The Trowel Has Reappeared

I took the tomatoes I bought yesterday out to the garden to plant in grow-bags and decided to add some compost to the soil in them before I set the plants in. We don't have a composter, per se, simply a compost pile which we theoretically turn over with a pitchfork frequently. In reality, it mostly only gets turned over when Glen is looking for fishing worms. But today I did take a shovel to it to sort of get to some of the truly composted stuff under the fresher contributions and while I was digging away I spotted something sticking out of the dark earth and after about one second I knew what it was. 
My trowel! I lost a trowel about three years ago or more, and I've always known I'd find it but I figured I'd find it in some bed or other while I was weeding and never expected to find it in the compost. I washed it off and it is perfectly fine. 
It wasn't lost, it was just misplaced.
I am sure it was in the garden cart along with a bunch of something I was dumping into the compost and went right with whatever that was. 

I have now planted two Early Girl Plus seedlings, a Berkley Tie Dye, a Cherokee Purple, and four different types of cherry tomatoes. I did not start any of my own plants this year, but am buying them from the nurseries. I am lazy. 

It took me forever to get outside today. I got a call from the stove repair guy who was coming over to look at my oven to see why it was bursting into flames when the ignitor ignited. He turned out to be from Lloyd, a few miles towards the Hilltop, and has lived there since he was a little boy. And he was a talker. 
When he'd figured out the problem (I need a new ignitor) and showed me how to take my oven door off so I can clean the oven (I now have no excuse), and I told him I'd lived in Lloyd back in '78 for about three years and twenty-three years this go round, the man truly wanted to discuss a lot of different things about Lloyd. Memories and reminiscences and so forth. 
"Do you remember Ruby Cochran?" You bet. She ran the general store for many years. It's gone now, burned down twice by, well, I only know the rumors but it was politically motivated. She passed away some years ago. 
I have no idea how that all worked but there was an oil pipeline that was going to go through here and the residents fought it (sound familiar?) and Ms. Ruby may have been one of them. I do not know. 
But yes, I remember her, I remember her husband (who was not good for much and Ruby would have been the first person to tell you that) and her daughter now works at the water office. 
Did I remember when the chlorine plant exploded? 
Oh yes I do. 
How about when the building that is now My Gypsy Soul Boutique was the post office? 
Not sure. When I lived in Lloyd the first time we had a mail box at the end of our driveway where our mail was delivered. And also where I found a dead fish one morning. I still wonder about that. I mean, we were hippies which was sort of rare in the Lloyd area at the time. 

We discussed how much everyone hated (hates) the man who runs the gas station and convenience store down by the interstate and Mr. Oven Fixer said he'd rather give his money to the GDDG than that man. 

Anyway, the point is, he talked and he talked and he talked and I finally weaseled my way out of the conversation when it appeared that it could possibly go on for hours and he thanked me for letting him share memories and I know I act JUST like that about Roseland so...
Who am I to judge?

Another thing that I did this morning which kept me in the house was more online shopping for either a different dress or a different jacket for the event coming up. I still love the idea of wearing the dress I have with a jeans jacket but when I actually went to check the jeans jacket situation, I discovered that the only one I have that would be even halfway appropriate was one that I must have worn when I was a tiny, tiny woman. Size S for Small Snake.
I mean, I can get it on but...
I have two other Levi's jackets and both of those are men's so they're plenty big enough but they show signs of wear and not the good kind. 
Dammit.
I also have a denim jacket that is not really one of your usual denim jackets that I got at the Gap about twenty five years ago? I am not kidding you. I spent some time mending it in the past months. I sort of like the way it looks with the dress because I love the mix of fine and fancy with oh hell, I'm just an old hippie woman. 
And yes, the Kardashians do indeed consult me when they need wardrobe advice. 
But. But. I mean...
I found some lovely jackets, one which I would buy in a heartbeat if it wasn't crimson. A silk velvet jeans jacket which would be perfect if it didn't scream Christmas!

Who cares? 

But between online thrift shopping and talking to the stove guy, it was almost two before I got outside and here's the crazy thing- I LOVE being outside in this weather. I love the way it makes me feel while I'm working in the dirt, mixing in wormy compost with my bare hands, planting seedlings and patting the soil all around them which makes me feel as if I'm tucking them into their new home where I am hoping they grow. And yet, I stall and I procrastinate and I do the crosswords when what my heart really wants is to be outside. 
Why do I do this? I have no idea.

So I'm trying to figure out where to plant my new pink native azalea and where to plant my new silver palmetto. 
I would LOVE to tear out this entire bed and plant it there. 

You see that mess? That's what happens when you let aloe take over. And those plants are saw-edged and more dangerous and daunting than the briars I was talking about two days ago. The other shit growing in there are dewberry vines which also have thorns but they are tiny which means when they get you, it's not a puncture wound so much as a ripping sort of situation. 

But I do think that palmetto would look good there. 
Another spot where I think it would go just fine is this area.

 
I mean, except for that guy wire. You may remember that I spent weeks last year pulling the crocosmia from area. See all those lovely bright green shoots? 
CROCOSMIA! 

I almost planted the azalea by the fence near to the one already there but I couldn't make that decision. It needs to be someplace where I can water it frequently. I'll figure it out. 

And here is my annual The Buckeye Is Leafing Out picture. 

I planted that some years ago. I bought it too at Native Nurseries. Soon it will flower. 

Here are some of the pink azaleas growing in the back yard.

The bees are losing their minds over these blooms. 

One more picture.

Today's camellia offering. 

Tomorrow is a big day. Pottery AND Mr. Moon will be home. He and his sister seem to be dining well tonight. He's been sending me pictures of steak, lobster, and scallops. 
I texted back that I have tofu marinating. So there! I even boiled and pressed it. I might even have some baby peas! I can be wild and decadent too, you know! 

Off to go crank up the air-fryer. A miso dipping sauce may be involved. And honestly, I could not be happier. 

Love...Ms. Moon 

P.S. Is he dead yet?