I don't know about you, but I don't really like the wind much anymore. I used to.....I would fly a kite as a kid, I would listen to the chimes in the trees out back make their beautiful music, I would watch the kite surfers sail across the waves when we would visit the kids in Ventura, I would watch the trees bend and dance in the breeze..............all this was before I bought a nursery.
Now, not so much. Yesterdays wind storm played some major havoc at the store. Thankfully for us my husband is pretty good about watching the weather, so last Saturday he worked the entire day putting away the roughly 800 trees that we got in on Friday. He had seen the system that was moving in and thought it would be a good idea to get them all tucked into their places and tied up before the winds and "wishful" rain showed up. Wise man! However, while he got most all of them put away, we didn't get them all tied up until yesterday, in the middle of the storm. No rain! just wind....and more wind....and yet more wind. Marlea and I were outside most of the entire day tying them all down and getting them watered in. Michelle stopped by for a class that she is doing with the local high school and helped us out quite a bit, all of us laughing that we only had to go home and add a little water to our faces and we would have an expensive "mud mask" all set to go.
By the time 5 rolled around and we went to close the gate most all the trees were tightly tied up, watered in and ready for what would come later. But the rest of the nursery was showing some damage. The gazebo out front was on it's side. Most of the banners on the front gate were torn and blowing in the breeze, trees that were out in displays were on their sides and empty pots that had been carefully stacked in the recycling area were blowing about in the parking lot. Oh, and the greenhouse roof, yep, panels were flying.
By the time 5 rolled around and we went to close the gate most all the trees were tightly tied up, watered in and ready for what would come later. But the rest of the nursery was showing some damage. The gazebo out front was on it's side. Most of the banners on the front gate were torn and blowing in the breeze, trees that were out in displays were on their sides and empty pots that had been carefully stacked in the recycling area were blowing about in the parking lot. Oh, and the greenhouse roof, yep, panels were flying.
Last night as I sat and read my book and listened to the noise outside as not one, but many branches were breaking on my own trees here at home, I could only wonder, what we will find this morning as we open the gates.
March winds in Fallon.....you think we would be prepared for them, but every year....oh my!