Ants invaded my bedroom last night. And they are back for more. Thought they were hunting for an errant piece of caramel brittle plastered on my pillow a few days back. Crushed, pressed, blew down these six legged annoyances. Yet, today they returned. In a tiny highway of ants that is traversing the walls of my bedroom and the headboard section of my bed, these ants travel unconcerned with my presence. Realized these unwanted guests were scavenging for water found by vase full of bamboo stalks and water beads. They also found home in my seedling tomatoes that I keep on the window sill.
They would suddenly appear on the laptop walking unafraid on side of the screen. More of annoyance than threat, I found left unanswered these unrelenting insects would put up stake and call my bed home. Moreover, that creepy crawly feeling I would get at night would not abate if I did nothing to stop this invasion..
So went to task of repotting the tomato seedlings. Also made new homes for the parsley and we're still waiting on the cucumbers. Not having the highest expectations on seeing the seeds come to fruition based on the dead bonsai I failed to keep alive. Love and attention. Not so much my thing for the Plantae Kingdom. Whats the opposite of resurrection? Plant Killer #1, I be.
Still I persevere. In time, I hope to master this skill of gardening. Yet from the looks of it, there are so many, many, many miles for me to go and I have just taken my first baby steps. More crawling than anything. I suck. Yet, I will get better. I am excited and reserved. Made a go at last year and it was good for a start, than downhill came fast. Watered and watered, Put it out in the sun and breathed on them. Needing my CO2. Still they met the Reaper.
A thankless act, but one I chose to endeavor. Not sure how others may a go at it. Seems so easy, but at this moment, it has been less than stellar. So what does this mean in terms of this Blog? All I can say is that Hope is what moves me. Despite all evidence of my past performance in the plant cultivating arena. I still feel this sense of wonderment of watching seeds sprouts to seedlings and in turn resemble something to be found in the produce section of the local market. I'd like to eat to a vegetable that I have grown. Knowing that I had a part in its development and in turn my development.
Hope is the stuff of in between. It is the wish and then its the work of luck, planning, and choices. Maybe I can defeat these denizen ants and Garden. Think its much like shepherding. Minus the collie and walking stick. Growing up in the AV, Farming plays a large part in economics of the area. Just across the street from Northrop Gruman and the NASA, there are fields of farms that are developed. Alfalfa and onions are grown here.
Once at night, driving home from Lancaster, I saw these stadium lights being hoisted up in the middle of the night. Drove past to see if it was some government agency UFO recovery team, all it was migrant workers picking scallions in the middle of warm summer night. Afternoon temperatures hit triple digit before noon. So I understand why picking vegetables at night would be more conducive to farm productivity. Not Cesar Chavez moment, but I found it eye opening to see migrant workers picking vegetables. Large sombrero type hat and handkerchief covering they nose and mouth would be dotting the army of workers. Ironic, they are doing the same things the ants were doing. Finding stuff needing to survive.
In this age of Ipads, Minecraft, Beats headphones, it is refreshing feeling to see Farmers farm, It brings the realness to living part in the AV. Its not Central California, Midwestern farms, the vegetables we eat are just a few miles away.
I've seen flocks of sheep going on feeding frenzy on Avenue M and 60th street East. Across the street was the airport and Skunk Works. Not something one usually imagine seeing in the High desert of California. where there is a forest of Joshua Trees.
I doubt I will be any competition to Calandri Farming but its nice to know that I got the basics down. Ants I think its time to go elsewhere, Grow Plants Grow!!!
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