~to not give up is a lesson to learn~

I had a sinking feeling even before we uncovered the first plant after school yesterday. Pretty  much as we went down the rows of tomatoes and peppers that we had already planted a week ago now, the verdict was the same.  The weird and unusual weather of a couple of days back, sleet, snow, wind, and below freezing temperatures for just a few hours over night had killed 75% of the early plants we had in the ground already.  Their blackened leaves a testament to the fact that plants and freezing temperatures will never be able to mix with one another.  Out of the 17 plants that I brought back from Kansas, only 5 tomato and one pepper were left standing and at this point in time are not anything to brag about.

At first I felt a whole lot of discouragement, even though I knew in my heart that there was a better than not chance it would happen like this.  The freeze of a few days ago was a rare one and even though I had checked Horsefly Mountain to see if it was barren of snow, I guess in my zest to return to gardening this summer I perhaps jumped the proverbial "gun".  The few that remain upright out there may not make it either, but I will sit back and wait to see just what happens.  Plant by plant yesterday afternoon, I yanked up the dead remnants and threw them to the side.  But even in the bad there is good.  Those wilted plants will decompose and return to the soil and hopefully add strength to the new ones that we will put in their place.  As much as I hated to have spent all the money to buy them, transport them over the big mountain from Kansas, and put into the ground I know that I am fortunate.  I have good friends who lost an entire wheat crop for the year about the same time as our freeze when springtime storms hit Kansas as well.  One thing I know from all my years on the plains is that hail and wheat never get along with one another either.  In the very least of things, I have to always remember to say a word of thanks. 

Life is busy here along the Western Slopes right now and every day seems to get even more so.  Each evening when I finish at school I've been working part-time as a CNA doing home health care for the elderly here in the Montrose area.  It's only an hour or so and I usually make it home about the same time as Mike does.  I enjoy doing my "other" job and it always helps me to remember just how fortunate I really am.  When school is out I will be working for an agency here in the area for the summer and they promise to keep me very busy.  So for the months of June and July I will trade in my lesson plans for nursing scrubs and a blood pressure kit and give thanks that I am healthy and able to be of help to those that are not.  I have said it many times and will say again and again in my life.  I hope that when I am older and no longer able to take care of my own needs, that someone who is good and kind will come to help me too. 

We are finishing up the last of the things on the "to do" list at school and in just a very few days more will say our "good-byes" for the summer.  Much remains to take care of but we shall make it, I am sure.  What a year this has been for me, what lessons I have taught and what lessons I have learned.  It was a time of growing up for me and that's kind of a strange concept for a woman who is now going into the summer of her 59th year but it is true.  You know, the truth is that we are always growing up and changing.  If we are not then we aren't really becoming the people that we were intended to be. 

Mike and I are headed over the big mountain later on this evening and back towards home and Kansas to spend time with family back in the Wichita area.  It's graduation for a very special niece named Sarah and we wouldn't miss it for anything.  It will be a quick trip as they all have been so far but it's important that we make the journey.  So proud of all the graduates out there who have worked so hard to make their dreams come true.  It's not easy sometimes, but boy is it ever worth it! 

Have a great Thursday out there everyone.  The clock on the wall is reminding me how fast these early morning hours are going by.  Time to get a move on and face the day that lies ahead of us.  Thank you for being my friends~much love to you all this day and always.

The "baby" of the Scott family, our little sister Cindy, will be among the graduates listed on the official roll of Ft. Hays State University back home in Kansas this weekend upcoming.  She worked hard to receive her degree and I am very proud of her.  Class by class, hour by hour, she stuck with it and NOW all of her hard work pays off.  She is standing alongside her official Spanish tutor in the photo above, taken in Wichita on the ALS walk in 2010.  I am proud of you Cindy and so glad that you were able to attain your degree :)