Dave Tally Is Doing So Well!!!!!!!

Dave Tally, everyone's favorite Community Garden Coordinator was involved in a motocycle accident on Thursday, August 16, 2012.  Dave was compensating on a bad curve and only he and his bike were involved.  Being somewhat of a fanatic about safety, Dave was outfitted in helmet, gloves and protective outer wear.  These precautions probably saved his life and he suffered no road rash.  Our Dave definitely has a higher power watching over him; thank you!

The injuries he did sustain are a total of fractured ribs, badly bruised lungs and a broken collar bone, which was operated on and repaired on Friday. Dave came through like the champ we all know him to be.  I talked with his surgeon on Saturday and he told me Dave's only restriction not lying on that side for approximately six weeks.

Dave was put on a ventilator only to help the healing process by having the machine regulate his breathing so there wouldn't be additional pain. He is holding up well with the pain, the prodding, the pricking and the touching.

On Sunday his sedation was lowered in intervals to wean him off the ventilator.  As of this writing the doctor is still hopeful the tube can come out on Tuesday.

Dave's coloring and all his vitals are good.  I am his constant companion at the moment, but that will change as soon as he can talk and start giving orders verbally instead of my trying to read his fingers.  An example: Dave held up three fingers; three what I asked; he became somewhat agitated, holding up the three fingers again and sort of shaking them at me.  I looked again and the light went on----"W"?  The relief on his face was evident--he wanted water.  Dave gets his water through popsicle sponges he can suck on.  I, unfortunately, am weak to his requests and give him as much as he wants.  Sometimes the nurse comes and takes away my water cup and sponges; luckily Dave is asleep when this happens.

Now you know nearly all I know; his doctors and nursing staff are wonderful to both of us; his care is top-notch.

I have set up a special email account for any of you who want to let Dave know you are thinking of him: phonyup826@hotmail.com.  I will print out the messages for him to read.

Thank all of you for your caring, kind thoughts and considerations,

Georgie for Dave Tally
August 20, 2012

PS  Dave is not idle in the least; he had laid out some ideas with me Thursday morning.  One of his main ideas is an article for his Master Gardener publication about Escalante Community Garden with pictures; he could have done an article on anything, but he chose ECG.  This publication appears online and will be seen and read  allover the US; nice coverage.  I am working on it so as soon as Dave is able he can critque it and we can get it out there.

Nature's Amazing Work is All Around Us!

Escalante Community Garden has so many more lessons in store for us than just planting, weeding, watering for that delicious harvest. It's nature at its finest and all we have to do is look a little closer to find other amazing lessons.

Saturday was Volunteer  Workday in the Garden; we were building a wall around the wildflower area when Donnie, one of our IHELP crew found two "lizard" eggs and gave them to Gretchen Reinhardt, our premier volunteer and teacher .  Gretchen was so excited over them as she planned  to bring them to school on Monday to show her class. She put them somewhere safe and went back to work. A short time later Gretchen went to check on the eggs to make sure they were still okay when suddenly one of them basically exploded and a gecko was born. The gecko immediately slid down a hole in the table it was on and onto the earth below, looking for a safe haven.  Georgie joined Gretchen at this point to find the gecko and take pictures of it and the remaining egg. The result is shown below; that gecko came out of an egg exactly that same size only minutes before this photo was taken--truly, truly amazing.

Now it was time to watch the second egg as everyone wanted to see it hatch. It seemed the gecko was having somewhat of a difficult time so I helped out a bit with a small crack and then to remove the sac it was in and voila, another gecko.  This time I got it on video--incredible.

So many lessons learned, but one of the main ones is, if you don't come to help out in the Garden you miss so many great things plus make friends with some pretty special people, enjoy a potluck and get your picture taken.

Welcome Geckos to Escalante Community Garden,

Dave Tally
Escalante Community Garden Coordinator
August, 2012

Memoirs of Baby Chick (Jesse22) as told to Dave Tally

I arrived at Escalante Community Garden two weeks after Easter. Dave, my new dad named me Jesse 22 (really???), but everyone including Stephen Sparks, Dad's boss calls me Baby Chick. I was a baby and I certainly am a chick.

My first home was this wonderful box with all kinds of paper to keep me warm, a water station and a food station as well as a mirror so I could watch my beautiful self grow. When I got too big for the box, Dave Dad put me into a raised bed in the garden and it was huge for this little chick; I loved it. When I outgrew that I was allowed to run loose in the garden, but I never left the garden; I am also a smart chick.  For the nighttime, an isolation room was built into the chicken coop area for me to sleep.  I was isolated so the big chickens wouldn't pick on me.

Dave Dad hand raised me and I am his special chick.  He taught me tricks and I loved the attention these tricks got me. I became a great educational tool for the kids who came to the garden for classes. I was always gentle with them.
                    
I am no longer a "baby" being now fourteen weeks old. Probably in another month or so I will be laying some fabulous eggs. I have put on my big girl feathers and hang with the other ladies now, but I don't take any guff from them; I can hold my own even if I am the youngest in the coop.  Don't you forget that Ms. Alpha White. I am Baby Chick, the center of my coop.

Of course I will always be Baby Chick or BC to family, friends and fans. My Dave Dad will always be special to me for the wonderful home he provided and the care he took of this little chick.

Please come visit me, Dave Dad and the other girls at the Escalante Community Garden. We love company and I promise we will strut our stuff for you and if Dave Dad lets me, I might even do a trick or two.
                       
Dave Tally
August, 2012

Update Your Information

ECG Members:  It's time to update our membership information. Please contact Dave Tally at davet@tempeaction.org to include any new info, but most importantly  confirm your email address whether it is new or not. 
If you are not a member, but would like to be, please send your information to Dave at the above email address and we will add you to all correspondence.

FALL PLANTING IN THE DESERT

 

 The list of fall veggies is (and I am sure I have forgotten some) is broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, Chinese cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, chives, collards, cucumber, endive, herbs, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, head lettuce, mustard, onions, parsley, parsnips, peas, radishes, rutabagas, spinach and turnips.

This is a great time to plant a garden in the low desert. It is time to grow a surplus of cool weather veggies. Fall planting season begins September 1st and lasts till November. You can have a beautiful edible vegetable garden. Follow good gardening practices right from the beginning and give your plants a fighting chance against disease and weeds.

Take some time to evaluate where you will be putting your vegetables to make sure there is going to be enough sunlight. You will need at least 6-8 hours of sunlight in your garden spot.

Using a drip system is the best option and takes much of the work out of the day to day tasks.

What is better than having safe, fresh vegetables and herbs you picked from the garden you grew or worked in?

Let me give you the biography of some of the vegetables we will be planting:

RADISH:  The small round radishes are such quick and easy growers. Radishes are members of the same family as broccoli, cabbage, kale and collards (all fall planting veggies). There is a wide variety of radishes from the globe shaped to oblong, hot or mild, red, pink, purple, white or bi-colored. To have a continual harvest, sow a new crop every 10-14 days, until it gets too warm. The fast growing radishes grow quite well in pots and if your space is limited, this is a good option.


                                                        
The artichoke can be grown almost everywhere in the United States. If you have mild winters (and we do) and mulch well, the artichokes may survive as perennials. It's the artichoke roots that need protection. If we are lucky enough to have the best growing conditions we may be able to harvest artichokes throughout the year. It wouldn't be unusual to harvest 30 artichokes per plant per year. We begin our artichokes with seeds.  Artichokes feed heavily so they must be fertilized. The plants will proper in slightly acidic soil that is rich in organic matter. Full sun is best except in the hot summers, then afternoon shade may be more beneficial. Keep the planting bed moist and water the plants as they grow.
Parsley, parsnips and peas, English, snap and snow can also be planted in your fall desert garden. Look at the start of this article and use what you like to start your garden and enjoy the vegetables of your labors.

Dave Tally

July 16, 2012

VOLUNTEER WORKDAY, SATURDAY JULY 14, 2012

  

 THANKS TO ALL OUR VOLUNTEERS WHO CAME OUT ON A HUMID DAY TO HELP US 

                                                      

SOLARIZE AND READY OUR BEDS FOR FALL PLANTINGS.  YOUR HELP IS GREATLY

APPRECIATED AND YOU'RE ALL FUN TO HANG OUT WITH!

THANKS,  DAVE

SUMMER DESERT BEAUTY

                        
   THE MANY FACES OF THE SUMMER DESERT.
                         
                               Dave Tally, July 9, 2012 

               Beauty is everywhere!          

I love traveling in the desert; the speed at

which the desert landscape can change is

amazing.