I was once again today reminded of why I like to garden. Yesterday I spent hours attempting to build a backup webserver and moving all the files to the new machine.  Generally speaking it went well up until I had to configure two more server services MYSQL ( database server) and PHP (a scripting engine).  I could not get PHP working with MYSQL even after hours of work.  I finally gave up at 2am, tired and very frustrated.  As I write I’m downloading all the applications and I am going to try it here on my laptop. 

In my line of work it is very easy to feel like a complete imbecile at times.  In fact it seems to happen quite often.  Systems and technologies are so complex and everchanging that it is impossible to be knowledgeable about everything.  I tell folks who ask what I do that I need to know a little about alot of things and occasionally a lot about something.  It is when I have to know a lot that things get hairy.  I may not be real smart but I’m persistent, I’ll work at it until I figure it out.  In this case I seem to have to know a lot!  I’ve set this up before so I’m not sure why it is not working this time.  What happens frequently with new versions of software is that something that played well with some other service in the past suddenly doesn’t in a new release or it has some component that previously just worked with no further manual input.  In this setup the webserver software, MYSQL and PHP are all newer releases than others I’ve worked with. 

So what does this all have to do with gardening?  There is something about scratching around in the dirt that is innately satisfiying.  Earlier in the morning I was cutting lavendar with a group of people for a fundraiser.  The field was alive with bees feeding on the intoxicating lavendar nectar.  The bees were so happy and dazed that you could bump them and just push them out of your way without getting stung.  When I got home I went right to the vegetable garden to tidy things up and begin mulching to hold things while I’m gone for two weeks and Sue, the non-gardener, has to tend to.  It was several hours of hard work but how wonderful the feeling gazing over the neat beds with plants finally of some size (my poor basil is struggling with all the cool wet weather).
Gardening is concrete.  You pull weeds, reshape the beds and it looks great.  You see the fruits of your labors.  There is nothing cerebral about it, if I don’t like what I’ve done I can change it and see immediate results. 

There were no imbeciles in the garden today only the 51 year old gardener intoxicated on the joys of the tangible… bump me I won’t sting!

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