Good morning Y’all, and welcome to another DownHeah Edition of Saturday Morning Garden Blogging. The topic for my diary today was spawned about 6 weeks ago. I was up early, going through my usual news sites, and becoming increasingly angry and depressed. How did we ever get here…?
One thought led to another, and I finally asked myself: How did we, as a group (SMGB), get here in 2020? It all started with Frankenoid, “Franki” to her friends, on February 26th, 2005. The 1st one Here.
This, from the 1st Anniversary Edition….
“Yes, it was on a Saturday one year ago that I posted these fateful words:
The first daffodils are in bloom. Sprinkles of johnny jump-ups all over. It's a beautiful morning, still a little too cool to work outside, but I'm syched -- go out and clean up, plug some more bulbs in the ground, scatter poppy seeds, iPod blaring Grateful Dead in my ear. My 4th try at a daphne cneorum has survived the first year -- yeah! Gonna try taking air-grafted cuttings from my huge Carol Mackey daphne this year. Moonflowers are already started, tomatoes come next.
In the tradition of Friday Night Cat Blogging, how about some Saturday Morning Garden Blogging? I'll show you mine, you show me yours.”
Frankie published 629 diaries here at DKos. By my count, 481 of those were SMGB diaries. You can see her diary list here. “Groups” were not enabled at DKos until the advent of “DK4” in February, 2011; up to that date, Franki wrote, posted and hosted every SMGB diary by her lonesome. For 6 years, she WAS SMGB. Incredible!! From Vol 6.51…
“We're two weeks from the 6th anniversary of Saturday Morning Garden Blogging. As we head into the seventh year, and because the group function of dk4 makes it possible, I'd like to take some regularly scheduled Saturday mornings off — the 2nd Saturday of each month to be exact.
I've set up a Saturday Morning Garden Blogging Group; let me know if you're willing to take on shepherding this venerable series into the new dK4 era. I think I need two more "admins" — people who will help take on policing the Saturday Morning Garden Blogging group (making sure only real SMGB, and not azalea, is published under the group's auspices; helping in the continuous effort to keep flame wars out of the garden, and the like).
Then we'll need "editors" — people who (along with the admins) will be actually writing Saturday Morning Garden Blogging, and are willing to abide by the two rules: first, you must post on Saturday morning at 7:00 Mountain time (9:00 Eastern, 8:00 Central, 6:00 Pacific) — the "publication" function will make that part easy; and you must commit to spending at least the first 2 hours on that Saturday morning playing host. SMGB is not a place where you can post a diary and dash off.”
Franki posted her last SMGB diary on2/28/2015. This is it, in its entirety.
“Good morning, and are you ready for another ten? Welcome to Saturday Morning Blogging
Tenth Anniversary Edition!
I have headed Saturday Morning Garden Blogging for a full ten years. During that time my kids have gone from elementary school, through high school, and now are now on to jobs and college (but not yet out of the house).
The Mister has retired, and I have moved on to self-employment.
And my garden has grown. I have ten years of photos and observations of Denver's climate. Through you, I've been introduced to new plants to try growing both inside and out.
And best of all, I've made friends, both on-line and in meat space.
After the fold there are several of my favorite photographs from over the years; I did manage to take a few memorable ones.
And now, Saturday Morning Garden Blogging is now under new management: I turn it over to you to carry on for the next ten years.”
Here are quick links to her other “Anniversary” diaries…
Vol 3.1
Vol 4.1 (I really like this one...)
Vol 5.1
Vol 6.1
Vol 7.1 (If you don’t read any of the others, read this one!)
Vol 8.1 (ok, another must read...)
Vol 9.1
Vol 10.1 (this one is politics-heavy...)
All of her diaries that I have read pull up and display very well, but many pics, particularly in the comments, are either missing or “sketchy”…
I’m on a mission to read all of Franki’s SMGB diaries over the course of this winter. I think it’s important to know where we came from, as a group. As Franki said, in Vol 7.1:
“I doubt Saturday Morning Garden Blogging would have lasted had it been centered on me, or Denver. I would have long ago grown bored of staring at my own navel and run out of ways to pretend that I'm smarter than I am.
So here's a cheer for all of you, who have allowed me to prattle inanely about fucking Christmas trees, post pictures of my cats and otherwise take credit for what truly is not my making. You're the best.”
Franki is apparently still active on social media, although I have not been able to get in touch with her as of this writing. Thanks to Belinda Ridgewood, skohayes, Missys Brother, and Merry Light for their assistance…
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Meanwhile, downheah, our weather has been idyllic. Lows in the mid-30s...highs in the mid-70s… The two Rooster Spur pepper plants out front are still producing...
Otherwise, winter is trying to assert itself, with minimal effect, so far, anyway... The Weather Channel says we are in a La Nina winter...drier and warmer than average. We’ll see….
As we head into Thanksgiving week, I wish you all health, love and laughter. Better days are ahead! ~PEACE~
What’s going on in your garden?