FINAL WORD OF THANKS
I have a lot to be grateful for. I have had the good fortune and health to spend a great deal of time over the years in my gardens. The beauty, joy, and lessons learned have filled my life. Tomatoes and increasingly dahlias are the focal points, but the overall joy of gardening is, for me, sublime. It is my chapel, my closest interaction with the divine, a wonderful way of spreading joy and smiles and relating with other people, young and old. Gardening is loving in so many ways. And I have had the joy of learning and working with so many people along the way. Helen Almeida taught me many old European methods and values, especially the miracle of how one small plot of land can feed an entire extended family all year and can renew itself. Paul Desrosiers helped me execute our design, build our pergola and install an underground water system. Jim Munger has always been there to provide sophisticated analyses of and remedies for my latest crises. Fred Dabney and Jim McBratney have generously assisted in ways only experienced plants men can. Charlotte and Jim Murphy have always been there to discuss lessons they have learned in their garden over many years. And the camaraderie of the members of the Slocum River Tomato Growers has been a source of continual information, perspective and commraderie. So many young people have helped me, especially at our new home. I never could do all the workalone. Mary Ashley Medeiros's constant smile and beauty made our sunflowers blush. Cole Frenier's patient attention to detail was gratefully appreciated by all the plants he touched. Justin and Mike Gula, cleared fields and vanquished boulders without equipment. As he matured, "Little Mike" became a one man task force. And Justin has been my constant companion as of late, with an incredible attention to detail and perfection. Paulino is our secret weapon, bringing years of experience and incredible efficiency to a task that seems to get larger every year. (We promise ourselves not to expand each year and break the promise one way or another - each year.) And my dearest wife Janet, my senior partner, infuses my every decision with wisdom and assurance and whose approval of all that I do makes it all worth while. And to all the people who allow me to share these beautiful natural gifts with them, I say thanks. Life is a circle and without you, my circle would be incomplete. Loving Blessings to you all.
