More on the Beer Bash & High Country Gardens

Beer Bash:

The beer bash has been most successful. Even though that beer is quite stale now, it continues to attract and drown slugs. In fact some containers, by weight, contain more dead slugs than they do beer. It is a wonder to me that the slugs go a head and dive right in even though they can see their fallen peers. I guess it is no different with human addicts and alcoholics of the practicing kind. They just keep on doing their thing, in spite of information, warnings, and the funerals of their peers. Of course I know there is another path. I have been clean and sober for 23 years.

My addict alcoholic buddy of the practicing kind wonders if some of the slugs will come to my little taverns, take advantage of the hospitality, and head on home. Maybe so. I suppose that is the hope of all those who do not resist the urges of their chosen or un-resisted life style. They hope to escape doom and wander on home to party another day. Or perhaps it is something beyond hope.

I remember when I was practicing a plethora of addictions it was way beyond belief. It was a certainty that I would wake up the next day and take care of my responsibilities and party again. It was certain most of the time. There were those few nights I was awake all night, throwing up blood, and praying to live till morning. Nights that were soon forgotten in the pursuit of who the hell knows what . . .

Slugs of course, probably don’t have the time to pause and think about the stress they are causing their children, the damage they may be doing to brain cells, the possibility of ruptured hearts, or being incarcerated. They smell the brew, head on over for a sip or two, they fall right in, and there is no need to call an ambulance, an undertaker, or a brain surgeon. As far as the slugs are concerned, that works for me, for now. Eventually I will get some nice loamy toad habitat together and dispense with this death by alcohol.

Mean while, it is food for thought, I suppose. I get to watch my friend rationalize, defend, and stand up for his choices, in spite of being intelligent, talented, and highly skilled. He believes he will wake up, take care of his responsibilities and use his favorite substances to keep on keeping on, to unwind, to sleep, to wake up and get going. All without ever having to attend to his bodies actual needs. He told me that if he actually has a stroke or a heart attack that then he may have to change his lifestyle. And damn, I am using beer to kill slugs. Damn, double damn; bring on the toads.


High County Gardens:

This is a totally yummy picture rich catalogue. Each entry gives the botanical name, hardiness zone, and a description. There is clear information on the plants water needs, bloom times and colors, the eventual height and spread of the mature plant, and other useful notes. They have a number of categories they specialize in: hummingbirds, butterflies, drought tolerant, desert, critter resistant, and Xeriscape. (But not food for people.) This is a great catalog for plant collectors, garden designers, or those looking for just that certain something for a special spot. They ship plants only - not seeds, and while most selections are reasonably priced, you will not find many bargains. You will, however, find a number of exclusive selections not available anywhere else.

As complete as the catalogue is in many respects, I find it somewhat lacking in basic descriptors. As I browsed I found myself wondering if certain selections were evergreen, deciduous, if they were woody or herbaceous. Notations on how long the particular plants could be expected to live, and how long it would take them to reach their mature size were also lacking. Most folks may not be concerned about these things. But in thinking about toad habitat I most certainly am . . . Anyway, check them out: http://www.highcountrygardens.com Maybe you will find something you can’t live without!