Every Morning is the Dawn of a New Error

I was cleaning out a file drawer and I came across a folder that held a whole bunch of cartoons, pictures, and other stuff that I had posted on my office door when I taught at the University of Minnesota - Morris.  One of the things that apparently got attention from my students was the group of "sayings" that were printed on a couple of sheets of old printer paper.  As I gazed at that paper yet again, I read down to this one:

Every morning is the dawn of a new error.

That triggered a recollection that I had a series of "lessons in farming" that I wrote for the blog several years ago - and some of them featured some of these sayings.  So, I went and looked at those.  I realized that, perhaps, I have learned even more since the time I wrote those and it was time to give them all a new look - with new insights - and maybe even new failures!  How exciting is that?!? 

The prompt for this particular topic came from the preparations that led up to a field day we were hosting at the farm several years ago.  For those who are not familiar with the concept, the idea of a field day on a small-scale, diversified farm, such as ours, is the equivalent to holding an open house so everyone can poke around in your closets and make judgements on how many shoes are there.

Ok.  That's not entirely true.  What is true is that, despite what everyone might say, you FEEL as if all of the attendees are going to be making a whole host of judgements that will be less than flattering to you or your farm.  As a result, the days prior to events like this are spent running in overdrive - hoping that you can clean it all up before the "hour of doom" approaches.

Of course, now that I have even MORE experience, I realize that a large number of the attendees have also hosted field days on their farms - and they can recognize the signs of all of the things we have frantically done just prior to the field day (and were hoping you would not notice!).

Why?  Because they've done them prior to their own field days!

Group at 2016 pollinator field day

The strange thing about the entire process of leading a field day at the farm is the way it encourages me to think more about how things are done (and not done).  It's just a good reminder that farming is a non-trivial process.  It is also a good reminder that there are many ways to successfully (and unsuccessfully) farm.

Bringing this back to my days as a computer science professor, I tried to drill the counter intuitive concept that "successful" tests were those that found errors in computer programs.  Of course, most people think that tests are successful if the program works as intended rather than when it breaks.  So, you can see the uphill battle I had to fight.  But, you can see why this saying was on my door at the time!

Every morning is the dawn of a new error.

Now, of course, there are mistakes and there are mistakes.  But, as I ruminate about mistakes, I come away with a few lessons earned over the years. 

With farming, it is my opinion that you aren't being innovative enough if you don't make mistakes. 

Just to show that we are not immune to errors on our farm, I call your attention to the opening photo from our 2015 season.

Error #1 - Being decisive, but not decisive enough in the face of difficult weather. 

Our first error had to do with planning on re-configuring this field with swales (ditches) in preparation for a new high tunnel.  The wet and cold Spring set the excavator back in his schedule.  We held back planting both because of weather AND because we intended to get this excavation done.  The result is that we had to do some last minute rotation changes.  It also meant that this field didn't get the attention it should have early in the year. 

While we did make some fairly radical shifts - moving crops to the driest fields, pushing others to different time slots, and adjusting how we would deal with putting up Valhalla (the new high tunnel) - we did not allow ourselves to buy into the changes completely.

We were bold - and timid - all at the same time.  What we learned?  If you're going to make a mistake, make it a really GOOD one.  Then pretend you meant to do that all along and no one will know you erred.

Error #2 - If you told yourself you should do something, don't ignore it - do it!

We failed to effectively deal with this area to prevent the inevitable weed pressure.  We disced in the field and then tilled the planting beds with the BCS immediately prior to planting.  There was no gap between these two activities - which set us up for weed problems in these beds. 

In our defense, the wet weather had compressed many of our activities - and we abided by the maxim that the best time to do activity X on the farm is when you are doing activity X.  Why?  Because sometimes you just don't have the ability to do things during the optimal time period in the optimal way.  

It might have been better to let the weed seed bank deplete itself a bit before planting so we could flex tine the bed prior to planting.  Or we could have covered this area with a mulch early in the season and planted into the mulch.  Or we could have skipped a succession.  Or... any number of other options.

The point is, I remember looking at this field and realizing we were going to have problems.  I told myself I should do something about it early on.  I didn't listen.  

Yes, I we were REALLY busy and we didn't have much extra time to do that work.  Pay now or pay later.  I guess we paid later.

Error #3 - not finishing the job you started.

Again - let's be honest here.  We make this mistake over and over again.  And, it's not really a mistake.  It's a reality when you have limited labor hours and you just CAN'T do much more than has already been done.

In this case, we didn't set up irrigation right away on these rows.  Hey, it had been pretty damp up to this point, so we weren't thinking about irrigation.  It was late and we wanted to eat dinner and maybe actually sleep a little.  We still had animal chores to do and you need to put all of your equipment away at the end of the day too.

In short - we were really, really, REALLY tired.  Just like we were at the end of most days.

But, of course, what happens when you wait?  Well, the next day has its own list of things that must be done.  Next thing you know, it's been a couple of weeks and you realize - Hey!  Did we run that irrigation over there?  No???  oops.

Let's just say it gets harder to run drip tape as the plants get bigger for a myriad of reasons and leave it at that.

What did we learn from this (assuming we did learn something)?  If there is no way to get it all done with the resources you have, you need to make a change - and that change may be to back off on your ambition.

Error #4 - cultivator blight is a real thing.

The fourth error is simply embarrassing.   However, I include it because it is ridiculous to even pretend that mistakes of this kind don't happen on our farm.  Don't get me wrong.  We usually do pretty well - but things can happen.  The thin patch of green at the left is where we planted some eggplant.  They are still there, sort of.  But, what happens when a person is discing the next area to be planted, weeds have gotten into the already planted rows and that person is driving the tractor and begins thinking about what his crew needs to be doing next?

Um, yes.  I disced (cultivated) over the row of eggplant.  Ups.  

The bad news?  We immediately lost about a quarter of the plants and the remaining plants were not very strong after this rude treatment.  The good news?  I woke up real quick and reminded myself that I never work with equipment with less than ALL of my attention on the job at hand.  Much better to sacrifice a few eggplant than any of the more expensive or horrifying errors that could happen with distractions while using equipment.

So, the good news is we avoided error number five - dealing with a personal injury accident.  All the others were dealt with in good order and we got some harvest out of these rows that was worthwhile (except the eggplant - we ended up taking them out the rest of the way). 

Trust

Trust.  It's a difficult concept, even for the best of us.  It can be so hard to give it and so easy to take it away.  Or do I have it backwards?  It's so easy to give trust and so difficult to take it away?

Which do you think it is?

Is trust earned?

Some people believe that trust is something you earn by.. well... being trustworthy.  If you do what you say you are going to do, that earns you some trust.  If you do the things that need to be done without being coerced, that also could earn you some trust.  For that matter, if you DON'T do things to mess things up, that might also earn you some trust.

Would you have trusted that Mrranda (the cat) would not have decided to walk on your head or use it to jump up to the roof edge?  If you know cats, you might not.  If you knew Mrranda, you... might not.  But, if you knew Mrranda and how she interacted with the farmers, you could see why Tammy extended that trust.

Mrranda, on the other hand, was not sure she trusted Tammy to get the painting job done correctly, so she supervised.  After all, that's what the Farm Supervisory Crew does.

But, the question remains - is there some sort of magical formula that, if we follow it, we can earn the trust of others?

If trust is earned, why are we so eager to take it away?

I suspect you, like everyone else, can point to times in your life where you lost trust in someone, or someone lost their trust in you.  Often, the event that resulted in that loss of trust is quite traumatic.  Perhaps, in those cases, it is only natural that a person should re-evaluate how much trust another should be given.

But, if you believe trust is earned over time, shouldn't it take a significant failure to result in the removal of all trust?  I am certainly not saying that you can't be so shocked by an action or a revelation that your trust will be badly shaken and that maybe you now see enough of that person that you might want to trust less.  What I am saying is that it seems like people are willing to revoke their trust quickly over fairly small and inconsequential episodes - making a mountain out of a molehill (so to speak).

If you believe trust is earned, then I feel you should not be so willing to revoke that trust over things that should not carry that much weight.  Unless the truth is....

We're too willing and too quick to trust?

People do not like to be uncomfortable.  We want to figure out if someone, or something, is good or bad.  Useful or not useful.  Trustworthy or... not.

The longer it takes for us to determine whether someone or something is worthy of our trust, the more uncomfortable we become.  We want to know where things stand and we want everything to be in their nice little boxes.  So, I wonder if we too often use some of the worst measurements to determine if someone is worthy of trust.  And then we grant it.  Only to yank it back the moment a small revelation shows us that this person or group isn't EXACTLY what we projected them to be.

And we're too willing to distrust?

For all of the same reasons, we are quick to determine that we will NOT trust certain people or groups, simply by looking at the labels they carry with them.

Cat - can't be trusted to be on the ladder behind your head while you are painting.

Lawyer - can't be trusted.

My apologies to all of the lawyers (all one of them) that might read my blog.  I apologize because lawyers are very often the butt of jokes just like this one.  It's too easy to get everyone (except the lawyer) to laugh at this example - and unfortunately, it is also too easy to get too many people to agree that no lawyer should EVER be trusted.

And yet, when you need one, you go get one - because you find you actually have to extend a little trust to get something important done.

Perhaps some of the difficulty here is that we need to learn how to trust ourselves to evaluate what we, ourselves, are good at - and what we are NOT good at.  Then we need to find those people who we can trust who are good at those things we are not good at.

Trust or abdication of responsibility?

I actually wonder sometimes if we are willing to offer up trust to certain things as a way to abdicate from the responsibility of taking the time to actually learn and go through the experience of discomfort.  It seems as though the process of earning trust AND the act of granting someone the opportunity to earn your trust is undervalued and misunderstood.

I am not saying we should trust everyone and everything until we learn otherwise, nor am I saying we should automatically mistrust every new person, group or thing.  I am saying that we need to learn to be ok with not being certain.  And I am saying that we might have to be ok with different levels of trust over time.

So, what got me started on this?  Well, let me share some questions with you - and then I'm going to sign off for today.  I don't want to hear your answers and I will not share mine (at least for a time).  I'd rather we all just explored how we feel about them for now.

• Do you trust your dentist to recommend the right actions to protect your teeth?
• Do you trust your dentist to ask you what you want and give you choices?
  
• Do you trust your best friend to be kind to you - even if the thing they need to do is not nice?
• Do you trust the mechanic to fix your car?
• Do you trust your mechanic to charge you a fair price?
• Do you trust the person you identify as a spiritual advisor to listen to you and not pass judgement?
• Do you trust your spiritual advisor to know when they need to just listen and NOT advise?
  
• Do you trust your local government?
• Would you trust your local government if someone you knew and liked was in that local government?
• Would you trust your local government if YOU were in that local government?
• If you signed up for a class, would you trust the instructor to help you to learn the subject you signed up for?
• Do you trust the institution that offers this class to find a qualified instructor to teach that class?
• Do you trust a teacher to help your child to learn?
• Would you trust that teacher more if you found out they had gone to school to learn how to teach and continued to take classes so they can continue to learn new ways to teach well?
• Is it easier to trust a teacher you know personally?  Is it easier to distrust if you don't know that teacher at all?
• Would you trust the teacher more or less if you knew your local government was telling the teacher what to do?
• Would you trust your dentist to teach your spiritual advisor how to run for office so they can tell your teachers how to teach children better?

Ok. That last one was to relieve some tension.  

Think about trust for a while.  I know I will.

Asparagus Recipes

One of the earliest and most celebrated of spring vegetables in the Upper Midwest, asparagus pokes its green crowns out of the ground a month as the soil warms in late April and early May. Asparagus is one of the first vegetables available at Farmer’s Markets is nutrionally balanced, providing folic acid, potassium, fiber, thiamin and vitamins A, B6 and C. 

Storage
Trim the base of the stalks and place them upright in a jar filled with an inch of water. Or, wrap the cut ends of the stalks in a moist paper towel or damp tea towel, cover the bundle loosely in plastic, and put it in the refrigerator, preferably the crisper. You can refrigerate asparagus for up to two weeks with minimal issues.

We have found that asparagus freezes well.  We cut the spears into two inch long sections, lightly roast them and then put them on pans that we place into the freezer.  Once the spears are frozen, we just scoop them into freezer bags until we are ready to eat them later in the year.

Handling
When you are ready to use fresh asparagus, take a sharp knife and gently test the ends of the asparagus.  Cut off where the stalk is no longer tough.  Even the tougher ends are good to eat if they are peeled.  Some people like to eat asparagus raw.

Standard Preparation Options

Our favorite preparation options include grilling, roasting and stir-frying asparagus.  

With grilling and roasting, we tend to coat the asparagus with olive oil and whatever spicing we want.  Often, it is just a little bit of sea salt.  Others might put Parmesan cheese, pepper, garlic and/or lemon juice.  It's your meal, spice it as you see fit!

If you are roasting, try temperatures around 425 degrees Fahrenheit for ten to fifteen minutes depending on how tender you want your asparagus to be.  If we are grilling asparagus, we tend to like the thicker spears and we put them straight on the grill until a fork easily goes into them.

With a stir fry, we will often put mushrooms in with the asparagus as an extra treat.  We do tend to be "Hobbit-like" in this regard.  As an extra treat, we've added some fresh spinach and lightly wilted that with this mixture (add the spinach just before the mushrooms and asparagus are completely cooked).

You can also boil asparagus in hot water and serve as a 'steamed' vegetable.  Standard asparagus is done when you have a very bright green coloration.  For those with good "sniffers," you can also determine when asparagus is ready by smell. 

Asparagus and White Bean Salad with Feta and Lemon Dressing
Serves 4

1 pound asparagus, cut on an angle in 1-inch pieces (about 3 cups)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon chopped fresh mint
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup cooked or canned white beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup thinly sliced radishes
2 tablespoons thinly sliced scallions

1. Place the asparagus in a steamer basket set over 1 1/2 inches boiling water, and cover. Steam until the spears are tender-firm, 4 to 7 minutes depending on thickness. Drain and place in an ice water bath (or under cold, running water) for a moment to stop the cooking.

2. Put the olive oil, lemon juice, fresh mint, lemon zest, salt, and pepper in a small bowl and whisk until well combined. Drain asparagus.

3. Combine the beans, feta, radishes, and scallions in a large bowl. Add the asparagus pieces. Pour on the dressing and gently toss. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Pureed Asparagus on Toasted Bread
1 lb asparagus
1 lemon (or 1/4 c lemon juice)
1/2 cup Ricotta (light works well)
1 clove garlic
1Tb Olive Oil
1/8 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 baguette
olive oil or butter for baguette
salt and pepper to taste

Boil water and cook asparagus for just a few minutes until it turns bright green. You can test a piece if you are unsure it should be a little crunchy still but definitely taste cooked. Once the asparagus is cooked to your liking, rinse in cold water to stop the cooking. Drain the water and let dry. Chop the asparagus into pieces (which can be done at the beginning too) and add to food processor. Add the garlic, ricotta, lemon juice, salt, pepper, mustard and puree until smooth. (we skipped the mustard and added either a little more chili powder or 1/8 tsp cumin)

Butter bread- or you could use more olive oil here in place of the butter and broil for probably 2 minutes, watch it closely so it doesn’t burn. Then spread the puree on bread and eat.

Moments of Perfection

I am grateful that I have had moments in my life that I like to call "moments of perfection," and I hope everyone else is able to experience similar things AND be able to recognize them when they occur.

First, I want to make it clear that I make a distinction between these moments and a whole host of other memories and experiences that I value just as much and that might even mean MORE to me than these particular moments.  With that said, let me share a few such moments with you if you are willing to read about them.

It should be no surprise that one such moment has something to do with green and growing things - and this photo came about not long AFTER I experienced the fleeting perfection that was only seconds long.  There was a perfect breeze - just enough to waft the fragrance of iris to my nostrils as I walked happily by the rainbow of color that was greeting me.  The sunlight was filtered, so it did not bleach out their colors and the temperatures were about as comfortable as they could be.  My best friend was enjoying the moment with me - and I realized this was the best iris display I had ever seen and might ever see.  

It was a result of years of work by the two of us.  And there we were, at that moment, drinking it all in at a moment where everything was... perfect.

Many of these moments have happened for me when there are components of the physical and the mental involved.  In other words, I'm not a passive bystander - I am very definitely involved in some fashion.  And sometimes, at that moment, it feels like everything went in slow motion - just like the movies (only less corny - I hope).

As a baseball and fastpitch softball player, there were times that I did reasonably well.  But, there were a few times where my senses became more than they normally are.  I could see everything at once, but had tunnel vision for my objective (whatever that might be).  I can remember hearing my heartbeat and my breathing - and the sound my feet made as I ran.  But, even though I knew it was there, I did not hear the traffic on the road or people in the stands.

I wasn't worried about running out of breath.  I wasn't worried that I couldn't run fast enough.  My brain and my body were in harmony.  I knew I would succeed.  It was amazing then and incredible to think about now.

I guess it is only natural for me to equate times like that with moments of perfection - because I had such a complete connection to everything that was me in that moment of time.  And, oddly enough, I also aware of everything else at the same time.

Sure, I take delight that, in those moments, I succeeded in catching, hitting or throwing a ball.  But, it was the connection to everything that made it perfect.  The fact that the outcome was good for me is part of it, of course - for it would not be a moment of perfection if I had not achieved the goal.  There was nothing that could be changed to make it any better.

Hence, a moment of perfection.

I sometimes wonder if we lose our ability, over time, to experience the awe and wonder of a moment of perfection.  Do we load ourselves down with so much that we can't even put ourselves in the position of experiencing these moments anymore?  Or maybe, we have a quota that we are each allowed?  I don't know.

The good news is - I have these moments that I call perfection, that I can still recall.  I hope you do as well.  They may not be like mine at all.  Your ideas of perfection need not be the same and the criteria you use can be very different.  What is important is that you have them and that you add them to the pile of good things that bring about the awe and wonder in your life.

With This Ring - Postal History Sunday

Welcome to Sunday everyone!  It's time for Postal History Sunday, hosted on the Genuine Faux Farm blog and the GFF Postal History blog. 

As is sometimes the case, I got so absorbed in writing that I forgot to write a good introduction.  So, rather than even try - let's just get right to all of the fun and excitement!

---------------------

As is true in any area of life, there is knowing something and then there is knowing something.  Today's entry is one such example in my own journey of learning in the realm of postal history.  And it all centers around one simple postal marking that I show below:

What you see is a cleaned up scan of what looks like an ornamental ring, something a person might wear, with an "R" in the center.  My personal discovery of this marking came many years ago, as I was seeking out examples of the mail between the United States and the United Kingdom that bore the 24-cent value from the 1861 series of postage stamps.  

At that time, I was keen to find variations on the mail that was most commonly going to bear that stamp.  This was my focus for economic reasons - it was the most common use of my selected stamp, which means they typically cost less.  This was also my focus for educational reasons, because it encouraged me to dig around and see what I could learn beyond the basics.

1867 cover to London from Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

And here it is, the cover that introduced me to the postal marking in question. Let's start with the basics and go from there - just like I did back when I first acquired this cover.  The initial attraction, at the time, was the 24-cent stamp (shown below).  While the stamp isn't the prettiest copy I've ever seen, that wasn't the goal here.  The goal was to learn how this stamp was actually pressed into service to carry mail.

The postage rate
The active postal convention at the time had been agreed upon in 1848.  This postal treaty set the postage rate at 24 cents for the first one-half ounce of weight for letter mail.  The corresponding cost for mail from the United Kingdom (UK) to the United States (US) was 1 shilling.

The red marking at the top center of the envelope is a bit difficult to read, but I have had some practice and can tell you that it reads "N. York 3 Am Pkt Paid" and is bears the date May 4.  This particular marking tells us several things.

1. The letter was considered paid by the clerk at the New York City exchange office for foreign mail.
2. Three cents were to be passed to the United Kingdom for their share of the postal expense.
3. 21 cents were retained by the United States to pay for their expenses, including the cost of sending the letter across the Atlantic.
4. The steamship would leave New York on May 4, and it held a contract to carry mail for the United States.
   

Even today, as I write Postal History Sunday blog posts, I am amazed by how much we can learn from a simple marking on an envelope.  At the time, these were the basics that I was becoming increasingly comfortable reading as a viewed more of this kind of cover.

How it got to London
This letter was mailed at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas on April 29 of 1867.  From there, the letter likely rode on various trains to get to New York City.  I would suppose, if someone wanted to do some digging, a likely railway route could be determined.  But, that's not my focus this time around.

Upon arrival at New York City, the letter was processed by the exchange office and placed into a mailbag that was sealed and taken to the HAPAG line's Cimbria for carriage across the ocean.  This mailbag was dropped off at Southampton on May 14 and arrived at London the next day where their exchange office took it out of the mailbag and placed their own red circular marking on the envelope at the bottom.

Where it got a bit more interesting

The first address on the envelope reads "Nr 4 Upper Seymour St.  Portman Square London W."  But, that address has been crossed out and a new address is written at the top right that reads "22 Princes St. Cavendish Square W."  And then, there is that ring with an "R" in the middle.

So, clearly, this letter had been redirected to a new address.  Miss Mary Rush was no longer at the Portman Square address in London and the Rushes had relocated to Cavendish Square.  After a few questions and a little bit of looking, I learned that the "R" essentially indicated that the letter was "redirected" to the new address.

Portman Square is located at the far left center and Cavendish Square is to its East.  This is segment of an 1817 map of London by William Darton.  Remember - you can click on images to see a larger version of the image if you wish!

Well, ok then.  That makes sense, so I wrote my descriptions up with that information and went about my merry way - happy to have learned something new.

Another piece of redirected mail in the UK

As I continued exploring mail between the US and the UK, it was logical that I would see other items that were redirected to a new address.  And, as I explored each one, I began to see a fundamental difference that required an explanation.  For example, here is another letter that was mailed in 1865 from Washington, D.C. to Birkenhead in the UK.

This letter weighed more than a half ounce, but no more than one ounce - so it required 48 cents in postage.  If you'll notice, there is a red "38" that tells us the British post was to receive 38 of those cents for their share of the expenses.  This time around the ship had a contract with the British so THEY paid for the crossing of the Atlantic.

Once again, we will notice that the original address in Birkenhead has been crossed out.  And, if we look closely at the bottom left, it looks like the sender of this letter was aware that the addressee might have moved on.  The docket requests that the letter be forwarded by Isaac Cooke, who likely knew where Mrs. W.H. Channing might be.  

Mrs. W.H. Channing?  Why does that sound familiar?  Oh, yes.  Our first Postal History Sunday of the year focused on ANOTHER letter to Mrs. Channing!

But, there is a problem!  Where is the new address?

Ah ha!  It's on the back!  And, not only is the new address in Hastings, Sussex found there, so are two one penny stamps to pay for a domestic letter that weighed over a half ounce (and no more than one ounce) in the UK.

Wait a minute!  They had to PAY to have this letter forwarded or sent to the new address?  I don't remember that with the first item.

It's all about WHERE it was redirected TO

For a longer time than I am willing to admit, I did not explore the fine distinction between these two letters.  I called the first item a "redirected" piece of mail and the second item was "remailed" or "forwarded."  And all of that is technically correct.  But, that did not mean I was completely aware of how the British post distinguished between the two.

So, back to the original item.  There is NO evidence of additional postage paid and there are no additional postal markings other than the ring with an "R" in it.  So, why would this letter have this special marking and the other one does not?  So, I went digging into the regulations for the forwarding of mail in the UK.

The Post Office Act of 1840 (link is to the Great Britain Philatelic Society site) set the rule that a new rate would be required for an item requiring redirection.  In other words, the item had to pay the postage AGAIN in order for it to travel through the mail to the new location.  This seems to match up with the 2nd item I shared - the one that shows additional postage stamps on the back.

The text from the postal act is below and was effective on Sep 1, 1840:

Article XIV. And whereas Letters and Packets sent by the Post are chargeable by Law on being re-directed and again forwarded by the Post with a new and distinct Rate of Postage: be it enacted, That on every Post Letter re-directed (whether posted with any Stamp thereon or not) there shall be charged for the Postage of such Letter, from the Place at which the same shall be re-directed to the Place of ultimate Delivery (in addition to all other Rates of Postage payable thereon), such a Rate of Postage only as the same would be liable to if prepaid.

It is not until we look at the British Postal Guide of 1856 that we find an explanation for our first cover (the one shown above).  Apparently, if the new location is WITHIN the same local delivery area, no additional postage is needed and the letter can simply be redirected to the new address. AHA!

The text from that resource is shown below for those who might like to read it.

The above makes the process fairly clear that an item redirected within the jurisdiction of any "Head-Office" or one of its "Sub-Offices" would be redirected without additional charge.  Below is a London Post Office Directory map from 1857 that may be accessed and viewed in more detail at the Mapco site.  It is my assumption at this time that each "Head Office" referenced in the Postal Guide translates to each of the sections shown here designated by directional markers (NW, N, EC, WC, etc).

Portman Square and Cavendish Square are both within the Western postal district and not far from each other.  Additional postage was NOT required for our first item.  Since there isn't additional postage on the cover, that's a good thing to learn.  The second cover goes to a different postal district, so it had to have extra postage.  Everything seems to add up.  So, let me throw another wrench in the works!

Redirection Fee waived, but no marking

Here is another letter that was sent from the US to the UK.  The initial address has been crossed off and a new one has been written at the top left.  There is NO additional postage.  Both address are in Holloway, a district of London currently part of the borough of Islington (about 3 miles North of Charing Cross).  This would be in the North postal district according the Kelly's map above - and the initial address does read "Holloway (N)."  

But there is no "R" in ring marking - what's with that?

The R in Ring Marking

from Mackay's "Postmarks of England and Wales" (1988)

Julian Jones was kind enough to provide help, giving me a reasonable summary and this quote from a book by James Mackay (pages 281-282).

"Letters from the 1840s onwards, redirected in the same delivery area as the original address and therefore not subject to any further charge, were marked with small circular stamps surmounted by a crown and having the letter 'R' in the centre.  These stamps varied considerably in diameter, the style of the letter and the shape of the crown.  Ten identical stamps (5290 shown above) were issued to the London district offices on 5th April 1859."

First, you might notice that my example of the marking does not clearly show the "crown" at the top of the circle, so it makes sense that I would initially think of it as a ring.  It's a first impressions thing - I have a hard time now thinking of it as anything else.

These were an inspector/examiner marking used for redirecting post within a local area of London.  The application of this marking indicated that the item was NOT subject to additional postage for the redirection to a new address.  These R in Ring markings are known in both red and black inks.

This, of course, now begs the question as to why the second cover does not exhibit such a marking.  I suppose, it is possible that the carrier learned of the new address while on the route and simply took it there without coming back to the post office.  That might explain the absence of an additional marking.  Or, perhaps the Holloway post office in London wasn't given a marking device.  We'll just call these "things to contemplate for the future" should the opportunity to learn more present itself!

Bonus Material!

There are a few additional points of interest that come along for the ride with this Postal History Sunday!

1. The Cimbria was a new ship

The sailing from New York to Southampton on May 4th, 1867 was the return leg of the Cimbria's maiden voyage.  This steamship had left Hamburg for the Hamburg-American Line (HAPAG) on April 13 and successfully delivered passengers and mail. 

This was also a point of interest to me early on because this was also one of the "little differences" in a postal history item that provided me with more interest - even if it was "only a common use" from the US to the UK.  

The Cimbria would serve well until 1883, when tragedy struck. The steamship collided with a British vessel by the name of the Sultan (Hull & Hamburg Line) not far from Borkum Island, after which the damaged Sultan "drifted off into the fog" despite screams and calls for help from the Cimbria.  The current HAPAG-Lloyd site includes a summary of the event.

The Cimbria sank rapidly, taking 389 lives with her and only 133 were saved on seven lifeboats that were successfully launched.  More information can be found at the Wreck Site, which includes the following unattributed newspaper clipping.

And, if you want even more information about the ship itself, one of the best resources is North Atlantic Seaway by N.R.P.Bonsor, for specific information on Cimbria go to vol.1,p.389

2. Not THAT Benjamin Rush, but related

If you are familiar with Revolutionary War period history, you might perk up at the name Benjamin Rush, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.  Well, this is his grandson, who was a writer and a lawyer.  

Of particular interest is this item, that is titled "William B. Reed, of Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia.  Expert in the art of exhumation of the dead."  Yes - that is quite the title - is it not?

Of particular interest is that this publication was being sent to the United States on a steamship DEPARTING the UK on May 4th, 1867.... the same date the Cimbria set off from New York, carrying our featured letter to Mary Rush.  These two things must have passed each other on the Atlantic Ocean.

In about fifteen pages of text, Rush takes on William B Reed, who apparently had taken it upon himself to sully the name of Rush's grandfather and namesake.  A small segment of Rush's writing is below, from the site listed above.

3. Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

You might recognize the name of Leavenworth for the federal prison that was built in the 20th century.  but, in the 1860s, Fort Leavenworth was actually a key training point for Union soldiers in an effort to hold an area that actually had strong feelings for the Confederacy.  

This 1867 photo by Alexander Gardner can be found at this location and one brief history can be found at the site that hosts the photo found above.  A contemporary event at Leavenworth would be the court martial of General Custer in August of 1867.

For good measure, here is another contemporary photo from the Library of Congress.  Why not?  Let's do this thing right.

------------------------

Thank you again for your interest in Postal History Sunday.  I hope you enjoyed today's entry and that you learned something new.  I know I did!

Have a great remainder of your day and a fine week to come!

GFF Guardians

I mentioned in one of our "Faux Real Stories" about the Depths of the Tomato Forest, that we had a cohort of Guardian Dragons at the Genuine Faux Farm.  And, in that story, I showed a picture of one of the members of our Guardian Dragon Team.  Some people, who shall remain nameless, suggested that the dragon photo I shared depicted a fellow who was a bit less than intimidating.

Since then, I have fielded complaints from our Guardian Dragon Team that they feel like they were misrepresented.  This is an attempt to make amends - before they turn me into a pile of ash.

Our team of guardians at the farm have a very diverse set of talents, protecting against a wide range of threats that might be brought to bear on the farm, the farmers, or any other welcomed living being that might reside here - temporarily or otherwise.

Some of our dragons have a fiercer nature and are quite willing to avoid confrontation by simply frightening the threat away.  But, do not underestimate them.  If you push them, they could be formidable.

There are others that protect us from a breeze through the windows that just might take important papers away from the desired location.  They prevent us from forgetting some of the things we enjoy in life - like baseball and being outside.  This little friend (shown below) has been winding up to throw a pitch for several years on my desk.  He has yet to let it fly, but when he does, I hope to be ready.

Some of the Guardian Dragon Team appear to be nonthreatening to you and I.  That is actually the appointed task of some.  They have a different set of opponents.  Their foes are feelings of loneliness and despair.  Take a look at that face...

Doesn't the site of it make you feel a little bit better?

Others have talents that aren't readily determined - and that might be part of the point.  Which dragon is in charge at any given point in time?  I really do not know myself.  But, I have determined that at least one of them is primarily in charge of communications and detection of intrusion.

Which is it?  I suspect I'll never know.

Are they clever?  Hiding behind an unassuming exterior?  Does a brilliant mind lurk behind a fuzzy face, puppy dog ears and colorful wings?

Or is it this dragon?  Always appearing to be the alarmist in the group.  Does this dragon only serve a purpose to warn opponents away before they even begin to threaten?  Or does it constantly alert us to the noise it makes just to let one of its team members sneak up on you?

And, if a member of the Guardian Dragon Team were to sneak up on you, would it not be perfect if it were only an inch tall, with coloring that allowed it to blend into the woodwork?

The Genuine Faux Farm does have a fine group of protectors and we are proud of the work they do.  And, perhaps, they'll forgive the farmer for neglecting so long in giving them their due.

Ignorance is not Bliss

In a former life, I taught at Mankato State University (now Minnesota State University at Mankato) as an Instructor for the Computer Science Department there.  I maintained class web pages for the courses I was charged with and I put a phrase fairly prominently in the middle of the home page.

"Ignorance is not bliss."

I certainly understood then, just as I do now, the basis for the statement "ignorance IS bliss."  The basic idea is if you don't know about the dark clouds on the horizon, you can be perfectly happy since they are not darkening your outlook.  But, I also knew then (and now) that those dark clouds still exist and they don't discriminate when they actually darken our skies.  Everyone gets to deal with them when they are directly overhead.

Of course, my motivation then was to encourage the three hundred and thirty people who were in my Intro to Computing courses to take the time and make the effort to apply themselves to learning.  I guess I figured that if they saw that every time they went to the web pages for assignment information and resources I provided, they would see this phrase - and maybe it would provide some inspiration.

But, I suspect it was there mostly for me.

Then a strange thing happened several years after I had left Mankato and moved on with my life.  A person came up to me and asked if I was the same Rob Faux who taught at Mankato State.  They were, of course, fairly certain, but it was a better approach than asking if I remembered them.  After all, I had three hundred or so students each quarter for three quarters in a row.

They surprised me when they said to me... "Do you remember that you put the saying 'ignorance is not bliss' on your web pages?  That saying has meant a lot to me ever since I graduated with my degree."

It was now a gift that goes both ways.

This makes me think of another gift - one that I was given well before I was looking at attending colleges.  This gift sits not far from the desk where I write for the farm blog and for PAN.  I still reach for it semi-frequently, though I also admit that I will check online resources when this book is covered by other papers.

I received this book through the Reading Is Fundamental program implemented by the Newton school system's PTA Council.  If I recall correctly, every kid got a dictionary and they got to select other book(s) as well.  I do not remember any of the other books I selected today - but I still use this one, and have done so for years.

It is programs like this one that tell young people that the road to a better happiness is in learning, not in ignorance.  And they accomplished this task by putting the tools into the hands of the learner - for them to decide how, and if, they would use it.    

What I do not recall is whether all students in my class were allowed to select books or if it was based on family income.  I would like to think, of course, that the Newton PTA simply made sure these books were available to each and every student, regardless of affluence.  Why?  First, every child could use more, not less, encouragement to learn and read.  And second, the process of identifying and pulling out children - in front of their peers - to go select books because they are "poor" does nothing for the children and only makes those who are feeling philanthropic feel better because they are helping the helpless.

On the flip side, it doesn't hurt to provide more, rather than the same, resources to those who need it to help level the playing field (so to speak).  The simple fact that I do not recall if those who had a lower socioeconomic status received more in this program tells me the implementation might have been pretty well done this time around.  I mean, I can certainly tell you how poorly the distribution of "free lunch" tickets were handled... every week.

But, that is not the point of this blog post.

Gifts of knowledge.  Gifts of resources that provide chances to learn.  Gifts of encouragement to take learning seriously - and to do so continuously.

These are gifts that can lead us to new and interesting places and things in this world.  These are the things that help us to discover ways to relate to others and gain value from our interactions with them.  This is how we can learn to look at things and know what it is to be awed, that we can gaze at our surroundings with wonder.  These are the things that help us prepare because we do see the storm clouds on the horizon.

This is how we find the balance between bliss and utter despair.  This is how we find happiness that can last through those moments when dark clouds cover us all.

Land of Contusions - Throwback Thursday

 Back in February of 2015, I was inspired to write some special farm lyrics to the Genesis tune, Land of Confusion.  Without further ado, I present that effort.  (note, if you don't have the song in your head, you can listen to the original.

"Land Of Contusions"

Must have planted a thousand seeds
Been haunted by a million weeds

And I can feel my aching feet
Cannot wait to take a seat.


Now did you feed the birds today?
Opened the bin, grain got away.
But I could make a move to the right.
Made sure injury was slight.

There's too many hens
Too many weeds, oh!
Making too many problems
And not enough gloves to go round
So you see...
This is a land of contusions.

This is the world we live in
And these are the hands we're given
Bruise them, but don't start crying
Tears make it hard to do night chores.

Ooh, super, man - hooked up the plow
Barked my shin on a disk somehow.
Work with steel and tractor power
See more bruises every time I shower.

We cut some thyme
Too quick a pace
So we look for a suture.
And a sore back from the posts I pound.
This is why, this land of contusions.

This is the world we live in
And these are the hands we're given
Bruise them, but don't start crying
Tears make it hard to see the row you're in.

Sometimes I long to go
On days the sun is shining
To where the vines are twining
Yes and check for some blight.
All seemed alright.
But the sound of your laughter
'Cuz you knew I might
Down I go -

I won't be tilling loam tonight
My hesitation about poor light

And tired eyes just causes this
Row we sow, we'll never reap.

There's too many hens
Too many weeds, oh!
Making too many problems
And not 'nough gloves to go round
Can't you see...
This is a land of contusions.

This is the world we live in
And these are the hands we're given
Bruise them, but don't start crying
Tears make it hard to see the row you're in. 

If you like this one, you may also enjoy:
Heat Mats and Grow Lights
      a parody of Heat of the Moment by Asia
I Wanna Wash My Hands
      a parody of the Beetles I Wanna Hold Your Hand
and
The Saftey Plantz
     anyone remember Safety Dance by Men Without Hats?

Unmatched

They were in my sock drawer, folded together, so I grabbed them and threw them on the bed with the rest of the clothing I was going to wear on a day when Tammy was not going to be preparing to head into school.  That last bit is actually quite important in the telling of this story.  Because, if Tammy were focused on doing everything she needed to do to get ready, she probably would not have noticed anything amiss.

But, this day was different.

"WHAT?!?  You can't wear those!  They don't match!!!"

It was a scandal in the making, that much was certain.  And, I could have left well enough alone by simply setting these aside and grabbing new ones.  But, I didn't.

"Why?  They're both black and grey.  No one's going to see them anyway.  It's Winter and I am not wearing shorts....not that I wear shorts anyway.  They'll be fine."

"But..... they don't match!!!!"

Oh dear.  I had really stepped in it this time.  Ok.  I had not YET stepped in it, because they were still on the bed.

Now, I ask you.  Do YOU see the differences between these socks?  Well, you probably do now that I've pointed it out.  But, did you the first time you looked at them?  Well... that's unfair too if you read the title.

Ok... if I had not clued you in with a title and all of the stuff I just wrote, would you have noticed the difference?  You would?  Oh.

Actually, I did too.  But, hey, they were together.  And, they're close enough.  And, no one was going to see them.  And.... I didn't take into account the Tammy factor.

Still, sensing some fun, I did not leave it alone.  

"They'll be fine.  You won't see them."

"But, they don't match!  I'll know they're there! And, they're not even the same texture!"

"They're just socks."

"Well, if it starts making you walk funny, it'll be your fault."

So, of course, I started walking funny.  While I am NOT part of the Ministry of Silly Walks, I can do fine if I must.

In my defense, I used to always wear the white "athletic" socks.  Who cared which sock actually belonged with which sock?  They were all dingy white - and the only way to match them was by the amount of wear.  If the elastic was mostly gone, those would go together.  The ones with holes in the toes - those go together too.  See?  That's how you match socks.

But, by color, design and texture?  What is this world coming to?

And for those who have concern - I did end up setting the socks aside, and I pulled out a pair of properly matched socks to wear.

And I took the unmatched pair, took a picture of them, and wrote a blog post - because Tammy and I make quite a pair (and a good pair at that).

Radish Recipes

Especially in the earlier years of our CSA - when we were very limited with what we could manage to give our members during the first few weeks of the season - we relied on one of the most consistent early crops to grow.  The problem with that is, most people are fine with eating a radish or three, but when they get a couple of big bunches of radishes every week for four weeks, they start looking at the farmers a bit cross-eyed.

So, in an effort to help people work with us through the early limitations of our offerings, we dug around for recipes to help stretch the usefulness of one of the least respected veggie crops.  Here are the recipes we featured for many years on our farm website.

French Breakfast radishes

Standard Preparation

Eat raw, or slice thin for use in salads. Steam for 5 to 10 minutes. Radishes go well with parsley and pepper.
Young radish tops can be used in salads, and the greens can be washed and sautéed like spinach.

Red Radishes with Scallions

Quarter or halve 2 bunches washed and trimmed radishes. Wash 2 bunches green onions and cut into 1/2 inch pieces. Heat 1 Tablespoon butter in large skillet and sauté onions over medium heat for 2 or 3 minutes. Add radishes along with 1/2 c chicken or vegetable stock. Simmer
for 3 to 5 minutes; increase heat to high and boil, shaking pan, until liquid is reduced. Season with salt and pepper.

Dill Radish Sauce

In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup yogurt, 1/4 c mayonnaise, 1/4 c finely chopped radish, 1 to 2 tablespoons fresh chopped dill, and salt & pepper to taste. Serve with salmon or as a dressing for sandwiches/salads. Flavors will develop best if made ahead and refrigerated for 24 hours. 

Helios radishes

Sauteed Radishes

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 lb radishes, quartered
• 4 cups radish greens (or other greens, such as arugula or mustard greens)
• 2 tbs lemon juice
• salt
• black pepper

Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add radishes, cook, constantly stirring until tender, but crisp (5 minutes). Transfer to bowl to cool. Put wet greens into skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly just until they begin to wilt. (2-3 minutes) Turn off heat, add lemon juice and radishes. Stir until well combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately (4 servings)

Braised Red Radishes

Ingredients :

10 Plump radishes, red or multicolored
1 sm. Shallot, diced
1/2tsp Chopped fresh thyme or several pinches dried
Salt and freshly milled pepper
White wine or apple juice or saute liquid of your choice

Method :
Trim the leaves from the radishes, leaving a bit of the green stems, and scrub them. If the leaves are tender and in good condition, wash them and set aside. Leave smaller radishes whole and halve or quarter larger ones.
Pour a tablespoon of white wine or apple juice into a small saute pan.
Add the shallot and thyme, cook for 1 minute over medium heat. Add the radishes, a little salt and pepper and water just to cover. Simmer until the radishes are tender, 3 - 5 minutes. Add the leaves if using them and cook until they are wilted and tender, about 1 minute more.
Remove the radishes to a serving dish. Boil the liquid until only about 1/4 cup remains, pour this over the radishes and serve.

Bacon-Radish Pinwheels
Ingredients :
¾ cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
½ tsp Dijon mustard
2 tbl plain yogurt
5 slc white bread
2 tbl butter
5 slc bacon
10 lrg radishes

These crunchy little bites are easy to make and fun for your children to help you with. They are a little bit messy to make and require a little bit of clean-up (especially if you have very enthusiastic "helpers"). The radishes add color, texture and a little bit of bite.
In a small bowl, mix the Cheddar cheese, salt, pepper, mustard and yogurt until well-blended. Remove the crusts from the bread and roll flat with a rolling pin or glass. Spread each slice with a small amount of butter and flip over. Spread the unbuttered side evenly with the cheese mixture.
Roll up very tightly with the buttered side on the outside. Cut each bacon slice into three pieces. Cut each bread roll into three pieces and roll a slice of bacon around the outside of it. Secure firmly with a toothpick.
Wrap well with plastic wrap and chill until just before serving, up to 24 hours ahead of time. You can also slice the radishes into thin slices ahead of time and store in a plastic bag or well-wrapped bowl. Just before serving, place the bacon rolls on a broiling pan and broil until the bacon is crisp and cooked through. Cool slightly, remove the toothpicks and cut each roll into three slices. Arrange the bacon wheels on toothpicks with radish slices on each side. Serve immediately. 

Black Bean and Radish Burgers
Ingredients :
¾ cup Plain nonfat yogurt plus 2 tablespoons
3 tbl Prepared mango chutney plus 2 tablespoons
1 ½ tbl Fresh lime juice
1 Jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
2 can (16 ozs each) black beans, drained and rinsed, or 3-1/2 cups cooked black beans
¾ cup Chopped red onion
½ cup Plain dry bread crumbs
¼ cup Coarsely grated radishes
2 tsp Curry powder
1 tsp Ground cumin
1/2tsp Ground cardamom
½ tsp Ground coriander
¼ tsp Ground ginger
6 Pitas, 6 or 7 inches in diameter, opened to form pockets
1 cup Radish sprouts or alfalfa sprouts
¼ cup Chopped cilantro

In a small bowl, mix together 3/4 cup yogurt, 3 tablespoons chutney, the lime juice, and the jalapeno. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use, up to 3 days. In a food processor or large mixing bowl, place the beans, onion, bread crumbs, radishes, curry powder, cumin, cardamom, coriander, ginger, the remaining 2 tablespoons yogurt and the remaining 2 tablespoons chutney. Process or mash with a potato masher to blend the ingredients and partially puree the beans. Prepare a barbecue fire, or preheat a gas grill or the broiler. Use your hands to form the bean mixture into 6 patties, each 3 or 4 inches in diameter. Grill or broil the patties, turning once carefully with a spatula, until browned and crusty on both sides, about 10 minutes total. Spoon about 1 tablespooon of the chutney yogurt into each pita pocket. Add the burgers, then garnish with the remaining chutney yogurt, sprouts, and cilantro.
Makes 6 sandwiches.

Baked Radishes
Ingredients :

1/2lbradishes, cut in half
1tblHoney
1tblbutter
1dshcinnamon

Method :
Steam radishes for 5 minutes; drain and arrange in a shallow baking dish.
Combine honey, butter and cinnamon in a small saucepan to make a glaze. Pour over radishes and bake uncovered at 350 until tender, about 30 minutes.

Country Living

We live in the country, so we expect some things to be different than it might be in town.  Heck.  We expect many things to be different.  But, we find it interesting that so many people who live in town are shocked when they actually head out our way to find that some of the things we say are actually true.

For example, when we tell people who are coming out to visit that they should expect things to be a bit windier and cooler than they are experiencing in town, they often ignore our advice to bring a jacket - or wear layers - or whatever it is we suggest.

Here is one thing that anyone who commutes from one town to the next in Iowa might be able to relate to.  Blowing snow over the roadway.  In this case, the gravel road heading west from our farm.

I did not manage to catch it at its worst and I did have to crop the picture.  Why?  Well, it was COLD and WINDY and I didn't want to get FROSTBITE.  So, I just trudged out to pick up the mail and brought the camera along, then I snapped a few quick pictures and hoped I could get something to illustrate what I was talking about.

We only got a light dusting of snow on Friday - but the winds have been fierce.  I had to drive to a meeting and found myself in conditions that were approaching near white-out in places.  That's what happens in the country when everything is flat and the landscape is unbroken.

But, things really weren't too bad whenever I drove by a farmstead that had some buildings and trees.  

And that's the sad thing about all of this.  It wouldn't take much to provide windbreaks for our roadways - and it would have the effect of providing a little habitat for some of the wild things in our world.

In short, it doesn't have to be this way in Northeast Iowa.  Yet it is - for far too much of our landscape.  Let's plant some more bush lines on the far side from the road of more of our ditches.  Then, some of the less plentiful snowfalls like this last one would become less of a hazard for humans.  Sure, it won't make that much of a difference for extreme snowfall - that's fine.  But, why not have a double win of habitat plus improved safety?  And maybe something interesting to look at as you drive down Iowa roads?