B2
THE ASTORIAN • SATURDAY, AUGUST 3, 2019
Should I stay
or should I go?
Photos by Lynda Layne/Chinook Observer
An old glass former snake habitat is used as a makeshift greenhouse for lettuce plants.
Plot: ‘It’s my sanctuary’
raised bottle-fed calves for
meat and the family plan
was to also have a couple
milk cows and pigs.
That sure cut the gro-
cery bills. He said, “We’d
go to the store and buy salt,
sugar and pepper. Things
like that. That was the
extent of our grocery shop-
ping. We raised everything
else.”
Continued from Page B1
Luckily, this property
has a well, so daily water-
ing doesn’t break the bank.
Because of the sandy base,
Jensen says that water,
“Just sifts through.” It
doesn’t go down that far,
though. He said that while
it might look wet on top,
“You can dig down a foot
and it’s dry.”
Productive on a
smaller scale
Freezing for
year-round eating
While this bountiful
garden is thriving and both
Jensen kids can be seen
picking and eating straw-
berries, blueberries, rasp-
berries and a host of vege-
table varieties right off the
vines, this won’t last for-
ever. The Peninsula grow-
ing season isn’t that long.
So, Jensen makes sure to
freeze everything possible
for eating later in the year.
Sometimes, he has to sup-
plement it with the occa-
sional “store bought” pro-
duce, but growing all this
at home greatly slashes his
fi nancial output.
“I pick the snap peas
and put them in the freezer.
I’m going to do the same
thing with the beans this
year,” he said.
He also explained how
he makes his own bags of
stir fry mix for freezing.
“I can’t grow broccoli
here because of the white
cabbage butterfl y moths,
so whenever broccoli gets
down to about 99 cents a
pound, I buy huge quan-
tities of it.” He does the
Micheal Jensen, 15, takes a break from working in the garden.
same with carrots. But then
from his garden, he can
add a variety of produce,
including onions. “I chop it
all up, slap it together and
freeze it,” he said.
In his garden, straw-
berries and blueberries are
protected by a wood framed
bird netting setup he made.
This discourages birds and
wildlife, but does not nec-
essarily prevent daily pick-
ing by hungry teenagers, so
it’s a toss up if these or the
raspberries on the other end
of the garden will make it
into freezer bags. But isn’t
the whole purpose healthy
eating?
Farmer from
the get go
Jensen’s
upbringing
taught him the benefi ts of
self-suffi ciency.
He recalled, “I farmed
for a living from the time I
was about 7 years old until
I was about 35.”
He had two brothers and
two sisters, three of which
were 13 to 15 years older
than Jensen. “It was like
they had two litters,” he
laughed. The family had
to be careful about how
much was spent on food.
When his parents fi nally
became fi nancially able,
they bought a 10-acre farm
in La Center, Wash., for
$2,000. Grow-your-own
became the family’s plan.
By the time Jensen was
8 years old, he had estab-
lished two gardens, each
about “20 times bigger
than this one,” and he cared
for them himself. He also
Going to the Dogs!
ST
E
T
N
O
C
PHOTO
Welcome to
The early on-the-job
training educated Jensen
and still today, he uses the
practices to grow what he
can. It’s not on a 10-acre
farm now, but rather a 26
by 26-foot plot, but he says
that even so, “I sure get a
lot of stuff off of it.”
Jensen’s garden offers
more than just fi lling stom-
achs and freezer bags. He
loves gardening. He fl ashes
a contented smile and says,
“It keeps me sane.”
Sometimes, when the
teens are in school or off
doing other activities, Jen-
sen will plop a chair down
in the middle of his gar-
den and just sit for a while,
looking around at what is
growing.
“It’s my sanctuary,” he
admits.
Lynda Layne is a con-
tributor for the Chinook
Observer.
Dear Annie: My boy- mind made up to take this
friend and I are coming journey alone.
Stay where you are.
up on our sixth anniver-
sary. A few years ago, See how things play out
his mother was diag- once he’s settled back
nosed with multiple scle- at his parents’ house.
rosis. His parents live on He may be more open
the opposite side of the to talking then. By the
country from us. Their way, if neither of you
eldest son lives near them has raised the question of
and can help them out. marriage, it’s worth ask-
However, my boyfriend ing why.
Dear Annie: I’m 54
doesn’t think his brother
is doing enough. Ever years old. I’ve worked
in business for 30
since he went
years.
home for Christ-
DEAR
I started work-
mas and saw how
ANNIE
ing in sales, made
much his mom’s
my way to tele-
health had deteri-
com and currently
orated, he’s been
sell security soft-
talking
about
ware to compa-
moving back to
nies. I wear a suit
live with his par-
to work. It’s a big
ents so he can
take care of his ANNIE LANE job with a big
Creators
company on the
mother and help
Syndicate Inc.
East Coast.
out around the
Throughout the
house.
I support him 100 per- years, the people around
cent. I know he’s incred- me have gotten younger
ibly sad that his mom is and younger. I have been
pretty good at adapting to
going through this.
Now the question is: the ever-changing busi-
ness landscape. However,
Where is my place?
I like my job and my recently, I feel as though
current city, and I’m not technology changes daily
too far from my own par- and my co-workers and
ents. But I am totally bosses are kids.
I can muddle my way
willing to drop it all and
move across the coun- through Excel and Pow-
try to be with him in this erPoint, but my strength
difficult time. I’ve told is connecting with peo-
him as much. He is resis- ple. It seems as if every-
tant and tells me I should thing is trending toward
stay, that he doesn’t want technical know-how, and
to drag me down. I try to I am feeling outdated. I
tell him he isn’t dragging am not sure I can keep
me down. Helping him is up.
How do I keep pace
what I want.
Then there are the with such a fast-paced
logistics. There isn’t room world? — Old Guy,
for me to live in their Young World
Dear
Old
Guy:
house. I suggested getting
an apartment together that Why not use those peo-
is near his parents’ house, ple skills to get to know
but he is adamant about some of your more
savvy
living with them. I don’t technologically
know where that leaves co-workers? There is
us. We’ve never talked bound to be at least one
about marriage, and I feel person there who would
afraid to bring it up now. be happy to teach you
Should I just stay put some new tricks. And
and try to make this work that person could proba-
as a long-distance rela- bly learn a thing or two
tionship? — Stuck at a from you, too. After all,
it’s an increasingly rare
Crossroads
Dear Stuck: Don’t skill to be able to connect
move across the country with people, spark con-
for him. He asked you not versation, inspire curios-
to. If you were to give up ity and change minds —
your current life and fol- and that rarity makes it
low him anyway, you’d all the more valuable, not
be setting yourself up for obsolete.
Annie is on vacation.
a brutal blow. Whatever
his reasons, he has his First published in 2016.
Need health
care now?
When it comes to getting
health care, Providence
is here for you.
's
D G DAYS
Simon
National Dog Day
Photo Contest!
• EMERGENCIES: If you’re having an emergency, call 9-1-1 or
go to Providence Seaside Hospital’s Emergency Department.
Grab your collars and your cameras, National Dog Day is Aug. 26 and we
are on the prowl for the bestest, cutest, snuggliest pups on the coast.
• WALK-IN CLINIC: If it’s not an emergency, but you need to
be seen today, our walk-in clinic is open daily 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
(no appointment necessary).
According to www.nationaldogday.com, the day celebrates all dogs, mixed
breed and purebred, and works to promote the many dogs that need to be
rescued.
Location: 725 S. Wahanna Road, Suite 230, on the campus of
Providence Seaside Hospital.
In 2016, we fetched 103 photos; in 2017 we romped home with 207 shots
of more than 230 critters. Last year we had more than 180 photos.
Submit your photo(s) before midnight Sunday, Aug. 12 here:
http://bit.ly/Vote2019DogDays
Then, come back and visit the pooches all that next week and vote on your
favorite before midnight Saturday, Aug 17. Vote once a day.
• EXPRESS CARE VIRTUAL:
Want care right now?
Have a video visit on your
phone or tablet. Visit
Providence.org/
expresscarevirtual
Broadway St.
101
The top vote-getters will be featured in the annual Going to the Dogs
section on Saturday, Aug. 24.
S. Wahanna
Road
Share with your friends and family: #Going2TheDogsNW
Now, who’s a good boy? Who’s a good girl?
For more information, call The Astorian at (800) 781-3211
Avenue S
Providence.org/northcoast