Home & Garden Show

Normally these home and garden shows aren't my cups of tea, but this time around (the 31st if we are to believe the advertisers), I put on my long-sleeved shirt and gardening hat and bore the teeming masses of folks who went to see that treehouse guy, Pete something. No, I didn't go see him, y'know, because of those masses, but I did at least a 10-mile walkabout in and out of exhibit buildings and over the roasting asphalt to see what kinds of things we can do at both the farm and the Plum Palace. My favorite exhibits were the plants and the antiques. The rest of the show was a repetition of solar panels, outdoor grills, metal yard art, and salesmen of every ilk forcing exhibitions of dog hair gobbling brooms and knives that cut through rocks down our throats, and, of course, fried twinkies. There were also soap and lotion booths that seemed out of place, and jewelers and other things that just didn't seem to fit the prevailing garden theme at the 'home and garden' show. One heirloom seed salesman commented that it was his first time ever at this show as his farm in Half Moon Bay was flooded and he had nothing better to do this weekend. His seed offerings were great and I plan on ordering a few of his beans to plant -- purple beans -- ha!

We also took a ride over to the Plum Palace to see what progress has been made since the weather's gone from monsoonal to spring cool, clear, and breezy. I've been driving by at least once a week after hours to see what's been going on with it, and from the curb, it looks like nothing. The only visible change was that the roof now has bundles of Spanish tiles on it. Yesterday, we got out of the car (something I had been told by security NOT to do without permission from the builder, which we got) and strolled in. Apparently, they've been busy as bees in there. All of the plumbing is in -- the sprinkler systems, the sewage lines, the water lines, the AC lines, the valves and hoozits, and the showers and tubs. So there has been some progress, but the PP and the bigger house next door are the only ones on the block without stucco and, well, walls. We met our new neighbors, Victor and Angela, who were out looking at their home, which had only the foundation framed and isn't expected to be occupied until sometime in July or August. We also spoke to the builder's rep and she said that all of the houses being built were now on the fast track since the weather dried up, which mean the weekly visits will reveal big changes, and most of the promised move-in dates would still hold. Ours is April/May -- the wee one predicted April 14th, but given the current status of the Plum Palace, I am more than doubtful. All I can say is moving day can't come soon enough.

It's another beautiful sunny late winter day and I'm champing at the bit to get out to the farm and put some things in order. I ordered several packets of witching herbs' seeds (mugwort, elfwort, vervain, yarrow, black cornflower, black viola, black hollyhock -- you get the idea), among other medicinal herbs, to have a nice stock of out of the ordinary herbs for the farm nursery. At some point, once we get a greenhouse going, I may donate a couple of patchouli bushes, and in the field try my hand at frankincense trees. All in good time.

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