For the big soil purchase, and to beat the rain, Captain Wing texted me exact details of where to meet him in the parking lot. I brought along my trusty weed raker (a 2012 Christmas gift from the guys in Maintenance, but that’s another story), metal bucket, scissors so I don’t have to open the bags by pounding with a pointed rock this year, and exact change because we were getting there at opening time, and who knows whether their register has enough pennies.

Now one car looks just like another to some of us. But what a surprise to see Captain pull up and leap out and whisk open the back door (“Good Morning, Miss Daisy”) to a stretch-length car so distinctive that we won’t describe it here because he probably has enough fans asking for his autograph on the street. Suffice it to say, it was very shiny and the seats were super soft leather and there was enough foot room in the back to set up a cribbage table and hibachi. The wheels made the pavement a Silk Road melting along like butter.

“There has got to be a story to this car,” I told him, knowing his hobby of fixing up overlooked salvage things and renovating them into better things. “Let me guess: You bought this second hand at a mere fraction of the price and did all the work yourself?” That proved to be a great guess. He really did.

“It’s practical for taking the whole family on trips with camping gear,” he assured me from the chauffeur seat. “And, it will carry as much topsoil as you need.” At the nursery we pulled up in style. He loaded up the bags while I paid and counted out the correct number of pennies. At home he backed up to the garden, then toted the bags to the raised bed while I gathered my bucket and rake from the back seat.

We shook and smoothed out the topsoil. Here is just a little snip of the long bed. I cropped out the view of all the little houses alongside.

We transplanted and grouped together the plants that lasted through the winter: calendula, Neighbor Mac’s gladiolus bulbs, Canna lilies, and my celery plants that rooted upstairs. Then the real work was over until summer, when we’ll have plenty of watering to do every day. Potatoes and nasturtiums do well, so we’ll plant more of those. I’d like to get some sunflower seeds from Neighbor C’s bird feeder, and plant those along the whole bed. Coach will grow tomatoes again. Neighbor Lana would like to try lettuce. The Wings have lots of tulips coming up, with garlic leeks and California Gold poppies and raspberries. We’ll just fill in whatever seedlings and seeds are at hand until the whole bed is planted and growing.

I went to the garbage cage to clear away some pruned shrubbery to the compost bin. When I got back, Neighbor Mac was outside to check up on what’s new and to tell Captain “I just saw Mary getting out of a gangster car.” We explained that it was really a farm vehicle with extra buffing.