Well, I'm back. It was good to see (almost) everybody while I was in Calgary. It's also amazing how two weeks can seem like such a short time. Dad's doing good and is now the proud parent of two bouncing baby kidneys (15 - 20 lb each). Not a bad weight loss plan, though obviously not for everybody.
On the home front, almost everything is doing as well as could be expected in my yard - perhaps too well in some cases. The lemon balm has taken over my herb garden in a way that I didn't think was possible, and I've got at least 20 pounds of tomatoes sitting on the vine waiting to ripen (six plants might have been a little too much for one person). My blueberries have started to ripen, so all in all, it's good. I do have some sort of "thing" (all I know is that it's plantlike) growing in my herb garden that I'm not happy about. It showed up last year, and looks like little single nodules, not unlike a single cell of a wasp's nest except that they carpet the ground. When they open up they release a bunch of tiny, pinhead sized seeds that coat everything around it. I tried burning it all out before I planted this spring, but apparently didn't get it all. Nobody around here can identify it. I might have to try getting a photograph of it if I can get a picture of something that small.
Also, my swallows have hatched. Unfortunately, one is already dead (looked like he either fell from the nest or was pushed out). The others are still alive, but in the 100 degree heat they look like they're having a hard time with it. They just lean their heads over the edge of the nest and pant a lot. I hope they make it.
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Waitaminnit... each of your dad's new kidneys weighs 15-20 lbs? He got the equivalent of about four newborn babies stuffed into his body all at once? What was the donor, a blue whale?
(lemon balm is a member of the mint family, btw, and is a living illustration of the fact that the line between "weed" and "hardy perennial" is one of perspective)
Yes, his old kidneys were indeed that big, hence the need to remove them. We're waiting for the pathologist's report to get the exact weight (and hopefully some pictures too). The doctor said that there wasn't a large enough tray in the operating room for them, so they had to get one from the kitchen.
If you're ever in Calgary, you might not want to eat at the Rockyview. Just saying.
I did not know that lemon balm was a mint. I mostly planted it just because it smells nice and I figured it would make a good filler. Out it goes for next year, then (assuming I can get rid of it). I have enough trouble with my regular mint, although my tomatoes seem to be holding the line against them for now.
Oh, his old kidneys. OK, that makes more sense, on re-reading your original post, but still, day-um!
I have a twisted desire to see those pictures. That's really amazing.
Lemon balm is a lovely plant, makes very nice tea (or a garnish for ordinary iced tea), and bees love it, but it is very invasive. You could try putting in sheet metal or plastic dividers (like, stick them vertically into the soil about 1' down, sticking 6" up) to contain it.
I was very disappointed when I learned that the kidneys had to got to the pathologist. I thought that he should have been able to keep them in a jar on the mantle.
If I plant the lemon balm next year I'll try the dividers (or even just an isolated pot) but I planted it this year right in the middle of the garden, so I'm not going to take any chances. I'll just uproot it. I've got enough herbal teas anyhow, and my lemongrass is doing well if I want some of that type of flavor in something.
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