P Things We Appreciate
Pets are a lot like Potato Chips; it seems like you
can’t just have one. We once had ten (Pets) at the same time. Luckily, we had
the room for them ;-) The Peacock
was the hardest to get to know as he was a bit of a scared-y cat. When he wasn’t
positioned atop a utility pole in sheer fright, he was on the ground spreading
his resplendent plumage
as if prepared
for combat.
There was also room enough for a fairly large orchard of Pistachio trees which required more care than
all of our pets put together! While the trees thrive well in arid areas, they need
well-drained soil. And although long, hot
summers produce the best seeds (or nuts, as they are called), it takes 7 – 10 years for a tree to reach productive
maturity. We quickly came to the conclusion that paint dries much faster, and
wondered if the uniquely tasty nuts would actually mature in our lifetime.
Prior to leaving profit to posterity, we learned that the
trees are highly susceptible to disease due to unsuitable environmental
settings and are prone to spontaneous combustion in certain shipping/storage
conditions. Nonetheless, in 2014 the United States and Iran accounted for over
half of the world’s Pistachio production.
Bob Keeshan (a.k.a. Captain Kangaroo) was a man of my own
olfactory tastes when he helped launch Play-Doh, by agreeing to feature it once a
week on his show. The Captain liked it so well, himself, that he featured it three times a week and the product once
meant for cleaning wallcovering became (after a couple of color and ingredient
changes) a best-selling toy for children.
Hasbro has since trademarked the distinctive scent for the purpose of
marketing it as a fragrance for ‘Highly creative people to reminisce their
childhood days” I know I’m a bit
transported every time one of the kids opens up “A can of imagination” ;-)
Summer must surely be on its way if I’m already thinking
of Palm
trees, Panama hats, and paperbacks!
Happy Blogging!
Any thoughts? Can you add to the list of things we appreciate
that begin with the letter P?
"I'll take Potpourri for 100, Alex."
ReplyDeleteHi, diedre!
I miss my pet Toto and wish she was still among the living. When my father came down to Florida from PA and elected to stay at a campground near here, he found it inhabited by peacocks. Whenever Mrs. Shady and I visited him the majestic birds pranced around showing off their plumage, an exhibition that reminded me of the Mummers Parade.
Thanks for the interesting tidbits about the Pistachio. I doubt I would have the patience to wait all those years for the yield. I also tend to avoid high maintenance trees, shrubs and plants.
As a boy I watched Bob Keeshan as Captain Kangaroo, but didn't recall that he promoted Play-Doh on his program. I owned a can of Play-Doh and remember the sweet scent. Playing with the substance produced euphoria. It is a brilliant strategy to use the intoxicating scent of Play-Doh in a variety of products marketed to Baby Boom adults and others.
Palm trees are a very familiar sight here in my part of the country. Remember their use in the iconic opening title sequence of Miami Vice? I wore a Panama Hat when Mrs. Shady and I vacationed in Key West.
Thank you very much, dear friend diedre!
Hi Shady!
DeletePeacocks everywhere sounds fantastic! If there were females as well, no wonder they were all looking pretty ;-) Our poor Charlie didn't have any friends...
I doubt I'd buy any, but I do like the fragrance of Play-Doh.
I thought of you guys when I thought of Palm trees ;-) I had a Panama hat for about five minutes once, till the wind blew it down the beach - ha!
Thanks again for coming by, dear Shady!
I didn't know Captain Kangaroo was responsible for the success of Play-Doh.
ReplyDeleteHi Alex!
DeleteI didn't either, and I watched the show ;-)
Hi Diedre - pins for keeping things together, or for board pinning up etc ... but love the Ps - pool too please!! Peaches ... I think I might stop - interesting about your pecans though ... cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteHi Hilary!
DeletePins, Pools, and Peaches (now I want one) are perfect! Thank you ;-)