I happened to make it to Carol’s garden in Amherst, Mass the other day.
It was a spur of the moment trip even though I’ve planned on going since there was snow on the ground. A combination of circumstance led me there. I just happened to stumble into blog world and was reading quite a few before I started mine. One of the first things I came across was talk of a ‘Spring Fling” at Pam’s Digging. Well it doesn’t take much to put an idea in my head. Unfortunately Texas was a bit too far to go just to have a good time.
By now Mr. Brown Thumb had managed to coax me into starting my own blog. I’ve learned since then I better rely on my photographs. A few one liner comments doesn’t qualify me as a writer. But still I try and participate since it’s a way of sharing. It’s a world tour of personal gardens and I’m still waiting for someone to show me a gardener that can resist showing off theirs.
That’s how bloomingwriters - Garden Blogger Geography Project steered me to Carol’s place. No big deal. It was one of numerous blogs I visited. But going through some old posts of Carol’s I learned she had used her little car to haul some fairly large rock to build her steam and pond. Now there was something I could relate to. Anyone who drives around the countryside kidnapping rocks and putting them to ‘work’ is my kind of person. Not just anyone knows how to outsmart the big ones.
If anyone deserved another rock I figured Carol qualified. I pretty much made up my mind right then and there to make a drive by rock drop off. Sooner or later I was going to be within 60 miles of her place and figured it was a good excuse to revisit some old rock hunting grounds of my youth.
As you can see I made it to Carol’s and saw the pond. It almost didn’t happen. We both had limited time and mine was running out. Getting lost in western Mass. is not a good idea. Relying on memory of roads taken so many years ago isn’t a good idea either if the storage medium gets corrupted. I managed to make a 50 - 60 mile trip turn my odometer over 100. At home, 40 miles isn’t considered a long drive but driving the back roads in western Mass is painfully slow. What really hurt was losing over an hour before I really had my bearings.
But i did make it and before you know it I broke off the conversation and chased another visitor out of the garden. I only wanted a better shot but the butterfly refused to cooperate.
Turning the corner from the sunny garden I saw the fire pit. It was very nicely done but I couldn’t help but feel a bit sad. It will never hold a ‘north country bonfire’ with flames dancing wildly 20 feet high. Carol’s fire pit is more reserved and I imagine the conversation will be a bit more subdued too. She has neighbor’s to contend with after all.
In the background you’ll see why Carol better be discrete. Besides living in the center of town Carol has a big box of old folk living next door. Not the kind of people you want to build a huge fire or have a raucous party in front of. Note the progress being made to fence them out 
If these come up missing don’t look at me. Go look in my garden.
I prefer Great Blue Herons but those Peacocks would fit in any garden.
This was new to me. I lost the note I made when i got back in the truck.
It was quick. The visit was over before we really had a chance to get going. I dropped the rock (it was heavy) and had a whirlwind tour before we had to part and go our separate ways. I’ll be back sometime. I never did get to the old rock hunting grounds. By the time I left I had just enough time to get home before dark. I figure both Carol and the rocks will be around a while longer.
Here is what all the fuss was about
- a stupid rock (none have a very high IQ)
DOH! I forgot Carol’s link and had to come back and post it.
Tera Nova Design
Now you can go and tell her I sent you to look at her ‘new garden tool’
