Springing!!

>^,,^<

Bloom Day!

May Dreams Gardens Bloom Day! I had to cheat, because I couldn't get my pictures from my garden developed in time.. I have a lavender tulip! and a cluster of beautiful purple whozeewhatsis bulbs peering up at me.. BUT! until I get my film back (drat that my digital died, and double drat that I can't seem to get my new camera to WORK! *bah*) I have to settle for flowers at work.


I'm cheating, of course, since these are all at work.. BUT they ARE in bloom, and they DO remind me that it is almost here, that season of joy and work, and Godliness.


Orange Sedge & pansies. Soon these will be planted in a pot. The snowy ice crystals were just too fun to let go unphotographed!


sweet daffodils in a nice little pot.

Happy Bloom Day! Happy Gardening!

>^,,^<

Legislation

I am overwhelmed I am carrying a weight of the Atlantians, of a Herculean responsibility. I Voted for MY PRESIDENT, for my Congress... for my Representation, & I find that I need to dedicate a part time job's worth of ... "following" ... "Following" which means -- to be responsible-- the time it takes to read CAREFULLY all senate/house/state/federal Bills, recommendations, suggestions regarding ..... oh everything I might someday be involved in.

Like gardening. Like owning an animal of any kind. Like Farming. Like Life, Liberty, & the Pursuit of Happiness.

And I can't rely on "someone else" (that so -marvelous "Royal We") to translate the incredibly complex, verbiose, detail-oriented language of the Bills, of the DESCRIPTION of the Bills, of the presentation of the Bills ---let me remind myself that you CANNOT do a "animal rights bill" Google search, because the animal rights activists TERRORISTS hide their lobbying under "agriculture" and other totally incomprehensible sub-titles that regular American College Graduates cannot possibly keep up with.

and I am overwhelmed..... I find myself juggling the welfare and happiness of myself & my animals -- who are the only Family I will ever ever have this lifetime -- with survival....

No wonder I have to take a moment an hour a lifetime worth of consideration that this is a Good Day To Garden. and let me be fertilizer.

>^,,^<

CALL TO ARMS! Man your pens!

AACK! I am drowning in a sea of legislation!

First off, there's Oregon's STUPID Exotic Pets ban! Senate Bill 391. Oregon already has a superb and well-thought-out common sense Permit system, but HSUS, PETA, API and the other Animal Rights Terrorists from out-of-state don't think that's good enough. Since they actively wish to ban the ownership & use of ALL animals, what better way to go about it than starting with the "unpopular" pets?
Read more about this Bill here, and PLEASE write your Congressperson and ask them to OPPOSE this Bill! Oregon’s Anti Exotic Pet Attack

and NOW good ol' Monsanto is at it again. That Evil Empire Demon Spawn has come up with a new plan to control our food sources: Make Small Farms and Farmer's Markets basically illegal. Tree Huggers has a very good write up about this:
Stop HR 875, HR 814, SR 425, And Soon, HR 759

No matter what your political leanings, these kinds of Bills are BAD BUSINESS! We broke Ma Bell up because it was a monopoly, and now we are allowing a monopoly to lobby into our food source! HEY! FARMERS! Backyard Gardeners! Everyone who owns a chicken and gives away eggs to their neighbors or zucchini to their postman! WE CAN'T LET THIS HAPPEN!

PLEASE I beg you, please write your Congressperson, your Representative, your Governor, and anyone else you can think of, and stop these terribly wasteful legislative idiocies! Our freedoms are at stake here, by the very peoples who would seek to take control over what and how you eat, and who and what you choose to live with! TAKE BACK CONTROL!

>^,,^<

Put a Little Love in Your Heart!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMj7UcjPZ0U&feature=related

Put a Little Love in Your Heart

Think of your fellow man
Lend him a helping hand
Put a little love in your heart

You see it's getting late
Oh please don't hesitate
Put a little love in your heart

And the world will be a better place
And the world will be a better place
For you and me
You just wait and see

Another day goes by
And still the children cry
Put a little love in you heart
If you want the world to know
We won't let hatred grow
Put a little love in your heart

And the world will be a better place
And the world will be a better place
For you and me
You just wait and see
Wait and see

Take a good look around
And if you're lookin' down
Put a little love in your heart

I hope when you decide
Kindness will be your guide
Put a little love in your heart

And the world will be a better place
And the world will be a better place
For you and me
You just wait and see

Put a little love in your heart
Put a little love in your heart
Put a little love in your heart
Put a little love in your heart
Put a little love in -
Put a little love in your heart...



Out of the darkness, and into the Light, we must shine, shine, shine, shine with every fiber of our beings, shine with every kindness we can muster, shine with all the love we have available. Give it away! Pass it along! Just try to deplete the resevoir of love and kindness within your Spirit, and watch it multiply, watch it blossom, watch it propogate into wee small baby kindnesses sprouting willy nilly all over, to cover the Earth with a foggy blanket of Loving Kindness, so thick you can touch it, if only we try.

Here, Gentle Reader, allow me to touch you, allow me to spread the Love in my Heart from my One Mile Radius to Yours. Allow me to infect you like a plague of gentle smiling.

I make this Vow, that I will try to be fertile with Love, pregnant with Kindness, pollenated with Life. Happy Gardening! Sow the Seeds of Joy! Go Forth and Multiply!

(Tomorrow I get to plant peas! WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!)

>^,,^<

More Snow! Tomatoes & other yummy dreamings

BOY! That derned Punxsutawney Philsure got it right! He's SUCH an accurate groundhog! It is snowing like crazy here, big fat rich snowflakes that look like Boraxo soap flakes. The ground and all the limbs are dusted with frosted flocking.

In the third greenhouse at work, we have nestled within a hoophouse-within-the-greenhouse, where lies tender young tomatoe seedlings many of which are still dreaming of sunshine on their shoulders, but some brave seedling souls have pushed their little cotyledons above the soil to peek at me with anticipatory glee. "Lookie Lookie Ms. Cookie! Me's'a gonna be a TOMATO some day!"

We have had to throw a wee heater in that greenhouse just in case it needed a bit of extra warmth, seeing as it got in the high 20's here last night, all covered in snow. I love my work, I love my job, but there are times like these where I could right happily dream by the pellet stove and stay at home watching snow flakes linger on and gracefully fall from the sky.

Happy Garden Dreaming!

>^,,^<

Reprinted with permission:



Dear Kitchen Gardener,

What’s a home garden worth? With the global economy spiraling downward and Mother Nature preparing to reach upward, it’s a good question to ask and a good time to ask it.

There isn’t one right answer, of course, but I’ll give you mine: $2149.15. Last year, my wife Jacqueline suggested to me that we calculate the total value of the produce coming out of our garden over the course of the growing season. Initially, the thought of doing that was about as appealing to me as a recreational root canal. I remember replying something like: “OK, so let me get this right: in addition to raising three busy boys, managing two careers, volunteering in a school garden, and growing most of our own produce, you’re proposing that we weigh every item that comes out of our garden, write it down in a log book, and spend a few leisurely evenings doing math?” Jacqueline, an economics major in college and a native French speaker, answered with a simple "oui" and so the project began.

There was a lot of work involved, mostly for Jacqueline, but as with gardening itself, it was work with a purpose. It didn’t take long for our log book to start filling up with dates and figures. Although we started eating our first garden salads in late April, we only began recording our harvests as of May 10th, starting first with greens and asparagus. Our last weighable harvest was two weeks ago in the form of a final cutting of Belgian endives forced from roots in our basement.

By the time we had finished weighing it all, we had grown 834 pounds and over six months worth of organic food (we’re still eating our own winter squash, onions, garlic, and frozen items like strawberries, green beans, and pesto cubes). Once we had the weights of the 35 main crops we grew, we then calculated what it would have cost us to buy the same items using three different sets of prices: conventional grocery store, farmers’ market and organic grocery store (Whole Foods, in our case). The total value came to $2196.50, $2431.15, and $2548.93 respectively. For the other economics majors and number crunchers among you, you can see our crunchy, raw data here.

There are things we didn’t include like the wild dandelion greens which we reaped but did not sow, the six or so carving pumpkins which we ultimately fed to our compost pile, and the countless snacks of strawberries, beans, peas, and tomatoes that never made it as far as our kitchen scale. There were also things we forgot to weigh like several pounds of grapes which turned into about 12 jars of jam. As with any growing season, there were hits and misses. The heaviest and most valuable crop was our tomatoes (158 lb/72 kg for a total value of $524). In terms of misses, our apple tree decided to take the year off and very few of our onions started from seed made it requiring me to buy some onion plants.

On the cost side, we had $130 for seeds and supplies, $12 for a soil test, and exceptional costs of $100 for some locally-made organic compost we bought for our “This Lawn is Your Lawn” frontyard garden (normally, we meet most of our soil fertility needs through our own composting). I don't have a scientific calculation for water costs, but we don't need to water much and, when we do, water is relatively cheap in Maine. Also, I mulch my beds pretty heavily to keep moisture in and weeds down. Let's say $40 in water. So, if we consider that our out-of-pocket costs were $282 and the total value generated was $2431, that means we had a return on investment of 862%. The cost of our labor is not included because we enjoy gardening and the physical work involved. If I am to include my labor costs, I feel I should also include the gym membership fees, country club dues, or doctors’ bills I didn’t have.

If you really want to play around with the data, you can calculate how much a home garden like ours produces on a per acre basis. If you use the $2400 figure and consider that our garden is roughly 1/25th of an acre, it means that home gardens like ours can gross $60,000/acre. You can also calculate it on a square foot basis which in our case works out to be roughly $1.50/ft2. That would mean that a smaller garden of say 400ft2 would produce $600 of produce. Keep in mind that these are averages and that certain crops are more profitable and space efficient than others. A small garden planted primarily with salad greens and trellised tomatoes, for example, is going to produce more economic value per square foot more than one planted with potatoes and squash. We plant a bit of everything because that’s the way we like to garden and eat.

Clearly, this data is just for one family (of five), one yard (.3 acre), one garden (roughly 1600 square feet), and one climate (Maine, zone 5b/6), but it gives you some sense of what’s possible. If you consider that there are about 90 million households in the US that have some sort of yard, factor in the thousands of new community and school gardens we could be planting, this really could add up. Our savings allowed us to do different things including investing in some weatherization work for our house last fall that is making us a greener household in another way. Some might ask what this would mean for farmers to have more people growing their own food. The local farmers I know welcome it because they correctly believe that the more people discover what fresh, real food tastes like, the more they'll want to taste. In our case, part of our savings helped us to buy better quality, sustainably-raised meat from a local CSA farmer.

The economics of home gardening may not be enough to convince President Obama or UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown to plant new gardens at the White House or 10 Downing Street, but the healthy savings their citizens could be making and then reinvesting in their local economies could.

In the end, it might come down to the language we use. Instead of saying "Honey, I'm going out to the garden to turn the compost pile", perhaps we should say "Honey, I'm going outside to do a 'green job' and work on our 'organic stimulus package.'” I bet that would get the attention of a few economists, not mention a few psychologists!

Happy, healthy March,

Roger Doiron

PS: Garden writers and bloggers: feel free to republish the text and photo above with a link back to KGI. Thanks.
The Kitchen Gardener

PPS: Do you have some home economics or a comment you want to share? That's what our forums are for.
Forums

In today's economic crunch, this is really good news! Happy Gardening!

>^,,^<

Saucy Hunger

Last Friday, my Boss relented and let me grow my ten different tomato plants in the greenhouse-within-a-greenhouse at work alongside the other tomatoes for the Garden Center. Every day, I stand before the wee cloche-type affair, and chant *open*open*open* even tho I know full well that they aren't ready to raise their pretty little heads out of the soil to say hello.

AH but Glory! Glory! Seeds in the soil. My new garden plot has received its' 6 plus yards of garden blend, and is half covered with sand which will all get tilled in as the weather permits. The front plot will need to get tilled up as well, to till in all the green manure I planted in the Fall to feed the garden for this year.

It is snowing here now, we got three inches standing last night, and the sky is a steel grey which blends into the land, all silver dark with white puffy highlights. Like some old Grand Dame laughing at the follies of her kin. The early birds are busy stealing the cat food, and dusting my patio with the snow off their wings.

It might be interesting getting off of Song Dog Hill today, my wee truck is a'sceered of snow.

Did you know that a sackfull of seeds running around $20.oo can produce around $650.oo worth of produce in a month? WOW! The Money Garden!

>^,,^<