Compost, Nettie Wiebe, Handmaid’s Tale and bird pests

Weirdness on the Gorge. Who leaves a tethered cat on a walkway frequented by dog-walkers?

Operating as I do from a position of smug complacency atop my composter, I was comforted by this article about composting, and its assertion that “every time you cook…you’re not finished until you compost.”

Nettie Wiebe was speaking at the conference where I read in February, and a wonderful speaker she was. Bernadette passed along a great article about her by Penney Kome; a terrific opening sentence:

“If it is true that we are what we eat,” said Nettie Wiebe, “then most of us are like those stuffed animals that you get from vending machines with labels that say, ‘100 percent unknown fiber’.”

Meanwhile, this morning’s junk mail folder held a personal message from Awotwi Alden who promised that Women Will Be my Resigned Slaves. Alas, I did not find out how this could be before kissing the message goodbye, but it reminded me to catch the last episode (aired Friday) of The Handmaid’s Tale, broadcast on BBC Radio 7 every day this past week. A book I loved and it made me think of Natasha Richardson in the film version, which I wasn’t overwhelmed by. If you’re quick you can catch the last four episodes here.

Our urban farming group talked about the plague of birds that is upon us. Many in our neighbourhood have had seedlings uprooted or bitten off

by birds – Peg and Tom watched a pair of robins work their seedlings, while I witnessed sparrows eating my chard leaves – and there was talk about why this should be so. We wondered if there is a bigger problem for them; that they seem to be eating things they didn’t eat before: apples and chard for example. A hard winter, ongoing urbanisation and destruction of habitat and natural food sources and – maybe? – people cutting back on bird seed, or who knows what other factors – are making them hungry.


Perhaps all that bird seed in the past helped to boost their numbers beyond sustainable limits? So instead of cleaning up on the pests in our gardens they are searching harder for food and making a royal mess of things.

Which is forcing us to cover our plantings, which might give the wireworms and cutworms and other crawlies free reign on our vegetables. The ongoing battle between gardener and nature continues.

This entry was posted in Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink.

4 Responses to Compost, Nettie Wiebe, Handmaid’s Tale and bird pests