Today I toured the yard looking for blooming things and sprouting things. I think I lead the neighborhood in dandelions. My front yard is pretty full of them. I don't want to spray them because they're about all that's available for bees right now. I'll get out the mower pretty soon and mow 'em down.
The birds have been diligent about "planting" violets too. I love the little white and purple flowers that pop up in spring. I don't want to spray those either.
I've still got only the one pink tulip. There are a couple more buds next to it but so far they're not open. Maybe they're waiting to take turns so each one gets to shine all on its own. As if tulips think about such things.
Dad's rose is starting to sprout this season's new canes. There are sprouts on the old canes too. I sure hope the cold over the next few days doesn't freeze it. Maybe I'll cover it.
07 May--Barbara Malcolm, Tropical Obsession.
By the day he pulled into Playa his
stores were down to a can of Spam and two cans of peas plus a leaking bag of
pinto beans, and he was running on fumes. The Tina Marie rode low in the water
again because his hasty repairs had begun to seep before he was out of sight of
Antigua and things had only gotten worse on the long passage.
A storm when he was just off St
Vincent had sent him scurrying for port and he had had to lay at anchor for
days, pumping out the ever-increasing water, and waiting out the lashing rain
and wind. Once the storm finally abated, he headed back out and turned the bow
of the Tina Marie south and west. He was headed for Bonaire to meet up with a
rich Dutch girl he had spent a few nights within Antigua. Her name had been
Ilsa or Elsa, something like that, and he planned to be at his charming best
and see if he couldn’t appropriate a bit of her inheritance for himself. At the very least he would live in improved
style until he got tired of her or her family got wise.
So it was that he motored into
Playa one fine November day, tied up to the dock, and stepped ashore into the
sweetest deal of his life. Right next to where he had tied the Tina Marie was a
sign that they were looking for water taxi drivers. Manning stopped and talked
to the guy dozing in the boat which for some reason was painted with cow spots
and found out there was nothing to the job. The company offered rides out to
the little uninhabited island about a half mile offshore every hour and there
was a sand beach to run up on to drop off and pick up passengers. It was
literally a taxi, no need to cozy up to old ladies or learn endless spiels of
boring island history. He told the guy, who introduced himself as Oxford, that
he would be interested, all he had to do was find a dry place to sleep. Oxford
looked over Tina Marie, said his cousin at the boat yard might be willing to
rent him a room over the workshop in return for parting out the boat.
That's it. It's a real struggle to find things to write about every day when I don't go anywhere or do much of anything. Sorry about being boring.
--Barbara
1 comment:
I hope you covered Hank's rose bush. We want to see roses added to the daily photo journal of your yard. The world does seem scary, doesn't it? Just going to the grocery store makes me anxious. At least we're transported to the Islands and get to meet new friends as long as you keep writing. You're definitely an essential worker in my book!!
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