What Happened to Fall

mattg · Post by **mattg** » Thu Nov 16, 2006 2:28 pm

I bet you can garden almost all year down there in texas. I work at a greenhouse in illinois. I enjoy working in the yard but am glad when winter arrives. If it was up to me I would move to the mountains where it snows and the skiing is plentiful - but my wife has other thoughts.

zblair · Post by **zblair** » Thu Nov 16, 2006 2:56 pm

mattg wrote:I bet you can garden almost all year down there in texas. I work at a greenhouse in illinois. I enjoy working in the yard but am glad when winter arrives. If it was up to me I would move to the mountains where it snows and the skiing is plentiful - but my wife has other thoughts.

With the exception of the intense part of the summer (mainly August and part of September usually) I can garden here anytime. We had a plot in a community garden for 3 years that kept us in veggies until we had to give it up due to time. I MISS those tomatoes, they were sweet!!

What is your greenhouse's specialty?

We tried to move a few years back (to be closer to my stepkids in NY and also my IL's in VA), shooting for VA or NC but all that came of it were a few interviews. We'd both like to end up (at some point) in either Eastern PA, Northern DE or maybe Oregon. Because I am a HUGE rose fan and I love the Oregon scenery too. But we'll see.

I've had a dream off and on where I can see our next home. It is on a bluff and it is made out of stone and there are a lot of hills. There's a fire going in the fireplace because there's smoke coming out of the chimney. I used to only occasionally have this dream. Now it occurs about once a month. When it becomes once a week, I'll pack and see what happens. Won't be for at least 5 years though.

Jeffrey would love to be in the mountains, and I love coastlines but as long as he's with me it doesn't matter where; we can always travel!

hambone · Post by **hambone** » Thu Nov 16, 2006 2:59 pm

If you live in NW Oregon you must LOVE the rain. Truly, the winter gets maddening at times and I adore the clammy damp. But most people these days go from car to garage to work etc. so I guess it doesn't matter much to them, but I'm out screwin around year round so I'm quite attuned to the elements.

zblair · Post by **zblair** » Thu Nov 16, 2006 3:00 pm

Mattg you sound like you all should be in the southwest for mountains and skiing. It's beautiful in parts of NM and AZ and CO.

Maybe you could tell your wife it would be a new adventure! You never know what you could be inspired to do with
your lives if you lived somewhere that you felt you'd be happier in!

Velokid1 · Post by **Velokid1** » Thu Nov 16, 2006 3:26 pm

Wanna buy a small cabin in the Arizona high country, elevation 5300'?

It's on 2.5 lots and the price, when compared to most of the U.S., will only make you throw up the tiniest bit in the back of your mouth... not like a full-on vomit, I promise.

Good luck getting water here in the Southwest in 15 years, though!

hambone · Post by **hambone** » Thu Nov 16, 2006 3:40 pm

I didn't much care for Arizona either, although the saguraros down near the border are incredible...
Some people like that baked earth thorns on everything scorpion shiat though. More power to 'em, I like things green personally.
You have a cabin??? Lucky bastid.

spiffy · Post by **spiffy** » Thu Nov 16, 2006 7:29 pm

hambone wrote:If you live in NW Oregon you must LOVE the rain. Truly, the winter gets maddening at times and I adore the clammy damp. But most people these days go from car to garage to work etc. so I guess it doesn't matter much to them, but I'm out screwin around year round so I'm quite attuned to the elements.

How did you describe it??? I think you said it is like climbing into the chewy center of some wintergreen gum or smoking 1 million menthol cigarettes....something like that....whatever it was, it was funny.

mattg · Post by **mattg** » Fri Nov 17, 2006 6:55 am

Arizona is too dry for me..My sister lives in tempe and the last time I was there it was also so crowded. I dont know how she stands the heat all summer - that would drive me crazy. If I could move out of Illinois it would probably be to the Colorado mountains if I could afford it - maybe If I won the lottery. I have lived in Illinois since 1979 with the exception of college in Madison wisconsin. Illinois is boring but we now have 2 kids and my inlaws live nearby and my folks live in northeast wisconsin so I guess we plan to stay near the family for now.

We grow just about everything at our greenhouse...annuals, perennials, herbs, vegetables, tropicals, shrubs. Customers always say how great of environment it must be to work in - but it is just a job, and most people dont know how much work goes into growing and retailing plants. All in all if it weren't for the insurance I would of been retired a long time ago. Anybody else getting tired of working for other people - one of these days I'd like to start my own business. I'm just not sure what.

poptop tom · Post by **poptop tom** » Fri Nov 17, 2006 7:57 am

we grow just about everything at our greenhouse...

Matt, I'm in a similar business of growing plants. No, not THAT kind of plant!

I'm in the golf business over here in Indiana. Getting to be that slow time of year.

Of course, we plan to lay approx. 25,000 sq. ft. of sod next week, so not that slow.

In this line of work, I like the "break" winter provides to the endless hours worked during the "season."

mattg · Post by **mattg** » Fri Nov 17, 2006 8:06 am

poptop,

I used to be in the golf business as well. I worked as an assistant golf professional for about 6 years before I burnt out. I started working at golf courses when I was 15 and by the time I was 28 I had enough. What course do you work at? I worked at Arrowhead GC, Cantigny Golf, and Elgin CC all in the chicagoland area - wheaton and elgin. I miss those winter days which seemed to make the hell you went through all season somehow worth it. At the greenhouse I only have to work 6 days a week for a month in the spring, other than that 5 days a week which is nice, it is also nice to have a summer holiday weekend again - but I do miss some aspects of the golf course as well.

Velokid1 · Post by **Velokid1** » Fri Nov 17, 2006 9:30 am

I once attended a party bordering a golf course and it was pouring outside. I somehow talked 20 or so party goers into stripping down to underwear and running all over the course sliding across the greens and swimming in the ponds. My method of motivation was leading by example. Once everyone saw how much fun I was having, they couldn't resist joining in.

I was young, so no- I didn't think for even a moment about the hard work that had gone into making that golf course beautiful. My thoughts were more like, "Wahooo!!! Weeeeeeee!"

Half of the party went to jail. I wasn't in that half.

That's as close as I've ever come to golfing. And I know nothing about gardening. Nothing at all, officer.

Velokid1 · Post by **Velokid1** » Fri Nov 17, 2006 9:34 am

mattg wrote:Arizona is too dry for me..My sister lives in tempe and the last time I was there it was also so crowded. I dont know how she stands the heat all summer - that would drive me crazy.

I'm with ya on the desert, though it's primarily about the political climate and cowboy culture of Arizona. But I'm in the high desert Ponderosa pin forests... we get the same amount of rain as we did back in Indiana. Summers are low 90s high and winters it stays in the 40s.

It's a pleasant place to live if you don't want to actually *touch* nature and are more the "look but don't touch" type of person. Cuz when you touch, you get pricked out here.

Or if you're really conservative and have lost all desire to expose yourself to new ideas and opinions. Those people fit right in here.

OK, back to work...

poptop tom · Post by **poptop tom** » Fri Nov 17, 2006 9:41 am

Matt,
I'm the super. at Pottawattomie CC in Michigan City.
It was a tough year this year. The rain was horrible,
and made for a long summer. And my asst. moved on in mid August (great timing that was), which made matters worse.

We're now trying to finish landscaping around our brand new built clubhouse, as well as the 25,000 sq. ft. of sod work.

Things should be much slower this time of year, but alas, they are not. Not yet, anyway.
As a result, my progress on my westy resto was slowed to a halt. I hope to get it finished this winter, and be on the road sometime in the spring.

Having her done for next season will alleviate the day to day stresses of this crazy business. I haven't burned out yet. And I started doing this profession some 25 years ago as a young 15 year old! Therapy!

Velokid,
I could tell some golf course stories involving old girl friends and streaking through the irrigation system, and..........
I better quite there.

Velokid1 · Post by **Velokid1** » Fri Nov 17, 2006 9:45 am

poptop tom wrote: Velokid,
I could tell some golf course stories involving old girl friends and streaking through the irrigation system, and..........
I better quit there.

You tease, you!

Hey, meet us over in the Free Speech forum. You sound like you need to get some things off your chest, and we're all more than willing to lend an ear. For the sake of catharsis, of course. It's our gift to YOU.

poptop tom · Post by **poptop tom** » Fri Nov 17, 2006 9:53 am

lol Velo.

Free speech forum means I have to tell all, and.......well....
okay!

But not today! Need to get something done - like place this dreaded order for sod. Ugh.

Me? A tease?

Use your imagination!

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What Happened to Fall