Thursday, August 14, 2008

August 14, 2008

Oops, just read my last post. I watered last night.  I just went out after dark and watered again.  It's a pain getting older (yep, I'm still young, just an excuse... any will do).  But I was reminded tonight of an REM song... Gardening at Night.  I was humming it in the dark while I was watering from memory.  The corn sure smelled good. I bet the coons think so too. Glad I've got that coyote protecting my corn hehe.

Well, today was a scortcher.  Of course it hit 85.7 degrees today, so it technically doesn't count, but boy was it close!  I bet my tomatoes loved it.  I couldn't tell because I didn't get out into the garden today (in the light that is).

This weekend is busy but I've got next week off, and the weather looks to want to cooperate.  I've got a ton planned, but most of it is playing summer vacation with the kids.  They've missed me and I owe it to them.  We'll do some garden stuff, don't worry.

I've just got one day left at work. And boy will I be glad to get out of there. I made a fatal error today.  I mentioned in an all-staff meeting that I may need to bring something else to the company picnic because my lettuce is bolting.  They all laughed at me and people said, haven't you heard of a grocery store, you know they sell lettuce there.  I didn't know if I wanted to punch their lights out or cry.

I'm starting to think I would almost rather dump it all and go be a homesteader, hehe. They kept making jokes at my garden's expense all day and couldn't realize why I didn't think it was funny.  I did take a walk to cool down, but my mistake, I came back.

I just have to remember NEVER to mention my garden at work again.  Ignorant.  I know I'm doing what's right for my family and my stress level.  Multitaskers are a good thing, according to Alton Brown, and something that reduces my stress, gets me exercise and provides healthy fruits and veggies for my family is very much a multitasker, hehe.

Anyway, I've been conversing with DoubleD on Freedomgardens.org and getting to know her. She's in Poulsbo, just across Puget Sound from us in my climate, and she's been gardening all her life.  I can pick her brain and find out what works and doesn't here.  Great find! And she's really nice too. Bonus! hehe

I promise I'll take pictures this weekend. Just been so busy, and there's not much going on right now, take care and enjoy your garden!

8 comments:

  1. 85.7 degrees -- hmmm, the high today here is supposed to be 90 or 91 and we think that it's cooling down LOL! Actually the humidity is going to be lower this coming week (according to the weather report) so it's going to be more comfortable outside.

    Sometimes people can be so stupid -- I'm not surprised about what happened to you at work. I've had the same thing happen before. I just stand my ground and brag about how good my veggies are! They can keep their e. coli infested spinach, salmonella tomatoes and peppers LOL I'd rather grow mine and know what I'm eating LOL

    That is so cool that you'll be off next week! You'll be able to squeeze a little more time in for your garden while you're still spending time with the kiddos :-)

    Have a good weekend!

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  2. Sorry to hear about the folks at work, for some reason, I imagined Seattle-folks would be more into environmental stuff.

    Pittsburgh has a lot of green initiatives (just no solar incentives) and I work in an organization that supports the environmental initiatives. A lot of folks are gardeners themselves, and with one of the assistant directors being a Master Gardener, socials are coordinated yearly to re-pot office plants or to share (like clippings or sprouts).

    Maybe they're just jealous of your garden!

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  3. Down here in Canby, south of Portland, it was 102 on Thursday. More of the same for Friday and Saturday. I'm worried about various fall crops I'm growing, particularly the Rutabagas I don't want to lose, so I've tossed a white cloth sheet over them for the day. I don't know if they'll be warmer or cooler under there. Ain't it grande. It's too cool for the summer crops to grow in Spring, and it's too hot for the fall crops to grow in Summer.
    I've never had a problem with people making fun of my veg gardening habit. I think they respect it more than anything. I bring it my fruits and veggies and eat them at my desk on a regular basis. Today it's plums, carrots, beans (raw) and a figs. Many of them grow at least some kinds of edible plants at their homes, and some have veg gardens too and routinely ask for advice or shoot the breeze about it.
    I wouldn't back down if I were you. Wear the "farmer" title as a badge of honor. You may have to subtly snipe back from time to time. Like suggest that the pesticides on their store-bought produce has maybe effected their judgment. Or "hope you enjoy your Salmonella". I've been the butt of jokes at work from other things though and it's no fun. But it seems that people often just have to say something, even if they have nothing to say. So they just pick on whatever they can. It's up to you to push back a little.
    In my case, people are always joking about how much I eat. Whenever there's group food around I get all the jokes about "here comes Tim, hide the food" or whatever. The last time it happened I said "I can't believe *this* group of people thinks that *I* eat too much". (They're fat, I'm not) Or "when you get up and exercise, you eat a bit more".
    In other words, you have to make it clear that their comments are ignorant.

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  4. I've been reading your blog for a while now to prepare myself for my first jump into SFG next year, and I enjoy it very much. Normally I would just lurk, but I had to comment this time because "Gardening At Night" gets stuck in my head every time I go out after work to check on the progress of my small traditional garden. I never thought I would open up your blog and read that you had the same thing happen to you!
    Keep up the good work!

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  5. Y'know, it doesn't amtter what they think. Most likely, the closest they've ever been to growing something is the mold in their takeout boxes in their lonely refridgerators. They deserve your pity, not your ire. I know I'm lucky, I have three other gardeners on my team to kibitz with. I think that your garden enriches (Ha! Pun not originally intended) you and your family's lives, and gives you a closer connection with your kids and our mother earth. So there. If they give you any more crap, send them to me. I'll enviroguilt them. ;)

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  6. I just left a comment on Mike's SFG thread on GardenWeb, thanking him and wanted to thank you too. I have learned a lot from you this week, reading about how you did yours and enjoy the pics so much. So wanted to remember to thank you for all of it.

    As for the ignorance in comments like those above, just know that they have no idea how idiotic it sounds to a person who grow their own veggies to be told they can always go to the supermarket. They are missing a lot.

    Thanks again, I'm keeping you bookmarked so don't stop blogging please!

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  7. Don't let them get you down. You've found another way to bond with your kids and you're teaching them good food habits. You've found a wholesome hobby that gives you personal satisfaction and is good for your health. Anybody who has a problem with has a problem.

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  8. Wow, slew of comments. Thank you all! I should have known gardeners would come to my defense. I'll get to you all, but Jen, I let out a hoot at my desk at work when I read your comment on email and everyone asked me what it was about. I just sat their chuckling. You're my muse and my defender, I love it! You could take them too...

    Judy: Good idea about reminding them about the problems that plague our produce (boy is that a lot of p's), but I'm not sure they eat veggies... hehe.

    PG: Yeah, I'd say we've got a larger percentage of environmentally conscious folks here. But we've also got those who like to make fun of the green initiatives and buzz words. They spent the rest of that day coming up with ways to use bolt after I said my lettuce bolted. /sigh How great it would be to have more gardeners at work, wow a master gardener! Nice!

    Tim: That's great, lucky you! And yeah, it's hot! My lettuce didn't bolt long, it melted... Check the post for tonight... PICTURES!

    Jen in CT: Wow, another REM fan! Hehe at first I was confused because the other Jen not only introduced me to SFG, but to REM (well, her hubby did). I must say it didn't come to me until I forgot to bring my flashlight and just stood there spraying where I thought plants were. I'm glad to meet you and happy you enjoy lurking!

    Susan: Saw your post on Mike's pictorial. Isn't he amazing! Tons of work and it shows! Glad you're enjoying and learning. Remember, experience is the best teacher. Take what I've done and go garden! Just learn from my mistakes, hehe.

    Cheryl: I couldn't have said it better myself! Thanks!

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