Consumptionitis

Consumption has become synonymous with waste. We are what we consume; and what we leave behind. As you read this you are consuming the words that I have written. If you are listening to music you are consuming that just the same. Of course everything you put in your body is consumption be it food or drugs or even the air you breathe. Sociologists and anthropologists remark that what you purchase defines you as an outward expression of individuality. What does it say about you when the thing you buy has nothing to do with you at all?

When we buy something it is assumed that we have consciously decided to consume said object. Suppose you did, then by virtue of your free will you have come to possess material goods for which you trade money. What if you didn't buy the object of your desire of your own volition? Perhaps this means that you have been manipulated into purchasing it. You could ask, did I need this item or did I want this item.

 

Money is the equivalent of work, so it can be said, "How much work does this object cost?" But not all work is created equal. Your work is not connected to the work taken to produce the product and money is only signifies the wage at which your work was done. Any product or good may have a much different working wage connected to it, hence its price reflects the cost of production. When companies want to set a lower price point they pay their workers less. The price you pay is set so that you can accept the price, not so that the people who made it can be paid fairly.

There are factors outside of your mind that might lead you to a purchase. Internally you know the purchase is bad for you or that you really don't need the item. Yes, advertisements work, it has been proven. They have worked on you and you didn't even know it. They have worked on me. Sales, coupons, bogo's, tents, balloons, these are all external stimuli that can persuade you to buy. It is healthy then to have a strong aversion to adverts. They hurt your bottom line, your well being, and the planet where you keep all your stuff. If you are to make a decision that is true to yourself, you can not trust anything that has been marketed to you. Some times peer pressure and status drive us to buy. The need to acquire things to fit your social group often drives people to spend beyond their means.

Things just show up in our lives and we can't seem to get a handle on all of them. Consumption of things that you don't really need is a disease. You are infected, it is a neuro-degenerative plague. Buy and don't think is the motto. You use your hard earned cash to line the pockets of the corporate juggernaut. Things take up space not only in the physical but the virtual space of mind. Your cognitive ability to remember all the things that you have is finite. This virtual space in your mind costs precious computing power.

Today is Christmas, many of you have already bought gifts for friends and loved ones. What do you imagine would become of these people in your life if you didn't give them a gift this year? I can tell you from experience they will not care, not for long anyway, and soon enough even if you bought them a gift they will forget all about it too. You see gifts are a short lived pleasure, a small rush of serotonin and dopamine, for both giver and receives.

In an essence by not giving someone a gift you have given them something better. When you save your money, time, and stress not driving to every store in town or scouring the internet you have kept that which would have been given away. You give the gift of forgetting all the pleasantries, the cards, the cash, the receipts, there is no need for reciprocation, there is no regret of a gift that just gets tossed, there is no feigning of thankfulness. Retaining a solvency that provides more piece of mind and forgoes distraction from the necessities of life.

I am not advocating that you give up all your worldly possessions, on the contrary. I urge you to buy the things that matter, the things that might cost a little more because they are quality. The money you save not buying cheap gifts for friends can make the things you do have more enjoyable.

Things can not make you truly happy. Only a knowledge that you are an individual of character and depth, with a supporting cast of friends and family. The things you need will come to you.

Modern men are mistaking the means of life for its purpose. In order to possess the means, they are sacrificing the goal.

Reikichi Kita and Kiichi Nagaya

Observing Nature

Out there is a world that we can barely grasp. In trees there is extraordinary life and we can barely see it. The lichens on the bark, the wood borers hard at work, the birds in the branches, the caterpillar wrapped up in a leaf. The roots that we almost never see, are a cathedral of life. Human processing has limitations and the natural system far exceeds our ability to comprehend.

The tree that blew over now lying flat on the ground is hardly dead, only it's function has changed. How alive is just one tree? moving water from aquifers to the sky, providing for you and I, moving further than we can imagine in the breeze and toward the sun. You know all this, but again, you can barely see it.

Observation takes time. The natural world does not move at the same pace as we do, although we could attempt to move at the same pace as it. Getting closer to nature is as easy as immersing yourself, go out into the woods a meadow, or even a park, you don't have to travel far. Nature exists in a crack in the sidewalk, no need to jump in your car.

Humans struggle to be the masters of their domain, without attention to the life that already supports us unquestioningly. The attitude that we can fix it, that there is enough out there for everyone for all time to be plundered is short sighted. There is enough out there for everyone if only we understood how to see it.

 As humans we need names to help organize the world, learn the names of plants, learn the names of insects, learn whatever you can. In this age of information the resources are plenty.
Encyclopedia of Life

The human mind is a buzz with thoughts that distract them from the truth in front of their eyes. Our connection with nature is a relationship that we have neglected and it's on the fray. Intuition is flawed and gut feelings are disastrous in the face of natures complexity. Observation requires that we accept the feedback, and is the only way to interact with a system that is ultimately out of our control. Balance in nature happens one way or the other. We have to work on recognizing the signs that are provided by every living thing. 

 

Observation is not easy when an action is called for. Observation is an action, and beyond that processing that observation also takes time. When action is taken with a large machine there is less thought and more destruction. Once the gears are turning, there is almost no stopping them. The realizations from observation required to solve a problem may not arise until seemingly unconnected information is presented.

Observe, hypothesize, observe, react small, observe again. Realize the resources that you already have. People are great resources, so is an untapped stream. Learn from past observations, records and books. Know your surroundings, the climate, the natural order of things, the whole web of life. Don't let your preconceived notions get the best of you, don't let the world in front of you become a wash of disorder in your mind.

Memory won't serve when it comes to all that nature has to offer. Use drawings or photographs to document your observations. Write a description in a note pad. Take notice of the soil, what is growing there and the time of year, any wildlife you encounter, the sounds and smells, everything and anything that catches your attention. Get down on your hands and knees and absorb the world as the wildlife does. Just for a moment forget the life you left behind.

The global crisis is a local problem, one that has to be solved with efforts here and now. In other words inaction is not an option. But, what is the appropriate action?

Let your observation guide you.

Living Daylight

House Plants

I try to be as selective as possible with the amount of plants that I winter over indoors. I never water my plants with city/tap water so I often have to break through the ice on my pond mid winter to get more water. This takes effort, just convincing myself to go outside is tough enough at this time. Even so it is great to have some green throughout the winter, and because I am an addict I can't help myself.

 A few of them I can't imagine living without.

My Avacado J(H)esus

Of course Jesus would not survive outdoors in the winter. His broad leaves do wonders for air purification, but they also transpirate on overdrive, keeping on top of his watering schedule is important.  Quite a tree for such a small pot, I will think about transplanting him in the spring, but I am not sure I could handle the growth spurt. Jesus is yet to set fruit, but the guy is only 4 yrs. old.

The plant on the right is Stevia. I am sure you seen the commercials for this sugar alternative that was popular for a hot second. The first time I put a leaf in my mouth I was blown away by how sweet it was. As you can see now she is flowering, which makes the leaves much less sweet as energy is sent to reproductive organs. With a lack of bees I tried to ensure pollination by tapping the clusters of flowers together. Bow chicka bow bow.  I will see how the plant reacts once seeds are formed.

no window sill left unplanted

This Kaffir Lime is a new addition this year, a Craig's List find. The cacti were a gift to my brother from an ex-girlfriend. They were orphaned in the breakup, I adopted them. Cacti need much less attention than a woman, watering once a month is about it really.

An Introduction to Sepp Holzer (der agrar rebell)

Compaction and Access

Have you noticed the path less traveled is also covered in more plant life? This is the main reason that when you enter a national park they ask you very politely to please stay on the path. Even if you see no plant life in an area it might be there, sometimes waiting in dormancy for the right moment to spring up. Compacted soil is an obstacle that most plants can not over come. Even worse of course is driving a vehicle over the soil, but even a heavy wheelbarrow can do some serious damage. You can keep your garden soil light and loamy for years to come and without having to till, if you make permanent walks, and keep the soil mulched.

Walks are an enjoyable way to add interest and lead guests through your landscape. Consider serpentine paths around natural elevation changes and landmarks. Remember less energy invested in the creation means more time to enjoy. Work with the land not against it.



How wide to make your walk                                                                  
18 inches is more than enough for a person to walk comfortably of course if you need to bring your garden cart through give it enough space and plan for a place to turn it around.

Paths will evolve on their own, as you walk over them their nature will be revealed by their usefulness. If a path has no purpose it will be unused and then overgrown. Build a path with purpose and it will be maintained without effort.

Paths with parallel or grid configurations take much more space than designs created with more organic forms. This is called least path design.
 
Materials for a walk                                                                         
mulches of all sorts make good walks, they retain moisture add nutrients and cull weeds. Call a local Arborist for his latest chips, use leaves in the fall, and grass clippings in the summer.

found field stones are great materials for hard scape, know that plants will eventually grow in between the rocks. You can fight this forever, as weeding is a losing battle, or you could plant them with small ground cover or moss. I don't recommend placing a plastic sheeting underneath to stop weeds as it will eventually deteriorate contaminating your soil. A natural fabric can help for a few years, for added protection, stability, and drainage level out an inch of sand underneath.

pea gravel and river rock are also good for light or heavy traffic, make sure to have good rails around the rocks so they don't migrate into your beds. Try using as local a product as you can. For my paths I have used things found on and around my property.

Taking advantage of a interesting tree shard

Path Boarders                                                                                
Even if you have well planned out paths often people walk all over your bed anyway. They simply do not understand the destruction they are causing, or are oblivious to the rules of garden space. If you plan on having guests give the paths some definition. Try lining the boarders with taller rocks or small logs. Again I don't recommend adding plastic to your garden in any form, boarders and rhizome barriers included.

I am not against a grass walk, the problem is that it will spread into your garden giving you more weeding if the boarders aren't well secured. Carefully mowing it over and over again take time and effort.

Instant pathway of broken pavers

Biomass

My efforts to eradicate the Pachysandra have the ill effect of stripping the land of biomass. The carbon sequestering organic matter that is eventually turned into great soil. I have found a solution.

I don't even have to leave my neighborhood to find sacks of leaves. These official yard "waste" bags line the streets every garbage day in the fall. Throwing them in, or even on the roof of the car takes little effort. As I empty the bags around my yard, I then have a place to put pachysandra I've pulled. I was overwhelmed by pachysandra at one point, I pulled more than I had space for, but now it is taken away and mechanically turned into compost by the municipality. Remember not to throw pachysandra in your compost pile unless you want it growing there too.

Pachysandra Wars

There are aggressive plants and there are invasive plants.  When it comes to the woods behind my house I often say, "There is no such thing as an invasive. Only things that the deer eat, and things that they don't.", this is a joke of course. My arch enemy pachysandra is very aggressive.

 In my mind for a plant to be labeled an invasive it needs to fill a few requirements that narrow the broad definition sometimes used. I think it better to understand why a plant or animal is reacting with its environment in this often negative way then to destroy it without understanding. Never start pulling plants before you know exactly what they are and why you are pulling them. It is much better to leave plants as they are then to destroy a fragile habitat.

1. Non native- any plant that does not originate from the geographical region (must fill this requirement saving few exceptions) native plants do sometimes over populate
2. Mat forming - chokes out all other plant life, alternatively a strangling vine that is is also wide spread and/or overly aggressive.
3. Rhizome regeneration - a plant that regrows from the root or stolons, spreads rapidly makes removal difficult
4. No competition (over competes)- other plants can't keep up and are overtaken, nothing eats it or keeps it in check i.e. hard frosts, herbivores, other plant species
5. Prolific self seeding - Seeds carried by wind or birds can move ling distances and take over quickly
6. Serves no ecological function - a parasite if you will on the natural order
7. Is of no use to humans

"Invasive" is an idea created by humans. Plants only do what they were designed to do. Nature works with what is available. I clear pachysandra with the intention of introducing useful native plants, not to simply remove the former.

(right)  Kill pachysandra on top of pachysandra?
It is a good idea to cover the ground that you have exposed with at least a light mulch.
Here you see one of my new beds terraced with a log and covered with leaves.
This plot was seeded before the mulch was applied.

When you cut down a large vine that is growing on a tree you kill a wild habitat for animals. Say that vine was a wild grape, perfectly native but might smother the trees it grows on. This is nature and our intervention is not needed. So its attached to a large maple, in a forest filled with maples, all you are doing is using your feeble human mind to intercede nature who in due course knows what is right. Difficult decisions can't be made on a black and white basis. A vine that is known to strangle trees is  killed there by solving the problem? Was there a problem or just the human thought of one. This course of action potentially creates another one.

Here I have made the distinction that pachysandra is an ornamental, non native, and properly aggressive. Planted for its tolerance of both sun and shade, it readily covers an area with poor soil. It is the uninformed gardeners ground cover, chosen because it stays green all winter long. Unfortunately pachysandra gains ground on all sides each year growing stronger and thicker. Imagine its exponential growth, from a two inch mat to four, then sixteen, thirty two, and it never dies back and grows thicker and more tangled.

Total destruction was never the intention, and is probably not possible. As much as I gave grown to dislike pachysandra it serves its purpose well. Holding the hillside up under deep shade is an admirable quality. If its progress can be stifled then other plants may have the chance to coexist. It is actually possible to plant a mature bush into it. After years without management the pachysandra has become too big to fail, I cut it and it will come back.

the best place is on the street it dries it out. If you run it
over with your car, even better

burning pachysandra doesn't work too well

I have found no weakness that could be exploited to kill or even control pachsandra. The roots, doubling as stolons, grow long distances underground and pop up in any area that is suitable, conversely they will grow distances over ground, over rocks, roots anything that is in their way. Putting on leaves in these areas until they reach fertile soil again where again they root. Any small bit of plant matter left in the ground is bound to sprout again, making it that much more difficult to control. Burning is not ideal.

 It is not enough to simply pull out the plant and hope that balance returns. When pulling the pachysandra I am cautious to not over compact the soil by walking on the ground that has been lightly tilled by the removal of roots. This procedure is sure to turn up seeds of other plants that have been waiting for their chance to germinate. In any case if native seeds can be obtained it is a good idea to give them a chance as well. I am lucky enough to have a lb. of northeastern wildflower seed mix from Seedland. You should follow their planting instructions, timing is of the essence. I recommend having the seeds ready before you start your project, you may have to put seed down more than once. You might even try broadcasting see before you start pulling. I wouldn't seed in the middle or end of summer, fall through early spring is optimal.





The battle rages on.

Seed Saving

This time of year the pods and the chaff are out there drying on your plants after the years first frosts. Collecting them can be a boon to your next years crop. If you ate all your runner beans then I suppose you will have to buy more for seed. It is wise to avoid this, if you eat your seed you will certainly starve to death. Saving seeds from your garden year after year can enhance the genetics of the species and by virtue of natural selection adapt the plant to your climate.

What about harder to retrieve seeds like those of tomatoes?

There are a few ways to extract seeds from a tomato. One way is to squeeze them in a jar and wait a few days for the tomato to ferment which loosens the seed from the flesh. Shake the jar as needed and add water. Pour off the water until you reach the viable seeds which will have sank to the bottom. Repeat as necessary. I find it is easier to scrape the seeds from the pulp with a knife, then you may eat the rest. Wash and strain a few times will help to remove residue that may grow mold if left.

place these seeds in the open, with dry not overly hot or cold conditions. It is not advisable to place seeds on paper towel because they will definitely stick to it. I have started seeds in paper towels before, I find that there is a chance they will either become too saturated or become moldy. A young root may not have the power to break through the paper, if you plant the paper towl with the seed there is a chance for success.

Once your seeds have dried a paper bag makes a nice breathable place for larger seeds. You might keep seeds in a envelope, and if you are sure they have dried sufficiently a glass jar or an old medicine bottle. I have found surface mold on seeds that were not dry enough. Taking them out of the container and drying them some more should save the seeds from total destruction. Historically people have used dried out gourds and earthen bowls as a place for storing seeds. Both breath well and are dark.

wet uncured seeds will rot in plastic

Don't forget to label your seeds, name and date should suffice. Even if you have great skills at determining one seed from another labeling is important. It is near impossible to tell a variety of the same species from another, let alone how old they are. Seeds that have been stored for too long may become nonviable. I only bother with the year, omitting the month and day, so that at a glance seeds that are getting older can be used accordingly. I have found at seed swaps some people like to add the location that seeds were collected and the name of the gardener. Each plant variety has particular preferences that a small climatic shift can disrupt. Even if the plants came from the other side of the world if the climate is similar yours, you may find that the plant is well adapted. No two climate zones are truly the same.It is customary to collect seeds from the years finest fruit in an attempt to extend their genetic line.

some old seed packet designs 80's and 90's

If the plant can propagate its self then what is all this seed saving for? Farmers and gardeners like to have some control over when their plants will germinate mature and finally crop. If you have the space (perhaps a greenhouse) and time for growing seedlings out then by all means. Plants have survived on their own for all of time and can, on most occasions, get the timing right, but only if they are adapted to their surroundings. Collecting the seed comes in handy then when you want to sow for new plots or give a little protection from winter freeze and thaw. Seeds can survive a long time in the right conditions. In fact the oldest seeds ever germinated were some 2,000 years old, found in an Egyptian tomb.

garlic cloves or "seed garlic" is actually vegetative reproduction 

When I find a seed I save it.

All Plants are Carnivores,

in the end they eat you.

A fantastic introduction to Permaculture.


Bill Molloson is a prophet. He offers to you the answers for all of life's problems, all of them.

Permaculture is based on holistic design thinking, sustainable solutions which connect us to place in our community, to fill a niche, giving you the power and responsibility to observe and interact in accordance with ethics.

Sustainable - Any system which over its lifetime produces enough to have created and maintained itself.

" Nothing on earth is so destructive. If we don't stop agriculture then we are all dead."

70% of soil has been displaced by agriculture

40% of waters have been contaminated by agriculture

a species is lost every six minutes

"River in the whole forest is as the sap is in the whole tree."

Agriculture is not a system for growing food but a system for creating money.

Bill reminds us that we are all made of meat.

Pennsylvania Pineapple

Will I be able to grow this crop outside through the winter?  I'll take my chances. This is only an experiment, the pineapple tops were just sitting in water all summer and still looked healthy. The king of fruits, they say, I can attest to that. With little effort I'll give it a shot.

first step is to pot the plants. As you can see the plats are nestled in a corner next to the chimney, on this southwest facing wall. The soil was well saturated, and I drilled some inconspicuous holes in the pots for better drainage. A small amount of compost soil was placed just underneath some vermiculite.

then I put the little buggers in glass jars, hopefully this small greenhouse effect will be some source of warmth. Then I tucked them in under a nice blanket of dry leaves. Fingers crossed.

If it is possible to keep the plants from freezing I may have done my part. I know that they are tropical plants and probably can't tolerate temperatures below 40 degrees. Like I said, an experiment with little investment.

I will be sure to update in spring.

Globabl Initiative - Save the Soil

Storm Surge

I think it lucky that blogger auto saves every so often, as I type the wind rips through the trees. I do have a serious concern about the amount of trees that will be toppled this evening. Whether they fall on the power lines, or not is a concern for most of modern life. If it were up to me we would have temporary power outages every day, in the moments where the fridge and florescent lighting aren't buzzing I find a bit of peace. This mind altering disturbance is a constant sense dulling wall of sand bags. How good are your rechargeable batteries when there is no power coming through the lines? Without the television and radio, how will you occupy your mind?  I know the people at the Weather Channel got excited when they saw a blip on the radar that turned into a swirling mass of torrential rain and wind.  Did they excite you too? Prepare, they said, a storm is coming. Indeed, a storm is coming.

Can it be proven that this storm is a result of global warming? I think not, and certainly not to a skeptic. If historical evidence shows that Hurricane Sandy is an anomaly, unseasonable and far more powerful than previously recorded, its connection to climate change is still murky. Can we agree that the oceans are warming? This data is compelling, yet one may still wish to believe that it's not human driven. Sandy is just the manifestation of an angry planet. A weather pattern that is no pattern at all? We settle on the shore knowing full well that the mighty sea might one day come and swallow us up. Is weather not inevitable? Prepare for the storm they tell us; we should have long ago.

The Old Ways

I have become addicted to this series. The Victorians were quite clever when it came to providing a year round food supply, all from one very productive garden.

 Purposefully this program shows practices that might be somewhat out of date. Double digging for example has fallen out of favor. When soil is turned over there are many adverse effects that damage it's fertility in the long run. Amending the soil with compost, manure and other fertilizer does help restore and mitigate this action, but ultimately is unsustainable.

Imagine all the work that went into cultivating a crop for a specific genetic trait, and that for hundreds of years the produce that we eat today looked and tasted very different. Using old varieties of plants in your garden is a great way to add diversity from the garden right to your dinner plate. Although they are harder to come by some catalogs specialize in this fare. Heritage and heirloom seed exchages are gaining traction, Seed Savers Exchange has a phone book sized directory. There is such great variety out there, the only way to eat it is to grow it yourself.

Make Your Own Dirt

Everyone wants to know how to compost, and I have heard a million different approaches to it. Which is correct? The correct way for you is the important thing and depends on many factors. Your style, your location, and the materials going into the compost make a difference. With limitless ways of approaching it I could talk about composting for hours, instead I would simply like to tell you my philosophy.

Do it however you like. 

That being said, I do very little with my compost except add to it, and I add everything and anything that is organic material. I will go as far as adding a little paper, but it is all about balance.

other possible additions to my compost, but not limited to

• coffee grounds
• egg shells
• tea bags
• bread
• hair
• grass clippings
• kitchen scraps

Compost pail:
top it off, drop it off

It is my intention to do as little work as possible. Why should I? This is a job for the microbes and worms. If you want to add some instant microbes to get the digestion started off right you should add manure. If you don't have animals (don't add your pet cat or dog's), add a little of your own. Why manure? Our bodies are filled with microbes, many of which live in your digestive tract. This area freaks people out. Sure there are some dangers to adding poo to your compost, so pee on it instead.

Bacterial infection can be avoided by not adding compost to your garden before it is digested. If you can, wait six warm months before using compost with fresh manure in it.

Bacteria are key in the process, and it is our aim to give them a happy home. I do this with a balanced diet and space for air. Try adding differing sizes of material. Sticks, for example, can act as a lattice creating air pockets within the pile.

Composting is about good digestion, even microbes like to have a variety. Balancing the pile is largely about layering the material, but not like lasagna, do it with more randomness so the materials are mixed freely. Do this and composting will be as easy as taking out the trash.

Add everything and anything organic. Some people compost meat and cheese thought it may encourage pests. If you over load on leaves the pile may become slow acting, add more nitrogen rich green live plant material. If you only put grass clippings in a pile it will become a sloppy blob. It is important that dry woody material (over 70%) is the carbonaceous core of your compost operation.

A factor that will help to digest the pile quicker is having the correct amount of moisture. This you may just have to get a feel for. Microbes like it moist, that spot right between dry and wet. If you can wait the rain will come and fix the problem for you. If the pile becomes too wet throw a tarp over it to keep the rain out.

If your compost smells it may be an indication that you don't have good balance; compost piles do not have to be odoriferous. If you left kitchen scraps exposed simply cover them up with a dry material. Dry leaves are ideal for this purpose, so is straw or wood chips.

 

A compost pile can sterilize itself by reaching a high core temperature which kills weed seeds as well as soil born disease. You need to have a large pile 4ft. cubed, for hot quick composting action to occur. It can be true that turning your pile will break it down faster. Employ worms to do this work for you. Composting will take time, have patience.

Digging up the goods is a just reward. By this time you have built an impressive mound and rich dark soil is just underneath. This is the appropriate time to turn the pile over, go get that fertility. A pitch fork will come in handy. It is possible to design a sloped system, a system with a grate underneath, or a three bin system that could make this process easier. You might like a contained pile if you have a small backyard. You could simply compost in the spot you wish to fertilize, but perhaps this is called mulching.

When you end up with crumbly black loam on the other end of this endeavor you will know you have reached that magical balance. Seriously though, don't work too hard.

You're Gunna Die in the Dirt

Live and breathe, and eat and shit, and work and sleep, and die in the dirt. Written in the loose language of law but with no parchment or pen, lines of pros, equations and artistry, a speck of dust on the wind. Atoms in electromagnetic orbit around each other; once observed, found to be, themselves, as well as others, at the same moment in one place and another. A blurry line between an existence and a shared hallucination. We are all so intricate and simple at the same time. We are the sum of our parts made from the earth; all one and the same.

What are we striving to achieve? Does what we do matter to eternity, modernity, introspective contemplation, temporal and spiritual equilibrium, menstrual cycles, toddler daycare, or the earthworms beneath our feet, waiting, just waiting for all this meaning to finally end so that they can begin. Oh, and how they have already begun. This cycle is everything. Try as you might, they will lay you down in a six foot hole or turn you to ash. Try as you might to stop your decay, ultimately the earthworms will get to you. We build it up, and time strips it away. Dust to dust.

Some say we are descendants of apes, I implore that we are also descendants of dirt. This dirt? How could we be even remotely related to this crud in my shoe, the film on my car window, the stain in my britches? This is no way to think of dirt. Dirt is alive. Living dirt is all around us, some of it suffers but that's generally our doing. Suffering is almost always our (humans) doing. Still, this is no way to think of humans, we are not separate from dirt or its suffering. You believe you are clean from the waters of our mechanical sewage system? Dirt is there in your treated and chemically sterilized H2O. Sure chemicals kill the dirt, but it is still there. You eat dirt everyday, I don't care who you are. Yeah, dirt is everywhere. If you believe in evolution, and I hope you do, then you know all life on earth started out as a tiny speck in the primordial soup. You are the great great, to the power of 100 grandchild of an amoeba, who died to become part of fertile soil on the shore, which in turn, created the conditions for the first land based plant life on this planet. The first dirt.

So what is dirt exactly? Dirt is generally categorized as displaced soil; dirt has a grittier sounding edge to it. In one handful of soil there can be as many as a million microbes. Both animal, and plant, or flora/fauna, bacteria, fungus, and virus, can thrive in that one handful. other organic material ranging from pieces of larger decaying plants or animal, to feces, to rocks and minerals which make up the largest percentage of soil. Of course there are gasses in there too filling the spaces. That's right, to a microbe a pocket of air invisible to the naked eye is the grand canyon, and that continues on forever in this infinitesimal landscape. This new category of soil particulates; plastics and industrial waste, is one I regret to report. Which reminds me, bio(natural) chemicals are in the soil as well.

Importantly dirt is also a carbon sink, holding those very building blocks you are made of, keeping them out of the atmosphere and in stable form. In a handful of dirt you could be holding sand, silt and clay, humus, parts of the Earth's core and billions of years of stored sunlight. You might even grab hold of larger organisms like a lace wing larvae, wood-louse, perhaps a centipede. Roots from trees, rain from the sky, pollen and seeds blown in on air currents from across the sea. Dirt is everything that was and is everything to come. You owe your life to dirt, so give it some god damn respect.

You, me, every single little thing, and dirt, inseparable, from birth to death. What is clean anyway?