First off, before I launch into this week’s adventure, I’d like to mention that I mowed our lawns for the first time in over six weeks! Well, let me clarify. What I mowed wasn’t really grass. It was more like a survivalist side show of weeds, i.e., things that have managed to “grow” during the dryness of this summer. Not a very pretty lot – popping up items seldom seen in good weather days. I’m talking about long-stemmed things with puffs at the top, brown, yellow and orange in color along with Queen Anne’s lace and prickly tormenteds.

Our lawn often dies out in August. Poor soils and ledge don’t help. But this year things got brown early and only got browner. The mowed “lawn” resembles the left behind thrashed straw of harvested oats. Might make good bedding. Hadn’t thought of that. It ain’t pretty but now at least it’s uniformly drab.

Enough about our lovely moonscape.

In past articles I have often mentioned how the unforeseen pops up when least expected or unsought after. That’s what happened just recently after my regular Thursday visit to photograph the Ernestina-Morrissey project at Bristol Marine. By the time the ink is dry on this week’s paper the great ship will be afloat in the harbor, it is hoped.

As I departed the shipyard and headed for my car parked beside the condos at Signal Point, there was Mark Conley on his way up a big stepladder steadied by an assistant. Mark, as you can see, was doing some pruning. He’s an old pruner from way back and keeps quite busy with many projects associated with Conley’s Garden Center, which, as many know, has been reborn and is in the process of rejuvenation. Lots of new updates and more projects for Uncle Mark and crews. We’ve gotten some great trees there to help embellish our beautiful lawns!

I’ve known Mark and his family for a long time. Jane and I used to “perform” at the Catholic Church for weddings. Jane would play the trumpet from the balcony and I would always try to make a photograph from there as well. Sometimes we would get to laughing about something. One time I actually caused Jane to mistime her “Trumpet Voluntary.” I got in trouble for that one!

Mark continues in the tradition of the early garden center, doing plantings, hauling brush, trimming and general landscape projects. And whenever he has helped me with projects, I can still catch a glimpse of his mom’s twinkle and smile. It’s nice to know that there is still a bit of Jane around the neighborhood. She would be pleased for Mark’s abilities, generosity and kindness.