Re: Farm Findings

At every posting on this subject, I'm reminded of an experience we had
along that line. Our home is in a very secluded area, off the main road
about 1/2 mi down a private lane, situated in the middle of our land.  The
lane dead ends in our drive.  My office is on one side of the drive along
side a machine shed, storage building, etc.  Our house is on the other side
of the drive.  On this particular lovely spring day, I had been working in
the office with the door open to compensate having to be indoors.  Finally
I could tolerate 4 walls no longer and decided to take a stroll.  Leaving
the door open I took off toward the back of the office.  As I returned I
noticed a van that I didn't recognize. There were no occupants in sight.
We have an Australian Blue Heeler that normally doesn't allow anyone out of
their vehicle if we're not around, but that day my husband had taken Mattie
to the veterinarian.  As I walked on around to the front of the office I
heard voices.  In the meantime I glanced into the open door of the van and
noticed clumps of plants laying on plastic sheets.  I entered through the
door and met 2 ladies carrying a painting I had done of a yellow iris (not
even a real good one) but apparently they thought so. They stammered and
stuttered and explained they were just admiring my paintings and wanted to
take this one outside and view it in the light.  They said they knocked on
the door at the house and couldn't raise anyone.  I wasn't my usual cordial
self...but these were well dressed ladies and even though the circumstances
were a bit unusual, I was too taken aback to absorb what was going on here.
 They complimented me on our flowers and hurried on up the lane. They
explained they were just there to ask directions back to Rt 161 and didn't
know it was a private drive. This was reasonable because it happens often
that  vehicles come down and turn around at our house, having made a wrong
turn off the main road. After they left, I became rather indignant about it
and began the think of things I WISH I had said to them.  I didn't even get
their license number or even take note of the make of their van.  I really
believed they were going to steal that painting and later I became more
convinced of it.  We found holes all over the garden where someone had dug
plants.  I still feel so disappointed when I think about it.  We're very
generous with our increases and I'm sure if they would have asked to
purchase some, I would have gifted them with what I had to share.  We never
sell plants.  We think our garden grows better by sharing our surplus and
it makes more room for new kinds.  Well, that's my horror story.  It's a
lot different from what we're discussing on the list, I realize, but
nevertheless...it brings to my mind our bad experience.
Ann Henson, in southern IL where my iris damage is a little more serious
that was first apparent.  SPUs have all dead leaves...most others are brown
& a sallow yellow-green  LAs appear to have sustained no damage..but we'll
see. zone 5/6   erni@midwest.net
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