Part Fifty-Five

"Excuse me," said Florence in a sweet voice right after she bumped Kelly's arm.

It looked to Peggy like a deliberate bump.

"Did I interrupt you?" said Florence with a show of concern.

"I am preparing my potato farming shopping list," said Kelly with pen in hand. "Now, let's see, cottonseed meal, bone meal, greensand, kelp meal..."

"Sounds like a recipe for casting spells," said Florence. She sat between Kelly and Luke on the 5:20 a.m. ferry. On the other side of Luke sat Paula wrapped in a flowing brown skirt with a matching poncho. Peggy wondered if Paula made a new outfit every weekend or if she just had a closet full of them. Peggy also wondered whether or not Luke had officially ditched Florence.

"…that's the fertilizer mixture," Kelly was explaining patiently. "The cottonseed adds nitrogen, the bone meal adds phosphorous, and the greensand gives the soil potassium. I think my soil is low in nutrients."

"Heaven knows we can't have that," said Florence.

"When do you start planting?" asked Peggy.

"I won't actually plant the potatoes until next Spring. But this fall I'm going to get the beds ready and grow a cover crop," he said.

"What does the cover crop do?" asked Raoul.

"It enriches and aerates the soil. For example, there's something called vetch that fixes the nitrogen level to a good point for potatoes, then you just dig it in about a month before planting."

"It's not very appetizing to think of potatoes and kelp and vetch all in the same little garden plot," said Florence.

"Don't forget the aged poultry manure," said Kelly.

Florence's face turned pale.

"I read something interesting about potatoes just the other day," said Paula. "Potatoes are grown in 130 nations and are consumed more than fish and meat combined."

"And they grow from sea level up to thirteen thousand feet," said Kelly.

"And they are high in vitamin C, potassium, and even high in protein for a vegetable," said Raoul.

"And you can get potato salad already made at the grocery store," said Florence.

Kelly looked horrified.

"You haven't lived until you've had potatoes right from the ground," said Peggy.

"Not if they come with chicken doo-doo and kelp," said Florence.

"I visited a farmer once who didn't pull up potatoes until he was ready to prepare a meal with them," said Peggy. "They were so crisp and flavorful that I felt like I was eating a potato for the first time."

"I'll need some help harvesting these potatoes," said Kelly. "One person has to gently turn the ground up with a fork while the other pulls out the potatoes."

"Sounds like fun," said Raoul.

"I'll bring my coveralls," said Florence. "Maybe someone will mistake me for Paris Hilton."

"Who?" said Kelly.

"It's not important. I forget you're allergic to television," said Florence.

Peggy turned to Raoul. "Doesn't Kelly's project sound interesting? Maybe we should plant something."

Before Raoul could answer, Florence said, "Planning to put down roots over there, are you?"

Peggy turned pink. "It's just a garden."

Raoul came to her rescue. "What would you like to plant?"

"Why don't we plant something that goes with potatoes?" she suggested. "Then we can have a grand feast next Summer."

"Great idea," said Kelly. "I'm planting Ruby Crescents, which are very versatile, and, if it works, a potato called Rose Fir, a cream-colored fingerling with a nutty flavor."

"Maybe we should grow a variety of green vegetables," said Peggy.

"That's a lovely idea," said Florence. "I'll bring steak. Luke and Paula, are you two planning to grow anything?"

Paula looked at Luke. "I've always wanted to make wine," she said.

"Uh, okay. I love wine," said Luke, who appeared to be somewhat clueless and flustered at the moment.

"Are you sure you don't want to think it over?" said Florence. "It could be a long term effort, you know."

Luke thought about it and looked at Paula. "I think I'm up for it."

Florence sighed. "I guess I need a hobby. Everybody's got a long term, um, hobby these days."

"I could teach you to cook," said Peggy. "It's really a lot of fun."

"Do you know what my kitchen is? It's an unwrapping room."

"We'll start with something simple. Let's do it this weekend," said Peggy.

"What the heck. I'll give it a whirl," said Florence.

"That's the spirit," said Raoul.

Peggy looked out at the dark morning over Puget Sound and saw the reflection of the group in the ferry window. The faces were shadow, but smiling. She was suddenly reminded of a painting by Van Gogh she saw in a museum once.


The Potato Eaters, by Vincent Van Gogh. 1885

What had struck her about the painting at the time was how the family seemed to draw comfort from very small things: a meal of potatoes, a single light over the table, the company of others.

Yes, she had to agree with Florence. Everybody's finding a hobby these days.