Maw Maw Does the Paw Paws

Ever since Cappy and I were little kids, we have heard about Paw Paws, especially in grade school, when we sang the song, The Paw Paw Patch:

Where, oh where is dear little Danny?

Where, oh where is dear little Danny?

Where, oh where is dear little Danny?

Way down yonder in the paw-paw patch.

Come on girls, let's go find him,

Come on girls, let's go find him,

Come on girls, let's go find him,

Way down yonder in the paw-paw patch.

Pickin' up paw-paws, put 'em in your pockets,

Pickin' up paw-paws, put 'em in your pockets,

Pickin' up paw-paws, put 'em in your pockets,

Way down yonder in the paw-patch.

Where, oh where is dear old Nellie?

Where, oh where is dear old Nellie?

Where, oh where is dear old Nellie?

Way down yonder in the paw-paw patch.

Come on boys, let's go find her,

Come on boys, let's go find her,

Come on boys, let's go find her,

Way down yonder in the paw-paw patch.

Pickin' up paw-paws, put 'em in your pockets,

Pickin' up paw-paws, put 'em in your pockets,

Pickin' up paw-paws, put 'em in your pockets,

Way down yonder in the paw-patch.

Since I thought Cappy, living down South here, would know what they are, I asked him. I was surprised to learn that he'd never, to his knowledge, eaten one, and was just as curious as I was about them. We 'Googled' and learned that they taste like a creamy banana cocoanut custard to some folks. Well, being the chubby Cajuns we are, that's all it took for us to set about locating some of them. As you may know, from our past blog postings, we are 'jungling' up our yard with all kinds of fruit trees. It just so happens that Gurney's seed catalog is selling them, so Viola! ( a wonderful instrument, by the way :-P ) we sent for a couple of their Paw Paw plants.

Before Cappy left to go back on the boat, he lovingly dug two holes and put in fresh, nutrient-packed soil, surrounded these two new 'beds' with curved bricks, all in anticipation of the delivery of our new little additions, then off to work he went.

The other day, when I blogged about my bustling all about in the yard, doing this and that, when Cappy is away, I had to wonder if any of my neighbors had read that. If so; it's a wonder I didn't hear loud snickers and guffaws from around the town. I do try. I really do...til I give up, in mid-Summer. The houses directly out my door are surrounded by the most beautiful, lush greenery and flowers, all perfectly manicured. Most of my neighbors are, seriously, up at five A.M. getting a fast-paced start on their day. I'm not. Cappy, despite his best efforts,has not been able to 'convert' me back. After spending years and years of raising the kids, and working outside of the home, I'm now loving my mornings of waking up whenever I wake up, luxuriating over my one sweet, rich cup of Irish Cream or Hazelnut coffee, poking around the house in my pj's til I get dressed, whenever that is.

Meanwhile, the best part of the day for outside work has up and left town, headed for the next time zone. It's only because of Cappy's urgings and encouragement, and those of my ever-hopeful neighbors, that I get out there...when I get out there, and try. I like the results when they go well, but get so frustrated when the majority of my efforts are unappreciated by my darned yard. Sometimes, it seems, the only green thing out there, sucking up all the goodies I work into the soil, are the virulent weeds. (Uhm...I think I need to say here, that this pertains mostly to our flowers. Presently, we are having a most wonderful harvest of fruits and nuts...go figger.)

The reason I'm dragging you along on this tale, is to let you know I've been 'found out'. Cappy absolutely LOVES gladiolas. Well, I did my best with them, even ordered fancy bulbs online here. They didn't come up all at once, and they were scattered hither and yon in their bloomage, all over the yard in assorted flowerbeds. But each one was truly beautiful, and we thought, unique. Cappy told me to take pictures of them and post them here on our blog, and we bragged incessantly, I guess, about them. Viewing our blog, one would have thought we had grand palatial grounds. From this, one of our townspeople, in the heat of Summer, was lured into the neighborhood to see this glorious splendor in person. I can only imagine the shock when she saw spindley isolated gladiolas, with very pretty blooms, here and there, tall weeds merrily dancing around our trees, and angry marigolds and husks of petunias glaring at the world from the window boxes. Not a pretty sight. She must have been so disappointed and embarrassed for me, that she tried to inconspicuously back out of the neighborhood, but in her escape, accidentally backed over someone's mailbox. She got out of her car and profusely apologized to the man, whose mailbox she had knocked over. The man told her not to feel badly, because it had been knocked down about thirteen other times! Thirteen times??! I never heard any of that commotion, not even once. Now I'm wondering how many of those I had caused; having caused this one, anyhow. (Love you, Girlfriend!)

So, here's the real deal: I only got a few things done out in the yard so far, that I said in the last post that I was going to do, and none of them purdy, as of yet. I'll keep trying, tho. The yard is green, anyhow.

Back to the Paw Paws. Despite the fact that Raleigh and SparkyBear dug all of Cappy's special soil out of the 'beds' , ran crazily around the yard, chasing each other and diving into the deep empty holes, this "Grannie" ...this little "Maw Maw", as Cappy jokingly refers to me, refilled said holes to their past glory, as Cappy had left them, and planted the two Paw Paw trees, which finally came in the mail. As my neighbors can attest, I say to you, "Go back to yer homes, folks, aint nothin to see here", yet.