May/June 2011

Hi,  It's a bit (no, quite a bit) embarrassing to write now--when the last posting was in December 2010.  The only consolation is that very few people are reading the blog! ;-)

The worms went through a tough winter as I was traveled a lot.  But, they're back in strength and the several stories of compost and worms are producing a bumper crop of both soil/poop and baby worms.  Amazing pets....they can stand neglect and still eagerly do their job eating the garbage I give them.  I highly recommend worm composting.


And with the spring, finally time has come to plant flowers outside in my back yard.   So, I jumped in with a passion and with a fair amount of worm compost.  The first flowers were planted about 2 weeks ago and if their color, brilliance and growth are any indication, they love what the worms produce.   Today, I planted a number of new flowers.  There is something about getting hands into the soil that I love.  Not sure where this comes from because even in the small town of my birth/upbringing, I seldom did any gardening.  It was in Pennsylvania when my thumb became somewhat green.   But, now I love it and look forward to the day when I can plant edible things again in Pennsylvania.  Here are some photos from my planting today.  Begonias, impatiens, and many more.

Halloween

I need to state at the outset that Halloween is my favorite day/night of the year.  It's more than a family foodfest, it's not about having to be (sometimes artificially) nice to people and relatives coming together once a year to celebrate.  It's a time when people assume the identity of someone/something else and live out their new identities. 

There is no event during the year that produces so many smiles among people of different cultures and faiths, so many imaginations, as we see kids dressed up as ballet dancers, pirates, sports figures, political spoofs, etc.

Last year I bought a costume the day after Halloween--in part to save money for the coming year and in part avoiding the difficult decision of what costume to wear when I usually procrastinate until the last minute before Halloween.  Here is what I came up with (notice the fake left hand that frees my left hand to manipulate the snake.

We also hired a professional pumpkin carver to give us some lessons on how to carve a pumpkin. Here is some of our work, under his sage tutelage and with the tools that he brought to our event.

David Infantino from Nonna's Restaurant on 85th & Columbus brought his tools and design ideas for pumpkin carving.  Look at the owl to the right--what a master piece!   The pumpkins carved by our group were then put on display at Nonna's Restaurant.



But....moving on to Thanksgiving....

Winter to Winter

Oops, so much time elapsed that I forgot that I already uploaded these photos and stories from Skiing in Bariloche.   Now I get to edit them! ;-(

Ed

Several months and holidays have passed since I updated my global explorations.    In the meantime, I have gone from skiing in winter in Argentina in September to considering skiing here in NYC as the temperature has now dropped below freezing.   Along the way, Halloween--my favorite of events during the year--has passed with me being a snake charmer (with a movable snake as you can see in the photo below) and I had the chance to spend Thanksgiving in warm Amman, Jordan.   And I'm sure you're all waiting for an update on my worms....

But, I'm getting ahead of myself.  I was able to spend four days skiing, which is by far my favorite sport, in Bariloche, Argentina with Alisa.  What an exhilarating trip to be able to hit the slopes and join an asado at which Alisa was the chief asadora.   Fortunately for both of us, Alisa's job ended the day I arrived, giving us lots of time for lots of hours of strenuous skiing.  Well, actually, it was more so for me, being much less in shape, and I couldn't keep up with her on the runs.... Beautiful days, with some new snow at the top each morning and some fairly bare runs at the bottom because we were pushing our luck with Bariloche spring skiing.

We also enjoyed some hiking in a town that has some of the most stunningly beautiful vistas in the world.  And we explored natural and locally-grown food stores in town where Alisa expertly picked out and knew the names of grains and herbs--ones that I would have had to look up online.  I was treated to wonderful meals, including an asado prepared by Alisa.   The role of an asador is traditionally one filled by men in this country, but that night we had an asadora!

It was fantastic, with not a scrap of the Argentinian beef left on the plates afterwards.  Rare, tender, scrumptious.

Well, enough about global exploring....back home in NYC, the worm compost is the top of my agenda.  The worms have done an amazing job--eating and composting every day that I've been traveling to South America, Washington, DC and to Jordan.  They just keep chomping away at the garbage and never stop making nutritious soil for my backyard plants.   Unfortunately, in the 2 months since I posted last, the temperature has dropped significantly and my plants are now dormant until March or so in 2011 (I'm looking for some ornamental cabbages to plant this weekend.  They can handle ice and snow!).  So, I'll just deposit the composted mass in and around the plants and hope that it helps next spring in the northern hemisphere.

As successful as the worms have been, I have now encountered a problem that many others of us worm composters face:  flying critters who love to lay eggs in fertile and garbage-infused soil.   In the past 3 months, the number of fungus gnats and fruit flies has counted in the hundreds (others might claim it's actually thousands, but I'm trying to assume a modicum of sanity amidst the flying critters.  First, let's look at what we're dealing with.  Those seeking advice on how to deal with them might check out the State of Massachusetts' resources: http://www.mass.gov/dep/recycle/reduce/flies.htm

Seen from a distance, fruit flies look black and are stupidly stationary, making easy targets for a newspaper or unwanted magazine from my junk mailbox pile.   But, examined up close, they are a different critter.

They are ugly, making it a joy to swat them.  I've been told that they can lay 400 eggs at a time, so this is not a laughing matter.  They are not something to be cohabiting with, even if they don't bite or carry horrendous diseases.  My fear is that they are laying eggs in the worm compost and producing like crazy--even though the worm compost box is supposed to be sealed and not allow this to happen.  Need to do some serious investigation into the box....

The larger numbers (but much smaller) of flying bugs, are the fungus gnats.  What a horrible name.  They're flying around, attracted by light and any sweet or fruity aroma.   One web site notes: "So there’s good news, and there’s bad news: The good news is adult fungus gnats only live about one week. The bad news is that in this short time, the female will deposit 100-150 eggs on your plant’s soil surface. These eggs are laid in strings of three to 40 and can hatch within four days of being laid."  Since I don't have indoor plants, this means that these eggs are being laid on my worm compost soil.  Since there are no plants to eat, logic tells me that they should not last long.  WRONG!  They're here in numbers.  Here is what one looks like:

But, this photo makes them look bigger than they are and, of course, they don't bit, suck blood or transmit horrendous diseases.  They're just an incredible pest--gnats flying around--often attracted to a computer laptop screen because of the light.  They don't land and cannot be swatted--despite how many times I have tried.  They can be trapped with a jar with banana peels, covered with plastic with holes in it.  They fly in, attracted by the tempting aroma of banana peels and then can't find their way out.  

I've tried the traps and they work, but don't capture all the gnats.  I've tried some people and environment-friendly insecticides with pyrethrins.  Hasn't worked.  Tried old and horribly offensive fly paper, which catches and catches them, but it doesn't get at the root cause of the flies and gnats.    So, I'm open to suggestions.

But, now it's time to think of Halloween and Thanksgiving so I can give some thought about what may happen toward the end of 2010 and beginning of 2011.

Musings on an Amtrak Train

Some musings on race in America while riding an Amtrak train....

I’m riding Amtrak from Washington in late September 2010 and am sharing a café car table with a couple that is clearly enjoying each other’s company, with affectionate comments, touches and caresses.    This is not remarkable in and of itself, as I have witnessed as a frequent rail mileage passenger on Amtrak between Washington, DC and New York City.   What is remarkable is that the couple, a young 20-something duo, is multi-racial…she an African-American and he a Euro-American.   Clearly what is so remarkable is not that they are together, but that they are so together as a loving couple, but also in commonality with the hundreds of others in the café car tonight (it’s a crowded Sunday evening crowd returning to NYC).

Looking at their obvious comfort and joy, my thoughts go back to 1967 when I was friends with and then a husband to a woman with whom I did not share a common racial ancestry.   She was Japanese-American and I, like my café tablemate, had roots in Europe.  Dating and being seen as a couple in Seattle in those days was comfortable, with its rather large Asian-American community. The sixties were a time at the University of Washington of social and political activism—even to the point that she and I volunteered for an organization that had us pose as the acceptable couple testing realtors who had just told an African-American couple that no apartments were available.   Sadly, we were usually shown an apartment immediately.

But, it was not all roses.   We both had relatives who refused to accept that two individuals who loved each other could be tolerated (much less respected) if they looked different.  We were told by these relatives on both sides that we would never darken their doorstep if we were to marry.  My aunt even went so far as to refuse to speak to my mother (her own close sister) for 10 years after we subsequently did marry because my mother had not stopped the marriage.

Needless to say, Washington State was not familial paradise for us.  So when employment for my wife at AT&T and graduate school at Columbia University emerged at the same time in the early 1970s, we immediately jumped a United Airlines flight to New York City.   In addition to career paths that were seemingly leading to the metropolis, we felt that the diversity of the city (and distance from family members) would also free us from the hassles of others looking at us as being different.  

We were to be disappointed.   It seems that couples of Asian and European ancestries were not common.  New Yorkers with ethnic roots in China seemed to stay in (or were channeled to) certain neighborhoods.   Others with Asian ancestry were generally expatriate business people (this was before the huge immigration waves from South Korea, Southeast Asia and elsewhere in Asia) from Japan who did not mingle much with other New Yorkers from Europe, Africa and Latin America.  As a result, we received stares and negative vibes when we were seen holding hands walking down Broadway—even on the Upper Westside, the incredibly liberal and diverse community that has continued to attract both of us 40 years later.  She was consistently asked if she spoke English and where are you from?

Clearly, we did not suffer the humiliation and racial persecution of those who preceded us in the 1950s and before.  My heart is heavy knowing what they went through.   In 2010, It’s hard to remember or believe that it was illegal to marry or have sexual relations with a person of another race in 16 states as late as 1967, the year I met my future wife, when the Supreme Court ruled the state laws unconstitutional.  This is not ancient history we’re dealing with.  It’s within my lifetime.  Yet, I still marvel at and rejoice in the comfort of the couple in front of me and in how absolutely “normal” the relationship seems to be to them, me and everyone else in this diverse Amtrak café car.  I’m celebrating tonight.

Ed

Bariloche and NYC in September

It's hard to describe the feeling of switching hemispheres, particularly in September, when NYC is getting ready for falling leaves and the first frost -- which will wipe out the flowers in my back yard -- and when Bariloche, Argentina is wrapping up the winter skiing season.  Imagine hiking and even within the city have vistas of snow-covered peaks in a 360 panorama in September!

It was great to spend a week in Bariloche in September and forget the impending leaf-raking.  What made it special was to be able to ski day after day with my daughter--zipping down the slopes of Cerro Catedral.  Well actually, most of the time she was zipping and I was trying to pretend I was leisurely enjoying the slopes at a slower pace.   Only on the steeper and icier runs was I able to keep up with the fanatic Alisa. 

A highlight of my north-south adventure was to join an asado in honor of the departure of one of Alisa's friends.   Normally, the role of chief barbecue chef is a gender-determined one, but this time Alisa took control as chief "Asadora" and handled the key role with expertise and confidence.  And what a demanding crowd--with some of us from el norte asking for rare (and I mean bloody rare) and other more locals asking for a bit on the well-done side.  But it was delicious and she received the appropriate standing and clapping ovation when the barbecue cooking was complete.

And then, with an 11 hour flight back north, I'm looking at 90 degree weather again and leaf-raking.

But, I realize I left you in the lurch about my worms--ones that also stayed behind while I enjoyed the slopes of Bariloche.  Well, I realized why there was earlier trouble--the bottom tray was askew and the critters were not able to crawl back up into the food-laden soil/compost.  As a result, a number created ritual seppuku on the floor in protest of my inattention to their life dilema.   But, all is fine in wormville.  The took my 8-day southern hemisphere without a peep and made major progress on the beets, egg shells and lettuce that I had left them before getting on the plane.  There seem to be even more worms than when I started this adventure, so I am breathing easier.

I am now spreading the worm compost story widely, with several new converts--including Maggie in NYC and maybe Alisa in Bariloche.

It's great to be back in NYC, with its diversity and stimulation.  What a trip.  Thanks, Matias, Juan Andres, Sol, Ashley and Alisa for the fun times!

Ed

Trouble in Wormville

Over a month has passed since my last episode of the worms. With all the traveling that I have done this summer, it was a relief that I could throw some organic waste into the worm bin and leave confident that my roommates would be safe and nourished.

Dark, rich worm compost from organic matter.  It's amazing that they can do this

Today I decided to harvest some of the soil that my worms have produced so far.  I collected 3 large bowls like the two in this photo and spread the soil over the plants in my back yard.  I could almost hear the sighs of joy from the flowers as they were showered with this dark nutritious matter.

But, in scraping the soil out of the lowest level of my worm compost bin, I have discovered that I have very few worms left (hundreds, perhaps, instead of the original one thousand).  Looking in the drainage level, I noticed about 100 dead and dried worms. I wonder if they could not climb back up into the bin after falling into the drainage level--despite the gently sloped sides that are designed to facilitate re-entry into the food and composting soil above. I noticed that some of the bottom holes of the now-empty compost level were plugged with newspaper residue from the original compost bed. Could this be the culprit and answer?  It was also quite dry in the drainage level. Is there too little moisture?

Wow, the questions are coming like lightening. Looks like some more web research is needed.   But, for now, I have carefully placed the living worms into the top food level of the compost bin, hoping that the rotting broccoli, tomatoes, and beet tops will resuscitate them.  The good news is that almost all the immediately visible worms are quite small--must be offspring from the original residents.

Stay tuned.  I think my travel may be over for awhile--until a trip to Argentina to see my daughter.

Worms are contented and I'm traveling

It's been a few weeks since I have been home enough to care for my worms.  Great kind of pets that you can just throw in some scraps and go away for several weeks!    After the ISTE Conference in Denver and NEA in New Orleans, I've headed south to the Chincoteague and Assateague Islands off Maryland and Virginia.   Assateague is the home of the wild horses of Chincoteague, which doesn't make much sense.   The beaches are great (see photo) and the horses are wild (well, more in a bit).

Turns out that the two state sides of the border are very different on Assateague and are searated by a horse-proof mile-long fence--that extends into the ocean.  On the Virginia side, the herd is kept at 150 horses and for most of the year they are wild--and hard to see, especially this time of year.  It seems that the horses know that at the end of July the Penning round-up happens and all the Virginia side horses are rounded up and forced to swim across to a point on Chincoteague Island, where they are put into corrals and the young foals are sold away from their parents and herd. After the spectacle, the remaining horses are forced back across the water to the Assateague Island side to be left alone until the following year.  Because of this traumatic episode, the horses are extremely hard to find and see.

That somewhat sad story on the Virginia side is contrasted with the Maryland side, where the horses are left alone all year to live as they would in the wild, except that all mares are shot with a dart that limits them to 1 foal per lifetime.   As a result the horses here do not fear humans at all and live amongst them--walking next to campers, seemingly not at all intimidated by humans, unless, of course, they try to touch them.  Imagine what would happen if someone actually tried to put a saddle on and ride one!   The visitors center had photos of people's backs where the horses had bitten them!!!

At one point on a six-person boat ride around Chincoteague Island, the captain noticed a huge number of terns swooping down to the water--feeding on something.  He took us there to see the "fire worms" that emerge from the bottom and are picked off the surface of the water by the terns.

I knew I would come back to worms eventually! 

Quite a July 4th Trip.