The older I get, more and more things readily amuse me. This may or may not be a positive thing as it could point to one of several things. One..I am entering the proverbial "second childhood" (although my kids will be quick to tell you that I never left my first very far behind) or two..that I have simplified my life enough that I now can view what is close at hand. I do not need "artificial" entertainment such as television. (Just don't take my laptop as I will not be able to write!) And then there is the third thing..the old standby of my vivid imagination. Perhaps, it is a combination of all three or maybe all three are one and the same. This trait was far too evident today as I was in the garden. I was, and still am, fascinated by some things that I found. Most people would have just tossed the whole kit and kaboodle on the rubbish pile with nary a second thought. Me?..nah..I was reeling in the imaginary world of miniature again! My brain never stops with this stuff. It is like a second nature to me to start with the make-believe explanations of the everyday occurrences. Without a little embellishment some ordinary things are just too...well..ORDINARY! Not in my yard or in my life! It just can't be left to that..so the imagination whisks off in some unknown realm.
Elf houses! There is no doubt about it, these have to be Elf houses! Maybe..just perhaps.. there are Garden Elves that are the smaller (much, much, much smaller) relations of the Garden Gnomes! These diminutive Elves built their houses in the garden to protect it from the evil Stinkbugs that attack my tomatoes! They ride on the backs of Ladybugs and slay any Stinkbug that dares to sink his proboscis in one of my delicious tomatoes. These little guys use thorns from the Kumquat trees as lances to shoo the bugs to the next county. They are the protectors of my garden area! They are like the Knights of Olde.. brave.. gallant.. heroic.. these near-microscopic Garden Elves are living in my garden. Their little town is in the big flower pot right there under the pear trees! If you examine the picture closely, you can actually see the little windows and doors that they so cleverly carved into their homes. My Garden Elves.. Yes!... or no...ummm...
Ok..I have got it this time.. Tiny beehives!!! Ohh, that is a grand thought! My discovery this morning could possibly be itty-bitty beehives! They do have the appearance of the old timey Skep Hive. You know, the ones that look a lot like a basket or a pile of rope just thrown into the garden. There could definitely be teeny-tiny honeybees living a secret life in my garden! There, they could pollinate all of the flowers that are too small for the larger bees..little flowers like the Baby's Breath or Lantanas! Now we are talking! Teensy-weensy honeybees..you know the ones that make the honey that is sold in those little sample jars that hold no more than a tablespoon at the most. Well, my goodness! Do you really think that large honeybees would waste their precious time making such a small amount of honey. Those sampler bottles of honey most definitely have to be made by miniature bees and those bees live solely in my garden where they build their own Skep Hives! There..that is settled! No???
Well..perhaps the Carpenter Ants are getting really creative? They have spent days on end demolishing wood. The Carpenter Ants are tired of just chewing tunnels through rotting wood so they have taken on a new career! These fine, dutiful Carpenter Ants started building doll houses for all of the baby Carpenter Ants and it sort of spread out into a new business. The industrious ants are now quite adept at designing dome houses as doll houses for baby ants! They have cornered the market for these dollhouses as no one can duplicate their methods. The swirls of the rooftops are unique to their designs and I really do not think those can be replicated by any other methods than whatever the Carpenter Ants are doing. Or maybe....Termites are just tired of eating wood and have started playing with their food! Out of desperation or boredom the Termites are now the Master Food Sculptors of the Universe! These little domes are entirely carved from blocks of caramel! The appendages are licorice sticks! Candy houses made by bored Termites seems to be a logical explanation, doesn't it?
Ok..ok..I can see now that I am the only one that sees all of these fantastical images! To be honest..my "find" is nothing more than the remains of Bromeliad roots. I was given a huge Bromeliad that sadly succumbed to the freezing weather last year. I had high hopes that the plant would sprout new life if I left it in the pot long enough. The hard freeze occurred mid-March last year and the plant has not shown any life whatsoever..until now. I was actually pulling the roots from the pot so I could reuse it, when I spied a bit of green. One root has a nice sprout growing on the side..and there ended my whole fantasyland of miniature beings.
Yes, Valentine's Day..the day that we are supposed to show our love to those special to us! Personally, I think this should be done on a daily basis and that we should not need a day set aside to remind us but another holiday is always nice! An added plus to this holiday is the timing! Christmas and New Year's Day is over..long gone and forgotten..and any other holiday is still far out of reach. (Unless! Unless you live down South! Here we have Mardi Gras! Other's might try to celebrate Mardi Gras but, sorry, it just can't be done right if you are not in the South!) With my husband up on a river somewhere working on the tug boat, I did not celebrate today. Then late this afternoon, a lovely plant arrangement came from the florist! That sweet man remembered that I do not care for cut flowers as they do not last long..the plant was perfect! Now if I can just determine what type plants are all in this basket and how to care for them, I will be entirely happy. A call to the florist should take care of that! (I do know how to care for the Bromeliad!)
