Tomato vs Alaskan Tundra

(by Nate)


Ha, ha! Like the title? I just realized that I now have a complex very similar to Texans. They call everything "Texas sized..." whatever. Up here it's variant is "Alaskan..." whatever. Oh well. 

Anyway...this is our very prolifict tomato plant

This is it's home

These be the imposters!

So, back around April 10th-ish we went to a class about gardening in AK. They gave us a baby tomato plant to take home. It was about 4 in tall in a nice little 3X3 potting plant, uh, pot. We knew it was going to grow and that we would have to transplant it into a bigger pot at some point but we didn't know it would grow so fast!  So then one evening we went for a drive to find some dirt for our little tow-mater. We looked for a long time, till we found a mound of what looked like just dirt (most is covered by a thick layer of tundra). We dug up the dirt, mud really, and pit it in our bucket. Sure it had some roots in it but I had chopped it up and mixed so we could get mostly dirt. Well, we took our dirt home and let it dry out in the garage for about a week and then planted the tomater. 

About a week goes by and I see three little bugs crawling around in there pot. I don't like bugs. I left them for the night and then the next night I decided that they had to be sacrificed for the good of our tomater and I ousted them right down to the whirling sink of...well, they're gone. (Apparently the bugs get pretty hellacious out here in the summer, yuck). 

Another week goes by and we see the beginnings of some new plant growing up inside the bucket. On further inspection, low and behold, there were three new sprouts! We watched them for about a week and then Morgiana yanked one out tonite. 

It's now been about, oh, roughly 3 weeks and our tomater is huge! And the most amazing part has been how the tundra (we can only assume it is tundra since that's pretty much the only thing that grows in the dirt up here) has begun to grow out of what we thought were dead chopped up sticks!

It is so amazing how life goes on. During the creation each was commanded, by authority of and with power in the priesthood, to multiply and replenish the earth in their respective sphere. How amazing it is that when this mortal experience beats you down, chops you up and hides you in the corner of the garage to dry out that all it takes is a few essential elements for you to spring back to life. We put our tomater in a bucket of dirt, placed it in the sunlight, sprinkled on a little water each day and with a little time (it grew lots) the tundra sprouted and grew out of a mostly dead, beat down, chopped up stick.

Likewise, if we just pray to our Heavenly Father, read our scriptures and add a little sprinkle of faith we will spring back to life no matter what it is that happens. That is the beauty of this life. To teach us how to continue, how to live forever, how to grow and adapt. I am so thankful for our Heavenly Father's plan and the priesthood power that makes it possible for life to continue and thrive.