Now that Mother Nature apparently hit menopause, her hot flashes force me to water my flowers and bushes daily. Those who know me know that is not my first choice task. I prefer writing, reading, quilting, heck- even dusting – to gardening. Yet, amazingly, the tomato plant my daughter-in-law brought me is still alive and growing. No doubt Mr. Squirrel will dine on my efforts when they come to fruition and that’s another reason why gardening tasks my spirit.
I have discovered my garden hose has invisible hands and grasping little fingers. As I trudge along, nozzle in hand, from one spot to another that hose gets caught on everything. It’s as if it doesn’t want to go with me and resists by clinging to every rock edge, bush, and flower stem it can get its phantom fingers around. And no amount of yanking frees the darn thing. No, I have to trace my way back to the hang-up and manually disengage the plastic snake from whatever it’s clutching for dear life.
So how is it that my son – bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh – grew up to be, of all things, a farmer? Maybe it’s the ultimate rebellion. There must be an agricultural gene somewhere in my husband’s and my combined DNA. Maybe our ancestors were European peasants who tilled the soil from sun up to sun down and were grateful!
He and his wife own Bluebird Acres Farm where they produce Certified Naturally Grown (http://www.naturallygrown.org/) veggies and herbs in raised beds rather than plowed earth. Their property is dotted with long enclosed rectangular raised mini-fields that sprout whatever crop is in the rotation cycle for that area. While I am pulling a reluctant snake of a hose around my suburban lot, my son uses the various hoses running from the pumps he configured to bring water from their well and pond to his crops. It takes him about four hours to water his entire farm. And he loves it!
Go figure. Meanwhile, I’ll settle in my lawn chair with a glass of lemonade. As the sun sizzles I will marvel at how uniquely our children forge their lives when left to follow their dreams.
