Happy New Year, Twenty-Six!

The old rabbit, Twenty-Five, stood just inside the garden gate, waiting for Twenty-Six to arrive and take over the garden. As he stood with his bag in hand, he checked his watch and the list he’d made for the handover at midnight.

He knew from his own experience with Twenty-Four just 365 days ago that there was not going to be time for long good-byes or extended greetings when the clock struck midnight. Hence, the list.

First off, he was going to apologize for letting the poinsettia that Twenty-Three had bought and Twenty-Four had gotten to rebloom die from “lack of attention.” To make amends, he’d made Carol buy three new poinsettias and pot them up in fancy pots! It was up to Twenty-Six to take care of them now.

He also wanted to apologize for moving the weather lever a bit too far over for winter in early December, causing temperatures to plummet and snow to fall. But really, because there was snow, the cold didn’t seem to bother the garden too much. And hadn’t he made up for it with a warmer-than-usual Christmas? Yes, he had.

He surveyed the garden and noted with pride that he had been the one to get the new fence. It looked so nice. He added to his list to tell Twenty-Six to fix up the Vegetable Garden Cathedral paths and borders so that they’d look as nice as the new fence. He also wanted to explain why he’d allowed Carol to cut back so much in the fall. It was all for the fence! Honestly. For the fence!

Just as he was going to jot down instructions for winter sowing in the Patio Palace of Propagation that he’d made with Carol, he could hear the clock chimes beginning. How had midnight arrived so quickly?

He really had no time to talk about Carol’s weekly newsletter, her Lost Ladies of Garden Writing project, or her podcast. She’d kept them all going through the year. He was proud of her for that! But she hadn’t written a new book. He was going to suggest that Twenty-Six should be a bit more forceful in encouraging Carol to publish another book, since he and the several rabbits before him hadn’t done so.

As he was jotting down his last note, he looked up and saw that right on time, Twenty-Six was hopping toward the garden gate. He looked happy and optimistic, and ready to take on the new year!

It was midnight!

As the clock chimed, Twenty-Five greeted Twenty-Six with a hasty greeting and quick farewell and hopped out of the garden. In his haste, the only note he gave Twenty-Six was about the gardening motto he had come up with and then promptly forgot.

Twenty-Six took the note about the motto and began to look around to see what he should do first. He had plans for a big year in the garden and was eager to get started. He wasn’t surprised at the lack of notes handed off to him, nor was he worried. He knew he wouldn’t be alone in the garden.

And so with high optimism, he offered a hearty “Happy New Year” to the garden fairies, birds, bunnies, chipmunks, voles, and that black and white cat eyeing him from the side yard. He’d catch up with Carol in the morning at first light!

Yes, he was planning for a great gardening year!

Happy New Year!