Welcome John
Nettles!
I personally am particularly pleased when a new member located
near the secret center of the iris universe identifies himself and comes on
board. From the sound of your post you are a Southerner by
birth.
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I AM INDEED I was
born in Salisbury, N.C., went to school at Wake Forest College on the Old
Campus before it became a University and walked a mile for a Camel (moved to
Winston Salem N.C). I served in the Navy as a Photgrapher during the Korean
war, both on land and in the air. I got to tour the mediterranean for an
extended period of time because the Korean War extended my stay from 18 month
to four years. I sure wish I had looked at more flowers instead of
smelling the wine & cheese. Had a great time tho, learned a lot about
photography (sure wish we had had digital in those days. Never heard of a
sattelite until much later. Did all our recon by motor and jet aircraft. (back
in the early 50's) Came home finished up at Wake on the New Campus, taught
school for awhile, and then got into industry to pay my bill with an
increasing family, as a research Chemist. Stayed in that until I found out you
could make more travelling. Coverd at one time or another, both North and
South America. Never mafde it back to the med, which was fine with me. Whjile
in Bogota and Medellein (before nose powder became the thing of trade) I did
get to see a lot of their flowers. That is where my interestin flowers really
took off.
. I visited several
Orchid "ranches" and was amazed to see them growing in the cracks of old logs.
They claim to be the Orchaid capital of the world and I was not about to
argure the point.
I came back home for
good in the late 80's because it got so rough down there. Got caught in a
Revolution in Guatemala and was held hostage for awhile in Nicaraguaed while
troop commandeered our plane. A few of us (mostly AMERICAN WERE LET GO.
MAN O.C. CAME HOME AND RETIRED.!!!! NO MORE TRAVEL FOR him. After I
retired I started into growing flowers as an evercreasing hobby. My first year
in our new house I planted IIris, Tulips and Daffodills, a few Mixed hybrifd
Lilies, and most of my mother's daylilies when she passed away. After that I
gotr very sick with heart and lung problems (probably from my travel in S.A.
the Dr. said) Was sick for the better part of four years. Last summer I broke
really bad and tried to die on them twice over a three week period, Both time
they called in the kids. Themn the Good Lord said "Get out of that bed and go
raise me somer flowers. So I took up my bed and walked. It took me almost 4
months to get over my experience. Butr NOW I am seem to be as fit as a fiddle.
I still have a damaged heart and lungs from last summer, but I am here and
functional. Jossh, my teen ager from across the street, makes up for what I
can't do. The two of planted 100 Mixed Hybrid Lilies in my front yard Thursday
and 80 Glads in the back yard. Haven't gotten my new Iris in yet, soon I hope.
I do have a HUGE bed of eith Japanese or Siberin Iris in a fron bed. I was so
sick when we planted them I don't remember. Will post a picture yopu guys tell
me.
An that is what you
get for aszking the Old Coot about his sordid past.............Thanks for
asking.
