On Tue, 15 Jul 2003 15:39:33 GMT, "K Barrett"
wrote:

Death by Coffee.

By Eric Hunt

It was a dark and stormy night. The wind howled, branches scraped against
the siding of the GH, where all was snug, tucked up inside. Or so it seemed.

Down at the cattleya end of the greenhouse a mixed crowd of scale and thrips
were feasting on new buds, burst fresh from their sheaths just that morning.

"That crowd just ruins the neighborhood" remarked a slug as he passed Barney
the Bushsnail crawling along a rhizome. "Always flitting about, their larvae
escaping through drainage holes. I tell you, there ought to be a law."

Barney agreed, however he didn't really feel that way. He just wanted to let
the slug go on its way. "Down to the tray of beer, no doubt." thought
Barney. "Slugs! Ha! They are soooo predictable."

Barney liked to stay snugly hidden amongst fine roots. Away from the sturm
and drang of everyday greenhouse life. Others considered Barney to be almost
a monk, beer never affected him the way it did common slugs and snails. He
was never lured by the wafting odors of metaldehyde. Nope, not Barney! He
learned from other pest's mistakes. Barney had assured himself of a long and
prosperous future by being small, medium colored and investing in Intel at
$6.

Just then, as he was reflecting on his bright future, it happened. At first
he thought a bit of the rain out doors had dripped into the pot whose roots
he was currently feasting on. Moisture! Glorious moisture! He was a lucky
little bushsnail, now wasn't he?! And there was something different about
this moisture. Different from the usual rain. Ah! The aroma! There was a
certain complexity to the acid/tannin balance. "There must be something dead
on the roof." thought Barney. "However its making this water really rather
intriguing. Insouciant! Piquant! And just a hint of vanilla.... ummmmm...
vanilla!" Barney crawled further into the stream, bathing fully in the
waters." Ahh! That's making my skin feel just smooth and slippery all over!
I feel like a whole new me! Forget bo-tox! This skin peel is marvelous!"
Heady with glee Barney kept bathing and bathing. Soon he was joined by other
mollusks. Slugs, snails and other bushsnails all partying up a big time in
the Bulbo section of the greenhouse. Someone started some music playing.
"Summer's here and the time is right, for dancing in the street!"

But then the music screached horribly to a halt.

"What's happening to your face?" a slug screamed at Barney. "Its all melty!
Worse than [gulp] SALT!"

Barney looked around and it was true. They were all melting... melting.
Something was spoiling their horrible wickedness.

"See Kath? Its true." Eric said as he poured some left over espresso blended
with water over the Cirr Elizabeth Ann. "Mollusks just hate the stuff."

The End

K Barrett

LOL after that I guess I best go make another pot. This one is
gone. Thanks Kath. I really needed that. G
SuE
http://orchids.legolas.org/gallery/albums.php