Putting The Brakes On

This week has tested me physically and emotionally. On Sunday the weather was warm to hot and I overdid things a little in the afternoon digging over ground at Margeuritas and then more at Hanna's. At the end of the day I was hot in the face and my lips were dry and burning, I probably didn't drink enough water although I did take drink breaks.

On Monday with the temperature going into the high 30's C for the first time in ages I again pushed hard. I picked broad beans at Margeuritas in the morning then got onto the beech. We are three weeks into the beech season and the customers are being difficult in that they are asking for large amounts and a couple of them wanting to come twice a week rather than their customary one pick up a week. My inclination is to try to please them so I go harder. Monday night after the first hot day of the season I was very tired.

Tuesday it rained consistently but I had four people picking up on Wednesday so worked in the rain rushing about gathering everything I could to fill their requests. Last night I was thoroughly drained and unhappy at this situation I'm in so after a good sleep and more rain this morning I headed out to pick broadies at M's again, in the rain, I was soaked again and after a change of clothes and lunch picked a little bit of beech to make up numbers for the late afternoon pick up person. When I got to the farm I was quickly unloading so that I could catch the bank before 4pm when Elvie came out asking me could I pick 20 more bunches of green beech by 6pm as one of the earlier customers complained they didn't get enough and they would come back to get it.

It was still raining. "No way," I said. I was not going to get wet again and frankly it is most unpleasant working off a ladder with the pole looking up into the rain. And dangerous as I'm not young.

So I feel a weight has been lifted. My customers have to realize they will have to take what I can do comfortably without me stressing about numbers and if they don't like it well tough luck. It's up to me to firm mentally and take it slowly or I'll wreck myself between now and Christmas. I can't work as quickly or as long as used to when younger. There's something about beech that seems to work them frenzied. I guess that's because it it so beautiful and prized by florists and there's not enough supply in the market place. Probably I'm selling it too cheaply too and if I was a good businessman I'd up my price 30% and let the market place slow it down for me, but I've upped my price 10% each of the last two years and I do believe in a fair thing and I don't want to be a hard greedy bastard.

There has been some good Karma over this period. Rickyralph turned up on Sunday morning to get some lemons. He brought me a shepherd's pie for breakfast and a bottle of red wine in gratitude for the lemons he comes for every month or so. I picked foliage at friend Sue's garden on Tuesday. She has nine acres of trees and shrubs she and her husband have planted and nurtured over 20 plus years and it's a total joy to see and work in a place as beautiful. And I love picking the broadies (and eating them later) out at Marguerita's farm with rolling hills of hay paddocks and potato fields around me, away from the traffic and the busy roads.

A young girl was killed in a road accident in Emerald Tuesday and it shunts it home.

Put the brakes on.

Out at Margeurita's

Gord and I at Sue's Oct 23 'Art in the Garden' day