Does “The GARDEN” Have A Meaning?

[Scott E. Spencer]

Does “The GARDEN” Have A Meaning?

It’s up to you to find it.

“JUST FIND IT”

This story starts with my father’s passing on Good Friday 2004. After 48 years of being a hunter-gather, and living in the same house, he collected a lot of good sh_t. Saved every scrap of whatever, We had to clean out the house. Three dumpsters of good stuff. He taught me well. Still can’t go past a pile of trash without looking. This cleaning task was difficult for me. So much good stuff and no place to put it. Trash it.

Two things of interest, to me, were twenty rolls of one-inch wide ripstop nylon, green. Why green? Must have been a bargain. A plethora of dowels. Good stuff, but what to do with it. Well I can put the two together. Darn, now I have to buy thumbtacks. Threw away a bunch last weekend. Darn. Four-foot strips were cut tacked to the ends of the dowels. And a garden was born. Stick’m in the sand and a recycled materials garden is growing. The good thing is that this is drought resistant rip-stop, even with the low soil quality and lack of moister, the nylon strips grow one inch per dayJ.

I planed to do this at the MIKE event. Checked out the Kite Loft’s beach cam and a location was obvious. With the garden boxed up and placed by the door a mouth ahead of time, I was ready. This was not a good ideal. With the door open, out of site, became out of mind, and out of the car. S#@* F@#&.

WWIKF-05

Wildwood was the next event. After consulting with the event coordinator a suitable spot was found.

I wanted to spell out “ED”. With my drafting experience, it was easy enough to draw out the plan on CAD. Double rows of plants. Being anal retentive, I contemplated, many times, how to lay out the garden and position all these plants. Drafting in sand. Just a little bit bigger then the computers screen. No problem. A marked string would be needed as a straight edge and spacing device. Another string for the compass with different radii marked. Stakes to anchor the string.

Tie strips to the string to mark lengths. No, they will move. Maybe strips of the green stuff sewn to the line so I could write on them the distance from the stake. Time to KISS it. Keep It Simple Scott.

Only one tool needed. A twenty-foot telescoping banner pole, used as a straight edge and a compass. Distance between plants, one stick length. Three feet. Oops the drawn plans call for four foot spacing. The length of the strips. That would allow for no touching of the plant leaf to the next stem. No touching was engrained in my mind from childhood vacation trips. O-well, a deep thought, and I’m lazy. I’ll be dammed if I’m going to trim off a foot of a perfectly good leaf mater. Then what would I going to do with one hundred one foot strips. More work and more planning. KISS it again. Finally a solution.

Couple weeks before Wildwood I started gathering stuff to take. Found a Rainbow Weiner Dog windsock Betty bought at an auction a decade ago. Flown a couple times then stashed away. Time to fly it again. This dog had to go since she asked about it’s were abouts a month before WW-20. Who knows what is going through a chemo-brain. Not me! And not even her! Just have to please it and wait for better clearer days.

So I‘m a morning person. The sun is up so I have to be up. Betty gets up at the crack of noon. Time to leave the resting rest. Time to plant the garden. Less then an hour and I’m done Simplicity was the key. The pole was a great straight edge and compass, the pole is there, why not use it. The DOG. I brought to surprise Betty. It didn’t take long for me to justify a dog in the garden. Just looking for a place to GO, there are no fire hydrants on the beach.

Does the garden have meaning? Yes, at WW it was a tribute to Ed Spencer, a personal statement from me, a smile for Betty and challenged people to enjoy, wonder and use their imagination for the meaning.

Many other people found meaning in the garden. Phil Broder, “That’s were the see turtle eggs are” A lot of other people got creative too. Mine was “Sometimes ED was a dog.” “It is what it is?” Art, Trash or what ever you make of it. It’s up to YOU.

OC-05:

The first day I spelled ED. Each morning I would rearrange, move and or maintain. Day two I formed a twenty-foot circle. Not enough plants to make a crosshair. A pease symbol was the filler. “Y”. On the third day it became a grid, just wasn’t inspired that morning. Day four and five I moved it to the sport kite area so they could enjoy it too. This being a higher tourist area 1/3 was lost to vandals. It was intended as a recycled Art form and disposable. No worries.

SJKF Bash:

The Garden was planted next to the promenade. Russ and Pat came by and like many others Pat had to ask, “What does it mean”. I started with “It’s Mans Struggle With His Inner” and got confused. She finished with, “His feminine side.” Why not? Some days it’s just entertaining, some days it has meaning, for me. What other’s think is there’s to think.

With a strong wind off the land the garden would dance in the turbulence. One side dancing to the right, the center pointing to the sea and the right side flying to the left. Variations ensued. Sometimes it took on the form of a wave at a sports stadium. Other times it looked like a Wheatfield, shifting, flowing and ungilating in the shifting winds. Sometimes it was like a flock of birds, a unified ungilating mass, flowing, purposeful but appearing meaninglessness in direction.

Does the garden have meaning? Yes, and NO, and sometimes maybe (that gray line).

At WW it was a tribute to Ed Spencer.

At the AKA convention in OC, MD, 05. It had many meanings; they changed from day to day and even while I would be setting it up.

Some times I have a plan some times it just happens. Subliminal or, repressed emotions stir the creative muse.

The main underling theme is fun.

The funniest part is watching people stop and say “WHAT THE HE!! IS IT”.

I listen to their comments chuckle, laugh with enjoyment and even shutter with there ignorance, then I ask them to close their eyes and clear there minds, then open there eyes and just observe the motion. Then I encourage them to share their emotions.

Isn’t that what art is all about? The artists express themselves and up to the observer to find some personal inspiration, personal meaning or just whimsical enjoyment.

Were does creativity come from. Lots of places Some times it is some thing to do at three in the morning when my mind is going at the speed of sound and my roomy is sleeping. Some times it’s just a desire to just sing the blues while doing a mindless task, to ease the depression and some times “I JUST DO IT” while singing an uplifting tune. It gives me time to think, or better yet, not to think.

Scott E. Spencer

There's more, see below.

[The Kite Shoppe]

Scott,

Thank you!

I enjoyed reading this.

When I saw it at OC '05, I knew immediately that it was a Garden. A sea of green waving in the wind. Like the dune grass. Smoothing, simple, beautiful. Thank you.

Now, remind me why and what that was we ate at breakfast? I think it started with a B? Brackle?

If we don't catch up to you and see you sometime before Des Moines, we will see you in Iowa!

Take care,

Theresa

[Penny Lingenfelter]

Great article Scott. Any chance we can get a picture?

BB

Penny

[Scott E. Spencer]

Great article Scott. Any chance we can get a picture?

BB

Penny

Ya, If some one can shoot seventy five 1" wide green strips on a white background.

I had no luck and so did others.

It's just one of those things that you have to see, first hand, to enjoy the beauty.

[Scott E. Spencer]

Now, remind me why and what that was we ate at breakfast? I think it started with a B? Brackle?

Theresa

When I saw that, the category, Kite philosophy was empty, I was shocked and angered.

When one is angered one needs not complain but find a way to fix it.

The Garden mussing was a perfect fix.

It is, in some sense, an article in progress.

For me it is a “Scrapple” of my journaling. During a tough two years when I lost two loved ones. One of which I was caregiver, during thirteen months of Chemo.

Kiting spans many areas, art, science, aerodynamics, mathematics, many other areas and why not philosophy (What, Why, How and What If).

So why hasn’t anyone shared there philosophical experiences.

Here is just another of my impromptu mussings.

A key area of Kiting is, FOOD and Friends.

Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner are integral parts of any great kite day.

Sorry for the tangent to this thread.

What is scrapple? Seems appropriate.

The breakfast meat food (product) of champions of the Philadelphia area.

Brackel. That's a good one. Sounds just right, once you know what Scrapple is.

In short, it’s pork by products (everything but the snout) meat pudding.

In the same family as Spam.

A mush of ground pork and cornmeal that is set in a mold and then sliced and fried.

Commercial scrapple often contains these traditional ingredients, with a distinctive flavor to each brand, though homemade recipes often specify more genteel ingredients, and consequently a blander taste.

So what are the non-genteel ingredients?

Scrapple is made of hog offal (see below for definition) such as the head, heart, liver, and other scraps. The proportion and spicing is very much a matter of the region and the cook's taste. Often small scraps of meat are left over from butchering; too small to be used or sold elsewhere, they were transformed into scrapple to avoid waste, a Pennsylvania Dutch tradition.

Other scraps? Does that mean the brain, testacies and again who knows what else.

Testacies = Rocky Mountain Oysters. Renamed, many times for regional presentation.

Betty and I tried the English version (sheep balls). Pretty good but the concept of eating testacies was painful for me, I still have mine and want to keep them with out any painful disappearances..

of·fal (ô'fəl, ŏf'əl)

n.

1. Waste parts, especially of a butchered animal.

2. Refuse; rubbish.

[Middle English : of-, off (from Old English, from of) + fal, fall.]

A good site for how to prepare the head meat. Not recommended for the faint of heart. http://www.globalgourmet.com/food/sleuth/0998/musings.html

History and regional popularity

Scrapple is arguably the first pork food invented in America.[1] Dutch colonists who settled near Philadelphia and Chester County, Pennsylvania in the 17th and 18th centuries created the first recipes. Others have posited that scrapple originated in Germany[2].

Scrapple is strongly associated with Philadelphia, eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. In Appalachia, scrapple is known as pawn haas. It can easily be found in any supermarket throughout this region in both fresh and frozen cases. It occasionally can be found in cities farther from the East Coast -- even as far away as Los Angeles -- in frozen form.

INGREDIENTS

1 pound pork pudding meat OR loose sausage

1 quart water, or pork broth

Salt and pepper, to taste

1-1/2 cups cornmeal

1/4 cup buckwheat flour

Butchering yielded rich meat scraps, too flavorful to give to the animals or simply throw away. Scrapple, however, was not invented in Pennsylvania. It most likely came with settlers from the lower Rhine area of Germany to Philadelphia. So it was in this country that the Amish learned to make the dish.

Two ingredients distinguish the dish - buckwheat and corn- meal (a New World addition), which act as extenders and provide a distinctive flavor.

Stir pudding meat or loose sausage into 1 quart rapidly boiling water or pork broth. When the mixture reaches the boiling point slowly add the cornmeal and buckwheat flour. Stir constantly until thickened. Cover and let simmer for 15 minutes over low heat.

Pour into two 1-lb. loaf pans. Cool thoroughly then refrigerate.

When scrapple is set, cut in 3/8 to 1/2 inch slices and fry in hot, greased skillet. When slices are browned and crusty, turn and brown on other side. Serve hot with ketchup, syrup or apple butter.

Makes 3-4 pounds of scrapple

Scrapple can be ordered, online, from several places, in a caned form.

Well that’s the end of my ponderings and research.

My question now is. When in Portland, OR what should I eat that is native to the Portlanders. And I don’t mean MareumBerry Jam.

[The Kite Shoppe]

Ah HA! Scrapple! Yep, that's it. Thanks!

Portland Cuisine? Umm......

You must mean Marionberry Jam? Yummmmm...it's really all you'll ever need. LOL!

I spent the first 18 years of my life growing up in Portland, and honestly, I can't think of a unique regional dish/food that comes close to Scrapple.

There's a short period of time in the summer, June to mid July, that Walla Walla Sweet onions are to die for. Deep fried, sautéed or just sliced raw on a sandwich...Yummmmm...can't get them anywhere else fresh! And when they're gone, they're gone....till next year.

You are a great story teller Scott! Thanks for filling in the space! What topic's next?

Theresa

[Scott E. Spencer]

Evolution never ends and "The Garden" is an example.

Prier to the 2006, 21st annual Wildwoods International Kite Festival I noticed Premiere Kites was selling Fish on a stick. Just had to have some.

Time to let the lying dog lye or put her to sleep. The Garden evolved into a seaweed bed. More green ribbons on a stick were created. At the festival a perfect location was negotiated. Close to the sound tent and the Kite Loft, Beach tent-store, and I'm happy. The new addition of swiming fish-i, yes they wiggle (swim). Fishy sticks are a little taller then the seaweed, perfect. Flowing grass and swing fish entice many to compliment me. Most people call it an Aquarium. But there's no glass, darn, now I have to hire a Mime to let people know were the glass is. This simple disposable, found-art, memorial is getting complicated. Many creative additions are discussed. I want flounder next, fluttering on the sand and a shark on long pole swimming above. Others suggested more color to the ribbons (different blues and greens), bubbles, clamshells, starfish, swimming Penguins, an old tire and even two empty cans of beer. Honest officer, I only had two beers.

With all these new conceptual additions now I have to make The Garden more durable and use fiberglass for the seaweed

supports and an engineered swiveled attachment point.

I'm way beyond the KISS principal now, but this project has taken on a life of its own and the complexities can exponentially enhance the visual appeal. As ground art it can be walked away from, not like a sky display. This leaves me more time to wander and enjoy the company of many other kite flyers.

The swimming fish are a simple addition and are a grand improvment. It could stop evolving here. But who am I to stand in the way.Now I have to decide to keep it simple or run screaming to the nearest mental ward.

WOW, another thought. Since the AKA Grand Nationals don’t include ground displays, I need to take the Aquarium to the air as Line Art. A large shark or scubaman as a lifter with seaweed, swimming fish and other sea amenities (Anemones), no pun intended, but modified spiky balls would work well too.

That's it for now. Stay tuned for further tails form the, stormy sea of my mind.

Scott E. Spencer

[Penny Lingenfelter]

My indoor flying gives my soul such a lift~ especially the single handled Rev. flying. It's not so much the feeling that I've become one with the kite, it's more I've become one with the music and the kite is my interpretive dance. It brings me unimaginable joy.

Scott, please come back and post again for us. I enjoy reading your post.

I'm not sure when we first met, but I will always think of you sitting in your lawn chair strategically placed in the parking lot at Lincoln City. That's one way to greet people!

BB

Penny~ Looking forward to the sky aquarium.

[ant man]

i rember that garden in wildwood it was the most beautiful thing ive ever seen at that festival great job scott hope to see it again and mabie get a KAPshot of it

[Scott E. Spencer]

The aquarium traveled to the AKA convention in Iowa.

I specifically took two empty Campbell’s Tomato Soup cans.

Camden, New Jersey is were it use to be made.

The funny thing is that people would enter the sea bead and remove the cans.

And leave them by the edge.

They didn’t throw them away just clean up the area.

Funny, they didn’t pick up the trash around the seabed either.

It was great to have time with "THE" Resa from "The" Kite Shop.

Did you get it? Theresa is "The" Resa, just like "The" Garden.

They are both a visual delight and enlighting.

Next time you see her say "Hi Resa" pause wait for a responce, then add

a kiss from Scott and one from yourself.

Kites are fun and so should be the flyers and our greatings.

Peace and Love

xoxoxoxoxoxo

[Penny Lingenfelter]

Oh, Oh, and the beautiful and intelligent "The Resa" is single.

BB Penny ~Looking forward to pictures of the garden.

[The Kite Shoppe]

The aquarium traveled to the AKA convention in Iowa.

I specifically took two empty Campbell’s Tomato Soup cans.

Camden, New Jersey is were it use to be made.

The funny thing is that people would enter the sea bead and remove the cans.

And leave them by the edge.

They didn’t throw them away just clean up the area.

Funny, they didn’t pick up the trash around the seabed either.

It was great to have time with "THE" Resa from "The" Kite Shop.

Did you get it? Theresa is "The" Resa, just like "The" Garden.

They are both a visual delight and enlighting.

Next time you see her say "Hi Resa" pause wait for a responce, then add

a kiss from Scott and one from yourself.

Kites are fun and so should be the flyers and our greatings.

Peace and Love

xoxoxoxoxoxo

Aw shucks, Scott

The resa

[The Kite Shoppe]

Oh, Oh, and the beautiful and intelligent "The Resa" is single.

BB Penny ~Looking forward to pictures of the garden.

I'll try and do one better than a picture for you Penny. I'll work on making one this winter, and plant it next Spring.

Are you coming to our Indoor in November? Hope hope hope

T

[Scott E. Spencer]

I'll try and do one better than a picture for you Penny. I'll work on making one this winter, and plant it next Spring.

T

WOW a west coast Garden, or is it gona be an Aqua theme.

All you need is 3' dowels, 3/16" or bigger, lots of 4’ long ribbons and thumb tacks of suitable color.

Fold the ends into a triangle, push tack through ribbon and into the dowel.

Do not insert all the way, this will allow the ribbon to rotate.

Pre drilling the dowel makes it easier to insert the tack.

Drill size should be smaller then the tack diameter.

Skip the part about my/your father dieing.

Many people suggested some blue ribbons. Dad didn’t have any blue.

Multiple ribbons on a stick would be great too.

Bill G from Maryland (Mr. Red White and Blue) is considering doing an American Flag motif. I’ve seen the design done with Petunias. Why not Rip-Stop.

Styrene stars on the end of the dowels.

You Go Girl

"The Resa" will rock the West Coast.

Tsunami optional

[Penny Lingenfelter]

Kewl, Now I could do territory. T if you need any help, let me know. I am hoping to come to Camas, though I won't pre pay a room in case life gets in the way. Not much for me to do down there but watch and visit. Steve will probably have football so I'd be on my own.

Sounds like the Lincoln City Fall festival was fun. Will we see pictures of it?

Scott, thanks for the inspiration! You rock too.

BB Penny ~tryin to do a "my space at penny_lingenfelter.