(In which Paul’s neighbor, Condor, suggests that Project Marigold might be more successful with a team of people planting plants, instead of just Paul planting seeds on his own.\u00a0 Note:\u00a0 I haven’t re-written or edited this.\u00a0 It is raw, baby, raw.\u00a0 No apologies for any mistakes, errors, or things that sound dumb.)<\/p>\n
Condor and I stepped outside onto his terrace.\u00a0 It was as if a wet blanket had been spread on the neighborhood, the humid, moist air hung so heavily.\u00a0 The sky had grown darker, too, great gray clouds sailing above us, great ships, heavy with their wet cargo.\u00a0 \u201cLooks like it\u2019s really going to storm, soon.\u00a0 Should we move the operation indoors?\u201d I asked.\u00a0 \u201cNo way, man.\u00a0 Are you kidding?\u00a0 I\u2019m not going to let a little rain spoil grilling.\u201d\u00a0 Grilling was one of Condor\u2019s hobbies, almost one of his loves.\u00a0 He knew all about rubs and mops and what wood should smoke what meat.\u00a0 His grilling abilities were famous.\u00a0 He had even won a few ribbons.\u00a0 He lighted the charcoal, got it settled and set, and turned to me and said, \u201cPaul, look at me.\u00a0 Look me in the eye and tell me you\u2019re ready to give this thing up.\u201d\u00a0 I didn\u2019t say anything for a minute.\u00a0 I watched the smoke rise from the charcoal and rise up into the sky, joining the huge gray ships overhead.\u00a0 The flotilla was increasing, more and more joining, all hugely laden with rain.\u00a0 In the distance I heard thunder, cannon fire from one of the ships.\u00a0 \u201cNo, Condor, I don\u2019t.\u00a0 You know I don\u2019t.\u00a0 But I\u2019m a little stuck.\u00a0 The idea didn\u2019t quite qo the way I meant it to.\u201d\u00a0 More thunder in the distance, this time a little closer.\u00a0 The coals had caught and the fire was spreading to the others, the black blocks turning gray.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve been thinking about your project.\u00a0 I have to tell you, it\u2019s been on my mind a lot.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know why, but it\u2019s so crazy it\u2019s attractive.\u00a0 I can understand why you did this.\u201d\u00a0 More thunder, more dark clouds sailing above, the coals getting hotter, not quite ready for the meat, but getting closer.\u00a0 \u201cYeah.\u00a0 It was something I love I was doing for a good purpose, yet it was a little bit outside the usual.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t illegal or wrong, but it felt a little risky, planting those seeds in public, especially on property I knew was being guarded.\u00a0 I really don\u2019t want to give it up.\u201d\u00a0 For a few minutes we stood there in silence, sipping our beers, glancing at the sky, watching the coals.\u00a0 \u201cI have an idea.\u201d\u00a0 Condor spoke those four words.\u00a0 I saw a flash: lightning had struck.\u00a0 Counted the seconds, got to five, eight, ten, then the thunder.\u00a0 It was still a little ways away, but a storm was for sure coming.\u00a0 \u201cAn idea?\u201d I stupidly responded, \u201cwhat are you talking about?\u201d\u00a0 \u201cListen,\u201d he said, lowering his voice, conspiratorially, though no one else was there, \u201cI\u2019ve been thinking about this.\u00a0 You know I love growing things, too, just like you.\u00a0 My work has always been trees, but I love a garden, love tending growing things.\u201d\u00a0 More thunder, this time closer.\u00a0 The coals were nearly ready, their heat growing and growing.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t think seeds are the way to go.\u00a0 They are romantic, you know, the whole Johnny Appleseed thing, but they need special care at the beginning.\u00a0 Once a plant has started, especially one as sturdy and prolific as a marigold, it will do better on it\u2019s own.\u201d\u00a0 I immediately saw the truth of what he said, but I didn\u2019t see where he was going with it.\u00a0 \u201cCondor, it would take a long time to plant any significant amount of actual marigold plants anywhere.\u00a0 I would only be able to do a few in any given amount of time.\u00a0 And how would I carry them all?\u00a0 The beauty of seeds is that they are lightweight and easy to carry.\u201d\u00a0 A few drops of rain had started to fall.\u00a0 The thunder was booming louder.\u00a0 He dumped the red-hot coals from the starter into the grill, spread them around, looked at me and said, \u201cI\u2019m going to get the meat.\u00a0 You hold that thought.\u201d\u00a0 What could he have in mind?\u00a0 Wait a minute, I wonder if he… a crash of thunder interrupted my thought.\u00a0 Condor dashed out with a platter of pork.\u00a0 \u201cPaul,\u201d he stabbed a piece of meat with the fork and set it on the grill.\u00a0 \u201cYou need a team.\u201d\u00a0 Another piece of meat stabbed and placed, more drops of rain, not enough to get us wet but the ships were about to release their cargo, any minute now.\u00a0 \u201cA team?\u201d\u00a0 I asked.\u00a0 \u201cYou mean, a group of people working on this?\u201d\u00a0 I smiled.\u00a0 \u201cTeam Marigold?\u201d\u00a0 \u201cExactly,\u201d another stab, another thunder clap, the storm almost here.\u00a0 \u201cYes.\u00a0 A small group of people to help grow and plant marigolds.\u00a0 We\u2019ll come up with ways to make it easy to carry and plant a lot. It makes so much sense.\u201d\u00a0 Crash, more thunder, the meat platter was almost empty, Beth stuck her head out the door, \u201cYou better get in.\u00a0 That storm is almost here.\u201d\u00a0 \u201cBe right there, honey almost done.\u201d\u00a0 He stabbed the last piece.\u00a0 \u201cYes.\u00a0 A team.\u00a0 In my early days as a forrester, we planted trees in the woods, replanted areas that had been burned, or cleared.\u00a0 I could plant fifty baby trees in a few hours.\u00a0 It would still be your idea.\u00a0 You\u2019d be the boss.\u00a0\u00a0 You\u2019re the one with the greenhouse.\u00a0 I figure we could grow a lot of marigolds there.\u00a0 I think I know of a few more people who might be interested.\u00a0 Maybe you do too.\u00a0 Whaddaya think?\u201d\u00a0 Now we were getting wet.\u00a0 He had been shaking seasonings on the meat, flipped them, more seasonings, Boom, another crash of thunder.\u00a0 \u201cLet me think about it.\u00a0 I\u2019ll let you know.\u201d\u00a0 \u2018OK,\u201d he shouted over the rain that was starting to come down in earnest.\u00a0 He set the grill\u2019s vents and we dashed in.\u00a0 We didn\u2019t raise the marigold idea again that evening, but I mulled it over, thought about what he had said.\u00a0 It made sense, a lot of sense.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t like the idea of losing control over the idea but on the other hand, what was I controlling then?\u00a0 Did I have any flowers to show for my work?\u00a0 And he was right.\u00a0 An established flower would be stronger.\u201d\u00a0 Excuse me for saying it this way, but a seed had been sown.\u00a0 I let it germinate for a while.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
(In which Paul’s neighbor, Condor, suggests that Project Marigold might be more successful with a team of people planting plants, instead of just Paul planting seeds on his own.\u00a0 Note:\u00a0 I haven’t re-written or edited this.\u00a0 It is raw, baby, … Continue reading