Imnaha, Soggy and Wet...46º

Imnaha yesterday was unusually wet...We arrived in time to visit the "Magic Garden" where about 10 volunteers were working with shovels and trowels...We were greeted by Caroline (new intern heading up the project), she handed us trowels and said, "Follow me"...She placed new collard starts down the row and we followed digging a hole and setting them in the ground...Others were planting other greens and tomatoes...Long straight rows with name markers were already in place...Robin the "brain child" of this garden greeted me, saying "Idella, I just planted lots of pickling cucumber for you"... Nice to know that I have a supply for this year...With muddy hands and sticky clay soil sticking to our boots we finished our row before going back across the creek to Janie's cabin and our "Write People" meeting.

Janie heated up the oven while the rest of us put the finishing touches on our potluck dishes, slicing and dicing...As Janie slid her loaf of sourdough bread in the oven to bake we gathered around her long, sturdy, farmhouse table and shared our stories...Soon the smell of fresh baked bread made our tummies rumble and we took a lunch break...Salads, warm sourdough bread, cake and fruit celebrating Maxine's birthday for dessert...A surprise visitor joined us, Chris a long time member of the Write People, now living in a care center, thanks to her daughter arrived to join us for lunch.

Mid afternoon the sun broke through...We all gathered around the front porch where Janie had picked the spot for her new peony, a gift from the Write People in memory of her grandson Rowdy...Pam wielded the shovel and Janie lovingly set the plant, tamping the soil around its roots...A fitting memorial to bloom each spring celebrating his life...All in all another day of sharing stories, written and oral, remembering other years and looking forward to many more...Hugs To All...OWAV:)