Wednesday, February 9, 2011

The Expo Looms

Today was a crazy day of travel for me as I headed over to Bristol for a 10 am presentation then up to Waukesha for a 2:30 presentation. The audiences were around 80 and 50 respectively and seemed to be mostly landscape professionals. My talks went well although I had a scare when my computer wouldn't turn on prior to the first presentation and I imagined a 1.5 hour presentation on containter gardening with no visuals! UGH. I'm nothing without my visuals! I realized I wasn't quite 100% as symptoms of my previous sickness resurfaced (nothing disgusting) and I was pretty wiped out by the end of the day. I enjoyed my trip home from Waukesha as I took Hwy 18 West, a route I've not travelled. It was neat to see the small towns of Wales Heights, Dousman, Sullivan, Helenville and ultimately Jefferson, a quaint small town as well that I've been thru many times. It was evident that snow removal still continues with all sorts of trucks and heavy equipment hauling snow off of various areas where it was piled high. Traveling on Hwy 14 East this morning I couldn't believe the 12' drifts on various sides of the road. Unbelievable. Travel went fine but I only had an hour and a half at work this morning. I touched base with Larry and talked with Marianne about the start of our monumental seed organizing project. Marianne's project on Monday can be seen to the right and below. She put together some nice dried arrangements of 'Flame' willow (Salix hybrida) stems, switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) and Japanese silver grass (Miscanthus). These will be part of our booth at the Garden Expo which starts this Friday. Tomorrow, Dick P., Big John, Polly and I will travel up to the Alliant Energy Center - Exhibition Hall to set up our booth and get ready for the start of this epic event. We haul a trailer with all our stuff and will pack it all up Sunday and haul it back. I'll miss the Friday portion of the Expo as I'll be doing presentations in Milwaukee and Sheboygan. Polly and Lori will handle Friday night and we have a great group of volunteers helping. Further below is a contorted white pine (Pinus strobus 'Contorta') next to my house and the bottom picture shows some benefits of the 8' of snow piled next to my house with my younger daughter starting her tunneling project.

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