We’ve got just over 50 days until the Atlantic hurricane season ends on Nov. 30 and I’m already over it.
Weather is a fairly consistent topic of discussion in our household and it ranges from complaints about the heat and humidity to lamenting winter forecasts and having enough rain that we don’t have to water the plants.
Well, that last one is mostly for mom because they’re her botanical features and I only occasionally worry about my handful of succulents – if I even remember they exist.
My mom has had a habit of saving plants that are at Death’s door or nearly there for as long as I can remember.
It was only in the last few years that she realized she may have too many potted plants around the house.
The realization kicked in full force this year when we had to secure projectiles before Hurricane Beryl made landfall.
She basically turned a portion of our living room into a farmer’s market stall of assorted greenery.
Of that fantastic display, only one pot belonged to me – my Aloe Vera plant that’s thrilled for the treatment it gets at our house versus the shadowed corner I found it in at Lowe’s.
For the record, it wasn’t dead or dying there, but it also wasn’t happy in the shadows either.
My sister Ashlee shares many of the same brainwaves and habits that mom does regarding
plants.
I can’t tell you how many times they send me pictures of plants on sale or ask me for input on what color or kind of vegetation goes with something else.
I just remind mom that I’m the wrong daughter for such conversations and am only around for heavy lifting or moving something when it comes to plants.
Occasionally it counts for building a feature or festive holiday decorating.
The only other subset to yard work and plant maintenance is when it comes to tree trimming or pruning.
Pretty much as long as it involves power tools of destruction I’m game!
Strangely enough, we get plenty of windy moments at home that we don’t lose many major limbs or have to spend a lot of time trimming things.
Well, at least until winter time, then I’ll get to use our new battery-powered pole saw to take care of low-hanging branches and limbs.
Apparently, that’s the best time on the Gulf Coast to trim trees and do some pruning – which is crazy to me since I see more people doing it in early spring.
I suppose I can just chalk that up to my lack of horticulture and meteorological information.
Now, if you need to know something about proofreading, AP Style, or photography, then I’m your person.
Then there’s a bit of a gray area where cooking and baking are concerned – useful but sometimes a moot point when tweaking recipes to make them better.
Any other non-marketable skills are not limited to but also include seemingly useless pop culture trivia, random agriculture facts I’ve learned through this job, and the ability to connect actors and actresses across several movies/shows spanning decades.
Of course, when it comes to weather forecasting the only useful skill I have is gauging temperature drops and barometric pressure drops that signify precipitation thanks to the surgical steel in my right ankle.
