Green

    Absolutely gorgeous day on the prairies.  I drove to Circle MT to preach at the Lutheran Church there.   I getting to know those folks and the country they live in and I find it very comfortable.  The prairies are so green it takes your breath away.  As I was visiting with someone the other day,  I think we appreciate the green and we “see” the green because so often we have browns all around us.  Actually brown is the normal color of this area.  I remember a professional artist who lived here for a time who raved about all the shades of brown he could paint and there is truth to that, but for right now we will revel in the greens.
    This business of people and the soil is a wonderful relationship.  Mom used to tell about her dad walking out in the fields to check the heads on the grain or that there was enough water for the cattle.  He did not start ranching until he was nearly 40 years old so he had a lot of catching up to do as did most homesteaders.  But you learn to know your land.
    Yesterday I was developing a close and personal relationship with my little plot of land, the lot my home sits on.  I was weeding my bed of iris and enjoying plucking out the little seedlings that seem to pop out of the ground regardless of what you do to get rid of them.  But it was fun to see the clean bed when I was finished.  Then I dead-headed my rose bush and cut a couple of wild branches off my little maple tree.  I walked around and looked at the flowers that are ready to blossom and enjoyed the red and orange lilies, the yellow and purple iris and the red roses.  The next round of blossoms are ready to move in as the early Spring flowers finish up their moment in the sun.
    Even mowing and trimming the yard (even though I am very weary of it by August) is a way to examine that brown patch of grass by the fence, or a new weed that has popped up or why are the leaves on the lilacs curling?  Must be an insect of some kind.  Each year I welcome back old friends and enjoy watching for new growth.  A new plant is always a time for excitement as it shows itself in the various stages of growth and development.
    I have two bergenia plants that puzzled me for a time.  When I planted them they grew full, with big leaves.  For two years I looked as though I had two cabbage plants.  Big, lovely leaves, but nothing else.  I left home for about ten days in April and before I did I had a long visit with those two plants.  I told them if there was no activity by the time I got back I was taking them out and planting something else.  When I got home each plant had spawned several stalks with white flowers on one and pink ones on the other.  I guess once in awhile you have to ‘talk tough’.
    The other day my neighbor complimented me and said, “I had the best looking yard on the block.”  Oh, no!  No pressure there!