I think I have enough marigolds

Kim, I like the idea of doing a joint video blog.  I'll have to check with Ron.  He likes talking, and likes being heard, so I don't see a problem. 

So, I left you on Friday night, Ron was falling on the floor, then locked himself in his room.  I lay there in bed wondering; was he still alive?  What would I do if he wasn't?  Really cheerful stuff. 

Saturday morning, I was pretty manic.  Ron couldn't find his soap.  I told him he had gotten "rowdy".  Ah.  He wanted the details, which I gave him pretty matter-of-factly. 

He told me he appreciated me being calm about it; I told him I didn't think it would do any good to get all shrieky, and undoubtably make it worse.  He said he had attempted to close the window a little on alcohol, and medication.  He didn't really think it was necessary to wait a couple hours, but now he realized it was important. 

Good.  I really hope we never have another "rowdy" - ever.  However, I do expect it on some level.  Ron's sick, this is a symptom. 

Speaking of illness; it was freezing cold out, and VERY windy.  Ron had told me he would take me to the huge garden center (the one that literally covers acres); and insisted he was still willing to go. 

I had already planned to bring the folding armchair (the kind that forms a cylinder when closed, and can be worn with a strap).  I stuck the fleece blanket with sleeves in there too. 

I couldn't find my coat, so I brought another.  Then I realized I'd put the first coat in the tote bag!  [snort]

Now, it was supposed to be one of those: pick up at 9, get home at 11 trips.  Ha!  We got home more like 1. 

And it was FREEZING.  The wind chill had my hands numb with cold.  Ron hates the cold.  What was I going to do? 

Well, the wind was coming from the north.  I found a huge display of bagged mulch near the entryway.  It blocked the wind very effectively, so I set up the folding chair.  Ron was thrilled as he felt the chair; for some reason he thought I was going to make him sit on the ground!  He declined the blanket and got out his talking book.  He sat there quite happily for over an hour. 

The interesting thing about the garden center: it's very much a conceirge arrangement; you tell the guy what you want, and he takes you all over the place, you select what you want, and put it in the cart, which he pulls.  I don't know about your area, but in Houston all the garden centers have a "little green wagon" kind of like those kiddie wagons. 

Me, I'm more of a "hunt-around and find it myself" type, but I think the large tote bag (with the blanket), not to mention the blind man in the folding chair, might have made them a little nervous, but I saw them doing it with everyone.  By the way, they blocked off Ron's aisle so no one could run him over.  Nice. 

I told him, I want to look at the annuals.  I already have pinks that went native a few years back, they reseed themselves every year.  They are very pretty and nicely fragrant, I don't need more.  I think I have enough marigolds! 

OK, off to the herbs.  Nah.  Do you have any cucumbers?  Why yes we do, ma'am.  Do you want Straight 8 or Homemade pickles?  I've grown Straight 8's, in a pot, and they did great.  I got one. 

I picked up a nice coreopsis, and a purple honeysuckle (I am a little confused, are the flowers purple?  The plant is a little purplish so I'm a bit confused).  I love honeysuckle fragrance.  It's one plant that grew well in both Virginia and California.  Then off to fig world. 

Yup, I wanted a fig.  I had visions of it in the side yard, a nice cute little thing. 

GLACK.  They were all at least 4 feet tall.  My helper recited the various varieties and I picked a Celeste.  They have a very good reputation, and most importantly, a closed eye.  I had an open eye fig and it kept rotting before it even got ripe! 

I found a nice sprouty-looking one with baby fruit.  Did I mention  it was tall?  I'll put up a photo.  I told him I was pretty much done and he went off with the wagon. 

I looked around and seriously considered a gardenia.  I even called Ron and he said no, he isn't too wild about the fragrance.  OK.  I put it back.  I also have space issues.  I wasn't certain about their light requirements, either.  I am positive I can find another lovely gardenia if I am interested, later on. 

I hunted around for fragrant things, but nothing really got me.  Had I wanted an azealea, they had hundreds (yawn). 

I was pretty manic, but I wasn't cranky or spendy.  I spent a lot of time looking, a lot of energy and ideas, but it wasn't manifesting outwardly.   I paid up. 

The cashier was freezing.  This is who I am: I gave her my hot hands hand warmer.  Then, about half an hour later, recalled that was my last one.  She had warm hands, I didn't.  Pretty funny.  [grin] 

I hate to see someone hurting, if I can help them. 

Ron was OK behind his windbreak.  Our ride was about an hour late.  I had to keep explaining "Metrolift".  They didn't really process it, I think, until the big white van pulled up.  OH!

The driver took a look at me and my fig tree and sighed.  I begged, and said I'd put it up.  I did.  The old man in the back of the van really liked the tree, and kept commenting on the delicious figs I was sure to eat this summer.  Once I got my stuff put up (one fig, one bag of plants), I got Ron. 

They rode us around for a while, but it was nice and warm.  I realized I was getting on my own nerves, so I took an extra lithium (doc and I are OK with this) and ate a bag of peanuts.  That got me pretty tired. 

Finally we got home.  I put everything in the house because we were due for low 40's last night.  I took a nap, went out in the garden, and brought in all the potted plants that could have been damaged. 

Trying to get a 8-gallon tomato plant onto the handcart pretty much convinced me I didn't want to put the fig tree in a large pot, as I'd considered.  I later decided to put it in the raised bed I just created.  It's still in it's nursery pot at the moment. 

I also set up "Ronworld" - Ron is kind of hesitant about going outside by himself.  He worries he might get a little lost.  I got the chain we purchased for the neighbor's dog (my intent was to chain her in her front yard everytime she got out, but she snapped her collar), and ran that from the burglar bars to the chair.  Ron loved it.  Then I got some clothesline and ran that from the chair to his tomato planter, and then to the faucet. 

He can follow the ropes to check on his plants, and water them now.  Good.  I would love it if he was just a little more interested in gardening. 

I'm pretty sure the only plant he ever tried to grow was a ... [cough] never mind.