Sidetracked Charley

On May Day, as I mentioned previously, I went out to my prepared raised beds and sowed seeds for my garden patch. Yesterday, it rained all day blessing my efforts. I plant primarily varieties of leafy greens for summer salads because not much else grows without much effort at 8725 feet altitude. But the kale, spinach, mustard greens and lettuces grow wonderfully all summer long because it never gets hot enough to make them bolt. I also grow some chives, tarragon, garlic, and thyme outside. Inside I grow oregano and rosemary and lavender as well as some other herbs. I will dry these for use in cooking. Today I will get a pot of basil begun that will live days on the stoop and chilly nights in the studio/sun room. I chop up the basil and mix with just a bit of water and freeze in ice cube trays. Once frozen I pop them into a zip lock back to be retrieved as needed for pesto and Italian sauces. Previous to this summer this has always been a hobby of a mad gardener and gourmet cook. This ...

The above picture was taken at New Buffalo Commune during the "Hippie Days" in New Mexico. It was an interesting experiment for which many of the participants were ill prepared. It wasn't just the horse that had to be taught to pull a plow. Living and gardening and cooking in the high mountain west is not an easy feat especially when done in a minimal way. But some succeeded. I rather admire those times. We sought ways to cooperate and barter and live a simple life. Very different than corporate jets, and huge bonuses, and off-shore accounts, and a new Hummer every year when the ash trays get dirty. We called that conspicuous consumption. and definitely put it down. I have been watching the anger at AIG and other greedy banks like Citibank and wonder if these seeds of outrage are not leading us back to a more simple lifestyle. The pendulum swings wide the first arcs from one extreme to another so I doubt we will go totally back to the commune days but what about cooperati...