They're Alive!

My garage greenhouse, here on the shortest day of the year. @ 10:30 CDT

As you can see, about five degrees below freezing, at floor level.

Soil temp in the lowest rack, just about freezing.

A few greens even here though.

Second level, everything a bit larger, healthier.

Third level, much the same as the second, a bit more growth.

The top level, most of the growth, healthiest.

So, not edible-ready, like I hoped, three weeks ago. But some growth, and this in a month of December that has been less than freezing about 95% of the time, six sub-zero days (12 sub-zero days all year, 2012), ten days two-degrees or less, temperatures consistently tracking below average.

Impressive, I think, especially as these are sprouts. That implies, had I started a month earlier, more like the middle, to end of September, these would be mature, and probably growing somewhat, hardier. I've been leaving them in the greenhouse most nights, except two or three of the coldest nights, when I pulled the rack into the garage. Two of the coldest nights I filled two five-gallon jugs with hot water and set them inside the rack, and I water the plants with warm water, but otherwise I have not used any heating method other than solar.

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This day of course is the true new year. How Dec 31-Jan 01 came to be celebrated as the New Year is entirely arbitrary. Reflecting back on 2013, what can be said?

I've made little secret that I think last Dec 21, 2012, was indeed a shift. Early in 2013, a major media blitz declared Peak Oil dead, America destined for energy independence, the new Saudi America (lol). It was revealed this year that Fukushima has been pouring 200-300 tons of radiation-laden water into the oceans, every day since the meltdown; there has been a suit filed in Federal court, 75 US Navy personnel suing TEPCO, because they are suffering all manner of radiation poisoning short of death, all of them on the USS Ronald Reagan, near Fukushima in the aftermath of the Tsunami. What do we know in America about it? Next to nothing, as there is an effective government and MSM blackout, about Fukushima.

We very nearly averted WWIII in Syria. More and more talk now about Trade agreements, shifting the global power-arrangement further in the direction of corporate control, less Nation-States. Meanwhile NPR doesn't blink when they report 12% monthly median house-price increases, even as the dollar is weakened terminally: the greatest monthly handout in recorded history, QE; assorted global predations on the imperial State; continued, increasing resource constraints. Duck Dynasty is a heated topic. Plasticizing the oceans is not. Nor cutting down the worlds rain forests to plant GMO soy. Etc. Etc. The NSA, we know now, has the ability to read what I write as I type this. Banks are what, 35% larger than they were....

The gap between the reality of the situation, and the story we tell ourselves to assure ourselves that "progress" will continue at least as long as our children are alive, grows ever wider. I'm not sure what to do about that. Keep trying to interpret the signs, I guess. Otherwise, what did I accomplish in 2013? I got a cool new job. I drank too much and wrote some stuff. Danced. Sang. Grew veggies. 

Here's to the Dollar...2014

Happy Solstice :)

WHD