Day 308; Footnotes of No Longer The Sound of Silence or How Many Peppers Picked

My time of temporary solitude, has come to an end.

My son left last Friday for the races in Martinsville, VA. After the weekend there he was off and running to the coast of North Carolina and a few days of camping. He finally walked in the house a little less than an hour ago. His presence filled the house immediately.

I had been watching his progress coming home via the Life 360 app. I was timing it so to know when to prepare supper and it still be hot. It was slightly frustrating as the app would at times stop working or take a while to update. I did have supper prepared and not too soon when I heard his car pulling down the road. Molly and Bella went insane. We have new neighbors in the first apartment, I’m sure they didn’t fully appreciate the dogs barking so crazily at nine at night. He pulled down the drive, got what he needed out of the camper and came inside. The official, inside cat, Cricket, finally came out of hiding and let him know in no uncertain terms, she was not amused at his absence.

He showed me some of the photos and videos he had from the races as we caught up on his trip. He let the dogs inside and let them let him know he had been missed. While the cat was standoffish and annoyed, the dogs were all over him. Extremely happy to see him back. It took a while before they finally allowed him out of their sight.

It was amusing how he kept avoiding asking me why there was a hot pepper plant on the counter. I finally gave up waiting on him to break down and ask so I told him about my day.

My mother called up here and told me that she knew it was cold and raining, but their dog needed to be walked and dad wasn’t able to do it at the moment, would I? I immediately (honest  I did) went down and walked their little fuzzy around the yard so she could take care of her needs. Thankfully at that moment, it wasn’t raining. As I walked her around, I glanced over at the remains of my garden. I was amazed at what I saw. There were sweet peppers on several plants, a couple egg plant needing harvested, but there were so many blossoms. Pepper plants, tomato and the egg plant all were still blooming and some had small fruits still growing. And of course the weather prognosticators are calling for a freeze tonight.

Once the dog finished up her visit to the yard and I took her back inside, I went home to get a bucket. I then went back and harvested all that was large enough and a few barely big enough. I was wishing I had a portable green house of some sort that I could place over the plants to protect them, but I don’t. Its sad knowing that plants still trying to live and produce may be killed off in the early morning hours. If my son had been home, I might could have got him to help me find a way to cover the plants and see if they could survive, but with just me. I let it be. Mom has already over a month ago asked about cleaning up that area.

When I got back up here, I went to the edge of the yard where I had seen the hot pepper plant that I didn’t recall planting and still think was a volunteer from last year, and picked up the planter and brought it inside. I’ll figure out a way to put it in here near the window and see how long it survives.

It was obviously very dark when my son got home. He was tired and had no desire to attempt to park the camper where it goes. He also didn’t unhook from his car because hooking up is an activity that isn’t the most fun. I offered to let him drive my Jeep but he said he might ride his motorcycle. I told him how cold it is supposed to be and he shrugged it off. I’m betting he drives my Jeep.

I’m amazed though about that garden. Here it is November, and so many plants were still blooming, still producing. Even though the conditions were not optimal, they still were doing what they had been planted to do. Still growing, still blooming, still green. My mother as I said, had asked about cleaning the area up, pulling up the plants and clearing away the weeds that had grown. But I hadn’t done it yet. I gave it a chance.

I think that there are people like that. People who others give up on, who are not expected to thrive and produce but they keep moving forward. They surprise those watching by doing more than anyone would have thought possible. Out of determination and inner strength and belief. We really need to have more faith in others and give them their chance. Because the harvest they produce, can be amazing.