tomato & peaches

Today - Sunday - daughter Laura and hubby Tom came through on their way home from visiting his father in Michigan.  It is the first they have returned to Michigan since Tom lost his mother.  I think it is great for them to be able to make that 17+ hour drive north.   They left this morning to go back to Round Rock.


The twins (as I affectionately call them behind their backs) are moving this week to Cisco where Laura begins her new life as the pastor for the Cisco First United Methodist Church.  She (they) are so excited about this new adventure.  She gives her first sermon on Father's Day.  Good Luck to them.


So after they left, we decided that we needed to do something this afternoon other than read the paper and stare at TV - while both of those items are quite worthy of my Sunday afternoon.  Lunch first - then, off in the Marauder to drive around the lake.  We do this once in a while to look at houses on the lake, their boat docks, dogs, For Sale signs (and how much things are costing now) and generally just to be nosy about our neighboring housing developments.


We drove down I-45 and took the road through Streetman towards the lake - frankly, we took a couple other roads first till we figured it all out.   FM  146.   As always we saw some massive houses and some smaller.  One development (forget the name) was just flat trashy with trailer houses, little shacks, no lawns mowed, junk piled everywhere....then on the water, a half dozen really nice houses. Those unkempt places must surely affect prices.


We stop and pick up the for sale signs if we can do it quietly.  One place had been reduced to $499,000  from 600K.   A shack of course.   I told the wife we could sell our place and use the money as a little down payment.   We both agreed to stay where we are.   Another gorgeous joint had a fenced 6 acre lot in the back.  Their advertisement said it was like new:  no shoes, pets, etc.   The wife figures they have white carpet too.


There was a ranch on the south side that went for several miles called:  The Holy Ground Ranch.  It had for sale signs.   Must be history behind that name.


As we neared our place, there is a farm about 2 miles down the road.  They have peaches, black berries, peppers, and other veggies.  We stop once in a while.  I think they are a little more expensive than H.E.B. though.   They have a cute name for the place and so much grub (think it is  "Happy Ours" ).   An older couple own the place with helpers.  I don't think they are organized.  


Today the old man was alone in the little area full of stuff.  He looked like he had been working and sweating for the entire day, really grubby, unshaven, the works.  You have to like a guy like that.  He is friendly to everyone.   But today he was unhappy.  He was not suppose to be working - his relatives had not bothered to show up to help him.  Let me explain.


His wife, equally elderly, has been in intensive care for 4 months.  Think about that and the cost associated.  It is mind boggling.   He didn't care if the crops sold or rotted.  He was worried about his wife.  I wish I knew his name.  Let's call him Leroy.  Leroy waved his hand over the stuff and said he didn't care, this would all grow again next year - while his wife might not.   I think the guy is depressed.


The fruit stand had stacks and shelves full of containers of tomatoes - more than you would care to count.  He said there were several times more just hanging on the plants out there.  He had baskets of peaches,  containers of peppers and bell peppers.  The tomatoes were cherry or biggie ones.   It is obvious to me that somebody needs to take over and find a way to sell his crops.  He is not able to do it.   As we talked, I told him about my pomegranate bushes and how easy they are to grow.  


He had some extra blackberry bushes.  I asked if he'd sell me one.  Instead he took me over behind a tractor and gave me some bushes that were ugly looking.  He said water and plant.  They'll come back.  So I took 3 plants and will put them out tomorrow.  I love blackberries.  You have to admit that he was nice to do that.


We parted friends - he with my $10 bill;  I with 2 sacks of peaches, 1 sack of banana peppers, 1 sack of cherry tomatoes, and 1 sack of big ole honkin' bright red maters.  Maybe tomorrow will be a better day for him.   That's it.  Y'all take care, and don't forget, live today as if tomorrow .... well you make up your own ending.
luv ya,
Mike Mtz