When I moved to this property there was a huge garden with 4 raised beds - 2 full of strawberries and 2 empty. PLUS 6 somewhat viable fruit trees and 3 dead fruit trees. My travels to Colorado last June did not do any of the garden much good and realizing that between travel and work, the garden was more burden than pleasure, I removed it. See here and See here for the garden demolition history.
BUT… the rhubarb somehow survived the backhoe, the shuffling of topsoil and the winter.
…I know…a smudge on the camera lens - I cleaned it off…
The garden from the “rhubarb” end…
It’s ready!!!
I picked a bunch, washed it, started chopping it up and then the phone rang…
Bill…and I know I’ve missed writing a bunch of detail, but that’s the way it goes…short story is that by fits and starts and incredible angst, a lot of tears, some rending of garments and beating of breasts - actually a lot of heart to heart tallking and always one of us unwilling to give up - and I love the man and he loves me. And while I would not want to relive the last 2 months and do NOT recommend the method - we did discover some good stuff in the process. Summer in Montana - together - is the next step forward. If you missed Bill’s public comment on this blog - to me - on May 7 - and I’m not even making it easy….GO and use the calendar…It is beautiful and it is the basis for the May 8 beacon post… The man can wax poetic! And see what he does to me, I am completely off the topic of this post…
So, the phone rang and it was Bill and we were talking about this and that and I mentioned that I was taking a work break and had picked rhubarb from the “old” garden. He asked if I knew how to make rhubarb pie. And I said, “Yes, I know how to make rhubarb pie”. And he said I was amazing. And I got pretty much tingly all over because it is always nice to be considered amazing. And I think he also said I was surprising - that is good also. So we yacked some more and then time to hang up and go back to work.
So, I still had the rhubarb to deal with and I looked at it and honestly, I was pretty much over it for the moment and got to thinking about the fun of being amazing and surprising in person…so I put it in the freezer.
I put the rhubarb in the freezer so it will be there to make an amazing and surprising rhubarb pie when Bill and the Magic Bus and I get back to Montana!
The spot for the bus… yes, I am getting some nice pressure treated lumber for it to sit on. And hopefully, the grass will be filled in a bit more - soon!
…Oh - how are we - Bill, the Magic Bus and me - getting “back to Montana” ??? …the road to love can have its share of bumps and turns… The original plan was that I would fly to Florida and we would make the trip back together - that is a mutual preference. But my work schedule, pets, general behindness…and his lack of need to work (retired), no pets, i.e. nothing he HAS to do…the plan evolved a bit to Bill, all by his lonesome, rolling the Magic Bus westward, with me renting a car one way to meet him in South Dakota and do the last western bits together. The timing is still up in the air as there are some maintenance items on the Magic Bus that require attention, but that is the current plan.
The rhubarb is in the freezer.
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