Flowers in the rain

This morning the sun never came up, visibly. It was a beautiful, rainy morning. Perfect for staying in bed, reading a book and drinking tea. Or, for getting up, doing barn chores and tramping about in the rain snipping items(loosely termed flowers) for 25 centerpieces for the 4H banquet. As the budget is zero, the items must be God's flowers, or pilfered from my gardens. I enlarged "my gardens" to mean Amy Z.'s garden. She has a prolific zinnia border which is now slightly thinner. I tramped across the massive corn field across the street, as I spied milk weed pods back there on my circumferential ride last week. Milk weed pods are surprisingly heavy. Grasses and a few hardy Queen Anne's lace, a wild rose hedge of rose hips and roses, hydrangea and marigolds completed my selection. The theme is a barn party round-up, so this roadside hodgepodge in mason jars somehow works. Also relied on generosity of another 4-H farm family, the Steeles contributed about 80 damp cornstalks from the field. Shoved into ancient milk cans they soar to 10 feet and fill up the cavernous space in the meeting hall. All is in place for the banquet this evening, and it looks pretty great.

My minivan with cornstalks, milk cans and 25 centerpieces off to the banquet.

Unfortunately, once set up was complete, it was time to move on to the visiting hours for Wayne Zwayer. He was a beautiful man. Movie star handsome, and always smiling, one of my favorites. He'll be greatly missed. I put together some flowers in his honor, and brought them with me, tucked in amongst the wonderfully, professionally done bouquets, I know he would appreciate the humbleness of my offering.

Sunshine and roses for Grandpa Zwayer.

Now, with a heavy heart, off to the banquet. Got ma dress boots on....