Elbow Deep

As a child I "finger painted" with popsicle sticks. I had no qualms about getting dirty, but preferred to be clean. And while I spent many a summer on my Uncle's farm, I can't say that cleaning up after animals was ever my forte.

But I have grown up. And two days ago I not only played in the dirt for four hours, but I also played in cow poop! That's progress, right?!

Meg and I recently lead 80 elementary age kids in preparing 900 tree sacks which will be outplanted in 2-3 months providing shade, nutrition and asthetic value to the school and health poste as they mature. The first step in this process... pounding, crumbling and for all intensive purposes, touching cow poop before you mix it with equal parts soil. This gives the trees a good home to germinate, and I was up to my elbows in it. I even have pics to prove it.

In four hours we filled all 900 sacks, seeded and watered them, and with any luck they will be ready to go in the ground just as the rains pick up. I've never done this before, but speaking as a resident from the Home of Arbor Day, I feel pretty good about our project, and chalk this one up to yet another character building exercise. Let me tell you - I am coming home with an awful lot of character (and really clean nails)!