The Challenge Continues

The plot thickens

It's my fourth summer gardening, assuming I'm counting right. Summer #1 was The Experiment or The Small Patch; summer #2 The Hose, summer #3 The Weed* Patch, and now summer #4 Legit. Ok not really but I can't give everything away at once.

My first summer I tried a little sprinkler, but it didn't work quite right so I switched to flooding small ditches. It worked alright but took a long time and didn't cover things well.

The next summer I think is when I got a perforated hose from ACE thinking I'd be able to wind it around the plants and it would work great. I don't really remember much of this summer, except this might be the year Leila helped me with some of the cultivating.

Last summer I used the hose again, but this time I decided to a) expand the garden; b) switch up where I planted things, c) plant things I'd never grown before and were completely foreign, d) try to make some sort of rows or mounds or something depending on the plant.

What I learned, broccoli is surprisingly hearty, lettuce grows ok but get's bitter when too big and the arugula or whatever that was grows like a weed. Spreads like a weed to, but boy does that stuff survive. End result up close the garden looked like a patch of weeds. (Aunt Judy maintains it looked good from the road.)

Which brings us to this year. The main problem with past years is my watering techniques left much to be desired. On the other hand, why spend money on a whim that won't be kept up. But this year I decided it was time, it was time to invest and do this gardening thing right. So I headed to Hilmar Lumber (on a free flower Wed of course) and asked how much 120ish feet of drip line would be.

Of course everyone assumed it was for my Dad, but I proudly said, nope it's for my garden. I then spent a long time debating the best way to set things up and connect everything, but in the end settled for a basic drip line, hose, faucet version. (Let's just say my alternate version included pvc and valves. Someday...) The most trying part was making holes and inserting the drippers. Your thumbs get sore after a while. But I endured and with a little help from my sister Heidi, everything got put together.

But that wasn't the only change, oh no. I also decided to expand the garden making it the biggest it's ever been. (In case you didn't notice in first picture.) Meaning, I was back in hardpan with a shovel. But why quit when you're ahead? I also decided to make four long rows so everything could be neat and orderly. And so I could know exactly where everything was.

How does my garden grow

In the past I've tried seed starters in the house. They don't work for me. If plants do grow they tend to be wimpy when I plant them and die anyway. I have more luck going straight to the soil and this year's my best ever for seeds actually growing.

It's amazing how much better a little order and organization can make things. I mean;

1) I know what's where.
2) It's almost impossible to flood the garden washing seeds every which way and creating more weeds.
3) The row's created looser soil even in the hardpan areas. (Although as Aunt Judy pointed out, the carrots may need more sand, we'll see.)

4) The drip is keeping the soil from drying like cement.
5) It's easier to tell a weed from a plant.

Anyway, that's why this year's garden is Legit or The Year of the Drip Line. So far we've done a pretty good job keeping the weeds down too. The dry rows definitely cut down on the "weed carefully" areas which helps A LOT.

Now, the next thing I need to learn is to actually eat what I grow...

To me the garden is an ironic mystery. I have no idea how I've been consistent enough to do this for four years straight. Every year when it's time to shovel I seriously doubt a garden will be planted. And yet somehow, every year it gets done. I wonder how long this strange trend will run. I suppose only time will tell.

If you're in the area, and want some garden fresh something feel free to stop by. If you're unsure which house is mine, just look for the garden out back. At the rate it's growing you can't miss it.

*By weed I mean a plant growing where you don't want it. Not the grass that's not a lawn nonsense.

Work Musings

People are always talking about how much things have changed in the last 20 or so years, and what kids these days don't remember, like life before cell phones, or internet.

Here's one for you, licking stamps.

Sentinel

I have this friend that I tend to be a little over protective of sometimes. Let me backtrack, I have been known to be over protective in general, but with this friend it tends to take on a life of its own. I usually don’t even realize it, but recently it was pointed out to me and I’ve been trying to figure out why. Why am I so protective of this friend? I’m not that over the top with my own siblings.

I think part of it is that my friend doesn’t react or resent this personality quirk as much as my siblings. But is that it? My friend is smart, generally has a good head on their shoulders, and is conscientious. But for all their smarts, every now and then my friend does something that leaves you going "why"?

A picture of a city. 

Recently my friend attended an educational conference in a large, well known city. Two days prior to the event they finally booked a hotel room that was reasonable in a mediocre part of town. Instead of dealing with traffic and parking, my friend decided to take the light rail into the city, attend the first several sessions their luggage, and then check into the hotel. And this is where our tale begins.

The first round of the conference ended, and my friend is walking to their hotel, with their luggage to check in. Along the way a friendly, homeless man asks if my friend would buy him a hamburger. My friend, who loves hamburgers, and believes in helping others, said ok and they started to walk to get a hamburger. Along the way the gentleman changed his mind and asked if my friend would give him money to get a room for the night at a hostel. Apparently the gentlemen was recently released from the hospital where he'd been staying due to some broken ribs he obtained when someone decided to go on a rampage with a hammer in the middle of the night.

The crux was the hostel was in a not so nice part of town and this chap did not want to take my friend there. My friend doesn't like to give cash, and was torn. It’s about this time I got a phone call and heard the whole story.

The agreement they came to was he’d go get a room and in 10 minutes return with a receipt and key to show he’d actually gotten a room, and left his Special K granola bar as collateral. So my friend waiting with their luggage, decided to call and share this unusual experience with me. They proceed to tell me that they were open to helping this chap because of the blessing I’d given them when they were still figuring out where to stay.  I told my friend they’re the only person I know that makes me want to not bless them. That made them laugh, we chatted a bit more and then got off the phone.

I told my mom and sisters this story and Mom in her wisdom all but shouted, if he doesn't return, “Don’t eat the granola bar.” I laughed but after considering who we were talking about, called my friend to stress this piece of wisdom, ‘causing them to laugh again.

You’d think the story was over, but no. Apparently, the chap returned, but the hostel was full and he needed to return in an hour. Next call from my friend, they’re at a park, with their luggage, hanging out with the dude and was rather at a loss of what to do.

At this point I told my friend, it was time to make their ado’s as gracefully as possible and go check into their hotel. As Mom said, because right now they're homeless too.

I think its times like these that occasionally make me over the top with my friend. Like I said they are really smart, but there are moments where their common sense seems to shut off, and they end up in scrapes that leave you going, really?

But I learned something else from this escapade. First, my friend’s guardian angel must be on overtime a lot. I can’t imagine what that time card would look like. Secondly, even in the midst of this chaos, my friend was protected. From the peace I had two nights before they got to the city, to the friendly homeless chap that had my friend’s back and didn’t let them go to an area he thought was sketchy.

It’s a reminder that my worrying, while sometimes making my friend more cautious, doesn’t change anything. Ultimately, I am not in control. That there’s Someone who’s guiding and protecting my friend way better than I ever could. Maybe in future I’ll be able to trust that; staying calmer and less likely to develop an ulcer… 

Beyond that, what else can I say; God Loves Leila.