Stirring the Gray Matter

This will be another post of random thoughts from my dashboard, or I guess the handlebars of my mind at this time.

-Last evening I was the "Voice of Ag" so to speak at our local high school Ag department booster dinner. Actually I read the raffle prizes and names after receiving a nice tri-tip dinner. That after having an absolutely wonderful time talking with former students that are now in their late 30's and 40's. As you should guess most work in agriculture in some way. We talked about present students and the general misunderstanding of where food comes from, as well as where we as a culture are going. These are men that were in many ways like the present generation in their youth, but life had continued teaching them when I stopped. This was also a reminder of my youth and where I once was, and the lesson of not judging others too harshly as the knife may cut too close if we are not careful.

-The evening was also a reminder of the strengths of living in a small town where you don't speak of someone as they might be related in some way. They certainly are related in that they occupy the same spot on the earth and breathe the same air.

-I ate with an extended family that has deep friendships with my family that goes back generations. It is always fun to sit at a table and hear the stories that make up the myths of another family. I wonder what stories will be told that will define my family.

-One of the performers was someone that I went to school with, but hadn't seen for a long time. He sang songs of Willie Nelson and Jimmy Buffet among others. I was reminded of the powerful stories those two writers tell of the human condition.

-The garden across the street is in fruit so to speak. I am so thankful of Joyce for the land and Maureen for the time she spends diggin' in the dirt there, and the food for our plates.

-I should mention the picture at the top of this post is the repotting process Maureen is going through for the plants she started from seed that have been growing in our cellar. Thank you.

-The baseball team stumbled last Friday much as young teams do. Actually it felt like a boulder in the road. The guys are trying and working and it's hard to find fault in that.

-At least my coaching isn't mentioned on ESPN as Brad Mills' was last night. As much as I feel like I'm living in a fishbowl in this small town, at lest it is confined to a few obscure counties and not broadcast across the country.

-I watched a video of Novella Carpenter and Michael Pollan that iterated what I've come to believe, farming is not a way to make money. It was a small part of a larger piece on urban farming, how we eat, their experiences and food in general. It was taped at a church in Berkley, and had the liberal, urban suave bearing that only the Bay Area seems to pull off. All that shouldn't steer you away from their message and the video, it still is something we can learn from.

-As always my thoughts are better said by Tom Paxton: