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Ugly season arrives with first frost
Limerick Plantation happenings
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Being thankful: It’s too bad we choose one day a year to be thankful. I don’t know about you, but as soon as I open my eyes each morning I whisper, “Thank you God for giving me another day of life.” I truly do this every morning. I don’t have a lot of assets, but I do have my health, two loving cats, a sweet cockatiel, family, friends, neighbors and am blessed to live on the coast of one of the most beautiful states in the union. I think about the birds and animals at this time of year, when food is scarce. Think about them, when you start to throw out your leftovers from yesterday. Be thankful that we live in a free country minus dictatorship, minus war, minus tsunamis. Where else but on the coast can you cast for shrimp, catch crab, catch big fish, all for $9 a year. Let’s just make a wish for Christmas, that our politicians will lower our taxes, will pave more roads, will look after our elderly, will put an end to crime at all levels. We vote them in, but do they keep their promises? Be thankful for the governors who we’ve had in the past who have given us seniors four tax exemptions, making our lives a little easier. Hug your neighbor and tell them you are thankful that they live next door to you. Be thankful and pass it on.

Solution rather than bailout:
When reading automobile ads recently this is what I saw: 2008 Escalade $47,999, 2008 Pontiac $26,495, 2008 Cadillac STS $36,499, 2006 BMW $34,900, 2006 Acura $21,975, 2009 Lexus $61,465. This is the most outrageous thing I’ve ever read. No wonder the Big Three are in trouble. They pay their CEOs ludicrous salaries, build automobiles that no one can afford and then ask for a bailout. What we need is to go back to “the good old days” when cars and trucks did not have CD players, automatic windows, locks and door openers. Keep it simple. I guarantee if they did that, automobiles and trucks would cost a lot less. I can remember when cars didn’t have air conditioning. That’s one good thing they did add. Banks asking for bailouts are another issue. They charge extreme interests on loans, yet pay a pitiful interest on your bank savings. The CEOs of these banks live the life of luxury, yet are now crying for help. I say instead of bailing them all out, let’s pay off our international debt and quit borrowing from foreign countries. In the private sector, quit using your charge cards for gas, clothes, food and anything else. Pay for these things with a check or cash and keep yourself out of debt. If you can’t afford it, you don’t need it. All this bailout money could be used to help our elderly and those that can’t afford medical insurance. ’Nuff said.

Cold weather brings ugly: After the recent “freeze” we had, I could not believe my empress tree, my two parasol trees, lantanas, hydrangeas, banana trees and my castor bean trees. How pitiful they looked. It also killed my remaining tomato and pepper plants. Thank goodness it didn’t hurt my kumquats or grapefruits. I may not get any loquat plums later. The freeze it damaged a lot of the blooms. It actually helped all my new garlic and collards in my garden. My mulberry trees, fig trees, catalpa trees, persimmons and grape vines are all bare of leaves. This is just an ugly time of the year for plants. All those natives that I have in pots are under my deck and are doing well.
While I’m on the subject of plants, thank you Jack Kerr for the segos you gave me. Plants that seem to fare well in cold weather in my yard are century plants, sego palms, loquat plums, cassia, azaleas, camellias, pindo palm, wax myrtles and eleagnus. When deciding what native and other plants to put in my yard, if they can’t make it through drought or cold, I don’t need them. That’s why natives are my favorites. They grow in the wild and need little or no care, little water and can stand the cold. Why would you plant anything else?

Please no more ads: After having to look at and hear ads for politicians running for office, I will be so glad to be able to watch TV without all their slandering remarks. Having been involved in politics all my life, I can tell you, not always does the right person go into office. I’ve always been open about who I support in a campaign, but won’t do this ever again. There are so many people running our county, city and country that don’t belong there. Most of them see an opportunity to gain property, big salaries, and monetary support from people who don’t have a clue. Here in Liberty County, just take a look at your property tax statement. Is it fair? Is your property worth what they say it is? Is your road paved? Is your neighborhood crime free? Are you struggling to pay your bills? How available is your commissioner, your tax assessor, your sheriff? I’ll also be glad to see the last of that ad on upgrading your TV to digital in February. This ad appears numerous times every single day. Enough already.

Reminder: Please spay and neuter your pets. There is help out there with the cost.

Moss lives at Lake George and writes about the area.
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