In
My Garden of Earthly Delights
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Angels
and snakes, metaphorical. Every garden has each. While moving my water
sprinkler, I stepped in a nest of fire ants. Stepped out quickly, swiping
ants off my legs, onto my arms, off my
arms, moving at lightning speed to patio and can of Raid where I drenched my
legs, shoes, socks and soaked the ground around me. Back to the garden,
barefoot, with a stronger spray and obliterated the newly sprung ant nest.
Stings like fire.
Since
Jalisco winter is like Montana spring, I figured leafy lettuce would do
well. I don’t favor iceberg lettuce.
What is there to like? Convenience, maybe. Good leafy lettuce is imported to us
and hard to find.
In
an available empty flower pot, I planted a test garden. In a short time, I had
a goodly little crop of lettuce. Each
time I pass by, I munch a handful. Since I constantly renew or change my floral
potly residents, it was easy to gather three more empties and plant more
lettuce.
Along
came Squirrel. Squirrel, the bane of my life. We have a love/hate relationship.
This sassy ground squirrel has survived all the salivating dogs on the ranch as
well as my ire. Every winter that rodent
with a fuzzy tail plants corn in my flower pots, in the lawn, wherever she can
dig and plant. Squirrel is industrious.
You
guessed it. I planted lettuce seed. Squirrel followed me and planted corn seed,
scattering dirt and lettuce seed to the winds. She’s an equal opportunity
nuisance—she also dug holes and planted corn in my bamboo, in the amaryllis,
canna lilies, geraniums, my lawn.
My
avocado tree has dropped its last fruit. I have developed two kinds of avocado
bread. Zucchini or banana bread recipes are easy to modify. Reduce shortening,
use mashed avocado, adjust spices to taste. Yum.
I
also made a quick bread with avocado, jalapeno, and onion. Reduce shortening
and liquid. I used buttermilk. I threw away my first loaf, heavy as a brick. Further
modified my recipe and my second loaf was a delicious success.
My papaya, planted eight months ago,
must be related to weeds to grow so quickly. Already I have huge fruits hanging
on the center stalk. A friend gifted me a second papaya plant two months later.
Both were baby starts, mind you. The second has fruits the size of my thumb.
I’ll be giving away papaya by the basketful.
A
garden without people is an empty garden. Every morning I spend an hour or two
out on the back corner patio, drenched in sun. I feel like I am holding court.
Julie comes by, sits a while. We talk. Then Carol shows up. Nancie wanders in.
Maybe one or another leaves. Here come’s
Kathy. Or Tom and JRae. It’s like a salon in the sun.
There
is a perceptible ease that has transformed our rancho friendships. It happened
over the last couple weeks, with two parties: the Posada and the Memorial with
Pizza. Little tensions have disappeared.
Carol’s
birthday was Friday; John’s Saturday. Several of us gathered for cake, a song,
best wishes and hugs.
Last
night I went with Kathy and Richard to the Plaza. The tree in the center kiosk
is a beauty to behold. When darkness fell and the tree lights were turned on, a
sigh of hushed wonder lifted all. We spent three hours, walking, sitting on a
bench munching churros, being part of the greater community of Etzatlan.
Last
night Tom and JRae hosted a bonfire for our Rancho community. Tom and JRae,
here for a few days to ready their casita befor retirement, drove toward home
today. We had a simple get-together around the crackling fire, shared snacks,
soft conversation.
Then
Kathy and Richard joined us after a day in Guadalajara. They brought sparklers,
a meter long, yes, sparklers like on the 4th of July. Giant
sparklers that sprinkled light five minutes or longer. You should have seen us,
children revitalized, waving dancing sparklers in the dark, magically lighting
the next page of our lives.
Merry
Christmas to all. I wish you could be here with me to share the wonder. But I
am here and you are there, so I wish you all moments of glory and beauty and
love.
Sondra Ashton
HDN: Looking out my back door
December 20, 2018
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