last workday of Fall 2006

This final Saturday workday, we had a beautiful multitude of people. Morning began in the Garden, with a group harvesting basil from the long-suffering bed 17, and two folks went to get soil from the Mines. We weeded and took everything out of the bed. Before we started double-digging, duty called us to the BRAND NEW COMPOSTING SYSTEM and we made the third pile, filling the first bin again, with dry matter, horse manure, food scraps, and partial compost. The horse manure very pleasantly fell on me a few times, much to everyone's glee.

Then we came back into the Garden and double-dug the now-softened bed, adding in two wheelbarrows' worth of decomposed leaf mould. Afterwards, Steve was waiting with food from the grill, and we ate a hearty lunch.

All of us - Sarah, Megan, Natasha, Richard, John, David Griese, David Saxton, Mike, Henry, Bee, Bart, Steve, and I - took a few moments to reflect on the amazing quarter, through the words of the kindly, honored gardener-mentor who had come to pay his respects and cook us his good food. Steve is coming to the garden workdays next quarter, while he is taking his sabbatical. I am so happy... He expressed the hope that this would be the start of an amazing PICA year - 2 quarters left, and then Short Course. Believe it or not, the actions and feats of fall will lay the grounds to be felt all the way into next summer. And, even more profoundly so, the actions of all past PICAns lead, up into this very moment... We have an amazing team, and an amazing legacy of past incredible teams to continue.

Now it is time to plant our seeds for tomorrow, pack up and prepare the grounds for more frosting, and make sure that all elements are present for their rebirth. I celebrate it, now. I celebrate the hibernations of the restful seasons.

*photos courtesy of David Saxton