Subject: Re: COMPOSTING AND WEED������

From: Bryce Grevemeyer <[email-masked]>
Date: 28 Feb 1995 19:11:18 GMT

[email-masked] (Jim Mcnelly) wrote:

> I hope that the :-) was meant to mean that you were trying to be 
> humorous, but personally I find derogatory comments about composting and 
> composters to be unwarranted and offensive.
> 

Jim McNelly

Dear Mr. Compost:

I started composting when I was ten.  That means I have been 
composting for the last 38 years.  For the last 22 years, since 
I have been a homeowner, I have composted almost every bit of 
carbon based material that has entered my yard (including the 
24 inch diameter remains of a Silver maple that I found in my 
backyard when I bought the first house).  Every Christmas tree 
for the last 22 years has had it branches looped off, and picked 
up with the lawn mower (lawn mower, -- definition --  
a vacuum cleaner for the lawn that that also chops and shreds ), the 
trunks of the same have been chopped up with an axe and thrown in 
the bottom of the pile.  I compost not only my grass and garden 
waste, but that of my neighbors from both sides, (Who are nice 
enough to dump it over the fence for me).  Every Fall, I take
a wheelbarrel and my bagging lawn mower, (with a "Ninja Mulching 
blade" on it), and collect the leaves from the street three houses, 
each way, both sides of the street.  This embarrasses my wife, 
and amuses the neighbors.  (middle class suburb).  

My wife cannot understand why I  NEED to work in the garden, 
or have my hands in the soil, or to "futzs" with that "damn 
compost pile".  The truth is that it allows me to unwind for 
the stress of being a professional engineer, (Assembly language, 
embedded code), and part time University Faculty.  She DOES 
understand that we have the only garden in the neighborhood 
with a "hedge" of tomato plants that are 8 to 10 feet tall, 
and give lots of 2.00 to 2.25 lb. beef master tomatoes, and 
a carpet of squash that take over the lawn.  

(BTW, we have found that there is a very serious DANGER involved 
with making your own pasta sauce with fresh home grown tomatoes 
and spices.  --  When it runs out, -- you will finally realize what 
that stuff in a jar from the supermarket REALLY tastes like.)

I am no stranger to compost. Yes, your right Jim, it’s true 
that the disposal of organic wastes are a national problem, 
and that composting can help alleviate that problem.  On the 
other hand, sometimes we take compost (and ourselves) a bit 
to seriously.  I see no need to make a religion out of a 
natural process that will occur by itself, if we simply get 
out of the way.  My comments were meant to defuse the 
pompousness, arrogance and self importance of my having just 
typed 200+ lines of drivel, in a conference where many of the 
folks are no doubt better qualified than I.

> Well Bryce, organic matter IS life, ......

Permit me to disagree with you, Jim.  The subject was compost.  
The decomposition of organic matter is NOT "life", it is only 
a (small) part of the grand natural life cycle.  

If you were offended by my post, and my sense of humor (and 
yes the smiley face was meant to indicate humor), then I am 
deeply sorry, and humbly and sincerely apologize for the 
offense,  ..........
   
--   but still,  

        --  I must stand by my point of view.

Now where did I put that life? I know it’s here somewhere. 

                  :-)
                            Bryce

+====================================================================+
| Bryce Grevemeyer             | Phone: (313) 845 5589               |
| Ford ETC C370                | FAX:   (313) 845 3799               |
| 17000 Rotunda Drive          | Email: [email-masked] |
| Dearborn Michigan 48121-6010 |                                     |
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---

From: [email-masked] (Vello Tou)
Date: Sat, 4 Mar 95 16:33:00 -0500

Subject: Re: COMPOSTING AND WEED                                     

BE+backyard when I bought the first house).  Every Christmas tree 
BE+for the last 22 years has had it branches looped off, and picked 

I thought that I was the only one that did this including grabbing a 
few extra trees on the day the city deems that discarded trees should 
be placed by the curbside for pickup.

BE+My wife cannot understand why I  NEED to work in the garden, 
  +or have my hands in the soil, or to "futzs" with that "damn compost

In the last few years mine had begun to tolerate my eccentricities 
regarding composting and playing in the soil. Even the cat has learned 
the value of composting. (a good source for mice in the spring)

BE+other hand, sometimes we take compost (and ourselves) a bit 
  +to seriously.  I see no need to make a religion out of a 
  +natural process that will occur by itself, if we simply get 

Agreed!

                              [email-masked] Mississauga Ontario

 * 1st 2.00b #2615 * All life on earth evolved out of a compost pile