Thankful for a nice start to my 51st journey around the sun (plus the 9 and a half months in Mom's belly)

My 51st birthday unfolded in lovely ways, first with a friend answering and chatting the morning away while I worked in my Turtle Garden (see post on that).  I also tidied and nibbled then did more work outdoors. I got FB posts and calls from family. Then I got to enjoy the simple yet inspiring agricultural fair at the local high school. Baby animals--black and white sheep, goats, and chickens, dogs and horses, a cow and grown sheep too enlivened the back lot. Flower arrangements, plants and fish projects were among dozens of interesting exhibits, along with the new Science and Technology building featuring Robotic Creations which were not only making spot-on basketball shots, but flinging frisbees fast and furiously into a small opening in a sheet. You gotta love science when it can perform such tricks. I envisioned having pizzas delivered by giant frisbees and for the novelty, sent through people's front doors with this sideways catapult.

The more serious 10 -minute presentation (after sampling horseradish cheddar and brie cheeses a few time and washing those down with a couple of small milkshakes) was presented in a polished talk by two teams of  five knowledgeable high schoolers each who will compete for in a statewide competition called Environthon. The yearlong training prepares them to be smart about soils, plants and a few other important components.

Then they get a 'problem to address' with an ecological solution. This year's theme is sustainability. I found their talk clear and well-researched in terms of how to use a tract of land. Their recommendations as a consult team were to enhance crop production using low or no-till gardening, crop rotation, low impact irrigation and catching rainwater in barrels, having a farmstand and inviting volunteers to help out, using social media and grants to get some capital for starting the project. They emphasized they would be farming, educating and promoting social opportunties. This was all music to my ears and will inspire me to do more practical outreach with the permaculture and Turtle Garden game and implementation. 

The CT state winners of Environthon will then go onto Nationals (really international with Canada included). There is nice prize money or camera equipment for the winning team and perhaps runners-up. My eldest daughter happened to reach that top level with her team and benefitted nicely for her college degree in engineering and environmental policy at WPI. She's now doing City Planning at the graduate level so hopes to help us survive the climate crisis we collectively face.

For now, the nice feel of seeing horses crossing the high school lawn from the start and again at night will help me journey into my dreams on my first night of being 51 (plus as the title reveals not only for me but for the majority of us who took about 9 months to hatch out in the first place and for the fortunate healthy preemies who make it even to survivor weight and growth..and of course, love and blessings to the little ones who don't quite hatch out or don't survive long..We don't have a place to talk about that usually, so maybe a post on that is due soon. Love to my 5 who miscarried early on and our teen son whose been gone 5 years..and parents 7-10. Mostly I'm blessed to have a very large caring family and a wide circle of friends that really gives many food for thought about caring about the wider world --and good food to eat along the way, GMO-free please). G'nite now, time for some z's at Zi Time (11p to 1am) and bee-yawned.