Daffodils Part VI

Y'all are probably tired of hearing about daffodils. I understand and apologize; but I can't help it.

They're only here for a short time, and they were such an important part of my life growing up, plus I don't really have much else to talk about. This coming weekend is the Daffodil Festival in Gloucester, so I'll probably be writing a couple more daffodil-related posts in the near future.

Yesterday, Chesapeake Bay Daughter and I went out to the fields to check the progress of the daffodils. The particular field shown above is always the first to bloom but still has a ways to go. The main field we used to pick is not nearly this close to ready and needs about another week or two to mature. I wish I could mature in a week or two. I've been trying for 44 years, and it just hasn't happened.

One thing I noticed yesterday is the blooms are turning downward. As usual, I will wager a guess as to why this is, and as usual I am sure someone out there will realize I really don't know what in the world I'm talking about and that sometimes I confuse facts and figures, details and particulars. But I am going to say these droopy blooms are due to the cold weather. I've never seen them sag like this, but I think once it turns warmer they'll return to their normal state.

(By the way, is that day coming soon? The day when it is warmer? I want to return to my normal state. I'm tired of having to use the windshield de-icer I bought on clearance at Wal-Mutant. Evidently it was on clearance because the spray pump on the bottle does not work. When you're already running late for work--which is 48 miles away--and you discover at the last second there's an inch of ice on the windshield, and then you get all excited because you're actually prepared for once with brand new de-icer, but then that spray pump doesn't work? Well I'm just here to tell ya the only thing left to do that makes any amount of sense is to beat it repeatedly on the windshield almost to the point of cracking the glass.

When you do succeed in cracking a small slit in the top of the bottle, just turn it upside down and watch one drop come out. Wait a bit, during which you will break into a sweat, and then another drop will come out. Fling the bottle in the yard, get in the car and high tail it out of there on two wheels. Don't worry, eventually you'll be able to see. But this really is not germane to the topic of daffodils.)

Anyway.

My grandfather, the commercial daffodil grower, kept detailed crop records. Thanks to the extended Chesapeake Bay Family's inability to throw one shred of paper away, ever, I can quote you these records verbatim. I'll share that data this week but in the interim here's a little known fact:

In 1967, Mathews County had 280 acres of daffodils, with 17 commercial growers.

Here's another little known fact: My blood pressure is about 150 over 100 right now because I'm still thinking about that daggone de-icer that I bought on clearance but can't use thanks to the broken spray pump.

Pardon me while I go mop my brow, I seem to have broken into a sweat.