Monday, June 16, 2008

Whole Planet Picnic-2008


Time marches on, regardless of floods, famines, fires, and fools.  (and yeah, it's seriously scary how many other links are available to put there...)

We've reached the middle of 2008 already.  The growing season seems to be barely begun, but Friday June 20 is the Summer Solstice- half the year's sunlight will be gone by.

Time for The Whole Planet Picnic.  We're having our usual one, which means a big bonfire.  It's a cold year; the heat will be welcome.  And we're not wasting anything- the wood is in the way, and actually we're adding some excess pines to it this year specifically to generate some available potash- fertilizer.  Can't afford to buy it- but we can harvest our own.  The bonfire ash will be carefully swept up when it's cool, and put on our crops, which need it badly.

The whole exposition on what and why can be found here, in the posts for last year's huge event.   

It's a community building event, we hope.  And community may be where most of the hope lies.  

Please consider hosting a Picnic of your own, for your own neighborhood.  Spice is busy making phone calls to roust folks out of their ruts.  Wish you all could join us!

Time to relax- a little, anyway, and just watch the fireflies and kids; listen to the frogs and the nighthawks.  Anyway.

8 comments:

  1. Can you say a bit more about the pines --> potash thing Greenpa? I do add some wood ash to my compost, but it is aspen wood ash, not pine. And would spruce wood be the same?

    Happy Planet Picnic! - you surely do deserve a day off. I'll be having a little fire here myself, hopefully with a few folks around the fire with me to share in the warmth and the company, and to say thanks to the earth for sustaining us another year.

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  2. Hi Teresa- glad you'll be picnicking! We'll think of you way up there.

    My understanding, from an old forester who's usually right about this stuff, is that conifers, which would include spruces of course, are way higher in potassium than most broadleaf trees. All wood ash is a pretty good source, but when he and I were talking about it once, he mentioned that. Haven't checked further than that.

    Happy Planet Picnic! :-)

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  3. I'll be busy pissing on your picnic, er, I mean my plants that weekend...

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  4. Crunchy! SO rude!! :-)

    And besides, you're missing an opportunity here- think of all the beverages that could be consumed in the moonlight on the 20th, that could contribute to your cause, on the 21st.

    Seems like a natural to me.

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  5. Moonlight? How about overcast, 50 degrees and raining. I don't think there will be much pink-knickering going on around here.

    The only natural thing happening next weekend will be the Fremont Fair (nude bicyclists!) and the Golden Showers Garden Party. Come rain or shine!

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  6. Thanks Greenpa, that is good to know. I don't have a lot of conifers around here, so I'm glad I don't have to burn them to get some potassium into my compost.

    My firepit is only about 20 ft from my garden, so I'm going to be able to combine the Picnic with the Shower no problem!

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  7. I couldn't resist taking at stab at a Whole Planet Picnic song to the Teddy Bear music. Just rough but feel free to edit.

    "The Planet Picnic"

    If you wander through Greenpa’s woods today, you’re sure of a big surprise
    If you wander out in the woods today, you better go in disguise
    For every Greenee that ever there was
    Will gather there together because
    Today’s the day the Whole Planet has their picnic.

    If you partake of the fun today, and make the way through the bog
    Folks trickle in, old and young, Smidgens, teenagers, dog
    And run and skip and play and dance
    With guitars, flutes, harmonicas per chance
    Today’s the day the Whole Planet has their picnic.

    And when the da-ark is creeping in, you better go grab your stick
    For the biggest bonfire you’ve ever seen, will flame up in the nick
    Weenies, marshmallows and S’Mores,
    Jokes, guffaws, and ghostly stories
    Today’s the day the Whole Planet has their picnic.

    Don’t bring those things that pollute the world, no paper plates, plastic spoons
    We’ll have more fun without that stuff while celebrating 20th June
    And all the time we’ll breathe clean air
    And twirl around with nary a care
    Today’s the day the Whole Planet has their picnic.

    If you meet Greenpa just pinch your nose or he will water your eyes
    For he gave up baths for this Earth-Lent and now he’s attracting flies
    For every Greenpa that ever there was
    Will find a way to effuse because
    Today’s the day the Whole Planet has their picnic.

    As the evening deepens down, you’ll see all the fireflies
    The frogs will hop, the children hunt, you’ll see the Frisbees glide
    And homemade music will fill the air
    And create traditions for the next year
    Today’s the day the Whole Planet has their picnic.

    As the big party starts to end, you’ll wonder how you survived
    Without this reminder now and then that happiness is alive
    It’s a lovely clear and summery day
    And surely most of them are that way
    Everyday the Whole Planet has a Picnic!

    At midnight all will pull out their sleeping bags and go to bed
    Because they’re tired little Greenee folks.

    Deb

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  8. "The only natural thing happening next weekend will be the Fremont Fair (nude bicyclists!) and the Golden Showers Garden Party. Come rain or shine!"
    That's this weekend??? I better be getting my bike ready!!!

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