I
have absolutely no idea of the name of this plant. Not only that, but I cannot
remember from where it came, so I can’t even return to the source and inquire. Anyway, it’s
the plant in which some animal decided to take a nap. I have about six inches
of topsoil and then it becomes hardpan. No matter how hard I pound on a stake,
it will only go so far. The weight of the branches of this plant pull the
stakes over when I try to put garden wire from one stake to another, so the
plants just lean out over the sidewalk and lawn. Plus the little white blossoms fall off and the dogs (and moi) carry them back into the house.
Yesterday
I decided I was extremely annoyed by this plant and resolved to just yank it all
out of its flowerbed. I knew I had planted dahlias in that flowerbed and
amazingly, all three had returned...I just couldn't see them because they were buried. Thanks to this plant’s elimination, the
dahlias can now grow and my yard waste bin was full to the brim. There are
still roots in the flowerbed, so I’m sure it will return before fall or for
sure next year. I’ll just try to do a better containment job then.
Today,
Monday, I had to make a trip to Ballard. Decades ago, I rode my bike from
Fremont through Ballard to Golden Gardens. Then, after John and I married, we
lived in northwest Ballard for a few years before we bought this house. I drove
through Ballard and Fremont to get to my job at the University of Washington.
Later on, when I went to work at the zoo, both Fremont and Ballard were easy
lunch access points, and I became quite familiar with the areas. That also
included Greenwood.
I’ve
now been retired nine years and must say my world has become ever so much smaller
with retirement, especially when the folks I knew at the zoo either retired as
well or left for another job elsewhere. Before John died, I got out far more often and went more places, mainly to get him to his doctors’ appointments. Now, the
pandemic has even further decreased my range of travel. It’s amazing that I
didn’t have an accident, as in rear-ending someone, because of all the changes
that have taken place since my retirement, John’s death and the pandemic.
I
took the freeway from 205th to 145th and was astonished
at how much work has been accomplished on the light rail construction. Off the
freeway, my eyes continued to widen at the number of places that had been
removed for new construction of what are most likely condos or apartment
buildings to serve the people who will move there for easy access to the light
rail.
Because
of traffic, I kinda decided to take a more back way to get into downtown
Ballard. Again, there were places I recognized and others that had changed so
much I didn’t remember them being there even though the construction looked
old. In downtown Ballard, there are new apartment or condo buildings all over
the place. One entire corner is empty, but I’m sure they’ll be building something
there in no time.
On
my way home I took Market Street, and again, so many new buildings have
replaced what was there not even ten years ago. And the trees. The trees were
planted long ago, but they have become huge and for entire sections of the
street, you are driving in a tree tunnel. It was kinda comforting to see what I
think was the very first Seattle McDonalds is still in the same place and still
in business.
Talk
about feeling as though I’m out of the loop. I almost felt as though I had left
the familiar for the unknown, or entered an adjacent world that was sort of
like mine, but not. If this pandemic continues into 2021, which appears as
though it will be the case, it seems to be entirely possible there will be
complete areas that I won’t recognize.
When
we all had to shelter in place, I only went to the grocery store, wearing a
mask and using hand sanitizer very very often. I don’t think we necessarily
have to shelter in place now, so that means I can leave the house, get in my
car and drive wherever I would like. Maybe that’s what I need to do one day a
week? Just get in the car and pick an area I’d like to visit once again. The
only problem with that is twofold. First, it’s hard to get up the energy to
just go drive myself around. Secondly, how much fun would it be with just me,
myself and I? True, we’re all great company, but me and myself don’t always
talk to I.
While
I’m grateful John isn’t alive to experience this pandemic and die as a result,
it would be nice to have him here to share in those rides all about the area. I
remember back in the old days, i.e., the ‘60’s and ‘70s when we’d take Sunday…or
even Saturday…drives all over the northwest. Now that there’s not a lot of
traffic out there and the weather is cooperating, it would be ever so much fun
to hop in the car and go exploring like we used to do all those decades ago.
And yes, I could. And, yes, maybe I will give it a try one of these days.