Kel prodded me for a progress report on the pumpkins, so I thought I'd post the dismal summary here. Things started well enough. I planted around mid-May and had seven foot vines by the end of June. then a fungus set in and wiped out one of the plants in mere days. The other vine was doing alright until a critter made off with the only pumpkin on it, a yellow orb of about three pounds. I found it under a bush with a few gnaw marks in the side, evidently deemed insufficiently tasty. I suppose it was the comeuppance I deserved after the hubris of pointing my bat to the bleachers, so to speak.

Other garden crops have thrived, especially carrots, tomatoes (sungold & green zebra), eggplant and broccoli. Made a ratatouille on Sunday with basil, peppers, tomatoes, eggplant and herbs from the garden. Only garlic and onions were store bought.

Head on over to Flickr for photo documentation of our family travels in Michigan. We spent a week with extended family at my folks house before heading to Beaver Island for our first-ever nuclear vacation -- just Ruby, Shep, Jean Marie and me. A couple shots:

planted

The garden's in: tomatoes, peppers, carrots, pumpkins, squash, beets, broccoli, spinach, chard and assorted herbs, plus heirloom gourds. I'm heavily invested in the pumpkins, a variety called Big Moon that can grow to 200 lbs. My goal is for Ruby & Shep to have one 30 pounder apiece to carve/make pies on their birthday, as well as one insanely large heap of pumpkin that passersby will want to photograph with their kids in the foreground. Probably entirely unrealistic but what the hey. These are heavy feeders however and will need more than rain and sun to reach anything near prize-winning size. Fish emulsion anyone? Below, one week's harvest from last year's garden.

Upcoming in Beacon: Electric Windows

neighborhood views

Spring is on.

Climate Alliance Story

And here's the Climate Alliance story, in case you're interested.

Al Gore's Climate Project: $300 Million in Ads

How many non-profits have spent so much? The quality of the work reflects the sum, as you can see below.



The Web site is WeCanSolveIt.org. WaPo coverage here. I'm pursuing a story now on the digital component, so stay tuned.

porch-side with grandmas

Administrator Robson Reports for Duty

Beacon finally has its new administrator. Meredith Robson doesn't live in town and has no history here, which feels sort of ominous to me though maybe it shouldn't. Her predecessor Joe Braun was a divisive personality who got things done but made enemies and alienated citizens along the way. People seem to feel Braun was the real mayor of Beacon during much of the Clara-Lou Gould era.

Braun's ouster and Robson's hire were direct results of Steve Gold's decisive mayoral victory. During his campaign Gold was pretty clear that Braun's removal would be the first order of business for his administration. Braun saved him the trouble and quit.

Once more unto the WFMU pledge drive

What's that you say, you've never listened to WFMU? Fie on you and your Jack FM station! Even your local NPR affiliate, all due respect, I still say fie on it.

Let me sum it up: WFMU is freeform radio, the tagline goes, the way it oughta be. It's that rare combination in radio: a broadcaster that's grown its audience (It's now streamed globally) without shedding its local identity, it's completely DJ centric values or its heart-felt scrappiness. If you wish for the continuance of original (and good) musical expression, you should be listening to WFMU. And if you like what you hear, you should give them some money, since the pledge drive is happening right now. I give $75 a year and it really is the gift that keeps on giving.

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spilled on the road: 40,000 heads, feet and other chicken parts

Animal byproducts on the highway in Texarkana:

Bi-state police have shut down a section of eastbound Interstate 30 in Texarkana, AR, due to a spill of chicken parts.
They say a truck carrying a load of about 40,000 heads, feet and other body parts from dead chickens overturned near the seven mile marker some time before 3:30 a. m. Tuesday. The contents spilled all over the east side of the highway.

(KSLA-TV)

how learning happens

We're moving into this period with Ruby & Shep, I can feel it, where learning gets to be an active process for all of us. No longer a byproduct of merely existing, which is what the baby through toddler years are mostly about (Goodnight Moon and swimming lessons notwithstanding), but a conscious approach that requires some tactical awareness on the part of grown-ups. An approach that can be fucked up. Scary.

So I was interested to discover (via Ze Frank) research published in Scientific American suggesting parents should focus on praising their child's hard work rather than her inate abilities. No shocker there. Kids succeed most who focus on challenges, not obstacles, and who don't fear failure or looking stupid. (The Secret to Raising Smart Kids)

I like to think we teach R & S to value self-sufficiency and process rather than talent and outcome. But there's always the question of whether you're doing enough.

Like all three-year-olds, these two are frequently overcome by seemingly insurmountable difficulties. Like all three year olds, they don't like being pushed into a task. And like all three year olds, they're completely elated when they really nail something new. It's wonderful to be along for that ride, but more, it's a huge responsibility. Suddenly I feel the need to learn as much as I can about learning. So I'm starting to read the research and watch the videos. Speaking of which, here's a phenomenal one, also via Ze Frank:



The speaker is Ken Robinson, creativity expert, who among other great anecdotes tells the story of a little girl in a drawing lesson.

Teacher: what are you drawing?

Girl: I'm drawing a picture of God.

Teacher: But nobody knows what God looks like.

Girl: They will in a minute.