cw computer down....

[bunkie]

hey all, cornishwoman, kate, called me this morning to tell me the hard drive is gone on her computer. she's been down for over 2 weeks so far. she needs to get a new one and is not sure how long till she can get one, tax season and all. she didn't want you all who sent her seeds to feel she deserted you.

mjc, she said the elderberrys have taken off and are nice and healthy putting out shoots. she has them inside chicken wire cages so the bunnies don't get them.

dan, your beans have taken off too, and she's very pleased so far.

everyone else's tom seeds and pea seeds and all are doing well, and she has most of everything in the ground now.

she wanted me to post her appreciation to all of you for the seeds. hopefully she'll be back soon, and posting herself!

[robertb]

I know the feeling; I only got my internet back a week or so ago, and not being able to thanks people for swaps is embarassing!

[Dan]

Thanks for the update, always sucks when technology breaks! Seems to be a hard-disk drive epidemic as of late (at least in my line of business).

[galina]

Thank you for letting us know about cornishwoman. Glad her garden is thriving. We hope she'll be back very soon and that the stuff on her old harddrive can be rescued off and put on a new harddrive.

When you speak next, please pass on my best.

[bunkie]

hey all, i just called cw to see how she was fairing after all the flooding and such in Tennessee. she sounded good but discouraged. she has one pea plant left, 2 rows (i think) of potatoes, the elderberries made it. her whole garden is flooded and she lost everything... tho...i told her she might find corn plants and toms, etc... growing all over the yard where it flooded. one never knows.

apparently she had like two rivers going through her yard. she said it sounded like the oceaan! everything, the dam and the rivers are overflowing she said. the barn's ok but innundated with 3 feet of mud. the house is ok. the stakes she hammered in the ground to mark the veggies are all gone too.

she said they had 17 inches of rain in 2 days...started at 6am friday and ended monday. she said there was a house , big one, that floated onto the interstate and got stuck there!

she was without power for 2 days also.

she said there were crawdads all over the garden. she wanted to pick them to eat, but her hubby said the waste treatment had overflowed, so not safe. what a bummer!

she said in the town of Lebanon the antique shops all were flooded. a real mess.

she said it's in the 80's now and the ground is cooking! she's thinking of starting some seed in wet newspaper, cuts the 7-14 day period done significantly, to start more seeds. and she's got tops of several of the tomatoes that she's rooting now.

they still have not got a computer yet, but i mentioned to her that her library in town might have one she coud use. we have another friend in a similar situation. she writes all the time from the library computers. so, keep an eye out for her, and send her some good vibes! ;D

[bluelacedredhead]

Thanks Bunkie!! I'll phone her later in the week. Don't want her to have too many phone calls all at once and then none...

[mnjrutherford]

Hey Bunkie, ask her if I can send anything. Let her know we will be praying for her and her family. Thanks for communicating for us, I really appreciate it!

[bunkie]

sure thing galina!

hey jo and wendy, forgot she wanted me to tell you she sent a short letter to you both Monday.

[grunt]

Bunkie: Please tell her I will be re-sending everything I can remember of what went out to her earlier, and likely adding a few more shorter season varieties, in case she can still replant. If she can't use them this year, she will have them on hand for next year

[bluelacedredhead]

I'll be looking forward to it. Thanks Bunkie.

[bunkie]

thanks dan! will tell her.

[bluelacedredhead]

I received a letter written May 1st? 2nd?3rd? she said. Obviously losing track of time in the floodzone.
They had 2-1/2 feet of water in their garage, and around the same depth in their garden. Their power had been shut off and roads were closed. They were hoping the police would come around soon or they were going to attempt to drive to town.

It's taken a week for this to get to me. I'm hoping that their situation has improved drastically since she wrote me.

I got got off the phone with Kate. Her road is open now and the water has subsided somewhat. Her fruit trees are doing well. She said the elderberries must like water because they are thriving. But for the most part, her veggies are washed away. She has one pea plant that is growing; she's watching it with interest.

She sounds in decent humour all things considered. She told me about the people who have lost homes in Tennessee. And the stores, like the feedstore that have lost thousands of dollars worth of inventory to water damage. The Humane Society and the local veterinary clinic both suffered losses due to animals drowning. A botanical garden and tea room that she loves is destroyed.
But on a comical note, Kate says she never knew that chickens could swim! Her Araucanas were diving for earthworms in the vegetable patch!

She wishes to say hello to everyone. That her family suffered only water damage but they are all in good health as are their horses, poultry and pets.
And thanks for thinking of her!

[grunt]

Please tell her that her seeds hit the mail today, a slightly expanded selection based on what I sent her before.

[bluelacedredhead]

Dan, I'm sure you'll hear from her yourself! She will be thrilled. Thanks for helping her out.

[mnjrutherford]

I just got a wonderful letter from Kate. She sends love to all, especially Wendy and Bunkie.

She's having plenty of issues. She is very concerned about pathogens in her soil. If anyone has some advice about getting her soil tested please tell me and I will pass it on to her.

As for the garden, some things have survived, somethings are struggling, and some things, like her beans, just vanished! Her potatoes are one of the survivors, but with the possibility of soil contamination she's not sure she should eat them. She says she's been told they are ok, but she's not really comfortable with that advice.

She's been doing volunteer work at home and in Nashville. She's also been doing volunteer work at a local veterinarian's office. She says that was particularly difficult as she spent her time there bagging up dead animals.

Well, I'll have to read the letter again and I'll tell you more when I do.