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30-03-2003, 04:20 PM

In article ,
says...

So how are your larkspur?

season befo last they practically vanished, don't have a clue why. last
year there were a few that came up late and I've seen a handful in the
pots with the pecan trees I dug up for the vet. of all places. something
must have hosed the winter germination process, either that or there's some
kinda bug. but I don't much go for that one. in any case I'm ragged about
it.

[Cass wrote}
which taught me a thing or two about pruning this year. I BR'd mine to
redecorate, and I'll be damned if it doesn't look soooo much better
after the vicious attack of cutting all the canes back to about a foot.

have a new neighbor in the north house that's been vacant and neglected for
a couple years-- Twyla. she be out there hackin and slashin and rototillin,
which is good, but one morning a couple weeks ago I drive by and she's
hacked all the remaining pink roses of her road-lining hedge to a foot or less,
almost fell outa the truck.
I know she meant well. pink rose hedge, pink rose hedge, wtf kinda pink
rose hedge is it???? it's the most common damn name, it's patetic I can't
remember it. anyways, those remaining roses have survived every conceivable
type of abuse over the past dozen years, with no supplemental water whatsoever,
and I'd always marvelled at their ability to keep inching up to about 4', some
of them. I'm telling you it was a shock I'm still not over.

Simplicity, there you go.

Mount Hood, Saint Patrick, Sheila's Perfume - all planted in a fairly
shady spot so gangly as all get out. I felt that the taller, the better
to reach the sun, but it had to be done. Now I wait. Grow, GROW
dammit.

yesterday I was spacing on the evolution of things, the pre-pecan glory of this
one area? Have a few of those taller, the better to reach the sun units
there. If I hacked em back, it would be sayonara, I know it.
If anybody has anything to say about the reverse gravity they suffer from,
I can tell them plenty, or maybe even shut UP. I'm content enough with their
continued but measured output and am at peace with their inevitable fate.

Harry, Shreveport, Calico, Caramel Creme, Eclipse, Royal William, and two most
amazing minis, Scarlet Moss and Jean Kenneally--gosh I could tell anyone they
could have been so lucky as to have watched these roses for fifteen years.
I know the word 'cuttings' but have never been so inclined.

So, what will I hack today?

the landscape is noticeably different this year, even the horseshoers
noticed
it, said things looked more 'open' for some reason. yeah, new chainsaw.

ooooh, what did ya get? That's my next purchase, after a couple of
months of playing Chainsaw 101 with a Stihl that is too far away to use
here.

I got another Remington electric, the biggest I can hold in one hand, have to
hold on with the other. think it's a 14 but it might be a 12, goes through
cottonwood like paper in any case.

more
horsepower. the first time I fired it up was on this 20' cottonwood branch,
god knows how much it weighed,

I read the book for the Stihl all the way through three times before I
even fired that thing up. I am such a chicken. But sheesh, I've lived
in logging country. I know just how dangerous this stuff can be.

I'm basically done for the year but I can't live without the instant
gratification--I just never had any idea how badass a small electric can be.

You keeping your chipper busy? I got everything sharpened this spring,
and boy what a difference.

haven't fired it up lately, burned the last bunch. heheh.
it too much rattles the peace of the valley, rings in my ear for a week.

another Paul McCartney, Barbara Streisand, Amalia, some kinda
'Autumn' gd climber, and Fire Meidelland. That oughta do me.

no way. There are so many more roses you need, I am positive.

I still have 7 holes to dig. yesterday it was my chevy, today it's the ford.
yeah, sure. I need mo roses gouging me every place I walk. Huey as I come
in, Wedded Bliss Weeded Bliss as I cross the ditch and Mme. Caroline on further
out, that just about covers it. I can't hack their best canes, so I just let
them have their way with me-- I just don't need much more of the same. If
some rose decides to check out--which will happen--then I'll make some
determination.

Slow Ride. Take it Ea sy.

m ]\]

Regina