At the end of November I reasoned that since winter obviously wasn’t coming, I might as well get another load of mulch for the gardens. That night it snowed, and the mulch froze into the truck bed. It was immovable, so Bob covered the load with a tarp and parked the truck for the winter (sort of a bonehead mistake, but really it did happen overnight).
In the last few weeks, flower beds have emerged from the covering of snow and the solid block of mulch started melting.
Today was the end of the truckload, thanks to Sam.
Here’s another shot of Sam shovelling mulch. Teenaged labor is a beautiful sight that gives me deep maternal joy;
Sam’s question was, What do I get for being so helpful emptying the truck?
You get to live with us, I explained.
That’s fair, he said, but can’t I have something else?
The kid’s a slick negotiator. We settled on pasta with white sauce and proscuitto.
I feel exactly the same way about teenage labor!!!
AND about pasta with white sauce…
I miss those days of mulching with you Alice. Your gardens were the best and most beautiful in the entire Mad River Valley.
Also, your response to Sam’s inquiry about what his reward would be for helping is the exact reply I use with Nate when he tries to negotiate payment for doing chores!
there is a reason rural families tend to have lots of kids…. ;).