Weekend Wrap-Up

by Pa Rock
Earth Mover

I found my elusive Blood Orange tree at Whitfill Nursery on Saturday. The nursery is an amazing place, several acres of palms, cacti, citrus trees and houseplants right in the middle of Phoenix. Walking back through all of the greenery in search of their one remaining Blood Orange reminded me of a visit to Guatemala several years ago. My guide on this adventure was a fellow named Archie who treated me like I was the only customer at Whitfill! The tree that I was seeking proved to be difficult to locate, but Archie persevered until we found it.

I also bought a kumquat tree while I was there - and it is loaded with delicious kumquats. The last time that I had fresh kumquats was in New Orleans over Easter weekend about thirty years ago. They taste just as wonderful as I remembered!

Archie and a couple of his co-workers loaded both trees into the back seat of my convertible. I drove a leisurely 20-miles-an-hour down Glendale Avenue through Phoenix, Glendale, and finally Litchfield Park. I didn't check the mileage, but it was at least twenty miles. Probably no fewer than five or six hundred cars flew past me on my trip back to the Wheezin' Geezer Trailer Park!

I managed to get the fifteen gallon kumquat out of the car by myself, but the Blood Orange in its 24-inch wooden planter had to spend the night in the car because I couldn't find a chump - er...good Samaritan - to help me unload it. This morning I pulled up in front of the house where I wanted to discharge the big tree. I put on my most pitiable expression as I pulled and tugged on the planter, and eventually a neighbor whom I hadn't met stopped and gave me an assist.

Today I have dug three major holes and gotten the kumquat, tangelo (moved), and new tangerine into the ground. The Blood Orange will go in front of the house where the tangelo used to reside. (It proved to be too big for the spot where I intended to plant it.) I also made two trips to Lowe's and got the necessaries for planting those trees - including three dozen large border blocks. My back didn't go out until I was packing my car during the last Lowe's stop.

I am in so much pain!

I used my credit card at the final Lowe's stop. When the clerk asked for an ID, I inadvertently pulled out my military ID instead of my driver's license. "Oh," he said, "That's good for 10 percent off!" (Wish I'd known that before I began this yard renovation!)

I'm off to lay on the couch, eat kumquats, watch Andre Rieu Live in Dresden, and let the cat walk on my back! Life doesn't get much better than that!