Does anyone else remember the photo of the election official examining a ballot with a magnifying glass in the disastrous 2000 Bush vs Gore election? I’m not going to look up the photo because I don’t want to ruin the picture I have in my head.

First of all, he lives in Florida. That should be enough, but I’ll go on; he has a combover. The kind where there are a handful of gelled strands reaching mightily across a sweat-shined scalp.

By the way, what is the point of a combover like that? We all can see the balding head. No one is fooled by the desperate clinging of nine dwindling strands. Dude…you’re bald. We’ve all accepted it, now it’s your turn.

Anyway, his magnified eye protruded toward a questioned ballot like one of those jungle dwelling Aye-Ayes. We were expected to rest our laurels on the decision of gentlemen like this. He couldn’t even accept his baldness, how could he accept a valid ballot?! I’ m being harsh, I know. It wasn’t his or his baldness’s fault.

But how many ballots ended up determining that election? I won’t look it up, it’s too depressing. I can’t go there and dwell on how different our climate crisis would be had Gore won. Le sigh.

Don’t worry though, I’m not trying to rehash political tragedy. But, if you need to shed a tear, I’d understand.

No no. we’re bringing this back to gardening. Remember how x numbers of ballots determined not only an entire election but also our future livelihood (cuz of planetary destruction by humans, particularly by that Big-Oil-enabling SOB whose name rhymes with insaney)?

Well, this is all to say that small factions and fractions can and do make an impact (PSA please vote in the upcoming midterms!). I SWEAR I’M GETTING TO GARDENING!

I just moved my vegetable garden three feet north.

Yes, that’s it.

I toiled. Broke my back (figuratively). Brought enough dirt into the house to make my husband scowl. Left a huge mess in the backyard for weeks - I’m sure the neighbors loved that. Put my plants through the ringer. Let plenty of carbon dioxide escape the soil while I dug and dug and dug. I created a new setup that I'm only 67% sure that I like. I’m still not even done yet.

And for what?

For three damn feet

Because that is how much it will take for my veggies to get the full sun they need to succeed. The neighbor’s damn maples are blotting out the sun where the veg beds used to be. Based on my precise (lol) calculations (ha), the veggies will be much happier three to eight feet further north.

Does a little bit go a long way? Ask Al Gore.

Does three feet really make a difference?

Remember the tulips!