BromeliAdvisoryAugust 2013

In this IssuePresident’s Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Put on Thinking Caps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2In Case You Missed It. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3Preparing for an Early Show . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4About the Speaker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Garden Notes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-6Upcoming Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Murder in Corbin A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-8

Portea “Candy” Photo by Robert Meyer

BromeliAdvisoryAugust 2013WEBPAGE: http://www.bssf-miami.org/

http://www.facebook.com/groups/BromeliadSSF/?bookmark_t=grouphttp://www.facebook.com/pages/Bromeliad-Society-of-South-Florida/84661684279

President Barbara PartagasVP: Lenny GoldsteinTreasurer: Alan HerndonSecretary: Peggy Fisher_________________DIRECTORSPast Pres.: Carl BauerDirectors:

Urszula Dudek ‘12-‘13Maureen Adelman ‘13-‘14Joy Parrish ‘13-‘14Lori Weyrick ‘13-‘14

EditorRobert C Meyer

Door Prize: Alan HerndonEducation: Nat DeLeonHospitality: Elaine MillsLibrary: Skye PalmerMembership: Melody RayMem. Plant Sales: Antonio ArbelaezRaffle: Mike MichalskiRefreshments: Sandy Roth

What Who

SalesTable

Antonio Arbelaez

AUGUST 20, 2013 7:30 PM SPEAKER: Don BeadleRAFFLE TABLE: Robert MeyerFOOD: Joy Parrish, Laura Coe, Sharon Maessen Doris Nicolas, The Sussenbergers, Josefa, MariaAmador

SpeakerDON BEADLEFamed billbergia hybridizer Don Beadle will present theAugust 20 program. In his own words: "I’ll talk about 40

minutes on the subject of my historyand relationship with the billbergiaover a span of 40 or so years in ahumorous (hopefully) fashion....Theshow covers my first bromeliad thrumy addiction for the billbergia thrulearning to hybridize withoutlearning how to quit, followed bymy escape from the addiction to

having it devour me all over again....It will be droll andunscientific and entertaining, I hope...."

The meeting will be held in the Visitor's Center, 2ndfloor this month due to renovations being done tothe Corbin Building.

EDITOR’S NOTE: You have not heard Mr. Beadlespeak, make the effort. He is more than a Billbergiaicon, he is one of the more colorful and enjoyablepeople to give lectures in the Bromeliad World.

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President’s Messageby Barbara Partagas

Thank you to everyone who worked on therestyiling of the Ed Prince Memorial Garden at MiamiSunset Senior High School. Those of us who arefortunate enough to have known Ed shared storieswhile we cleaned up the plants. Students and teachersstopped by to talk to us about Ed. We were lucky tohave cloud cover and breezes while we worked. Whodoes that kind of gardening in the middle of summer,anyway? We finished just as a thunder stormapproached. I always take it as a good sign when itrains on a freshly planted garden. There will bepictures on display at the meeting.

Don't forget to make your reservations for theExtravaganza. it will be a great event with greatspeakers, a nice banquet, and plenty of plants to bringhome.

Barbara Partagas

Put on Thinking Caps

The board would like to propose a once a year fieldtrip, on a minibus (a 25-30 passenger vehicle thatsomeone at the board meeting thought you are familiarwith). This is for a day trip only. They seek to poll the membership at meeting for suggestions of places tovisit. You are hereby being given the opportunity tothink about it for a couple of days in advance ofmeeting. Put on your thinking caps.

In Case You Missed Itby Robert Meyer

Craig Morell came to our society with a LennyGoldstein unprecedented introduction in which aprevious listener called him the most enjoyable speakershe had ever heard. His mother loves him as well.

The speech was about a bouillabaisse of “learnedgrowers’ wisdom.” That bouillabaisse focused on twothings, really centering on the first: (1) how to keepyour plants alive; and (2) the maybe think of gettingthem to flower.

KISS = keep it simple stupid. A very simple motto ofMorell. With the variety of plants in the bromeliaceae,you could easily created double-digit growingconditions. Morell prefers two. “Starting light”,“slanting light” dappled light and more conceptsbasically described some light some part of the day.The alternative is shade all day, with some lightfiltered.

At the end of this column is a box in which youwill see a box of wisdoms which many perceive tobe rules. Of course, for each rule there areexceptions. Some of the exceptions follow.

Guzmania and Vrissea, with soft foliage,apparently can grow in bright light. Vrissea opinaegrows very well under such circumstances.

Aechmea ampla, unlike general perspective ofproper plant growing, dissuades fertlizer and othercommonly perceived requisites. It wants whatMorell coins “aggressive neglect.”

Aechmea nudicalis follows with a request for lessfertilizer and bright sun. How does Morell knowthis? He suggests that we follow his lead and askthe prior owner or members of plant societies. They know a lot.

Billbergia stenopetala follows the main concept ofsmall pots, but actuallyt h r i v e s o n agrotesquely overlysmall pot for a plant ofits height. Combinedwith less water andless fertilizer, the plantthrives.

Don’t put a Pitcairnianext to the dry lovingplants – as it will wantwater, fertilizer andstrong light. Inexchange for thewatering servitude, youwill receive a fastgrowing plant.

Medium is not always the godsend. Morell hasplayed with clay pots and delivered plants intoempty – medium free – pots and hung the same ontrees. It seems to work.

If you must use medium, he has opinions. Apeat/cypress mulch 50-50 is great, but will turn tomush quickly So unless you constantly andconsistently repot , you may be advised to avoidthis mix. Same for Peat/Perlite – and each 50-50peat mix is dangerous if dried: the peat stranglesthe roots.

Sponge rock, humus or anything that does notbreak down are Morell favorites. Favorite mediumfor this year: shale rock. Bernie’s rock and garden– 14650 SW 177 Ave. Miami, Florida 33196

Billbergia stenopetalaPhoto courtesy of FCBS

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phone:786.242.4443 – sells the same under the name“PermaTill.”

Fertilizer choice is also important. You know what theyare by the three numbers: N-P-K = Nitrogen –Phosphorous – Potassium. N means big plants. Pmeans root growth. K means cell growth and overallhealth. Stores often sell 30-10-10. Morell wants smallerplants, and tries to keep growth to a minimum. And,rooting is not the quest for most bromeliads. Morellbelieves that an ideal mix for bromeliads would be 10-0-40. He has found 13-0-44 which is labeled asPotassium Nitrate. Potassium Nitrate may be depictedas KNO3. I found a 3-pound bag on amazon.com for$14.00. Others may be available at the larger chemicaland fertilizer vendors in the homestead area.

Alternatively, if you have to use the soluble bluefertilizer, he recommends to use 20-20-20, and noother.

The long forgotten bonemeal is also a favorite ofMorell. He has a bone meal/Milorganite/Osmocote mixthat he spoke favorably about. And, one trick. Plantthe stuff below the ground. Why? Several reasons. Milorganite (a product of Wisconsin’s finest sewage)does not smell great. Top leveled fertilizer can breedgreat weeds. And, animals’ less discerning tastes budstend to find favor in sniffing and then eating itemssprinkled with such “stuff.”

New Life MemberJoy Parrish’s letter nomination for Sharon Biddix-Maessen to be a life member in acknowledgment forher services as to the annual show’s art exhibit wasapproved by the attending membership July 16, 2013. Congratulations to Sharon.

New Show Date

Concepts for the Annual Show take a slight turn. Instead of the middle of April, the Show will beheld March 1 and 2, with setup being February 27and 28. Plants in bloom that time of year are notthe same as others. Wondering wht plants may bebest? Go to our website – BSSF-MIAMI.ORG. On the left side there is a tab for“BromeliAdvisory.” Double click that tab and youwill see issues dating as far back as 2007. Many ofthe issues for the most recent three or four yearsinclude a column by Alan Herndon describing whatis in bloom [Garden Notes] for that month. Thosearticles will be immensely helpful to anyonewondering what will be most spectacular that timeof year.

Preparing for an Early Showby Alan Herndon

Next year, our Annual Show and Sale will be heldin early Spring. Setup will be Feb 27, judging willbe Feb 28 and the show and sale will be open Mar1 and 2. This early date means we have to startwork on the show before 2013 ends. It also meansyou will have to plan ahead because differentplants will be in bloom during this early springperiod than we have been used to in our April (latespring) shows.

We can’t predict whether we will have a winterwith prolonged cool spells through January andFebruary (as in 2011) or a much warmer winter asin 2013. The number of blooming plants availablefor display will depend on those details oftemperature, but you can count on your non-blooming Neoregelia to be in great color undereither scenario. You should also think aboutpreparing plants for the show that you did notconsider in past years because they bloomed tooearly. This would include such plants as membersof the Aechmea orlandiana complex, the variousforms of Aechmea weilbachii and Aechmeanudicaulis. Don’t overlook the many species andhybrids of Billbergia. With all of these groups,you are much more likely to have plants in bloomduring a March show than an April show. This isparticularly true for Billbergia. If you have a fewdifferent pots prepared, you are much more likely

to have one in bloom just when you need it for theshow.

General rules in preparing plants for the showremain the same. Set aside the plants you wouldlike to prepare for the show now. Give each plantsufficient space to grow. You can maintain yournormal fertilizer schedule for the next month, butyou should begin to taper off during September.

Some pearls of wisdom:

If the leaves are hard, the the plant wants hardsunIf the leaves are soft, the plant wants soft sun.

If you give the plant too much light, the leaves arshort and the pant is stressed.If you give the plant too little light, the leaves aretoo long and the plant may not color.

Less is more: less fertilizer mean more color –not less money means more happiness.

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Keep fertilizer away from the show plants entirely fromDecember on.

Closely inspect the plants you are setting aside forinsects or other pests. If there is a problem such as thebeginnings of a scale infestation, it will be much easierto control with treatment now when the pests are moreactive than during the winter when they are likely to bedormant.

The earlier show date for 2014 will basically have itslargest impact on the number of flowering plantsavailable.. The number and quality of non-bloomingplants will be as great as in previous years. You shouldalso remember, if we have a winter as mild as last year,we will have plenty of blooming Neoregelia to showdespite the early date.

Your challenge is to plan for the show with your mindopen to the new possibilities presented by next year’sdate. Include contingencies in your plan. What wouldyou enter in the event of a long, cold winter? Howwould that change if the winter was short and warm? You can only learn more about your plants byconsidering such questions.

Start your preparations now, and you will see how wecan put on a splendid show any time of year.

About the SpeakerBiography – from materials prepared by KarenAndreas – Compiled by Leonard Goldstein

Don Beadle was born in Lafayette, Louisiana, but leftat age 19 because "I couldn'tplay the banjo and I couldn'ttalk Cajun." Following fouryears in the Air Force, heattended college and becamea petroleum engineer. Eventually he formed hisown company in CorpusChristi, Texas. He became so fascinatedwith the quantity ofbromeliad varieties that hewanted to collect each ofthem. Upon realizing thathis goal was too ambitious,Don began to focus on

billbergias and found that only 20 or so species wereavailable. Just a handful of cultivars existed, so Dondecided to develop billbergia hybrids. His effortsyielded only green plants at first, but eventually he wasable to obtain the striking spotted cultivar 'Domingos

Martins' and cross it with 'Ed McWilliams' tocreate the spectacular Billbergia 'Hallelujah.'

Don traveled to Florida to visit Harry Luther andWally Berg, but they had gone to South Americaon a collecting trip. Undaunted, and with anappreciation of the warmer winters of SarasotaCounty, Don made inquiries about property forsale, and in 1986 he moved to Venice to assumethe ownership and operation of Los MilagrosNursery. Between his time in Corpus Christi andhis 14 years at Los Milagros, he created well over140 billbergia named cultivars, as well as othersthat still await naming. Two years prior to selling his property in 2000,Don compiled the last published BromeliadCultivar Registry for the Bromeliad SocietyInternational (BSI). It was he who first suggestedthat the BSI make his files available on compactdisc, and in a format that could respond quickly torapid changes in information. Toward that end, heoffered the files to Michael Andreas, webmaster ofthe Florida Council of Bromeliad Societies(FCBS). The Cultivar Registry is now available tousers worldwide and comprises more than 10,000registered cultivars! Don's passion for disseminating information aboutbromeliads is complemented by his photographicskills. In another collaboration with MichaelAndreas, Don's extensive photo collection is nowavailable on the website of the FCBS athttp://fcbs.org/pictures.htm.

Garden Notes -July 2013By Alan Herndon

The summer solstice is behind us and the sun isbeginning to sink, ever so slowly, in the sky. Despite the slightly lower _ and decreasing _intensity of radiation received from the sun, the fullheat of summer will remain with us through Augustand, probably, September. Since our rains havecontinued to come in concentrated bursts, theperiods of rain often separated by several days ofdry heat, our plants still tend to dry out excessivelywithout timely supplemental watering. Constantvigilance is still called for to protect your prizedplants from water stress.

Aechmea chantinii is still at the peak of thesummer bloom season. Most rosettes haveflowering inflorescences, or newly emerginginflorescence without open flowers yet, or slightlyolder inflorescences with flowers already pastbloom. The closely related Aechmea tillandsioidesis also blooming heavily right now as the pups

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formed after the first period of bloom have reachedflowering size. Two more species belonging to thesubgenus Platyaechmea were also in bloom during themonth. Aechmea retusa remained in flower during thefirst part of the month as it reached the end of itsnormal blooming season. A single plant of Aechmeaserrata was also in bloom during July, long after mostof its breathren were long past flowering. Moving todifferent groups within Aechmea, Aechmea correia-araujoi continued to bloom this month. One clone ofAechmea fasciata has been in flower throughout themonth _ and was probably in flower during June. TheAechmea bracteata reported last month was still inflower towards the end of the month, although fewflower buds remain. Aechmea miniata _ the discolorclone with green on the upper leaf surface and dark redon the lower _ also made a brief appearance on theflowering list during the month. Occasionally, plantsfrom one of the many Aechmea nudicaulis clones willsend up their brief blossoms, but it is only individualsdoing so this time of year. There are no episodes ofmass blooming like we saw during the spring months.

Once again Alcantarea glaziouana continued to bloomthroughout the month.

Two plants of Billbergia rosea put on a spectacular, iftoo brief, display during the month.

A clone of Canistropsis billbergioides with pinkprimary bracts showed open flowers during July. Thisis the same clone reported in flower earlier in the year,in yet another case where pups present during theearlier flowering period have themselves reachedflowering size

Edmundoa lindenii rosea is again in flower, but this isa different clone that theone reported previously. W h e r e t h e e a r l i e rflowering clone had theinf lorescence raisedsubstantially above theleaves, in this clone theinflorescence is nestled inthe cup formed by theinner leaves. In addition,this clone has green petalsin distinct contrast to thenormal white petals inmore common clones.

Several spec ies ofNeoregelia were bloomingduring July. A new set ofNeoregelia angustifolia plants began to flower duringthe month. Most of these are smaller than the plantsthat bloomed earlier in the year. Much the same can besaid for Neoregelia guttata. A new group of plants hascome into bloom recently. With Neoregelia

magdalena, in contrast, the same plant has beenblooming for the past two months. Among theother species blooming this month were Neoregeliamartinellii and Neoregelia wilsoniana. The latterspecies was introduced into cultivation in thiscountry by Robert and Catherine Wilson, theoriginal proprietors of Fantastic Gardens in SouthMiami. It proved to be an undescribed species thatwas formally described and named MulfordFoster, but not before it was in cultivation longenough to produce a large pool of clonotype plants. It is still readily available, and traceable to theoriginal introduction from the Wilsons. Neoregeliazaslowskii was described more recently. It is asmall species similar to Neoregelia tristis (also inbloom this month). As usual, a few plants ofNeoregelia ampullacea were also seen with openflowers. Finally, Neoregelia laevis wasaccidentally spotted in bloom. I say accidentallybecause the flowers are hidden in the rather deepwell created by the leaves. In most of the .largerNeoregelia species, the rosette flattens out as theinflorescence develops even when the leaves arestiffly erect during the early stages of growth. Insome smaller species, leaves grow erect and forma tube that remains erect in bloom. If theinflorescence in such a species is high relative toany tube formed by the leaves, it is still easy tospot. If, as is the case in Neoregelia laevis, theflowers are sunk deep in a tube and there is nocolor change to announce blooming, you only seeflowers if you are deliberately looking for them orif you just happen to glance along the correctdirection.

Only two species of Nidularium appear on my listfor the month, although I probably overlooked a

few plants. At leastt w o c l o n e s o fNidularium rutilans, acommonly grownspecies with ‘red’flowers continued inbloom from lastm o n t h . T h e‘leprosum’ clone ischaracter ized bynarrow leaves withsmal l , but veryconspicuous, darkd o t s s c a t t e r e dthroughout the blade. Nidularium rutilans‘Sao Paulo’, a cloneimported from Brazilby Nat DeLeon

around 1960 produces many more leaves on eachplant. These leaves are wider than in any otherclone I know, and have a particularly graceful archwhen given room to grow. The leaf blades contain

Photo courtesy of Florida Council of Bromeliad Societies

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a mixture of light and dark spots, although the ‘dark’spots on this clone are smaller, paler and much lessconspicuous than the are on the ‘leprosa’ clone. Thered-leaved clone of Nidularium kris-greeniae alsoremained in flower from the previous month.

Several species of Orthophytum were in flower thismonth, although still far below the number blooming afew months ago. Orthophytum harleyi, Orthophytumsucrei, Orthophytum rubiginosum, Orthophytumlymanianum and Orthophytum alvimii continued tobloom. They were joined by and Orthophytumophiuroides. Another plant of Orthophytum roseumcame into flower in July also.

A single stray plant of Quesnelia marmorata floweredduring the first few days of the month.

Our novelty plant in bloom this month is Ronnbergianeoregeliodes.

Tillandsia abdita, a speciesthat could easily be mistakenfor Tillandsia brachycauliswithout careful scrutiny, spedthrough its short bloom duringthe month. We also saw thecontinued flowering ofTillandsia buchlohii andTillandsia nowackii, althoughboth had finished by the endof the month. It is perhapsinteresting that only a singlerosette each of these speciesflowered, although I probablyhave 10 or more rosettes ofeach that are equal in size tothose in flower. Thoserosettes remained in a state ofvegetative peace. Tillandsia

mallemontii also continued to flower during the month. Flowers first appeared on Tillandsia vernicosa aroundthe middle of the month. There was also a brief, butcolorful appearance by Tillandsia arequitae around themiddle of the month.

In a repeat of the drama played out last year, Vrieseataratubensis finally began to produce flowers aftermonths of inflorescence growth and color. Vriesearodigasiana also came into flower during the month,but with a much briefer buildup. Vriesea inflatacontinued to flower as did Vriesea carinata. Inflorescences on individual plants of Vriesea inflatacontinue to flower for 2-3 months. Inflorescences onVriesea carinata, in contrast, last 2-3 weeks. However,I have many more pots of Vriesea carinata, and theycome into bloom at different times so I frequently haveat least one pot in bloom.

It is time to start selecting the plants that youintend to enter into our show early next year. Takefull advantage of the next two months while westill have prime growing weather to get your plantsto size. It is a good reason to spend more time inyour garden.

Badges are In

Notices: Badges are in. Anyone who doesn'thave a badge, please check with MaureenAdelman at the meeting.

Garage Sale IIGarage Sale: We are scheduling a garagesale for November. In order to go forward,we need commitments from members fordonations. Please contact your president ifyou have a donation.

UPCOMING EVENTSAugust 10, Bromeliad SaleUniversity of South Florida Botanical Gardens, Tampa,FL cas.usf.edu/garden

August 17th - 18thSeminole Bromeliad & Tropical Plant Society SaleThe Garden Club of Sanford (on 17-92, one block south of Lake Mary Blvd)9:00 - 4:00

September 21 , 2013st

Bromeliad Extravaganza – Hosted by the Florida WestCoast Bromeliad SocietyIndian Rocks Beach, Clearwater 401 2nd Street, Indian Rocks Beach 33785. Phone 727-595-948Holiday Inn Harborside. Free parking!C o n t a c t J u d y L u n d a t 7 2 7 / 4 3 9 - 7 7 8 2 glund@Tampabay.rr.com

September 27-29Sarasota Bromeliad Society Show and Sale(details pending)

October 5Members’ Day Plant SaleFairchild Tropical Botanic Garden – 9:00-1:00http://www.fairchildgarden.org/Events/?date=10-2013&eventID=750

December 6th - 8thCaloosahatchee Bromeliad Society Show and Sale TerriePark3451 Marion Street, Fort Myers

Photo courtesy of FloridaCounsel of BromeliadSocieties

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MURDER IN CORBIN A© by Robert MeyerP R E V I O U S C H A P T E R S M AY B E S E E N I Nhttp://www.bssf-miami.org/

77.Thrashing rains and violent lightening often tormenteven Miami’s deepest sleepers. Somnambulists maybecome dangerously aroused during their nighttimetrots by the deafening thunder. Minute holes in roofingbecome harbors to torrents, while eddies flow throughand down into the normally dry confines of a home’sinterior. The greatest aspect of such events is that theyusually pass quickly, and most often are followed byclear skies and morning sunrises which dry off thefreshly washed surfaces before the commuter warsbegin.

After the poker evening, Rodriguez’s attempt to sleepoff the beer and beef he ingested became nearlyimpossible by such a Miami storm. In the morning, hetrudged through the door after realizing the fourthmorning cup of coffee failed to awaken his mind. “I’llwalk to the back and hide a few hours,” Rodriguezconfided with himself with his strategy. “After all, Iwas working late last night.” Rodriguez always wasattempting to legitimize his personal drudgery.

“Rodriguez, in my office now.” When Rodriguez heardthis demand, his mind conceived that he heard in stereoand in harmony. He looked to Boss’s office and sawhim looking at him, and then looked at the Captain’soffice and saw him looking at him. The Captain andBoss looked at each other, and then Captain instructedboth to come into his office with a simple hand gesture.

“Rodriguez. Great work on that address. We had MetroDade go there last night, and found the place furnished,used, and full of a young woman’s attire and photos.We have had DNA tests made of the hairs found in thebrush, and have delivered numerous other tests toJoshua’s group. Cyber has the computer – all withproper warrant – and everything looks good – exceptwonder boy Joshua is still missing. So, we thoughtmaybe he was at his place. And, we went there, andfound blood. Lots of blood. So we sent that to the DNAlabs, and are awaiting results. In the meantime, Ireceived Cyber’s report given to Vazquez regarding themystery of Susie Gort. Now, that you are current, isthere anything else we should know?”

Rodriguez thought, “Know?” Heck, all night as theothers talked, he texted his e-mail address with notes ofthe Pisco-induced representations. And, so he walkedover to his computer, turned it on, and opened his e-mail. Over 12 messages from himself were unopened.

He opened them all and printed them out andhanded them to the Captain.

“Impressive. Rodriguez, Vazquez has taught youwell.” The Captain began reading more. “Good. Hmmmm. Good. Ahhhh. Hmmmm. Good. Yes.”And then he closed the pages, and went into hisoffice and prepared the notes for second review.

When Captain had closed the door to his office,Boss looked at Rodriguez and asked, “What is inthe notes which caught his attention?” Rodriguez,in a bit of anguish, opened the fifth message, andhanded it to Boss. It read, “Cruz and others allagree that Susie Gort is the bane of heterosexualsociety. As beautiful as she is, she is a lesbian whowill never be attracted to men. Such a pity.”

78.Having been awakened for a good deal of the nightfrom the same thunderous roars as most everyonein Miami-Dade County, Linares was puzzling overher experience a few days earlier about the Codeand the importance of the matter with the police. Like so many other things, like bad choices forboyfriends or awful choices for matinees, shewould focus on anything but those errant decisions. And, within a few days the horrible memorieswould magically disappear and become vaporized. Efforts to vaporize the Code failed. And, so in themiddle of a morning haze created by a lack ofevening sleep, Linares lifted her phone from its setand dialed her former spouse.

“Hello.”

“Hello Marin. It’s me, Linares. I had to call you.Hope I am not bothering you. Am I?” She askedanticipating the answer to be in the negative unlesssomething dreadful was happening at Marin’s sideof the call.

“Of course not, babe. This old man will alwayshave time and heart for you. What’s the matter?”

“It’s that damn Code. I was whisked to the policea few days ago about the Code. I know nothingabout the Code. But, I saw you there and knowthey probably had you answer the question I wasasked– which was about the Code. I just gotta . ..you know . . . know what is the Code. Is it all rightfor me to know?” She did not know what Marin’sresponse would be.

“Yes, babe. It is all right now. It is now out in theopen. I gave them everything I know. And, I may

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say that this may be the entrance fee for my last visit tofederal. I have enough strikes against me to forbidparole, and the numbers in this matter are big. Istumbled upon a scam a few years ago. It was a bigscam. Retirement sized. And, there was enough in itfor me and few others, even families, to all benefit andbe happily fed. So, I went ahead and dipped into thebag. Felonious? Yes. Hurtful? No. Did I take anythingfrom the good guys? No. Did the bad guys pay mydues? Yes. So after answering questions like those, Ifelt entitlement and indifference. I was entitled to ashare and was indifferent to the law as the harmed partywas the thief not the cashier. Understand?”

Linares was more than thoroughly confused. Sheunderstood that her less-than-angelic ex-husband haddone what he always did – violated the law. And, thatthis violation was a felony – something notextraordinary in his behavioral past. “So, what madethis Code any different from the bad acts of the past?”she wondered.

“Okay. Let me get this straight. You committedanother felony. So what. And, this felony involvestaking money or property from someone. Again, sowhat else is new. So, I have to ask, what is so specialabout the Code when contrasted to your less-than-pristine past?”

“Well, this time, unlike the other times, I did not violateimportation laws, or make false identifications. Instead, someone else committed insurance fraud,which I later learned about, and then had myknowledge conveniently muted by a promisedallowance which assured me of more than SocialSecurity could provide. Understand?” He really did notwant to get much farther into this.

“Okay.” Linares said, wanting to think this through sothat she could conceive how to delicately ask the nextquestion. “You decided not to tell me details, eventhough I know many details about many of your otherpernicious acts.” At this time she was impressed tohave used the term pernicious. “Why did you decide tohold this back and not tell me about it.”

“Oh, how many reasons can there be, when only onewould suffice? Babe, I did not want you to becommitting a crime yourself. I did not want you to seethe people involved. After all, you know these people.” Just as he said that, Marin realized he said somethingthat he should never have said.

“Who?” she asked before he could even attempt toretract or make small talk to veer the discussion awayfrom her need-to-know inquiry of this morning.

“Well, it was . . .” And as he was about tocontinue, he heard her speak to him.

“Someone is at the door. Hold tight while I answerit.” And she scrambled out of her seat and to thedoor where she was happily surprised to see her oldfriend, Stan Gort.

Ed Prince Garden Work Completed