A Morning in the Garden

On a fine Sunday morning in early spring, Carin, Taryn, and Penny headed out to the garden. "This is exciting," said Penny, who was new. "I didn’t know when I came here that we would get to help with the gardening. I’ve always wanted to be a hands-on Twinn. But I thought Annette was in charge of the gardens."
"She is," replied Taryn, "but she can’t do all the work alone, so she divides up the responsibilities. We Emmas are in charge of the vegetables and the strawberries and red raspberries."
"We’d better get busy then," Penny pointed out, "because on the steps behind us there is a big raspberry vine growing where it doesn’t belong."
"That is a black raspberry - not our job," laughed Carin. "Katie and Amelia will have to deal with that one."

The girls hurried to the garden, lugging their tools and a red lunchbox filled with seed packets. There they met Carlisle and Cavendish. Carlisle was still snoozing, but Cavendish was reading the morning newspaper. He had a subscription to the Saurian Times and liked to keep up with current events and the weather report.

The girls greeted the crocs and started in to work. "What is a lamb’s ear doing in the strawberry bed?" asked Penny, digging at it with her hoe.

"Better try to get that out in one piece," suggested Taryn, who was rummaging through the box of seeds. "Annette will want to put it in the flower garden. Look, here are some radish seeds."

"And here is the remains of last year’s mutant radish," chucked Carin. "I’d better put it in the compost heap before Carlisle wakes up." But Carlisle was only pretending to be asleep.
"Someday you girls will learn that those mutant radishes are a serious threat," he commented, trying to sound stern but knowing Carin was teasing him.

"Well, we will not worry as long as we have you and your troops to protect us," said Taryn. "Carin, do you think we can grow pumpkins this year?" She studied the back of the pumpkin seed packet.
"Yes," said Carin, "but it is too cold right now to plant them. See if you can find some carrots. What’s the latest news, Cavendish?"
"A rum thing Carin, Prince Charles got married again," commented Cavendish. "To Camilla Parker-Bowes. We British crocs pooled our funds and bought him a pair of cuff links as a wedding gift."
"Shaped like us, I hope," said Carlisle.
"Of course," said Cavendish. "I was concerned about getting my contribution in on time but fortunately Harmony helped me with the computer and we sent it in by jolly old PayPal."
"Thank goodness for modern technology." Taryn dealt the seed packets out like cards, sorting them into flowers and veggies.
"I feel sorry for Camilla," commented Penny.
"Why, because she will have the Queen as her mother-in-law and the Queen might come to dinner in one of those funny hats?" Carin asked as she hoed the raspberries. "Though Camilla’s wedding hat was pretty funny so maybe they will get along just fine." Carin was not fond of wearing hats of any kind because they squished her braids.
"No, because everyone will compare her to Princess Diana. You know how we feel when someone compares us to those snooty Princess Emmas with the long hair." Penny had started life with an 01 head on an 02 body and even though she had gotten a new body when she came to the Continuum, she was still rather sensitive about her looks.
"Oh, Penny, you are just as pretty as the Princess Emmas," said Carlisle earnestly. "And just think, THEY cannot do gardening because they might get weeds in their hair."
"That’s true," said Penny, brightening. "I guess we ordinary Emmas do have some advantages."
"And probably a lot more fun," Carin concluded. "I certainly would not want to sit around in a robe and a tiara all day long. Yuck."
"Nor me," Taryn agreed. "Penny, come over here. Is this a butterfly bush?"

"It certainly is," said Penny. "Look, there are two of them growing right next to the strawberry pyramid."
"We’d better get busy digging them out," sighed Taryn. "Annette is going to want to put them somewhere else. She loves butterfly bushes."
"So do I," said Cavendish, licking his lips. "I like to lie under them and catch the butterflies as they come by. There’s nothing tastier than a butterfly for a morning snack. Sort of like the potato chips you girls enjoy."
"Just don’t let Annette see you eating them or you’ll be at the bottom of the moat," joked Taryn. "Come on, Penny, let’s get the shovel."
The girls worked briskly and soon the weeds were cleared and a new radish bed was planted, along with several rows of carrots. "And this year we are going to pick the radishes on time," Carin vowed, looking over at Carlisle. But he had fallen asleep again in the warm sunshine.