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“Winter storm coming, Hutch.”
“I heard.”
“Could you use some help getting the garden covered?”
“Wouldn’t say no.”
“That’s what I’m here for. Wow! Look at all the new tiny leaves! That’s lots more than were showing yesterday.”
“The warm spell we had germinated the seeds in a hurry.”
“Then I’m thinking we need to get them protected quick.”
“And you would be correct. This morning’s forecast calls for mid-20s tonight.”
“Brrrr. So, where’re the rolls of plastic?”
“No plastic this year, buddy. Look what I found at the garden center. It’s made from hemp.”
“Yeah?”
“The mesh is spun so finely and woven so tightly, the insulation rating is nearly as high as the plastic I usually use.”
“All natural, too, right? Not a petrochemical in sight!”
“That’s the idea.”
“It’s a good one. Hey! If I rolled a piece of this stuff up and stuck it in a pipe, could I smoke it?”
“No, Starsky! You cannot roll a piece of this stuff up, stick it in a pipe and smoke it! That’s disgusting.”
“I’m only pulling your leg, Hutch. You know that. Got you out of worrying about your seedlings for a minute, though, didn’t I?”
“Yes, you did. Congratulations.”
“And got a smile, too! Looks like my morning’s work here is done.”
“Not so fast, wise guy. You offered to help, I accepted the offer, you’re stuck until this plot can’t be damaged by whatever happens the rest of the winter.”
“Ha! Got another smile. I’m on a roll. Okay, so what are you going to be doing while I get the posts set up? Hey, these are new, too.”
“Adjustable. We’ll be able to raise them as the plants grow, keeping the mesh in place after the threat of frost is gone and --”
“Let it be shade cloth all summer!”
“Exactly.”
“Terrific.”
"I also got strings of forever light bulbs to hang under the mesh, for warmth."
"You think of everything."
“The adjustable posts also mean we won’t have to crawl around underneath in order to do the weeding.”
“I appreciate your keeping the wear and tear on my knees in mind, pal.”
“Your knees and my back. Neither of us is getting any younger.”
“Which reminds me. I’ll bet it was almost warm when you came out here this morning, but it ain’t warm any more, Hutch.”
“You’re right. Temperature’s dropping fast.”
“Why don’t you run inside and get some more clothes on while I put the poles up. Wouldn’t want you to shatter like an icicle.”
“No, we certainly wouldn’t want that.”
“You’ve got me, plus all your neighbors, and our friends eating organic veggies, now, Hutch. Can’t have you getting sick and leaving us on our own out here.”
“Perish the thought.”
“Consider it perished. Now, get in there, get changed, and hurry back! I ain’t doin’ all this work by myself!”
“You won’t have to, Starsk, I promise. Back in a minute.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Now, then… Hey, there, Li’l Greenies, it’s your Uncle Starsky come to save you from the Big Bad Winter Storm. Don’t want a nasty ol’ hard freeze snapping your little green heads off, do we? Ruin all the work your Daddy Hutch and I have done to make sure our friends have fresh, healthy vegetables all summer. So, what’s first? Oh, yeah, the new, adjustable poles. He does think of everything, doesn’t he?”
“Who are you talking to, Starsk?”
“Your plants.”
“You’re talking to my plants?”
“What’s the big deal? I hear you do it all the time.”
“Yes, well…”
“Guess I’ve been hangin’ around you too long.”
“If you think fifty plus years is ‘too long,’ I suppose you have.”
“Naw, half a century’s nothing, Hutch. Wait’ll we hit a hundred, then we’ll talk about it.”
“It’s a date, partner.”
END