Good Music

My daughter Katie's boyfriend Tony Schaffer is a guitar player who plays with a really talented singer/songwriter named Chris Castle. If there were any justice in the music business, you would be hearing them on the radio but, alas, there isn't and they continue to struggle on in relative obscurity. The cool thing about both of them, however, is that they are in it for the love of the music and not the money. They recently recorded a CD at Levon Helm's studio in Woodstock, New York (Levon was the drummer for the legendary rock band The Band and has recorded many other great albums in his own right.) They have played numerous times at The Ark in Ann Arbor, toured the east coast several times and play frequently in Cleveland as well.

I'm a guitar player myself and used to do the singer/songwriter thing, playing in bars in my younger days- nowadays I only play in church and with a band associated with Kairos prison ministry. The thing I find really cool about Chris and Tony's music is that it is the same type of music I played at their age and, when I watch them play, it really takes me back. They are, it must be noted, much better than I ever was. If you like the video attached, check out Chris's web site www.dirtsandwich.com. P.S. Tony (my daughter's boyfriend) is the one in the middle.

Plug Warehouse

Today was the first "Plug Warehouse" event of the year and I was planning to go but school was canceled AGAIN and I stayed home with my grandson. The plug warehouse is a sale open to greenhouse growers and garden shop vendors held every Friday from the end of January through the middle of May at Greencircle Growers in Oberlin. Greencircle is one of the largest greenhouse operations in the country and the Oberlin location has over 70 acres of greenhouses. I went up there two years ago to get some chrysanthemum starts and had the opportunity to actually venture out into the greenhouses. Within 5 minutes I was completely lost and, if it weren't for my guide, I would probably still be wandering around looking for the way out.
The plug warehouse is a really unique experience, it's kind of a cross between a garage sale, an auction and the old T.V. game show Super Market Sweep. Every Friday they offer for sale, at a huge discount, all the plug flats that have come back on the delivery trucks throughout the week, for one reason or another. Some are partial trays, some are damaged and some are just excess. It's first come, first served so you need to get there early to get the best selection. The similarity to Super Market Sweep comes from the fact that the sale is held in a monstrous warehouse and they keep the racks roped off until the sale starts at 7:30 and, when they take down the ropes, everyone runs down the aisles trying to find specific plants they are looking for. If you're not careful, you can get trampled.
People come from all over the state and there is always a large contingent of Amish farmers in attendance. I don't usually buy a whole lot but I enjoy going just for the spectacle and to talk to the people. I hope everything works out so that I can go next week, I'm really looking forward to it.

21 Day Fast

My wife and I, along with some members of our church and people from over 350 other churches nationwide, are entering the last 6 days of a 21 day fast (more details at Awakening) and, boy, am I hungry. I guess I should probably re-phrase that to read, boy am I craving different foods, because, in truth, we are really not going hungry. We are doing what is called a "Daniel fast" which means we can eat all the fruits and vegetables we want but no meat, bread, grains, dairy, sugar, etc.- basically all the good stuff- and every few days we have a day just juices and liquids, so we are really not suffering all that much. Thursday, Friday and Saturday of this week (the last 3 days of the fast) are just juice and liquids, however, and I know that's going to be tough.
God has revealed a lot of things to both of us over the past 15 days, but the one thing that has made the biggest impact on me is that there are, literally, millions of people around the world that don't have the choice to give up food because they don't have any to begin with. I complain about opening a well stocked refrigerator to eat my fill of fresh fruits and vegetables while children go to bed with empty stomachs all around me. The excess of our society sometimes, to be honest, sickens me and my own selfishness sickens me most of all. I have determined that somehow, someway I will make a difference and, in my own small way, help to alleviate this situation.
When I read Matthew 25: 31-46 I realize that it is talking to me and that I have no excuses for turning my back other than my laziness and self-centeredness. Lord help us to "step-up."

Malabar Farm

I have recently been re-reading portions of one of my all-time favorite books, Malabar Farm, by Louis Bromfield. I particularly love the journal entries contained in the book. This book as well as others he's written (Pleasant Valley, The Farm, From My Experience: The Pleasures and Miseries of Life on a Farm, and The Wild Country- one of my all time favorite novels) have been a huge influence, not only on my writing (Malabar Farm is what inspired me to begin writing my column in the first place, and I have tried my best to live up to the standard he has set) but also on my life and certainly on my farming and gardening techniques. Bromfield was one of the leading figures and motivating forces behind re-introducing sustainable agriculture practices into American farming and still retains, 53 years after his death, a position of vast influence and respect within the field of agricultural science. As important to me- or maybe even more so- as his technical expertise is, is his easy going, lyrical style of writing that brings me back to his books so frequently. When I read his descriptions of hearing foxes bark and wildcats shriek from across the hills in the dead of winter, I feel like I am sitting right next to him, warm and cozy before the fire in the Big House, hearing them myself. If you haven't ever checked out his writing, I urge you to do so; I promise the experience will be a rewarding one. Check out the official website for Malabar Farm State Park here.

Francis, Francis, baby, babe...

I don't know what made me think of it, but yesterday I found myself really missing Louie the lizard from the old Budweiser commercials. I went to YouTube and, sure enough, I found the entire sequence of commercials on one video. I always loved these guys, especially on the radio ads. That's where the title of this entry comes from anyway, if you like them too, enjoy...

Garden Club Talk

I gave a talk to some really nice women at the Happy Homestead garden club last night, deep in the heart of Riley Township. We talked about organic gardening and ways to incorporate organic methods into established conventional gardens. As usual with these kind of discussions the focus quickly settled on soil, types of soil amendments and composting. That's where it all starts. It really made me anxious to get my hands back into some soil!

O.K. Winter, I Surrender!

Boy, has it been a tough winter so far or what? Two days before Christmas I noticed that several of out hot water radiators weren't heating up and discovered that our boiler tank was cracked and that the boiler had to be replaced- have you priced boilers lately? They ain't cheap! Then this past Saturday, our upstairs pipes froze and broke in the attic. I spent the entire day trying to repair the damage- and I'm not a very accomplished copper solderer. I got one pipe fixed but wasn't having any luck getting a watertight seal on the other after two attempts. I went to Lowes for more supplies and- Thank the Lord!- I found "quick connect" fittings- no soldering! They were expensive- but still cheaper than a plumber- and in 10 minutes I was done. If you have problems with copper pipes I highly recommend them- the jury is still out on their longevity however.

It's a New Day!

I have, as part of a New Year's Resolution, decided to update my web page and to begin blogging. I hope to be steadfast in my new endeavor, so check back often for new entries. I have begun the renovation of the mole hill farm site by re-doing the home page and will continue to revamp the remaining pages in the days and weeks ahead. I hope you will feel free to share your opinions about my ramblings and I hope to see you in the spring!