Finally Caught Her on Film

Last spring up visiting Warren Wilson, my Alma Mater I touched base with my buddy, Lindsay Popper, poet extraordinaire, college-mama/grand-ma, admissions guru, plumber and all around amazing person.  I asked, "So, say, Lindsay, where are you going to be come next September?"  She was on the threshold of graduation, and, rather than hem and haw, she quick-responded, "Where do you think I should be?"  "How about," I offered, "you come to Tallahassee and help me out with gardening work?"  She told me she liked that idea.  "Can I make it my 'Plan B'?"  Absolutely.

Lindsay planting lettuce.  In three weeks time, this lettuce was ready to harvest.  I just forgot the camera when I went back.

Well Plan A didn't end up fitting the schedule of the summer camp she's worked at for four years running--and she wasn't about to give that up-- so she came on down.  Lindsay's been here since the end of September; she's helped me out with workshops, worked alongside me putting in gardens and micro-irrigation systems.  She's read loads of books, met the neighbors, memorized a couple poems and even wrote one or two.  A few weeks back, we traveled to Wisconsin, etc (to attend our friends' wedding and to tour urban ag of the north).  Without much of any experience growing food in her past, she's a quick study.  Truth be told, she's got fall gardening in Florida down like the back of her hand.

Here's two more tidbits about Lindsay.  She hates posed-pictures.  Can't stand them.  Truth is, she doesn't much like cameras to capture her image at all-- at least so I can tell.  I only sneaked this one because I uploaded a few garden images from her camera that we took this afternoon-- and found this one a few pictures back.  Ha.  The second tidbit is that Lindsay's super interested in the possibility and potential that churches could take an active (leadership?) role in the food movement, perhaps via hosting community gardens, perhaps by providing a neutral space infused with the Spirit that can get us working across neighborhoods and backgrounds, perhaps by sourcing food pantries with fresh produce.  Who knows.  She's big on Jesus, and is up for chatting with church folk that want to talk gardens.  (Already she's been chatting with folks and helping out at three different churches around Tally with their existing and envisioned gardens.  Are you dreaming about a garden at your church?)

So, Lindsay says that she's definitely here through December.  As one of my mentors used to say, "But she's staying longer than that; she just might no know it yet."  Perhaps the "visitor" tag at the bottom of this post will prove obsolete.

Sweet Potatoes Lindsay dug from two raised beds (in the front yard) when we were cleaning up a couple weeks back to replant with turnips and carrots.