EEowEEE!

This is a new daylily, Hemerocallis "Spiritual Corridor", that I purchased yesterday at Hornbaker Gardens, Princeton.

Visiting a large daylily farm is the "best" entertainment for a daylily lover and I had my plan going!

We worked the visit around several medical appointments my husband had due to his recent surgery. All good and well, he could sit in the air-conditioned truck (yes, we take a truck just in case we need quantities of space) if he was tired and/or bored. The plan is working.

It was slightly overcast with a little breeze - perfect for walking the many rows of flowers. I had my camera, my list of daylilies they have growing in the fields, a pen, a sun hat, and I'm workin' the plan.

About one-third of the way through the fields, it starts to sprinkle. Not a bad thing as it was like a cooling mist - and then it stopped. At this point the humidity, went up about double and seriously dark clouds are hovering. Walk the plan a little faster.

Two-thirds of the way through the fields, another and little harder rain comes down and I do a little duck into the truck and then on to the last third of the fields. Husband has mostly given it up to view the scene from the cool truck. By now the plan is getting seriously hot and humid.

The plan includes taking a picture of every daylily I might want to buy someday and make a sequence number and note on the catalog list. All very systematic, fool-proof, and a reference for my files later. UNLESS you are half running through the fields trying to get out of the various conditions. Hurry the plan.

Just as I finished and was sitting down at a tented table to order today's choices, a real downpour lets loose. We write out the order while every fly that had been in the fields are taking cover in the same tent and snacking on our legs. After slapping and writing, we sit in the truck until the rain stops a few minutes later. The sun is coming out again - the plan is moving sluggishly forward.

This is where we head for the rest of the nursery to check out some shade plants for the edge of our woods where my husband is wanting me to landscape. As we park, another heavy rain hits and stops. We hop out of the truck and tropical rain forest conditions have settled on the nursery like a wet wool blanket. Oppressive stifling heat on the plan.

As one woman said, she could feel the heat coming off the plants as she walked by them. At this point the flies had given over the human buffet to the mosquitoes - zillions of mosquitoes all needing food. No amount of bug spray or swatting could keep them away. Even the nursery workers were suffering mightily and they don't even know the plan.

At this point we gave up the camera, the paper and pen, the umbrella and almost ran through the displays. Grabbed a couple of hostas we hoped would work and ran for the check out. The plan is shot to pieces.

We get in the truck with our two hosta and receipt to pick up lilies in August, we're wet from rain and copious amounts of sweat, bug bites galore, and a rain smudged list of lilies. I whimper and my husband calmly pronounces it not nearly as bad as the two tours he had in Vietnam. OK, perspective is a good thing.

At least we have the last part of the plan to look forward to, supper at ZBest in Sheffield, one of the best little area restaurants and certainly a favorite. We pull up to a dark restaurant that is closed Sundays-Mondays AND Tuesdays. No plan...

In retrospect, we had a nice day, with lots of beautiful sights and saved a whole lot of money. Plans are just that - a "maybe we'd like to do this or that" and the key is to enjoy the moment. Well, perhaps the ones outside of the bug bites and humidity - whoops: perspective woman - perspective...

...whimper-whimper