Everything Grows

In 1964, our family moved to the Wenatchee Valley. My dad, Tony DeRooy, had just been hired as the first Landcape Supervisor at Rocky Reach Dam. Prior to that, he had worked for the Great Northern Railroad as the third of only three (ever) Superintendents of Parks. He had followed in the footsteps of my grandfather, Arie DeRooy, who had the position from 1934 until his death at Many Glacier Lodge on August 8, 1951. Growing plants, flowers and children was their life work. Anyone who knew these men, as well as the women who have stood faithfully by (thanks, Mom!) recognized their passion. This blog will be concerned mainly with dahlia and garden thoughts, but will also discuss things that are happening in the beautiful valleys, plains and mountains that we know as North Central Washington.

Thursday, November 24, 2011

SO THANKFUL FOR DAHLIAS!

Well, here we are - Thanksgiving Day - a day to celebrate the many blessings that we all have. I'm especially thankful that as of today, I finally have the show stuff safely tucked away, ready for next year's show. Thanksgiving forced me to do that, as it wouldn't have been too cool if I tried to fit my family in around the tubs, boxes, signs and trophies that have dominated my dining room since August. I'm so grateful to have the chance to live my life with dahlias and dahlia people in it. Yesterday, I was getting ready to send a couple of "No Blot" indelible ink pencils to a dahlia friend who lives in Tennessee, I thought about how much Dad would have loved the way technology allows us to get to know and stay in touch with other dahlia growers in the world. He always said he wanted to learn to use the computer, although getting my hyperactive parental-unit to sit down and do it was always a challenge. He even tried to take a computer class at the college, but I think he cut too many classes to actually learn anything! But if he were here today, I am confident that even if he couldn't use the "machine" himself, he would be sitting next to me or Deb and having us post and e-mail growers and hybridizers from New Zealand to the British Isles! So here's to you, Pop - Special Thoughts on a special day, missing you, but feeling that you are here in spirit.....

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