A Night With My Parents

Last evening we stopped by my dad's place. Our initial conversation was about their efforts in the garden and their sheer frustration with trying to keep ahead of all the intruding elements. Dad's garden spot is rich soil but it is also low and the flood we had a few weeks ago did a great deal of damage. That along with such a cool spring put the development of his plants back considerably. Not good for the humor of Old MacDonald. To add insult to injury, the wildlife has been devouring many things. Dad always has pod peas much earlier than now but the plants have been eaten down to the stubs. Mary said she picked five little peas one day AND COOKED them for him...Another day she cooked six. Another staple in the garden of the Mac Donalds is parsley. Mary is a great cook and uses parsley and basil liberally. Each year she prides herself in her beautiful parsley and basil plants. When we went to look at them last evening, she showed us a teeny little plant with two types of wire cover to protect it because one cage hadn't done the job. Last winter, Dad, as usual, started his sweet potato plants while still in Florida. When he came home, they were beautiful. Not so any more....something has been getting those also. Dad now has two rows of electric fence around a long row of sweet potatos, one high for the deer and one lower for the small animals. He has one also around his entire garden and one around his roses. It is hysterical.

Mary told of driving into the yard as they came home late one evening recently to watch a skunk run from the orchard to a bush under their bedroom window. Then they had to walk through the yard from the garage to the house and she said that was a bit disconcerning. When they got to their bedroom, the place stank because they weren't the only one that had gotten scared. The skunk had done his thing so they had to shut their windows before they could retire.

Speaking of orchard....note the pics....the pears and apples look great and seem to be out of reach of all the varmints.

My dad is a wildlife enthusiast....he gets that from his father who was a taxidermist and a fur trader......but he has about had his fill of them and is talking gun. Between the deer, rabbits, groundhogs, racoons and whatever else, they are doing him in this year. He told us that he went to the feed mill yesterday for a live animal trap. They were out of stock but will have one in on Friday...we asked what he was going to do with the animals once he trapped them and he said with glee, "Kill 'em". That is so contrary his character that it made me laugh.

Soon after our arrival, Mary was in the kitchen clearing the centerpiece off the table and I knew then we were going to play pinnocle. Play pinnocle we did and the men had a good night by winning two out of three. That isn't their usual good fortune so Mary and I felt we had boosted their egos by our losing. We had a blast as usual and find them so entertaining. Keep in mind that my dad is 88 years old and his wife nearly 80. I don't know many people that age that enjoy life as they do and have such a "go get 'em" attitude. I praise God for everyday.