Valentines Day
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Already past six here on the mountain and Karl the Wonder Dog has already been outside for a walk and is back in front of the wood stove snoring dog dreams and offering up an occasional involuntary leg movement as if thoughts of chasing a rabbit have taken over his mind. It's still dark out and the lights along the snow fence since Christmas provide a guide through the morning darkness. I'm actually glad we walked earlier as there has been a line of tractor trailers going by since we got in. They are all headed to the logging project down the hill and this morning their responsibility is transporting wood chips to the electric plant in East Ryegate. The first trucks will be loaded and on their way in less than two hours and the sound of the chipper will continue until about 4 tonight when it's time to shut it down and perform daily maintenance for tomorrow morning's repeat performance. When the project is completed, an old sugar bush will have been cleaned up and a crew will appear with plastic tubing by the mile and get things ready for maple sugaring season. This is big business in Vermont and last year a record setting million gallon production brought smiles.
Gail has worked for her good friend Jerome of Jerome the Florist in Barre for three days now. If you're down that way today and need an arrangement or cut flowers for a loved one or one you wish would love you, stop by. Gail is always squirreled away in a corner but she loves to help and although she returns home each day with an obvious tiredness, there is a leftover story and a big smile that makes me know they all worked hard and had fun. Each year some people just kind of show up to help on a process of flower prep, flower arrangement, sales and deliveries that you actually have to see to understand its complexity. Bazillions of flowers go out the door in a short amount of time. Yes, love is in the air but it takes a lot of busy hands to move through the holiday. Thankfully the weather has been good this year and although flower deliveries had to be covered this past weekend due to the cold, yesterday and today are better.
Each year around this time I write about a favorite perennial flower, Bleeding Heart or Dicentra. I have written about it on The Vermont Gardener many times before so for this year, in kind of a tax time laziness, I just want to reference previous writings if you are interested. If you are not, I'll understand. Just the same, warm Valentine's Day wishes. Be sure that before the day ends you have not forgotten anyone. Love is a funny thing but just caring about people is the real thing!
Fringed Bleeding Hearts
Two Friends
Valentines Greetings
Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where yet another truck just headed to the chip site. They downshift before making the turn in front of our house and I can count trucks without even looking. Busy day!
George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm
On Facebook at Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens and also George Africa
On Twitter as vtflowerfarm
Always here to help you grow your green thumb!
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