Maybe things are getting back to normal which makes a supposition about normalcy. Other than the farmers market selling all eggs within 15 minutes of the opening bell BEFORE I purchased my weekly dozen, it was a truly beautiful and fulfilling day. I went back to Alachua Feed & Seed and bought more onions starts, cauliflower, cabbage, brussel sprouts (despite that they still taste like pods of aspirin even if sauteed in butter) and more romaine to rotate as I start harvesting what has grown. I came home and planted them, but not after a light hearted visit with my mother over coffee and a divine puff pastry braid I made for breakfast.
I then tackled the blackberry swath. I have been transplanting the blackberry volunteers that return in the flower beds around the house to a ever elongating ribbon that will (one day) run from the side yard property line to the back fence line. Last spring I sprinkled wildflower seed in among the blackberries which resulted in a lovely summer ribbon of color with five foot high zinnias and cosmos. Those have all died back, replaced with five foot high WEEDS. I cut down the red-shirt freshman saplings, too (which I think are just vigorous weeds). One of these weeds exploded when I pulled it out of the ground and I was instantly covered with hitch-hiker seeds, the flat, sticky kind. I had hitch-hikers in my hair, stuck to my skin, my neck, down the entire length of my clothes and even inside my gardening gloves. There were thousands of them. It gave me a sliver of an idea for the new story I am chewing on in my head. I thought the seeds were a CREATURE.
And can we talk about the day, the weather, the fall sun in a cloudless sky marred only by the trails of super sonic jet planes? It was a beautiful day. And while the university football team took a severe spanking on their Homecoming, I had the bonus gift of friends coming over after they abandoned ship in the 3rd quarter. I cooked. We ate. She washed the dishes and them we piled onto the sofas – she and her adorable husband and me with the turd butt cats – and watched the first two episodes of House of Cards. They’re hooked. I’ve already watched the series. I really, really liked the company.
It was a good day. It was a simple day. And quite possibly the single most blessed part of the day is that my bees might be back. If they aren’t back, they are close and they are hacking the abandoned hive with dogged determination. I stood about 10 feet away and watched them swarm around, entering and exiting. I could HEAR them working. It’s more than a few scouts. And of all the things that could have shown up on my front doorstep (or in my back dooryard)….it is for the bees I am most grateful….plus someone else to wash the dishes.