DIY, Growing Food in Winter
These are lettuce and pea seeds I put in last week. They are growing in my back yard, in a plastic container that held spinach. Yes, it is cold. And it freezes and sleets and ices up, still. But this is winter gardening and people do it even in colder climates than northern Virginia.
You just wash a plastic container that has a lid, punch some holes in the top and bottom, put in some soil (I use a seeding mix) and sprinkle in seeds. Water, close the container, label it with a permanent marker. Place it outside in a sunny area. Now you have a greenhouse environment for your seeds to grow. I may need to transplant these into a larger container before it gets warm enough to plant in the garden.
I also have some flowers and pampas grass sprouting.
Your seeds really want to grow, even in harsh conditions. Like us, they are animated by the life force.
Repost of a Post Past
Going down the rabbit-hole of Cece’s post. Great rememberies here, following “flockers.”
Please Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood
Related to stuff we’re talking about.
Now what?
2011 was the ninth-warmest year on record:
The finding continues a trend in which nine of the 10 warmest years in the modern meteorological record have occurred since the year 2000.
Where I Live
Karst topography is found throughout the Driftless area. This is characterized by caves and cave systems, disappearing streams, blind valleys, underground streams, sinkholes, springs, and cold streams.
Disappearing streams and blind valleys. Sounds about right.
The Dust Library
So what can this unusual library tell us? First, there is the simple parts list. The most common component was organic material, present in 40 of the 63 particles – exactly what is unclear, but it could be anything from pollen to sloughed-off bits of researcher. Quartz, found in 34 particles, came next, followed by carbonates (17 particles) and gypsum (14). “The minerals blow in,” says Coe. “They come from all over the world.” Other ingredients included air pollutants and fertiliser chemicals.
Happy New Year, Y’all
Smootch.
Chicago Screenshots
Chicago Screenshots is a (slowly growing) collection of Chicago-centric movie and television stills, presented as architectural and urban landscape photography.
Mistletoe Shortage
There’s a mistletoe shortage in Texas, due to drought. But some people don’t care.
“In 1901 you needed to be under the mistletoe to steal a kiss in public,” said Mr. George. “In 2011, you can do just about anything you want in public and it goes unnoticed.” When asked about the shortage, Mr. George was confident there would be no love lost.
Compleat — the paper cup with an integrated lid
Massachusetts architect Peter Herman spent two years designing a paper cup that eliminates the plastic lid.
The construction is simple: The body and two integrated flaps are composed of a single piece of paper; the body is glued to the circular base. Like similar cups on the market, the paper would be waterproofed, though ideally with cellulose-based plastic, so that it could be composted.
(thanks, Sarah)
Clusterflockers with Children…
…is there a book you wouldn’t want your children to read?
We Won Backyard Garden of the Year
Kristopher designed this four years ago. Subcontractors did the structures and masonry, we did the garden. This year, the garden grew into the space it was meant to be.
Something I’m Working On…
I’ll say no more for the moment.
Three for Today (Day Two)
Troy Davis died yesterday by the hand of justice. Many factions fought both sides. When does truth lie?
Doubt is our product
How climate change denial equates to the tobacco industry.
(Im)possible Chicagos is a series of hallucinatory joyrides through one hundred and twenty five asynchronous Chicagos.
Alexander Trevi‘s first joyride through (Im)possible Chicago traversed Acer Necropolis.
Trevi recently completed his nineteenth, wherein:
At night when you’re out driving, you can tell which neighborhood you’re in by the light of the streetlamps, because each ward basks in its own different hue. For instance, if the streets are all aglow in azurite, you’re definitely joy riding around Marquette Park.
Zoning codes require that windows are tinted according to the neighborhood’s chromatic identity, so no matter how the interiors are lighted, houses, skyscrapers and 7-Elevens do not give off wayward wavelengths.
Even your car lights beam out the same color. But when you cross over into another ward, they instantaneously switch filter to match that ward’s assigned spectrum.
I Thought All Was Lost…
Danny and I were watching a movie this afternoon. I jumped over the back of the couch to retrieve my pillow, turned around and toppled my cocktail over the laptop. The glass broke on the floor, ice cubes laying over my keyboard sitting next to the arm of the couch. Danny rushed the laptop up to the hair-dryer as I mopped up the floor. A few hours ago, after, the laptop would not start up. I was trying to use his netbook and feeling really unhappy about it, it not having all my stuff on it. At worst, I pictured the laptop at the spa the next few days. But just now I thought, “I’ll try it once more.” Here I am! I guess a few more hours drying time made the difference.
TG! TG, almighty!
headline of the day, II
Brooklyn’s Famed Vagina Tree Felled by Irene
Irene
Our New York and East Coast friends, keep us posted.
from the comments
Cindy, my little friends the birds were really quiet before the quake hit. I was out in the garden and wondered where they were. They’ve been hiding all week. I look for them everyday as I go around picking up the pots of Angel’s Trumpet that keep getting knocked over by aftershocks. Now the birds are up in the trees, invisible, but causing a ruckus. Hurricane Irene?
We are living in interesting times.
Just a Quick Postcard…
Danny has the most accepting, loving family in the world. (I’m convinced, prove me wrong.) We’re in Rockton, on the Wisconsin/Illinois border half-way between Chicago (East edge of Northern Illinois) and Galena (West edge. Sheila might lead you to believe Galena is a suburb of Chicago, and in many respects, it is, but it could be counted an outlier.)
I was born near here, in Rockford. Today there was a celebration of Holly’s birthday and Uncle Doug’s (Holly is Danny’s niece, a 29 year-old Danish beauty, Doug is Danny’s 60-year-old brother–with a beauty that can’t be matched in song.) Today while celebrating, Danny and I also got notice for our having been together 24 years, today.
Y’all I hope I’m not being too sappy. But I’m so happy I could bust. Y’all, this family Loves.
quote out of context
Swan says she didn’t smell anything odd when she dipped her hand into the substance.
from the comments
Today is my birthday and we are in Marfa! As it has every birthday of my life, it rained this morning. No matter where I am, it rains. Marfa is parched (recovering from 10 rainless months), so it is lovely to see everything getting a drink. I will refrain from taking the credit, but of course, we all know better. To quote Bill Murray in Groundhog Day, “I make the weather!”
‘Leopards are protected in India, though more are straying into villages for food’
Eleven people were injured in an attempt to drive a male leopard back into a wildlife sanctuary in India. The report is skimpy on details, but the incident didn’t end well. I make the post primarily out of respect for the animal.
from the comments
I once saw a rancher–straight and tall, weathered brown skin, piercing blue eyes under a straw cowboy hat–gazing at a Donald Judd outdoor sculpture. The experience of seeing him in that context was larger than anything Judd could have hoped to produce.
