Midtopia

Midtopia

Thursday, May 18, 2006

Slowdown

I've been a little light on the posts the last couple of days, and I apologize. Work and home life have gotten very busy with the approach of summer, leaving me short on time. I'll have some posts up later today and will play major catch up tomorrow.

In the car I was listening to MPR, which was broadcasting the Hayden confirmation hearings. I had the pleasure of listening to Russ Feingold question Hayden. On this issue I'm very close to Feingold, so it was great to hear him articulating many of the same things that I've written about in the past few months.

I must say I was also impressed by Hayden -- cool, polite, and obviously very smart. I can see why members of Congress who have worked with him like him. He was quite straightforward, not dodging questions and willing to answer hypotheticals -- a refreshing change from the Supreme Court confirmation hearings.

So what have I been doing instead of posting? Besides putting in some odd hours at work, I've been cutting in a new vegetable garden. I do it by hand because I like the work: removing the sod with a shovel (to be transplanted elsewhere), hoeing up the soil (instead of renting a tiller), mixing in fresh topsoil and manure, lining the edge with paving bricks turned on edge to help keep the weeds out and putting up a short fence to keep animals out.

I finished it today and was finally able to plant the tomato plants that I've been growing in pots. They're a family beefsteak hybrid, developed by the last farmer in my family tree and kept going by the rest of us saving a few seeds from each season's harvest. This weekend I'll plant the rest of the garden: lettuce, broccoli, peas, beans, corn and maybe some peppers. I tried carrots last year, but our soil is too clayish and dense. So no roots this time around.

Our raspberry patch should also bear fruit for the first time this year, so I'm a happy farmer. My wife likes developing flower beds; for me, it's only worth it if I can eat it.

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4 comments:

Anonymous said...

"How fair is a garden amid the trials and passions of existence"
-Benjamin Disraeli


Hard work in the sun is good for the soul, and you literally get to enjoy the fruits of your labor!
- Caracarn

Anonymous said...

Try planting some Borage under your tomatoes... you'll be suprised.

Sean Aqui said...

Caracarn: Agreed, especially up here in Minnesota. After a long winter, nothing feels better than getting some dirt under the fingernails. Plus I can do it while the kids and dog run around, getting exercise and (mostly) looking after themselves.

Anonymous: Borage, huh? I'll have to try that. Thanks for the tip!

Anonymous said...

Wow....that's neat about your family hybrid tomatoes being passed down through the generations. My Dad was a wonderful vegetable gardener and I sure miss all his fresh vegetables this time of year. We get them from the local farmer's market now. Gardens are a lot of work and you have to really love working in them....as he did. And as obviously you do too.

Good luck and happy & healthy eating!
JP5