Happy Spring, 2017

Oh yay!

Spring is here!

The sun is high in the sky and daylight savings makes the day last even longer.

It's time to herd the blooming flowers into submission to stay within the garden borders and train the many vines to climb where they will be the most appealing and beneficial.

The ancient grape vines that rotted and harbored some deadly bark disease, were cut back to their very nubs last fall and have come back to life heartier and greener than ever, already covering the garden trellis and showing a hint of fruit production, which has only happened twice since they came to live in my garden!

I'm not a gardener, or a farmer. I just don't have what it takes to make a fine looking garden and productive vegetable plot. I'm more of a garden trainer. I tell the plants to grow, clip their leaves and stems when they get brown and provide a little water.

I like to look at fine gardens and visit nurseries where plants seem so inviting and  lovely, but my head just doesn't have the imagination or the motivation to make an awesome garden. I'll just stick with my little tiny secret garden that can only be seen outside from the guest bathroom window. When that little plot of garden looks bad or dying off, I can lock the  window and nobody is the wiser. 

I was observing a the flowering Jasmine vine planted across the back wall. It had gone beserk and was vining its way up the telephone pole and various trees overhanging my back wall. It had also grown through the decorative holes of the top brick and was reaching out a good 4-5 feet into my neighbors yard who just had his yard re-landscaped. It was surprising he hadn't had his gardeners cut the vine back off his side of the wall. I decided to be the good neighbor and take care of it for him.

Keeping in mind that I am a senior and a little bouncy in various places, I balanced on top of a stump to reach up and over the wall and clung to the top brick with one arm , brandishing garden shears in the other. The vine was a good 1/2 inch thick in many places so I wrapped it around my arm for additional support . This worked well until I cut through my vines base unknowingly and crashed into the flower bed. Marred in places I had never messed up before, I continued my task of removing the vine and filled all the green waste bins, trash bins and buckets with the clippings. Gazing over the wall, I was satisfied with my work and glad to have rid the neighbor of the vines protruding every which way along his entire walled backyard. Cleaning myself up was a hapless job, covered in vine sap and bloody scratches, giant blobs of muck and Lord knows what in my hair. I started the pre-clean process in the outdoor shower, stripping down to the jog bra (never been jogging by the way) and the short shorts under the jeans. Just as I finish washing, I hear the neighbors and their children come out to their yard. I hear , "Oh no! Look at this! What has Happened?!"  The wife is tsking and claiming its a shame, now they have to look at the bare pink brick wall. "Now we'll have to pay to have even more plants put in! "

I kept quiet and slinked into the house. Apparently, when they had their yard landscaped, they had concrete patio poured all the way to their wall edge, leaving no dirt planter or planting space along most of that wall. They had counted on me leaving my wild jasmine taking over and creating a blooming green cover for them also. I guess this might have happened if they had let me know, but I certainly can't undo what I've done, and my side looks fabulous with the vine design intended for the wall.

Licking my wounds and  scrubbing sap  off my shoes and clothing could have been totally averted with a little forewarning.

The gardens are looking well. The seeds planted.... not so well. They don't seem to be sprouting so apparently I've poisoned them before they got started. We'll give them another try and then I'll focus my efforts on the living. Armed with garden scissors and a bucket, the yard is now back to manageable by myself. This gives me extra time to read by the pool and  smell the herbs and citrus which are planted throughout the yard. It gives me time to reflect on my many, many blessings, one of which is to be able to have my own yard and gardens.

I thank God for blooms, hummingbirds, garden lizards and butterflies, all of which have doubled in number now that their garden is cleaned up and there is new dirt and feeders to play in.

I hope you will find your little piece of garden and have a relaxing day, and enjoy a good book!
Happy Spring, 2017

Scowling, Puffy red jacket

Recently, Mr. Man and I were on a vacation in beautiful Lake Tahoe.
Our room was on the top floor of the resort, and provided an excellent view of the lake, mountains and forest. The elevators were being serviced, but there was one central elevator still working, and usually had no wait, even though it had to come to the 6th floor.

We were ready for a day out and about and stood waiting expectantly for the elevator. We could hear a commotion and screaming from below, followed by the fire alarms. Assessing our nearest escape route, the alarm ceases and the elevator doors open.

A 3 year old boy, wearing a bright red, puffy down jacket complete with hood,  comes bursting out and is dragged back in like a bouncy red ball  on a rubber band by his mother.

She is a MOM.

She has those long, extendable rubber arms and lightning reflexes only a seasoned mother develops. She has 2 other boys in the elevator with her, each a little older than her youngest, also dressed in the family uniform of the day. . . puffy red hooded jacket which makes the boys look three times their normal size with snow pants and boots. These two are tucked quietly into the corner of the elevator with backs up against the wall, lips sealed , hands at sides. Their brother, who had been dragged back into the elevator and now has his back against the wall with mothers hand across his chest, is scowling.
Mom apologizes to us as we board, and explains they had a bit of a scuffle on their way up to their room, and her son pulled the fire alarms.

The "glowering scowler is looking at Mr. Man and I. " ( He'll have to manage a worse look than that to frighten us.)
I look him in the eye and said, "Did you pull the fire alarm?"
He nods, yes.
I ask, "Was there a fire or an emergency?"
He says, "nope"
Mr. Man eyes him. "You never pull the alarm if there is no fire or emergency. That is bad . "
Mom nods, and says, "Yes. Very bad!"
We arrive on the ground floor. The Scowler looks up at us and says, with teeth clenched,  "Yeah, but I  wanted to see a fire truck and a fire. "

Mr. Man and I exit to outside. We look at each other. . . . both of us have clenched teeth and say,
"I just wanted to see a fire truck".

I'm also laughing because, really, who doesn't like to see a fireman on a firetruck?

I'd like to meet the Scowler again in 20 years to see if he's become a fireman or a Pyromaniac!