The Holiday

Marigolds and Silver Pony Foot

Yesterday we got rain in the morning, rain in the afternoon, and a sauna in between. For a brief moment it felt like the Gulf Coast. During the hot, moist, sunny part I managed to get the steaks and sausage grilled. Then we went inside to eat and celebrate the fourth with food. Just the two of us, my son and I. Our libation was sparkling water.

It looks as though we’ll be in for a weather repeat today. No steaks, however, those are for special occasions. We do have left over sausage. That will come in handy. I like this rain pattern. Everything is green and growing. On a whim I bought some marigolds this year and they really like it here. It will be interesting to see what happens to them over the rest of the summer, through the winter and into next spring. Something to anticipate.

I like it when plants surprise me with their willingness to take hold and thrive, and the marigolds are indicating they like it here. It would be nice to have another self-perpetuating colony of bright flowers to go with the coral sage, lantana, and turks caps. The literature implies they may well be the case with the little marigolds. We’ll see. Meanwhile, I’ll enjoy them out the kitchen window and give them a drink when the dry days come, a nice symbiotic relationship.

John W. Wilson is the author of The Long Goodbye: A Caregiver’s Tale