Am I Too Old?

Spreading seed in the rain

The forecast called for rain today, but that didn't stop the guys from coming to work the landscaping. They finished spreading all the dirt in the front wildflower and grass meadow, and then we all started spreading the grass and wildflower seeds by hand. Of course it began to pour before we started so we were all out there getting soaked. The worst part of it was that our footware grabbed the mud (with the seed on top if we had spread in that spot already) and glommed it onto the bottom. I finally gave up and went barefoot. We got all the seed down and then the guys left. And then it stopped raining for the day, and by this afternoon we even had steamy sun.

So how dos this all have to do with old? Well for most of the rest of the afternoon I caught up on computer and phone tasks and didn't get back out to the garden till about 4:30. Then I spent another hour and a half moving plants around--sometimes by hand and sometimes in my little wagon--getting ready for possible planting tomorrow (if it's not pouring again). Now I'm back inside, and I'm pooped! Am I too old to be starting the garden of my dreams? I have to admit I'm a bit nervous. It's strange because this really feels like my golden years. I am a very late bloomer, and it took until my fifties for me to achieve the maturity and wisdom that most people start to evince in their, I don't know, 30's? 40's? But now I'm here, I'm happy, and better than happy, I'm content and challenged and motivated and enthused... and tired. This is the first post I've done in recent memory where I'm not falling asleep over the keyboard and that's because I got an early start--it's not even 7:00 yet. I want to be Helen Mirren or Judi Dench or Ann Stunden. Annie is the only one of the three who's not a famous actress, and she's also the only American, but I had to include her because she's got the same glowing beauty and vibrant goddess-of-a-certain-age thing going that the other two do. And they all three seem to have much more energy--in addition to their extra years--than I do! What's up with that? I guess it's a good thing that the women I most wish to emulate are all over 70 (Judy Dench is 82). I could be chasing after wanting to be Angelina Jolie, but this where that maturity thing comes in: I know better. But this tired thing has got to stop.

Moving away from the subject of gardening. And age. And fatigue. To bees! I get my first two nuclear bee hives next Wednesday! I am driving down to Navasota before the crack of dawn to pick them up and take a hands on class in hive management. I've attended lots of lectures on the theory of beekeeping, but next Wednesday is where the rubber meets the road, where the stinger meets the skin. I hope I'm going to like it as much as I think I will. Of course news of the arrival of the bees has put the fire under the guys to finish the planting, paths, irrigation, and all the other tasks in the new garden short of the pond by then. None of them are excited about being around the bees. And, you know, bees can smell fear.

Glass orders are starting to come in again and I have dropped the reins and turned Todd loose on calling our galleries to see about getting orders since we didn't see them at any winter shows. Normally I handle all the gallery contacts, but right now he wants the work more than I do so this is a good solution. And it's good for me to be able to let go of something. Clearly I can't keep up with everything so the change should benefit us both.

Feels good to have the post done before dinner. Now if I only had my 365 Project photo done for the day.