Moving Dirt

This last Saturday, Jillian, Andy Copeland, Nate Hyatt and others moved dozens of wheelbarrows full of soil from one side of the yard, where we'll have a flagstone patio, to the other, where we are backfilling soil behind the growing retaining wall.

Dirt is an anti-depressant?

Yep. This article explains that scientists from Bristol University recently found that despite our obsession with anti-bacterial soap, some bacteria is good for us, and it even makes us happy. The bacteria found in dirt is found to act as an anti-depressant. Many people probably already knew that working in the soil makes them happy, but now it's been shown that this is true. Daniel and Jonathan certainly didn't need this study to tell them that dirt makes them happy. But the study helped keep their Papa from preventing the mud-fest this last Saturday.

Dirt Photos

(Click to enlarge)

A photo exhibit of mine just opened and is now on display at Lindgren Gallery at George Fox University (next to Bauman Auditorium). The title of the show is GROUNDED LIGHT and it helps explain why I think dirt is so important. We come from dirt. We return to dirt. Our food comes from dirt. Our homes are built on dirt. Yet we have a dis-ease with dirt. Why is that? If you see the show, you may understand more about why we're doing what we're doing to our yard. The exhibit has been extended and will be on display through NOVEMBER 6, 2008.

Time to Kill the Lawn?

This article just came out in the Oregonian on Sunday. It asks the question that has partly inspired us to remove all of our grass (and we're only planning on re-seeding about 15-20% of what once was grass).