Yesterday afternoon we braved the wind and cold to attend the Lawn & Garden show at the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds. It’s something we look forward to every February. Lots of farm machinery to drool over as well as gorgeous plant and seed displays. There are also educational and entertaining lectures almost every hour. Most speakers are local, but there is always a special guest speaker. The past 2 years it was P. Allen Smith. I’m a fan of his, but he presented the same lecture and slides both years. That was disappointing. This year Carol Reece is the main attraction. She’s from Mississippi but worked as an Extension Horticulture specialist for Tennessee for 25 years. She’s got wit to go with her knowledge. We attended the lecture on Native perennials. She made the point that all plants originated somewhere else. Animals and people transported them, knowing or unknowingly. The native maize that we consider native to the United States came up from South America. I wish I’d had pen and paper to write down some of her plant suggestions, although that would have detracted from just enjoying presentation.
Dennis was disappointed that there were no hydroponics vendors. He’s wanting to grow lettuce and salad stuff in the basement during the winter. It was still a fun way to spend a cold afternoon.
I just finished _Shutter_ by Ramona Emerson. It’s her first book and I hope she continues to write. It’s about a forensic photographer who also sees ghosts. She hooked me immediately and kept me turning the pages.
A Different Route 