Open in the greenhouse

Iowa Pollen Dabber's Meeting

This past week Jean and I were back home in Iowa. I try to go each year to attend the Pollen Dabber's Meeting in Marshalltown, IA sponsored by the Central Iowa Daylily Society. This year Jean traveled with me. We grew up in Iowa, spending our first 32 years there before moving to Tennessee in 1974.

In addition to attending the meeting, we take the opportunity to visit our parents' graves in Colfax and Colo, both small rural farming communities. 

And a BIG plus is that I get to eat some Maid-Rite sandwiches. When you grow up in Iowa, you are subjected to Maid-Rites from birth on. Maid-Rites are and Iowa tradition and I don't know of many places other than Iowa and the border of Illinois that they are available. Maid Rites are simply a loosely ground hamburger that is steam cooked rather than fried. 

I remember, as a kid, that we would trek to Newton, IA (about 10 miles) once a week for Maid-Rites. That was some 60 years ago. 

A college friend of mine now owns the one in Newton. The interior has not changed much in 60 years. This is what it looks like now and THEN.

One of the Pollen Dabbers traditions is to make a run to the Marshalltown Maid-Rite shop for Saturday lunch. Here is a picture from a couple years ago showing me, Don Lovell and Selwyn Rush enjoying our traditional lunch. Their milkshakes aren't to shabby either. MM Good.



 While attending the Pollen Dabber's meeting, I celebrated my 79th birthday. My friend, Bob Pappenhausen, having been born on the same day, turned 74. When trying to discover my age, a call was placed to Bob and he told them I was 10 years older than him. I wasn't, I am 5 years older. I understand a call was placed to Tommy requesting my age. He replied. "I am 80 and I know he is older than me". I want Tommy to know that he is 1 year older than me and always will be.

Here is the cake they had for Bob and me. You can see that they settled on my age being 84.

My friend, Bob Pappenhausen from Illinois. We enjoy each other's company and phone calls.

The Pollen Dabber's attendees, 30 plus of them. We spent the weekend looking a images of daylilies. What better way can you spend a winter weekend than looking at daylily images?

The last three images taken by Nan Ripley and shared with me.

Except for catching the cold from hell, it was a glorious weekend.

Life is very, very good.

Lee

Home Again

The season has started

The 2015 season has started in the greenhouse. I have been watching one of the 2014 seedlings and it finally popped today. It is an exciting time of year for me. It won't be long before the 2015 seedlings will begin to bloom and that is really exciting. Lots of scapes on the hybridizing plants in the greenhouse and it will soon be ablaze in color.

The seedling blooming this morning is my No. 4044 [(Wild Cherry Roundup X Max Pickles) X (Camelot Red X Doug's Caress)

H. Scarlet Angel (Petit 2010)

I chose Scarlet Angel for the pollen parent because of it's

depth of color, outstanding form, branching and bud count)

Seedling No. 4044

[(Wild Cherry Roundup X Max Pickles) X (Camelot Red X Doug's Caress)]

All I can do now is sit back and dream.

Life is very, very good

Lee