Shattered Stereotypes

I was in a pickle.

I had promised one of my gardening buddies (Marcus Brown) that I would meet with him and swap some plants and seeds.  He sent me an email and said he was buried and then asked if he could send a substitute.  I agreed.  Then he told me they would be contacting me.

I got a call from a very perky sounding young, female voice verifying the best time and place.  I double checked Marcus's email and saw that he had CCed a woman who had an americorp email  address.

I told my coffee guys about my problem.  I needed a chaperone.  I believe much evil can be avoided if one keeps temptation at a great distance and pays much attention to avoiding even the appearance of impropriety.  Ed agreed to help me out.  He said he would show up at eleven.  Jokingly, I told him that I really wanted his wife "Grandma Alice" as a chaperone but would settle for him.

A van pulled into the driveway at 10:40 AM.  Grandma Alice got out.  She told me that Ed had to go help a friend whose roof had collapse, so I was stuck with her.  I was very happy to see her.

Twenty minutes later (after I heard about every bad storm Grandma Alice endured, including details about the car she was driving, who was in it, the direction of travel and the wind direction during the storm...) my guest arrived.

I think she had the same training I did. She brought her own chaperone, another Americorp person.

Farm Girl

All girls are pretty, so I will not dwell on that fact.

Both Americorp people were farm girls.  They chatted up a storm with Grandma Alice.  One of them told us about raising one hundred chickens (Buff Orphingtons) and helping their dad slaughter them for meat.  They talked about the relative merits of venison (Yum!), elk (Double Yum!!) and other game meats.  They were both disgusted with recent changes in Michigan law that makes it harder to raise small livestock near urban areas.

We stomped around the place a bit.  They had the presence of mind to walk around the nettles.  Many people talk a good story but their performance in the field suggests otherwise.  These girls were smart enough to give Old Netty a little bit of room.

They both had college degrees in some variant of biology.

And one of them has a father who owns a bar, as in, a drinking establishment.  Oh, to be single again!

The main reason Marcus sent them was so they could learn how to graft. They both acquitted themselves well.

I loaded up their bags with assorted goodies and sent them on their way.

I dug up a lilac bush (Wedgewood Blue) that Grandma Alice had been admiring and sent her home with that as a thank-you.

Those Americorp girls were certainly not what I expected.