3-29-10

RAW VEGAN FUDGE PIE WITH
AVOCADO ICING (SURPRISINGLY DELICIOUS)

SUNFLOWER SEED SPROUTS

PLANTING SPROUTS

TURNING COMPOST

SIFTING COMPOST

HAPPY

WATSON LAKE

RAW FOOD AT NEW FRONTIERS

TRANSPLANTING CHARD

It comes to our attention we have neglected talking highly of Happy. Happy is full of stories and full of love. She told us the story of when she changed her name to Happy Heavenly Oasis from Beth something something. She approached the judge's bench with the name change form and the judge angrily asked "What are you, a hippie on drugs?" Happy has a way with people, and she calmly replied "No your honor, I don't use drugs. In fact, I don't even drink alcohol. Do you?" He blushed and extended his shaking arm holding her change of name form. "I will not change your name without a middle name!" he proclaimed. Relaxed, she looked out the one window in his stoic chamber and saw clouds floating carefree in the blue sky. She replied "Heavenly is my middle name your honor. Will you write the name on the form, or will your assistant complete the form?" Her telling of the story was far more engrossing, as is her style when she tells any story, whether it be her trapped in a rising flood in Bangladesh, being an American ambassador in Australia on a television program, sipping tea in China, eating rice with royalty India, or speaking with a Kiwi about her birth place in New Zealand. She has us on the edge of our seat when she tells her stories. We are ever so enjoying being here with her and apparently she is enjoying us equally: she asked to marry us and have us adopt her. She said "I want a husband just like you, and a wife just like you." She tickles us in the best sort of way. Everyone deserves a Happy in their life.

Today was our most productive day in the garden thus far. First we turned the compost and sifted its contents through a screen. By sifting the compost, you can speed up the decomposing process, and get the pure, lush, rich organic matter needed to enhance the nutritional value of your soil faster. We filled a wheel barrel with the nutrient dense compost, and sprinkled it over the kale and chard, which we transplanted from the greenhouse to the garden. The kale seemed to handle the move smoothly, but we are fearful half the chard we moved may die. Unfortunately, the chard was infested with aphids before the move, so if they die, it's because they were the weakest plants. We're sending all our love into the chard, but even if they die, the space they opened up in the greenhouse will allow extra root space for the neighboring lettuce, which is happily growing in the greenhouse. We also planted sunflowers in the garden in the morning, and peas, pumpkin, and summer squash seeds this afternoon in the greenhouse.

Arugula! It also has been something we've neglected to mention. In case you're not sure, we're obsessed with arugula. It is easily our favorite salad green. No matter where we live, and what we do when our trip is over, we will grow arugula. It is growing everywhere here: in the garden, under the trampoline, beside the trees, next to the compost bin, even in between the rocks. It has been the main ingredient for our daily afternoon salad, and everyday we ecstatically discover a new patch. We can't wait for tomorrow.

FYI: Keeping kosher for passover at a raw vegan retreat will be a cinch.