Rain Pants & New Shoes

Not too much to report on last week.  We spent most of the time writing plant names on Popsicle sticks and weeding flats in preparation for the annual Pfeiffer Center Plant Sale, which took place this past weekend.  The sale netted $8400, which was significantly more than last year, due in large part to the Garden Gold potting soil.  It's all the rage in Chestnut Ridge and the surrounding villages.

Yesterday, I ventured off campus and hopped a train into New York City to have brunch with fellow Food & Friends alumni Janice Cori, Kirsten Feyling, Greg Diamond, and Suzanne McMahon.  It was great to catch up and tell them about the past 3 weeks here.  Kudos to Kirsten for building a raised bed for vegetables in her cozy DC backyard.  Suzy, I hope you are able to do the same in New Jersey.

I'll really be able to whirl about like leaves on the wind in these babies.

Today started with care and feeding of the horses and rain.  After getting a bit soaked, we went into the dorm to drink tea until it was time for our eurythmy lesson.  Head Gardener Megan gave me a pair of eurythmy shoes (see right), so I'm going to be looking professional at our next lesson.  

Around mid-morning, I joined up with a group of kindergartners who were visiting from a local school.  After they had checked out the lettuce and chard beds in the garden, we brought them into the greenhouse.  We were talking about the baby plants on the table when a downpour suddenly began pounding on the roof.  It was so loud that Outdoor Educator Carol encouraged the children to yell to see if we could hear ourselves over the din.  Of course, they obliged.  When things started quieting down up above, one of the little girls turned to me and said "That was the rain making that noise?" with a look of surprise on her face.

When the rain let up, we showed the kids the outdoor oven made from clay and straw that is used to bake bread.  Then I stood next to a hive to show them that you don't need to be scared of bees.  This was followed by stops at the bees' favorite watering hole (a large plastic lid with sticks and stones to keep them from drowning), the tool shed, and the cabin where they got to smell some dried herbs.  The children's teacher is a gardener so she incorporates plenty of horticulture into her lesson plans.  After their outdoor time, the class headed indoors to learn how to make beeswax candles.  I, however, had to join the other interns in thinning the carrot bed in the rain.

Now, I'd like to say a few words about my new favorite article of clothing: Helly-Hansen rain pants.  I ordered them from REI for $25 after reading a 4-star review from someone who wore them to do 4 months of trail maintenance in Alaska.  They are worth every freakin' penny and more!  I don't know why they aren't a standard component of everyone's wardrobe.  They may very well be the most practical thing I've ever owned.  This is also a good opportunity to say thank you to my DC neighbor Rita Mortellaro for the REI raincoat she gave me.  It's a great companion to the pants.

Since we all worked at least one day over the weekend because of the plant sale, we were given time off this afternoon (but Josh and I still went to give the horses their afternoon feeding).  Lunchtime involved watching Elexis try to eat lasagna noodles like they were a much smaller type of pasta, Josh trying to eat a salad made with lettuce that was wasn't adequately washed, and Peter (aka The Dorm Mother) showing up with brownies for all of us from the cafe.  It was quite entertaining.