Ain't Life Grand

At Christmas 2005, shortly before I started blogging, I put a piece of my homework from my writing class, 'Ain't Life Grand', in a few Christmas cards I sent to friends. I think I spend all this time writing because I like to share my thoughts with my friends and whoever else may be interested. The path one takes in life can be viewed as one big random accident, or as part of an orchestrated plan that's predetermined. Who knows which is right?

Well, blow me down with a feather. An email came yesterday with the subject- Re Just re reading your 'Aint Life Grand'. My friend Glenda asked, "How is the Douglas Fir? Has it survived?

At first I had to think hard about just what it was she was referring to. I haven't got a copy of 'Aint Life Grand', but the gist of it was how I was struggling with my pre Christmas workload in the December heat, whippy snipping the grass in the rosemary plantation at Nobelius Park. Just as I was flagging under sweat and dust and wondering why I bothered, like a bolt from the blue a blast of inspiration hit me when I saw a young Douglas Fir tree I'd planted some time earlier, a tree given to me as a seedling by a dear friend of mine who had pricked it from her garden, potted it, and passed it on to me. She'd given me one earlier, I'd planted it in the park, and some low bastard pinched it. I waited a year or so, thinking the thief may have moved on or been run over by a bus, and planted the replacement. And here it was standing about 5feet high with a big shoot of growth on top, thriving, and now too big to be dug out by the average petty thief. I hoped it wouldn't be sawn off by someone wanting a tree for Christmas.

It has survived, and is now a substantial young tree some 10-12 feet high. It may not have a long term future, as it is in an area of the park which the Vegation Management Plan, conducted by consultants after I planted the tree, designates as important for view lines, and therefore have low growing plantations. Not the place, in other words, for a 140 ft. conifer as the Douglas would one day be. In the last year, a number of mature trees were removed adjacent this area to restore a view to and from the Packing Shed as per the management plan. As Curator of the park I'm bound to the management plan and resigned myself to the fact that one day Freda Lucas's Douglas Fir may have to go. We are planting new trees in the park to improve it and this is a fact of life with gardens and parks, long term planning is necessary.

I have to finish this story with an update of my involvement in Nobelius Park, and I'm thankful to Glenda's email for the prompt. I have officially acted as Curator for nine years, after the ill health of Gus Ryberg necessitated I move from 'Assistant Curator'. I've been on the committee of management for 22 years and served as President of Emerald Museum and Nobelius Park Committee in 1998/9.

The last year has been tumultuous for the Committee. In short, the President resigned last November after 12/13 continuous years as secretary or president. The secretary resigned at the same time. The VP reluctantly became president, the lady who was about to step into the Treasurer's role to relieve our 92 yo Treasurer, who needed a break, became Secretary. In the New Year, the Secretary took on Treasurer as well. We continued till April when the new President resigned from the committee and, almost simultaneously the new Secretary/Treasurer suffered a severe back injury. At the May meeting I was elected President, Old George stepped back in as temporary Treasurer and another Committee member filled in as Acting Secretary.

We got to the Biennial General Meeting last week. I was elected President. There were no acceptances for Secretary or Treasurer. There was no Committee elected. We didn't get to 'Curator'. So now officially I have no role whatsoever. It's in the Cardinia Shire Council's court as to what happens now. They own the Park and Museum building. All I can know is that I did my best for a long time and can walk away proud for that.

Ain't life grand.