What a difference two months makes

First photo: May 9
Second photo: July 9
and the flowers under the 'veterinarian' sign were free from Risse's greenhouse (link coming soon. . .). I put those in today.

FYI

Hello teachers:
Don't forget the Alaska Agriculture in the Classroom Educator Institute is
coming to Fairbanks July 30-Aug. 1. We will have the three-day workshop at
the UAF Experiment Station on campus. It's a dynamic event with lots of
activities, speakers and field trips. You can take it for 1-2 UAA credits or
without. The course without credits is $90 ($75 for preservice or informal
educators) and includes AK Grown lunches, snacks, tours and lots of take
home materials. Credits are $69 for one or $89 for two.

For information and to pre-register, visit www.agclassroom.org/ak.

Early registration (for bonus materials) ends July 7.

Pass this along to colleagues. Hope to see you there.

victoria

--
Victoria Naegele
Alaska Agriculture in the Classroom
907-746-2172
cell 982-2219
fax 746-2173
www.agclassroom.org/ak

Look closely: Pictures of Redemption

We all should pray for the tenacity that nature shows us every day.

Where are my guys?

I supervise a work group of teenagers. We "lost" these two while litter picking in the parking lot. These photos are posted with their permission as it appears ANYTHING that associates them with this car is exciting :)
Directly after this one of them picked up an empty plastic sushi containter and asked "What's a california roll? Dude, it sounds like something you aren't supposed to do with your sister."

And this is the entertaining/endearing stuff!

From Far North to "Far North"

While some of my silence on this blog has been busy-ness, a greater chunk has been a level of ideological discord with my summer employment . . .the schism of the reality in the daily work I've commited to until I leave for New Zealand and the things that bring meaning and vibrancy to my life is huge. This summer I am working for the Fairbanks North Star Borough Parks and Recreation Department at Pioneer Park. I am a "summer youth supervisor" for a work crew of teenagers ages 15-17. They are fascinating animals at this age, and not really where my 'spiritual' problem lies with my work.

The title of this post refers to the fact that I am going to a part of New Zealand known as "The Far North". The newspapers and businesses capitalize on this terminology to the same degree that we do here in the Interior. The temperature there doesn't get much below 50F and the pendulum of daylight is much more even (BTW, I leave late night August 20)but there are some similarities. I'm still doing lots of exploration on the area, and the "Maori:Crown" interaction is strikingly similar to Native Alaskan:Gov't issues. Coastline subsistance issues, treaty breaches, linguistic and educational heritage, environmental issues with native plant species, pollutants and land use . . . those interested can begin with this active elder.

There is, of course, so much more to write. I may get to it all later today.
From a practical standpoint I need to upload these photos that bear/bare witness to the frantically short nature of our growing season in Alaska. A talented gardener who goes by the moniker of "Z" told me about growing one lone tomato plant upside down in the white planter and growing something else on top. I chose cilantro. In the pots on my tiny porch are lettuces, catnip and parsley. When I come home for lunch I spend a few moments before I key the door to break off my lettuce leaves and other savories. The lettuces grow so fast they renew daily. The broccoli, as you can see is just out of control. I planted them too closely so they may begin to riot and strangle each other. Some nights I think I can hear choice language from them through my open window (wait. . .no, that's residual from the teenagers I work with :)

I've included a photo taken on May 9th so you can see the change.

From Peep to Pan

Please forgive me if some of you find this difficult, but we raised six birds from tiny chicks to freezer fillers. I butchered them myself--quickly and surely--and our second roaster is coming out of the oven tonight. These fat birds never had names but were still hand fed worms and bugs, given sunshine and playtime.