Journal: November 16

Going back to the city--after this long summer of never leaving the house, I'm trying to catch up on urban time before the long drive west.  But first a stop at Lowe's to buy new mouse traps.  I'm catching a mouse a night these days, and due to the new improved mouse trap model, can both easily set the traps (the actual old-fashioned trap is in a plastic box) and dispose of the victim.  Still, it's never a pleasant process---I'm hoping the mice can just learn to stay clear of the kitchen--I don't set traps elsewhere--but too bad for them, the kitchen is the only room in which they have any interest.

They did not have the mouse traps I wanted, so I left the death aisles where all sorts of devices of extinction are sold for the now almost empty garden area.  While looking for mulch,  I spotted a last call clearance sale of  hardy mums.  I'd already learned that many neighboring gardeners make two major plant purchases a year--in the beginning of summer they buy pots of pansies, lobelia and other pastel purple, pink and blue flowers which bloom through the warmest months.  As fall approaches they replace their summer plants with pots of yellow, orange and purple mums.

My summer plants had given me great pleasure--they're now all dead--but given the construction havoc around the house, there hadn't been much point to replace them with a fall purchase.

Now, on this chill and rainy day, when thoughts were far from gardening,  Lowes was selling enormous pots of mums for $1.00 each.  After questioning one of their garden experts, I decided I could buy enough to brighten the entire house for Thanksgiving.

Here they are in the parking lot--this entire field of flowers cost $6.00.  A fiscal flower miracle.

I lined them up in the front parlor--on the coffee table and on the floor before driving  to New York City.  It was so cold, muddy and foreboding, I couldn't bear to change into city clothes.  I couldn't even imagine there was a city on the other side of the river.  After successfully finding a parking place on Thompson Street, I knew I'd erred.  The rains had ceased (for the moment), the air was a bit warmer.  I couldn't do anything about changing my pants (oh, if it was truly serious, I could have managed to change pants), but I did leave my muddy rubber boots in the car before meeting Chiquita at a Vietnamese restaurant in Chelsea.   Next year I'll have to work a bit harder on my country/city transitions.