Almost a month after my last post the weather has changed a lot. We had another record low just a week or two ago, and now it's 60 degrees out. I'm still trying to get used to these extremes and I'm having a hard time trying to remind myself that these warm sunny days don't mean that winter is over. In fact, we've got several more months to go before it's truly spring here. This fact hasn't stopped me from finishing the hoop house or starting seeds. I'm ready to garden!
For the cold weather, three types of kale are slowly maturing on a heat mat inside. In a few weeks they'll be big enough to harden off and plant in the hoop house with plenty of mulch. Later in the spring I'll start more outside for summer eating, and then in the fall more in the hoop house again for winter eating.
Having weathered several very windy storms, I'm feeling pretty good about my handywork. The snow test will be the ultimate factor though.
A raised bed inside the hoop house. It's nice and warm inside and the chickens are very happy to hang out here on cold days. Soon I'll have to fence off one of the beds so the seedlings can grow unscathed.
Speaking of chickens... As much as I make fun of pet owners, I feel myself becoming one. Derek kindly puts up with my chicken stories when he gets home from work, since I spend a lot of time at home studying. They like oatmeal and popcorn a lot, and have come to expect a treat any time you open the patio door. They lay a lot of eggs though and we're getting spoiled by fresh eggs every day. Gone are the days of buying the least bad industrial eggs at the store; I never want to go back.
On another note, school. I'm not sure about this whole grad school thing. My motivation for it goes up and down like tides. I get excited about the possibilities of doing a really cool thesis project and taking some good classes. The thing is, none of my classes thus far have been particularly life changing. Maybe it was foolish to think that they would be. So sometimes it comes down to this: how much do I want or need this piece of paper at the end? Does a masters degree from NAU make someone in food systems that much more marketable? And I wonder if there is a better program or school out there for me, or if it's just academia and college learning that chafes me in general. One more year? All the while the food on campus is horrible and local foods here seem like a joke coming from so far away and outside of our bioregion. I want to change this, but then I get frustrated and loose my motivation. Flagstaff is an exciting new place, but it doesn't feel like home. How do you stay motivated to do change where you're at when you know your time is short?
I'm finally catching up with your blog, Lisa. It's great! The last paragraph here is speaking to me... or the last couple lines.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry you're feeling unsure about school. Maybe you don't need a piece of paper (and of course you don't neeeed a piece of paper) but don't forget the value of committing to taking two years to really delve into these questions you want to explore. I often wish I was in school - telling myself that then I'd have more time to read. The problem is that the thing I want to read about continues to change and slip away too quickly.
I've been struggling since I gave a damn with being in the place you're in while your time is short. And, with making change, that's the nature of my job and my life right now. Anyway, it's hard, and it seems like you're doing a great job of it - you have chickens and a great hoop house! To me, huge commitments. :)
Keep blogging!