The Eagle Has Landed at Ebbets Field

Okay, it’s been said before…but this trip felt like a lunar excursion.

What a wonderful ending to this odyssey. Well, not quite the end. I’ve still got to get my personal stuff in to a storage place and turn the truck in. Plus, I’ve got to go back to Ebbets Field and water the plants! BTW, this is the hallowed ground of Ebbets Field and the school is filled with Dodger memorabilia. How cool to see one of Jackie Robinson’s uniforms in a showcase.

Guess what? Most of the plants are going to live! There’ll be a few that won’t make it but what a testimonial to sub-irrigation and hydroculture container plant irrigation. I’d like to drag a few horticulturists (by their ears) from Brooklyn Botanic Garden over to the school. It’s just a stones throw away. Maybe I will!

On with the story. Of course I got lost getting there. Do not ever use Google or Mapquest for a truck trip. Their mapping is for cars!

I finally turned onto McKeever Place…just enough room for my truck but no room for oncoming traffic. I pulled up to a building that looked like the school and called on my cell phone. I was in the right place and Celeste Walker came out. She got the “plant donation” assignment from Margie Baker. Small problem, I needed to do a U-turn to park by the entrance. A friendly hard-hat guy became my hand-gesture navigator and we were finally ready for the grand entrance.

We couldn’t roll the racks off the truck as originally planned. The science lab is on the 3rd floor with no elevator. Soon, a parade of boys under Ms. Walker’s direction appeared outside. BTW, there was now a light drizzle falling. Into the truck I went, found a hand saw and started cutting stretch wrap, cords and ropes. Matt Wood did a fantastic job. These plants would not have made it without his work.

The boys got in line and hand carried all the plants up stairs. Enrique (SF Forty-niners jersey) was the lead, point man of the plant bucket brigade. It seemed every time I looked there were more boys lined up.

I wish I could have seen them, but I was in the truck drenched with sweat cutting my way to access the plants. We were all like an ant colony, if you get the picture. This all had to be done under time pressure before the bell rang for them to go home. What a scene! There definitely should have been a TV news crew there. I’ll never forget it.

Finally, all the plants were off the truck and I could go upstairs and see their new home. Remember the bad day at Bush Terminal. Well, this was the good day at Ebbets Field. The science lab room easily housed all the plants. The room has both windows and overhead fluorescent lights, which are now on all night. These plants have a neat new home, that’s for sure.

While I was checking things, a young woman came in. It was science teacher Sherlyne Gilles. It’s her lab. This young lady is a plant lover and a pleasure to talk with. I will do everything I can to help her. She attempted to build an indoor greenhouse in a section of the lab. Unfortunately this is not the neighborhood for an outdoor greenhouse.

I met a number of other teachers before I left for the day. What a joy to communicate with some bright-eyed young people who don’t see me as “the enemy”. I’m sure there were a number of them who were wondering who this honkie geezer was, but I’m going to make some good friends here.

I want to mention that Ms Walker and another teacher whose name I don’t remember were going the same route as the way to this HOJO. They never let me out of their sight. It seemed each time I was apprehensive about the directions they miraculously appeared to guide me. They did, right to the hotel door. That was much appreciated. This is not an easy place to be driving a 26′ truck.

Okay, what a day, I’m wired and it’s getting late. Gotta get up and finish the job. Then, I get to back to a normal life even if it’s in a hotel room…but without a truck filled with plants in jeopardy parked outside. I’ve got to admit, there were many times when I did not think there would be a happy ending to this story…but it couldn’t have been happier, that’s for sure!

BFN BB