You want...our sawdust?

Why yes, we do.

One of two major projects that we are starting and finishing this week is collecting sawdust from various home improvement stores and lumberyards. No, we're not going to eat it (although, our poverty level living stipends do make any offer of free food an offer of high interest). The sawdust will be placed over the ground cloth in the main garden. This will kill the grass and create a nice pathway around the raised beds. 

The act of cutting, lifting, and emptying industrial strength trash bags full of sawdust is not too difficult. The issue is how we transport the sawdust from store/lumberyard to our garden. 8 miles from Kalispell and a million from Whitefish, making the journey over and over is not ideal. Moreover, Katie's little car, correction: Katie's big brother's car that he [so so so generously] loaned her for the summer, can't carry more than one or two bags. Considering both her car and Jordan's contain all of their life's possessions, the sawdust is a pain in the butternut squash. 

Why go to the trouble then, Katie "Peter Pettigrew" Looney?

If it isn't already blatantly obvious, we the Americorps are empowered youth. We can do literally anything with proper planning, collaboration, and will power. The section of finished pathway looks much better than the dead and half dead grass, and that alone strengthens our resolve. In both Katie and Jordan's books of life, there is no going to the trouble of doing something. There is only the doing of what needs to be done. And then celebrating. Yay!

Yes, yes, such a sentimental pep talk has no precedent, expect for maybe our Fourth of July post. We'll get back to business then. 

Prithee, what's the second major project?

As of this moment, the hydroponic system looks like a skeleton. It's as if we spent the last 9 1/2 weeks locating an elephant graveyard and moving our corpse of choice into the hydroponic shed. Okay, maybe it doesn't look that much like a skeleton, but it could pass for the bones of a plastic extraterrestrial.

Jordan is spending the week getting it up and running again. This process involves refilling the system with a solution of water and nutrients and then transplanting basil into pumice pots. She's going to get that done in three days?! Nope, she is going to get that done in less than three days because she is also playing phone tag with the NW Drug Task Force to get her hands on confiscated chemicals. For the middle school. Duh. Or...wait...Jordan?