Considering the weather we've had lately (with more rain in the forecast!), we're starting to see more and more of the picture to the right - earthworms that are crawling up out of the soggy ground and looking for some breathing space on drier land...They're practically swarming on the sidewalks now. I can be walking on the sidewalk into work, my head in the clouds, or wondering how late I am to work, or what I might be cooking for our dinner, and then it happens... I look down, and see worms all over the place. Most are kinda wiggling along, some are just lying there (basking?), and then there are those that've been stepped on, and that's when I feel the guilt. Yes, they're just worms, but I feel bad that they're lying out there vulnerable, and someone accidentally steps on them. Squish! What'd they ever do to us?
Well, if you were to ever read Amy Stewart's The Earth Moved
'>The Earth Moved, you'd certainly have a better feel for all of the amazing info there is out there about worms, and what they do for us. There are now waste management plans that actually use critters like this to break down waste, and they help break down leaf litter in forests and fields, which in turn provides natural fertilizers for the earth. And, heck, we know what they do to dead bodies that aren't packaged up in boxes before buriel - I'd rather have the worms break me down and get some use out of me once I'm dead! :)Amy's also got her Worms of Endearment blog that I check in on once in awhile. I haven't yet found is as rivetting as a paperback book on the subject that I can read before going to sleep, but I do check back in on it every once in awhile!
This all reminds me of one my old classic Peanuts comic strip books, where one of the kids (I think Lucy or Sally?) were walking in a rainstorm, saw worms all over on the sidewalk where they were walking, and made one of those great faces where you could just tell they had the heebie jeebies! Wish I still had it...
So as you're walking around in these rainstorms, take note of where your next footstep will land - watch out for the worms, and give 'em a break. They'll pay you back for your kindness!
PS What's with this new AmazonOnlineReader interface!? Ew - I don't like it! For one thing, the book pages/cover always scroll off the bottom of the page. Maybe it'll grow on me. Maybe they'll improve it... ;-)
PPS Apparently my attempts to link directly to The Earth Moved will dump you over to Amy's other book (also a GREAT read), From The Ground Up. Sorry. Wanna see The Earth Moved, just click on over to it from From The Ground Up's page...easy enough!
8 comments:
The worms are waiting! Green Burial If I hadn't already paid for my cremation, I'd go this route.
As for the worms, when I'm digging in the garden I always make sure the worms I disturb are covered up or relocated out of harms way. I treasure my worms and I work really hard to increase their numbers. When I started my garden I would find 2 or 3 worms in a shovel of dirt and now it isn't uncommon to find 8 or 10. Say no to lawn pesticides!
I look forward to the day when I have my own...um, crop? gaggle? flock!...of worms. (Man, I sound like a geek!) My dad tills his garden, and I plan to as well - he still has no problems having TONS of worms in his soil, even though I know that's a bit of a risk factor with them. I think you've mentioned you double turn your soil rather than till for this reason? I think it's a risk I'll be willing to take...
Think of double-digging like a workout you don't have to pay a membership for!
Heh heh - gee, thanks for watching out for me!!! LOL
We just watched one of this seasons new episodes of Fresh From The Garden on DIY Network...hadn't seen it in ages. Joe Lamp'l was visiting a gardening couple that are certified organic, and in addition to some interesting recipes for pesticides (one with garlic, one with habanero peppers), they also sprinkled dry molasses into a bed before tilling. He said on a smaller garden you could just use regular sugar. I guess it's a good food for the good critters in the soil - interesting!
Sugar? Molasses? Are we making cookies? People put some weird stuff on their gardens, don't they? Could I just eat molasses cookies while I was digging and the critters could have the crumbs?
Oh another thing totally unrelated to this post... Did you see that Buffy episodes are available on iTunes for $1.99 a pop?
They are? Wow. I have Seasons 1-6 on DVD, but I haven't been able to bring myself to buy Season 7. Just so awful a season. But there are isolated episodes I'd like. Wow! Thanks for passing that along!
Oh man, that'd be an expensive addiction. Let's see....$2 per episode...and what are there - 16 episodes in a season? 24? Hm. COULD be a savings, but they'd be so tiny! NO THANKS!
We already own the first 3 or 4 seasons on DVD - next one we need to get is their first year at college (woo hoo, bring on the sexy wickan lesbian luvin'! EW! LOL) I have to say the villain of the season, Adam, was kinda cheesey....
And if I come across more of the info on the molasses-in-the-garden technique, I'll pass it along!
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