Mayan ruins in Tikal

We visited Tikal -- one of Guatemala's national parks. It's jungle and Mayan ruins. Absolutely incredible. The park has six ancient pyramids or temples. We hiked almost all of them. I don't think I've ever sweated so much or been so tired in my life (see third photo)!

Dia de Independencia de Guatemala

September 15 is Independce Day in Guatemala. It´s tradition to start the celebration on it´s eve with a running of a torch -- La Antorcha. People across the country run with their tourches from one town to the next. Our school ran together from a little village atop Volcan de Auga (Volcano of Water) called Santa Maria de Jesus down to Antigua -- a jaunt of 10 kilometers. I put on my running shoes for the first time in Guatemala and did my best to look athletic. I almost made it the entire way, almost. Neither Tommy nor I fell, fainted or started our hair on fire -- a success!

My schoolmates and housemates before the run.

Tommy with the antorcha.
Me with the antorcha. (Wow, front on running photos are not attractive.)

We made it back to Antigua!

Guatemala

I´ve ditched the garden for a few weeks and am studying Spanish in Guatemala. I´ll be posting daily pictures of my adventures in this absolutely beautiful country.

A photo from my walk to school this morning. Volcan de Fuego (one of the three Volcans bordering the city of Antigua) was errupting. A perfect shot of what is Angtigua -- a volcano, a church, chicken buses (loud and crazy city buses) and a moto driving in between.

tu eres mi razón

You are my reason for gardening.

And you, too.

Serranos make everything better.

I'm in love

¡Bienvenidos al mundo sobrinito!

Charles "Charlie" Michael Roy
July 19, 2010
7lbs. 14.5 oz. and 20 in.

I'm one proud tia

thursday fav

This find is something I found a few weeks ago. My new favorite cerveza. I originally bought it just for the stinkin' cute label. But the beer is amazingly tasty, too. I've graduated from my Mich Golden Light with a lime! I must be almost 30.

The beer is named for Stillwater and will soon be brewed there, too. It's local, it's spicy, it's for wanna-be farm girls (their Web site says so). It's perfect.

my garden guru

I have a garden guru. His name is Uncle Duane. He lives in Dawson, Minnesota (it's waaaaay out west, a suburb of Montevideo) and, with my Aunt Betty, owns a chain of nurseries -- Heather Nursery and Floral. He's guru of growing.

He recently moved to the favorite uncle slot when I found out that he hitch-hiked his way down to Mexico City and back in the 70s. I never woulda thought we have so much in common and so much to talk about -- farming, food, Mexico, Monsanto.

That's one of my favorite parts of getting older -- sitting at the "big table" and getting to know in a whole new way the people that have always been in my life.

Meet Uncle Duane.

This is the only photo of him I could find -- he's on the right. Sarah, you look so happy to be hanging out with your uncles and dad at a bar.

Uncle Duane knows more about farming, flowers, soil, nutrients in our soil or not in our soil due to mass usage of chemicals and sustainable agriculture that anyone I know. Almost as much as Barbara Kingsolver and "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle." He's a huge advocate for restoring our soil and the essential nutrients that belong in it through sustainable practices.

He's conducted experiments testing nutrient levels in the soil and thus in vegetables when using a variety of agricultural techniques and products such as oxygenated water, buffalo mature and the latest -- Earth's Elements.

Earth Elements.

Earth's Elements is a biological soil amendment. It's comprised of all sorts of natural elements that put back into the soil the healthy bacteria and such that needs to be there. And what's been depleted with all of the chemicals and pesticides that we've become to view as necessary.

I can't even describe how bad it smells. Or how moldy it gets. But I've been assured it's supposed to do that. It's the healthy bacteria.

It has North Atlantic Kelp, Redmond Natural Mineral Conditioner, Diatomaceous and a lot of other things I can't pronounce or ever heard of. You side dress your plants with it twice a year. Below is dressing number one.

Gypsy peppers
Cucumbers

I can't wait to see how much more beautiful my vegetables look than everyone else's because of Earth's Elements. Because that's it's purpose -- to help me do it better than everyone else.

Plug: If anyone wants their very own (smelly but effective) bag of Earth's Elements lemme know. I recommend it. And I've got the hook up.