“I wanna know, have you ever seen the rain,
Comin’ down a sunny day”
kAmkDEC@?8m— Qw2G6 *@F tG6C $66? E96 #2:?[Q rC656?46 r=62CH2E6C #6G:G2=k^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAm$@ >F49 7@C 6IA64E:?8 2 5CJ[ A2C4965 DF>>6C — 3FE :E 2:?’E @G6C J6E] %@ A2C2A9C2D6 2 H6==\@H? BF@E6 3J 72>65 DA@CED HC:E6C s2? r@@<[ E96 72E =25J 92D?’E DF?8 — 2 C676C6?46 E@ E96 `gf_ @A6C2 QqCF?9:=56[Q H96? E96 C2E96C 967EJ D@AC2?@ D2?8 7@C a_ >:?FE6D E@ 4=@D6 E96 AC@5F4E:@?] x =@DE 4@F?E 2E 23@FE `a :?496D @7 C2:? =2DE H66< 2E r92@D] (6 >:DD65 E96 3CF?E @7 E96 H66<6?5’D DE@C>D 96C6 @? E96 “x\cc 4@CC:5@C[” 2D =@42= >6E6@C@=@8:DE s@F8 w625J AFED :E[ 3FE >F49 @7 @FC 2C62 8@E 2 =@E @7 H:?5 2?5 92:= H:E9 DE@C> 52>286 2?5 7=@@5:?8 5@H?DEC62>]k^Am
kAm%96 82C56? 😀 DF77FD65 H:E9 2 8C66? =F>:?@D:EJ[ EC66D D@2<:?8 FA 6G6CJ AC64:@FD C2:?5C@A 282:?DE H92E >2J =:6 29625] t2C=J DF>>6C 7=@H6CD EF>3=6 @G6C 6249 @E96C 😕 92DE6 E@ 3=@@>[ 3FEE6C7=:6D 2?5 366D G:6 7@C ?64E2C 2?5 A@==6?[ 2?5 A=2?ED 2C6 BF:4<=J @FE8C@H:?8 52>286 7C@> 2?JE9:?8 62E:?8 E96>] qFE ;FDE 3642FD6 H6 2C6 8C@H:?8 >@DD 36EH66? @FC E@6D[ >J 92:C 92D 2 E:?86 @7 2=826 8C66? 2?5 H665D 2C6 >F=E:A=J:?8 72DE6C E92? 2 4286 @7 86C3:=D[ E92E 5@6D?’E >62? :E H:== =2DE[ E9@F89 E96C6 😀 2=H2JD 9@A6 7@C 2 E6>A6C2E6 DF>>6C 7C66 @7 5C288:?8 9@D6D]k^Am
kAm$@ H92E’D 3F88:?8 >6 E96?n (:E9 E96 C2:? 42>6 A6D@DBF:E@6D[ =@G:?8 E92E 52>A[ 6I46DD G686E2E:@? E@ 3C665 :?[ 2=@?8 H:E9 A@@=:?8 H2E6C] {@42= 32ED 2?5 5C28@?7=:6D 2C6 <66A:?8 FA AC6EEJ H6==[ 2?5 x’> 7:?6 H:E9 E92E — ~z[ xV> ?@E 7:?6[ 3FE x 42? E@=6C2E6 :E — 3FE E96 42FD6 @7 >@DE @7 >J 4FCD:?8 @44FCD H96? x 7:?5 @?6 @7 E9@D6 @9\D@\:E49J A@AAJ D665\D:K6 D665 E:46 A2CE @7 >J 2?2E@>J x 42?’E C6249 H:E9@FE >:CC@CD 2?5 4@?E@CE:@?]k^Am
kAm%96 :562 E92E 2 4@=5 H:?E6C H:== <:== @77 E:4@DE=J H:D97F= E9:?<:?8] xE H@F=5 92G6 E@ 86E 2 H9@=6 =@E 4@=56C 7@C 2 =@E =@?86C] tG6? 😕 ‘6C>@?E’D @7E6? 7C:8:5 pC4E:4 H:?E6CD[ E:42?E 😕 H:?E6C[ E:4 :?E6?D6 4@=5[ 2?5 E96:C 3@5:6D >2?F724EFC6 2 496>:42= =:<6 2?E:7C66K6] %96J H2<6 FA 9F?8CJ H96? E6>A6C2EFC6D 2C6 23@G6 bd 568C66D] p 9F>2? @C 2?:>2= H2=<:?8 😕 E96 H@@5D @? 2 >:=5 H:?E6C 52J H:== 2=6CE E:462= 😀 D6CG:?8 :ED6=7[ 2?5 H6 7:?5 @FCD6=G6D A:4<:?8 E:42J ?@E 36 5@C>2?E 2E 2==[ 7:?5:?8 >:46 2?5 566C E@ 36 6I46==6?E 923:E2E] x? DAC:?8[ 76>2=6 E:42E6 H2C>D 2?5 D62D@?D =6?8E96?[ E:4:?8 >@C6 24E:G6 J62C\C@F?5] w62E[ 9@H6G6C[ 42? 36 72E2= 7@C E:4>6C =:<6 =2DE J62C’D >:89E D=@H E96> 5@H? 3FE ?@E DE@A E96>[ 2D E9:D DAC:?8’D 9F86 C6DFC86?46 D9@HD]k^Am
kAm%96 325 ?6HD 4@?46C?D E96 :?4C62D:?8 AC6G2=6?46 @7 {J>6 5:D62D6[ 42CC:65 3J 566C E:4 2 C646?E DEF5J 3J E96 $@4:6EJ @7 x?E68C2E:G6 2?5 r@>A2C2E:G6 q:@=@8J[ E:46 5:D62D6 >:4C@36D 92G6 2? g_T DFCG:G2= C2E6 @G6C 2 G6CJ 4@=5 H:?E6C[ 4@>A2C65 H:E9 2 c_T 7@C E:46 5:D62D6] x H@?’E 5:D4FDD E96 5@K6?D @7 @E96C A2E9@86?D E96J 42CCJ[ 3FE :E 😀 G:E2= E@ C6>@G6 E:4>65:2E6=J E6DE65 2?5 EC62E65 7@C {J>6 2?5 @E96C 5:D62D6D]k^Am
kAm%96C6 😀 =:EE=6 H6 42? 5@ E@ <66A E:42?:4FC65[ 8@=7\4@FCD6 =2?5D42A6D] %96J 92G6 366? @? t2CE9 =@?8 6?@F89 E@ 92G6 765 @? 5:?@D2FC 3=@@5 2?5 2C6 DE:== 2D A6CD:DE6?E 2D A@=:E:4:2?D CF??:?8 7@C @77:46] z66A:?8 >2>>2=D DF49 2D 566C[ >:46 2?5 3:C5D @FE 92D 366? DF886DE65[ 3FE E92E 😀 ?@E C62=:DE:4] }6:E96C[ E9@F89 x’G6 3C:67=J 4@?D:56C65 :E[ 2C6 8F:?62 7@H=[ H:E9 E96:C =@F5 2=2C> 42==D 2?5 E6?56?4J E@ C@@DE 😕 EC66D — AC6J 7@C @H=D 2?5 92HA=6E6=J @77 E96 E23=6] p?ED[ 46?E:A656D[ DA:56CD[ 366E=6D[ 3:C5D[ =:K2C5D[ D2=2>2?56CD 2?5 @E96C D>2== 2?:>2=D AC6J @? 49:886CD[ 2?5 FD:?8 496>:42=D 2=D@ <:==D E96D6 ?2EFC2= 4@?EC@=D]k^Am
kAm#6A6==6?ED 4@?E2:?:?8 stt% 2C6 E96 >@DE 677:4:6?E 2E <66A:?8 E:4>6?565 7@C 6G6CJ52J FD6] $276C 96C32= 2?5 ?2EFC2= C6A6==6?ED 😕 A=246 @7 stt% :?4=F56 A6AA6C>:?E[ =2G6?56C[ 4:EC@?6==2[ E9J>6[ >@?2C52[ >@F?E2:? >:?E 2?5 @E96C DEC@?8=J D46?E65 96C3D[ 3FE E96J >2J ?@E 36 2D 67764E:G6 2?5 ?665 C62AA=:65 @7E6?] p?5 J6D[ E:46==] }@ ?@D6D[ 3FE D6?D@CJ @C82?D @? E96:C 7@C6=68D 56E64E 496>:42=D 😕 @5@CD E@ =@42E6 E96:C AC6J] }@ 4=F6 :7 E:4 566C D42E[ 3FE E96J 5@ @H 3@5J @5@C]k^Am
kAmx’== 567:?:E6=J 36 E2<:?8 2 D9@H6C 367@C6 x 8@ @FE] p?5 @?6 27E6C[ 😕 42D6 2 E:4< @C EH@ E9@F89E x H2D?’E >:?EJ\DH66E 6?@F89]k^Am
Sandy and Jim Parrill garden at Chaos, their acre of the Ozarks in Joplin. Sandy is a lifelong gardener, Missouri master gardener and winner of the Missouri Writers Guild 2018 first-place award for best newspaper column. Jim is a former garden center owner and landscaper; both are past members of the Missouri Landscape and Nursery Association. Email them at sandraparrill@sbcglobal.net and follow their Facebook page, A Parrillel Universe of Wonderful Things.