The Arc of the Shoals in Tuscumbia, as most schools in the state of Alabama has been hit hard by proration. Older folks in the Shoals still call the school for adults with special needs Hope Haven. The Arc consists of Hope Haven Adult Training Center, Phyllis Lyle Work Center, semi independent living programs and group homes. It is a great organization with wonderful employees who care for the clients they support. The organization is on a very tight budget and makes full use of the funds intended to support its programs.
One of the training programs is a gardening class. Plants are grown by the clients and are available for purchase at the school. There’s one little problem, our greenhouse is not complete. The ventilation fans and heaters don’t work. Here’s were you come in, and it won’t hurt you a bit, all we need is your vote. Listerhill Credit Union is sponsoring a “Cash for your Cause” sweepstakes. You may vote only once per e-mail address until October 27, 2011. The winner will receive $3000 toward their cause. Please watch the fantastic video located at the top left of the applicants is the Arc of the Shoals and cast your vote hear? Pretty please? Voting ends on October 27. Thanks in advance for your support!
Whippoorwill Hollow Films made the Arc’s entry possible by filming the video required to enter the contest, and here’s a big THANK YOU to to them for their gracious help.
One of the fall painting class projects is painting pumpkins of local high schools and your favorite college.
Monarch on Profusion zinnia
This past weekend was just gorgeous; sunny with clear skies, temperatures in the mid eighties. I divided and replanted a lot of my iris and daylilies and chased around a Monarch that was feeding on my Profusion zinnias. The Dogwoods, maples and sassafras trees are showing their autumn colors. Rain was forecast for Tuesday with dropping temperatures and possible frost. As I contemplated bringing in my container plants for the winter, I thought back a couple of years to an unwanted guest that came in for a winter hibernation after bringing in these same plants.
It was pouring down rain when I got home. The hooligans shot into the garage when the door opened and flopped down soaking the area. They looked like drowned rats, so I let them stay and closed down the door down to a height where they could get out if they wanted too. There is a dog door on the back barn so they can get out of the weather, so where do they stay in all kinds of weather? You guessed it in the front yard or front porch. After the rain slacked off some we all went out to the barn to feed and they shot back into the garage when I went back to the house. Later I remembered I had lain my mail on the hood of the truck and I knew that I would have confetti in the morning if I didn’t get it. I picked up the mail and after going back into the house, Patches’ kept barking at the door. Blackie was barking on the other side of my truck. Levi was no where to be found. That should have given me a clue. I finally got tired of listening to them and went back out to see what the uproar was about.
Half of the garage was full of potted plants and hanging baskets I had brought in for the winter. Blackie kept lunging at a group of plants sitting on the floor. I got closer leaned over and told Blackie she was imagining, turned my head and looked at the hanging baskets inches away and stopped talking in mid sentence. There stretched out across two of the baskets was a rat snake. Now I had gotten comfortable after feeding the dogs, and ladies you know what I mean, no shoes, and just sweat pants and a T-shirt on. I put one glove on, grabbed the snake, tried to get to the opener button and locate an umbrella, while Blackie was jumping up and grabbing the snake’s tail. Did I say it was pouring rain and the umbrella I found was only attached and covered one side?
So here I am standing out in the pouring rain in the driveway, barefooted with a snake in one hand, umbrella in the other and Blackie jumping up and biting the snake’s tail. The snake is not happy with it’s tail being bitten, and I’m trying to decide where put it so Blackie can’t get it. I finally decided to take it to the road and put it in the ditch on the other side of the road. Since Blackie couldn’t get to the road because of the underground fence it would be safe. Just as I turned it loose Randal one of the neighbors came up the road, so my hope for secrecy was dashed. Here I am standing on the side of the road in a pouring October rain storm, one glove on like Michael Jackson, no shoes, only sweat pants and a T-shirt on holding half an umbrella. He drove by real slow.
After getting in the house I had to call Jessica his wife and explain why this crazy woman was out on the road like she was. Moral of the story, if Blackie and Patches are chasing something and Levi is not around, it’s longer than a mouse.
