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Myself – well, in the immediate future, I am looking forward to taking time off to relax, to rethink and restructure my life.  As I let my mind and body relax from nursery pressures, I find that the thoughts and ideas and projects that have been so patiently waiting their turn in the back of my mind, are now making their way to the forefront, some more pushy than others, to get to the head of the line, and I have a feeling that my year of 'relaxation' may turn out to be busier and more eventful than I have anticipated. But this is good. 

Nature study has always drawn me, and this year I intend to get into the woods and mountains frequently, for study and contemplation. Not just for plants, but for all of it, for adventure, for health, for the insects, the geology, for the connections. For philosophy. For writing.

My long range goal, possibly as soon as 2008, is to get back into the nursery business, but on a much more specialized scale. So I will continue to study, collect, grow, and bulk up the groups of plants I have grown to love so much - Epimediums, small flowered Clematis, Hepaticas and Erythroniums. Mostly. And of course, my own wild selections. ( too much partying going on ?)  And hopefully this year I can begin in earnest the hybridizing programs I have been wanting to pursue, and do it right.

There is also the possibility of organizing and leading wildflower hiking tours with my botanist friend Kali Robson, PhD. 

And learning to play blues piano has gotten hold of me now – I can't seem to get enough of this ! It’s very distracting.  ( Let's boogie, baby )

So as I see it, at this point I feel like I'm plunging blindly into my future. Which means, really, that I have no idea – well, lots of ideas, but not anything definite. I realized recently that this is the first time in 20 years that I have no real idea of what I will be doing at this time next year. 2006 has brought changes that I never envisioned, and I have a feeling that 2007 will be even more interesting.

Time off ? Doesn't sound like it. But its all good, and even though I don't know where all this will end, somehow it seems like the right thing to do. It feels somehow, like I'm lining something up, making contacts, for something, but I don't know what yet. Sometimes it keeps me awake at night, wondering what's going to happen to poor me, but more often, it wakes me up early in the morning eager and excited to start the new day.

So, keep in touch, and so will I, and hopefully this little life experiment will turn out well.

Contact Diana at 360-574-3832 or e-mail at dianar@collectorsnursery.com if you have any questions, or just want to chat.

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