Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth." Genesis 9:13

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Warning if you are squeamish about worms

(If you are squeamish, don't read, but this is safe:  I'm feeling a bit better.  I don't think I'm going to wind up succeeding on this main drug, but at least the mania is receding a bit.  I'm sleeping slightly better with the valium dose figured out.  I'm learning what to watch for.  Tonight I had used my rescue inhaler (aka torture device from hell) twice so I knew falling asleep will be hard so I took more valium.  Generally I take 1/4 of a pill and if that is not working in 30-45 minutes I take another 1/4.  I've never needed more.  So at least I fee in control of that again which helps a lot.)  Squeamish people, stop here.




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A couple months ago I got a check from my aunt.  She sends me money occasionally and usually I donate it to charity because I don't want her to feel she has to give me money; she's retired and it is surely not freely laying around.  But this one instructed me to spend it on something I really want.

Every summer my mother and I grow a garden.  By this I mean my mom grows, I help pick and can.  About a year ago I got really insterested composting but since I needed to do it inside focused on vermiform composting. To do this you have a stack of several trays with mesh bottoms and you put the food in the top bin, chopped up and the worms eat their way through the trays and move upward when they have finished the current bottom tray.  At that point, and I'm not totally clear on how you know this has occurred and need to read more you have a tray of "worm castings" (aka poop from the veggies, dryer lint (not kidding), hair (not kidding), eggshells, papers, and on and on that you've fed them.  That becomes your fertilizer.

During those days I was off for my breathing test/med adjustment I felt too lousy to do much else so I did a lot of internet shopping for things I'd put off buying out of laziness.  So I got my composter and worms.  The worms arrived on a bitter cold day and were in a sheltered from wind up not warm room for many hours.  We were sure they'd be dead.  I decided to set it up and per the instructions give the worms a chance as they were sent dehydrated to help prevent freezing and even dead looking worms can be alive.  So after things were set up I proceeded to learn the difficulty in dumping 1000 worms out of a cloth bag.  They were all alive and while I do not get grossed out easily the heap of them about did me in.  Fortunately I now don't have to see them anymore, or at least no en masse.  You can, however, hear them eating which a little odd.

So this last week has involved a lot of timid trips to the basement to check them.  I've killed a few, not sure how yet.  To make it up I just saved one from drowning in the run-off collector.  With my bare fingers.  Touching worms hasn't ever bothered me but something about the quantity and the hearing them is weird.

Yet I'm learning that you rapidly learn to love the worms.  I could tell this talking to people and reading about this.  It's true.  I have no idea why you get attached except that they are relying on you to take care of them, but it's like 1000 rather creepy little pets that take almost no time, unless like me you can't stand to not know what is happening.

4 comments:

WinnyNinny PooPoo said...

I have that creepy feeling down my back like maybe a worm is watching me!!! :)

Just Me said...

WNP-That's about how I feel each time I open that lid. I washed my hands 4 times, thoroughly and changed shirts after the last trip. It's very weird to feel attached and yet "OH MY THERE ARE 1000 (minus the 8 I've killed" worms BREEDING in my basement!!!!!!And because I paid for it!

Michal Ann said...

Oh my goodness, can I get on board with "worm talk." I can't imagine HEARING one THOUSAND (minus 8) eating BUT they're marvelous creatures.

Last spring my little grandson Mason and I had a great time enjoying the wonders of a REALLY big angle worm. We watched the worm crawl and bury himself in a huge patio pot as I explained what I knew of the worm's "job." The next time I saw Mason he said "The angle worms are eating the old leaves and the dirt and pooping it out all pretty like you said." :)

Soo...let's go forth with Mason's profound thought in mind. Let's try to process the dirt and the old stuff and "poop it all out pretty!" :)

Glad to hear that you've been having a good time with your new little "pets."

Anonymous said...

ok - so - must you buy the worms 1000 at a time? Could you maybe get them in increments of say, ten? I could do ten at a time - don't think I could stomach 1000. Ewwww... creepy crawly.

And hear them? Bigger ewwwww! What does it sound like? I cannot even imagine.

B.