Beware the Ides of April
Why can't it just be real spring already?
It snowed last week. Twice. But today is the start of what’s maybe a spring warmup. We *might* have seen the last of the snow. But you never turn your back on the weather here.
Legitimate Email Subject Lines I’ve Received in the Last Month
“Stay at home. But make it fashion!”
“It’s jacket season.”
“2nd Last Day for Easter Ham Shipping”
“It’s hard to feel pretty during a pandemic” (from a shapewear company)
“Make yourself a better blogger while in lockdown”
“5 things you should never do with hydrogen peroxide”
We Got Worms!
That is to say, we’ve started worm composting with a thing in the basement. It’s my first time doing it, but not my first time wanting to try! I asked for one for Christmas and we waited until I could hobble downstairs and handle the worm supervision myself.
See them worms?
The first few days were nerve wracking because I simply had only vague ideas of what I needed to do (and not do). When you first get worms you have to:
See if the sack o’ worms and dirt you just got is A. mostly alive, B. partly alive, or C. all dead. Contact the worm supplier if B or C. You have 48 hours to determine this.
Feed them..but like the RIGHT things and not too much, and not too little and OMG you also have to make sure they have enough moisture by squeezing something and this just got REAL up in this worm bin.
Keep a light on 24/7 so they don’t “try to escape” the bin — at least for a few days. Apparently, ah, even if your new little worm house is full of all the things worms are into (cable TV, recliners, snax) you still have to keep them in that joint. You point a lamp or light at them 24 hours a day so they get the idea that they need to stay in their dark new home and burrow and find some yum yum bacteria to eat and poop out.
In about 90 days I should have 3 tray levels of worms (think of the bin as a worm 3-flat) and the bottom one should be full of what gardeners geekily call “Black Gold” in the form of worm casings (i.e., poop) which you can either put directly into your garden soil or brew (UNGH) into a “worm tea” with a 5 gallon bucket and a scoop or sack of said casings left to steep over several days. Then you can pour this tea on just about any plant or tree or bush you have around, for like supercharged plant health that’s 100% organic.
Full worm bin setup here with 2 out of 3 trays in place. On May 1, I’ll start adding food to the top tray here, and the worms will start to move between the 2 better. That spigot is to drain any “extra” moisture that may collect in the bottom section (ew). You make the “worm tea” from the casings (worm poop) steeped in water, not from this extra goo.
Some things…
The way to buy indie books from an indie bookseller. Try Bookshop.org
Listen to classic Jazz Fest recordings on WWOZ starting April 23 during their Jazz Fest In Place broadcasts. Plus, cajun recipes via their social media!
I’m going to be doing some Zoom art-in-place for my 2019 artist residency sponsor, Open Air Montana. More details in a week or so.
I’ve been excited to see all the local ranchers and farmers get involved in local sales through organizations here in Billings. The Yellowstone Valley Food Hub existed before, but now they’re absolutely killing it with social and web orders and local pickup (contactless, of course).
I hope you’re all eating and doing well. Go have some water.