Poem: "Walnut Park"
Apr. 16th, 2026 09:08 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithThis poem came out of the March 3, 2026 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by a prompt from fuzzyred and a conversation with dialecticdreamer. It also fills the "Small Spaces" square in my 3-1-26 card for the National Crafting Month Bingo fest. This poem has been sponsored by Anthony Barrette. It belongs to the Broken Angels thread of the Polychrome Heroics series.
"Walnut Park"
[Monday, June 6, 2016]
Just after breakfast,
Boss Blaster's phone rang.
Checking the screen, he saw
that it was Farrah Van Andel,
his usual real estate agent.
"What's up so early?"
Boss Blaster asked.
"I have a piece of
commercial property
in your area," she said.
"This parcel is an empty lot
between two businesses in
North Bottoms, tucked
between Interstate 180
and Salt Creek Roadway."
"That sounds interesting,"
said Boss Blaster. "So
what kind of time table
are we looking at here?"
"Your choice of instant sale
if you waive the inspections,
or several weeks if you don't,"
said Farrah. "Would you like
to come take a look at it?
I'm free until noon today."
"Send me the address
and I'll head right over,"
Boss Blaster agreed.
His phone pinged, and
he saw that she had sent
the address and directions.
"Go on," said Cas. "I can
clean up the breakfast table."
"Bobbie, Kato, you're with me,"
said Boss Blaster. "If I buy it,
I'll need someone to take notes
and probably run some errands."
"Yeah, boss," said the button twins.
So they went to see the property,
and along the way, Boss Blaster
watched for local businesses.
There was a machine shop,
a computer repair place,
a paint store, a front for
post office boxes, and
a few junk or thrift stores.
Like everything else
in North Bottoms, they
were old and run down.
Suddenly a swath of
greenery opened up
between the buildings.
"This must be the place,"
Boss Blaster said as he
pulled into the alley that
divided the block in half.
Farrah waved to them,
then showed them the lot.
"This property opened up
a few years ago when
its building burned down,"
she said. "A buyer wanted
to put up a new one, but that
fell through, so he's selling."
Boss Blaster looked over
the lot. It was a good size,
mostly weeds and grass in
the middle, with trees and
bushes along the sides.
Two gravel streaks
snagged his attention.
A closer look revealed
them as an old driveway,
which sparked an idea.
"Does this go all the way
though?" he asked, then
flitted to the far side and
back. "This goes all the way
through! I want to buy it."
Farrah blinked at him.
"That's wonderful,"
she said, "but why?"
"A through-and-through
driveway means that I can
start making money here
as soon as I hold the deed,"
said Boss Blaster. "It's ideal
for making a food truck park."
Bobbie squealed. "Can we
get Soul on the Roll here?"
"I want a taco truck," Kato said.
"Preferably Muchachos or
D'Leon's Taco Truck."
"Well, if you are taking
suggestions, I like Corn-Fed
and Ukrainian Breadbasket
the best," said Farrah.
"How many do you think
will fit, boss?" Bobbie asked.
"Folks appreciate variety."
Boss Blaster eyed the space.
"At least two or three food trucks,
depending on size," he said.
"Probably six or eight food carts,
because they're so much smaller."
He started taking notes on
his smartphone, so he could
call vendors. "Who else should
we invite? We need enough options
so folks don't get bored, and enough
numbers to compensate for vendors
attending other events over time."
"How about The Food Is Lava?"
said Bobbie. "That's Ethiopian."
Kato groaned. "Nobody but you
likes that one," he said. "That stuff
will take the enamel off your teeth!"
"The Hispanics like it as much
as I do," Bobbie argued.
Boss Blaster laughed.
"We really do," he said.
"I'll just make sure that one
is balanced by milder food."
"Kitchen Diplomacy offers
a rotating menu from countries
America currently disagrees with,"
said Farrah. "You'd never get bored."
"How about adding Come in Dan?"
said Kato. "It's Asian and based on
rice, but a real workman's meal."
"Excellent idea," Boss Blaster said,
jotting down their suggestions. "I'll
throw in Afghan Tablecloth. They
make great shish kebabs and
the world's best rice pudding.
That's enough to start with."
Bobbie hummed thoughtfully.
"Where's the closest grocery?"
Boss Blaster checked his phone.
"There is a Casey's on Charleston,
which is several blocks away."
"I mean a real supermarket,"
Bobbie said with a frown.
"Everything else is across
a major road," said Boss Blaster.
"There's a whole string of stores
over on North 27th Street, though.
What did you have in mind?"
"It'd be nice to have someone
bring in fresh fruits and vegetables,"
Bobbie said. "Especially if they can
beat convenience store prices."
"Yeah, back in Omaha there
are more farmer's markets and
truck stands," Boss Blaster mused.
Then he brightened. "Speaking of
Omaha, I know just who to call."
He rang Shiv, then heard sounds
of metal and the bright chime
of a blacksmith's hammer.
"Sorry, just let me put this
down," Shiv muttered. "I'm
out in Mercedes making
campfire cooking gear.
It's kind of chaotic here."
"I'm in Lincoln, looking
at an empty lot that I want
to turn into a food truck park,"
said Boss Blaster. "Bobbie
suggested bringing in produce.
Do you know anyone who's
selling that in my area?"
"Oh yeah, sure," said Shiv.
"Buncha folks on bigger farms
hit Lincoln and Omaha both
since they're so close. It's only
like an hour drive between. I even
know a few who sell statewide.
What are you looking for?"
"Things you can eat raw, or
that don't need fussy steps
to cook," said Boss Blaster.
"Not everyone around here
has the time and skills -- or
hell, enough of a kitchen --
to cook anything fancier."
"No problem," Shiv said.
"Let me make some calls
and I'll get back to you
with options. I need
a damn break anyhow."
"Thanks," said Boss Blaster.
"Next time you're out here,
I'll treat you at the food trucks."
"Deal!" Shiv said happily,
and then he hung up.
"All right, I have a line
on some fresh produce,"
said Boss Blaster. "Let's
run the instant sale through,
then figure out a plan of action."
"All right," said Farrah. She
set up the forms, he gave
his authorization, and just
like that, he owned the lot.
"Now, let's take a look
at what we've got here
and what it needs next,"
Boss Blaster declared.
"Lawn needs mowed,"
Kato said instantly.
"Bobbie, start a list
of the button tasks,"
said Boss Blaster.
"First one is calling
our yard crew to send
someone with a mower."
"On it, boss," she said,
putting it in her phone.
"We may as well book
any other landscaping
that you want done, too."
Boss Blaster looked at
the sides of the empty lot.
"Clean up the shade gardens,"
he said. "Maybe see if we
can get more native plants."
"What shade gardens?"
said Farrah. "It's all weeds."
Boss Blaster pointed left.
"Those are walnut and
sumac trees." His finger
swung right. "Those are
maples and redbuds.
Shade gardens under
native trees attract wildlife."
"I think those are ferns,"
Kato said, shading his eyes.
"I dunno the wildflowers."
"I'll call Edie and Grove,"
said Bobbie. "They'll know
what to put and where to get it."
They had all been learning about
Nebraska plants while creating
other parks, but they weren't
experts. Fortunately they
knew other people who were.
"Okay, step one is mow the grass
and tidy the gardens," said Boss Blaster.
"Check with Safe Harbor -- they can
usually find us some extra guys."
"Can do, boss," said Bobbie.
"The veterans do good work."
"We'll need a garbage can
at each end," said Boss Blaster.
He held out a Greenbucks card.
"Kato, pick up a couple of those,
the biggest ones you can find."
"No problem, boss," said Kato.
"I'll need the truck for that, though."
"I may need it to haul plants for
the shade gardens," Bobbie said.
"You can probably find both at
a home improvement store,"
Boss Blaster said. "If not,
sort it out between you."
He scuffed a foot over
the gravel where two tracks
faded into grass and weeds.
"This needs attention too."
"According to the paperwork,
that used to be another alley
between buildings," said Farrah.
"Bobbie, ask the mower to find
the edges as best they can for now,"
said Boss Blaster. "Later on, I can
have a load of gravel delivered
to make the driveway more visible."
"Where are folks gonna eat?"
Kato asked. "There's nowhere
to sit, anywhere I can see."
Boss Blaster turned in a circle,
but he couldn't see anything either.
"We'll need some picnic tables
and other benches," he decided.
"I'll talk with nearby owners and
see if anyone else wants a bench."
"We got plenty of pallet wood and
other stuff in our stash," said Bobbie.
"I'll let our woodworkers know what
we need. You want to include
a stage for a busk stop?"
"That would be awesome,"
said Kato. "Everyone loves
listening to street music."
It may complicate a schedule,
but Boss Blaster didn't care.
Music was the thing he missed
most after leaving Blues Moon.
"Add the busk stop," he said.
"Make sure the woodworkers
include a roll-under table for
Simon," said Kato. "You know
if Shiv's in on this, Simon and
Tolli won't be far behind him."
"Good point," said Boss Blaster.
"Hmm, does this place still have
a hookup to the city water?"
"The pipes are here, along
with sewer and electricity,"
said Farrah. "There are
no active connections, but
the city is obliged to provide
those if you want some."
Boss Blaster nodded. "I'll
install a couple of fountains
like they have at parks. I've
seen a model that includes
a drinking fountain, bottle filler,
handwashing sink, and pet bowl."
"That will take a while, but we
could set up a wash station like
for planting sessions," said Kato.
"That'll do for a start then,"
said Boss Blaster. "Get on it."
"Without inspections, you'll need
to check the pipes and soil for lead
on your own time," Farrah pointed out.
"I've got people for that," said Boss Blaster.
"I'll get it done before installing fountains."
Since the lot had been mostly underneath
a building, he wanted to have Dozer
make sure the soil was up to supporting
both plants and foot traffic anyhow.
Then his phone rang, showing
Shiv's number. He answered it.
"Hi, I've got some information --
Hey, you kids! Put that down there,
no, over there," Shiv said. "Sorry
about that, it's pretty busy here."
"That's okay," said Boss Blaster.
"What did you find out about
getting some produce here?"
"First I checked what's in season,
then crossed off everything that's
harder to cook or less tasty," said Shiv.
"May had lettuce and spinach, herbs,
and radishes. June already has carrots,
peas, and spring onions. Cherries and
strawberries ain't ripe yet, so don't ask.
I'll send you somebody when they are."
"All right, that sounds like a good start,"
said Boss Blaster. "Who did you find?"
"Salad Sam specializes in salads.
They got several kinds of greens, then
stuff to put on top like radishes or carrots,"
said Shiv. "You can just buy ingredients,
or they'll assemble a salad for you and
pack it in a carton. They could send
you someone after lunch today."
"Excellent," said Boss Blaster.
"It will take that long for us to get
the lawn mowed and trash cans out."
"Totally Tomatoes is what it says --
they only sell tomatoes but they have
hothouses all year round," said Shiv.
"They got everything from beefsteaks
for sandwiches to pastes for cooking
and cherry types for snacking. They
grow a lot of great heirlooms too."
"Sure, everyone knows things to do
with tomatoes," said Boss Blaster.
"I like to eat 'em with just salt."
"Get the 'Cherokee Purple' and
'Brandywine' for that," said Shiv.
"You might also like 'Green Zebra'
and 'Big Rainbow' if you're willing
to try more unusual colors. Anyhow,
these folks can come this afternoon."
"Send them to me," said Boss Blaster.
"And ask them to bring those tomatoes."
His mouth watered at the thought.
If he asked nicely, Cas would make up
a vegetable tray with dip after supper
for snacks while watching television.
"Can do," said Shiv. "Last one is
In a Pickle. They buy produce from
farms to make countertop and canned
pickles of basically everything. They got
pickle-pickles in dill and sweet, plus stuff
like dilly beans and Italian giardiniera. They
make great pickled watermelon rind, but
nobody's available to sell until tomorrow."
"That's fine," said Boss Blaster. "Always
leave people wanting more. If we can
add different things over time, it will
help build up a customer base."
"I'll keep an eye on farmer's markets
and let you know if anything else looks
good for your site," Shiv added. "Folks
have been using parts they used to toss
because of shortages after the Big One."
"Drop me a line if you see anyone
selling cartons of carrot top pesto,"
said Boss Blaster. "That stuff is good."
"Yeah, I haven't seen anyone selling
any of that yet, but we had some
at Freeman's Family Hospital for
a Yes, You Can Eat That! class,"
said Shiv. "Goes great on pasta,
sandwiches, and other stuff."
"I wonder if I could get anyone
to do classes around here,"
Boss Blaster mused. "Not
everyone has had a chance
to learn about cooking."
"Oh, please find someone
to teach that," Shiv begged.
"Remember what happened
to me and my kitchen. You
don't want that repeating in
any of your properties."
Not long after Shiv got
out of prison, he had set
his kitchen on fire, since
nobody ever taught him
how cooking worked.
Boss Blaster had to help
clean up the mess from that.
He made a firm mental note
to find or bribe someone
to teach basic kitchen skills.
By then Bobbie was waving
at him, so Boss Blaster
wrapped up with Shiv.
"What do you need?"
he asked Bobbie.
"We're gonna need
someone to handle
the advertising for
this," she explained.
"Figure out when things
are happening, then send
announcements to folks."
"Good call," said Boss Blaster.
"Ask the girls who aren't working
today -- some of them do a lot
of online activity. You can also
tell Edie to start the phone tree."
"Well, then we won't have to buy
much for the shade gardens,"
said Bobbie. "Folks will bring
their extras like they did earlier."
"I can't swear that we'll have
any picnic tables ready today --
unless somebody already had
some started -- but we can
by tomorrow," Kato added.
"All right, that's a plan,"
Boss Blaster agreed.
Bobbie's phone chimed.
She checked the message,
and then said, "Hey boss,
the mower is on the way."
"That's good," he replied. "It
shouldn't take long to mow."
Another chime. "Grove
offered to come survey
whatever plants you have
and make recommendations
for new ones," Bobbie said.
"Great, take him up on
that," said Boss Blaster.
"Do you mind if I take
a few 'Sold!' pictures for
my website?" asked Farrah.
"I could even swing back
by next week to see what
you've done with the place."
"Sure, go ahead. It will
be interesting to see
how things change,"
said Boss Blaster.
So Farrah took a few
of the empty lot itself.
Then she snapped
pictures of Boss Blaster
and the button twins
standing in the lot.
"Thank you for the sale
and for the snapshots,"
Farrah said, smiling. "It's
a small space, but you've
got such big ideas for it.
What will you name this?"
"Walnut Park," he said.
"Thank you for thinking of me
when this came up for sale."
Once they shook hands
and Farrah left, then he
checked his notes and
looked up phone numbers
for the relevant food trucks.
He had a lot of work to do,
but he was looking forward to it.
* * *
Notes:
This poem is long, so its setting and content notes will appear separately.
fuzzyred and a conversation with dialecticdreamer. It also fills the "Small Spaces" square in my 3-1-26 card for the National Crafting Month Bingo fest. This poem has been sponsored by Anthony Barrette. It belongs to the Broken Angels thread of the Polychrome Heroics series."Walnut Park"
[Monday, June 6, 2016]
Just after breakfast,
Boss Blaster's phone rang.
Checking the screen, he saw
that it was Farrah Van Andel,
his usual real estate agent.
"What's up so early?"
Boss Blaster asked.
"I have a piece of
commercial property
in your area," she said.
"This parcel is an empty lot
between two businesses in
North Bottoms, tucked
between Interstate 180
and Salt Creek Roadway."
"That sounds interesting,"
said Boss Blaster. "So
what kind of time table
are we looking at here?"
"Your choice of instant sale
if you waive the inspections,
or several weeks if you don't,"
said Farrah. "Would you like
to come take a look at it?
I'm free until noon today."
"Send me the address
and I'll head right over,"
Boss Blaster agreed.
His phone pinged, and
he saw that she had sent
the address and directions.
"Go on," said Cas. "I can
clean up the breakfast table."
"Bobbie, Kato, you're with me,"
said Boss Blaster. "If I buy it,
I'll need someone to take notes
and probably run some errands."
"Yeah, boss," said the button twins.
So they went to see the property,
and along the way, Boss Blaster
watched for local businesses.
There was a machine shop,
a computer repair place,
a paint store, a front for
post office boxes, and
a few junk or thrift stores.
Like everything else
in North Bottoms, they
were old and run down.
Suddenly a swath of
greenery opened up
between the buildings.
"This must be the place,"
Boss Blaster said as he
pulled into the alley that
divided the block in half.
Farrah waved to them,
then showed them the lot.
"This property opened up
a few years ago when
its building burned down,"
she said. "A buyer wanted
to put up a new one, but that
fell through, so he's selling."
Boss Blaster looked over
the lot. It was a good size,
mostly weeds and grass in
the middle, with trees and
bushes along the sides.
Two gravel streaks
snagged his attention.
A closer look revealed
them as an old driveway,
which sparked an idea.
"Does this go all the way
though?" he asked, then
flitted to the far side and
back. "This goes all the way
through! I want to buy it."
Farrah blinked at him.
"That's wonderful,"
she said, "but why?"
"A through-and-through
driveway means that I can
start making money here
as soon as I hold the deed,"
said Boss Blaster. "It's ideal
for making a food truck park."
Bobbie squealed. "Can we
get Soul on the Roll here?"
"I want a taco truck," Kato said.
"Preferably Muchachos or
D'Leon's Taco Truck."
"Well, if you are taking
suggestions, I like Corn-Fed
and Ukrainian Breadbasket
the best," said Farrah.
"How many do you think
will fit, boss?" Bobbie asked.
"Folks appreciate variety."
Boss Blaster eyed the space.
"At least two or three food trucks,
depending on size," he said.
"Probably six or eight food carts,
because they're so much smaller."
He started taking notes on
his smartphone, so he could
call vendors. "Who else should
we invite? We need enough options
so folks don't get bored, and enough
numbers to compensate for vendors
attending other events over time."
"How about The Food Is Lava?"
said Bobbie. "That's Ethiopian."
Kato groaned. "Nobody but you
likes that one," he said. "That stuff
will take the enamel off your teeth!"
"The Hispanics like it as much
as I do," Bobbie argued.
Boss Blaster laughed.
"We really do," he said.
"I'll just make sure that one
is balanced by milder food."
"Kitchen Diplomacy offers
a rotating menu from countries
America currently disagrees with,"
said Farrah. "You'd never get bored."
"How about adding Come in Dan?"
said Kato. "It's Asian and based on
rice, but a real workman's meal."
"Excellent idea," Boss Blaster said,
jotting down their suggestions. "I'll
throw in Afghan Tablecloth. They
make great shish kebabs and
the world's best rice pudding.
That's enough to start with."
Bobbie hummed thoughtfully.
"Where's the closest grocery?"
Boss Blaster checked his phone.
"There is a Casey's on Charleston,
which is several blocks away."
"I mean a real supermarket,"
Bobbie said with a frown.
"Everything else is across
a major road," said Boss Blaster.
"There's a whole string of stores
over on North 27th Street, though.
What did you have in mind?"
"It'd be nice to have someone
bring in fresh fruits and vegetables,"
Bobbie said. "Especially if they can
beat convenience store prices."
"Yeah, back in Omaha there
are more farmer's markets and
truck stands," Boss Blaster mused.
Then he brightened. "Speaking of
Omaha, I know just who to call."
He rang Shiv, then heard sounds
of metal and the bright chime
of a blacksmith's hammer.
"Sorry, just let me put this
down," Shiv muttered. "I'm
out in Mercedes making
campfire cooking gear.
It's kind of chaotic here."
"I'm in Lincoln, looking
at an empty lot that I want
to turn into a food truck park,"
said Boss Blaster. "Bobbie
suggested bringing in produce.
Do you know anyone who's
selling that in my area?"
"Oh yeah, sure," said Shiv.
"Buncha folks on bigger farms
hit Lincoln and Omaha both
since they're so close. It's only
like an hour drive between. I even
know a few who sell statewide.
What are you looking for?"
"Things you can eat raw, or
that don't need fussy steps
to cook," said Boss Blaster.
"Not everyone around here
has the time and skills -- or
hell, enough of a kitchen --
to cook anything fancier."
"No problem," Shiv said.
"Let me make some calls
and I'll get back to you
with options. I need
a damn break anyhow."
"Thanks," said Boss Blaster.
"Next time you're out here,
I'll treat you at the food trucks."
"Deal!" Shiv said happily,
and then he hung up.
"All right, I have a line
on some fresh produce,"
said Boss Blaster. "Let's
run the instant sale through,
then figure out a plan of action."
"All right," said Farrah. She
set up the forms, he gave
his authorization, and just
like that, he owned the lot.
"Now, let's take a look
at what we've got here
and what it needs next,"
Boss Blaster declared.
"Lawn needs mowed,"
Kato said instantly.
"Bobbie, start a list
of the button tasks,"
said Boss Blaster.
"First one is calling
our yard crew to send
someone with a mower."
"On it, boss," she said,
putting it in her phone.
"We may as well book
any other landscaping
that you want done, too."
Boss Blaster looked at
the sides of the empty lot.
"Clean up the shade gardens,"
he said. "Maybe see if we
can get more native plants."
"What shade gardens?"
said Farrah. "It's all weeds."
Boss Blaster pointed left.
"Those are walnut and
sumac trees." His finger
swung right. "Those are
maples and redbuds.
Shade gardens under
native trees attract wildlife."
"I think those are ferns,"
Kato said, shading his eyes.
"I dunno the wildflowers."
"I'll call Edie and Grove,"
said Bobbie. "They'll know
what to put and where to get it."
They had all been learning about
Nebraska plants while creating
other parks, but they weren't
experts. Fortunately they
knew other people who were.
"Okay, step one is mow the grass
and tidy the gardens," said Boss Blaster.
"Check with Safe Harbor -- they can
usually find us some extra guys."
"Can do, boss," said Bobbie.
"The veterans do good work."
"We'll need a garbage can
at each end," said Boss Blaster.
He held out a Greenbucks card.
"Kato, pick up a couple of those,
the biggest ones you can find."
"No problem, boss," said Kato.
"I'll need the truck for that, though."
"I may need it to haul plants for
the shade gardens," Bobbie said.
"You can probably find both at
a home improvement store,"
Boss Blaster said. "If not,
sort it out between you."
He scuffed a foot over
the gravel where two tracks
faded into grass and weeds.
"This needs attention too."
"According to the paperwork,
that used to be another alley
between buildings," said Farrah.
"Bobbie, ask the mower to find
the edges as best they can for now,"
said Boss Blaster. "Later on, I can
have a load of gravel delivered
to make the driveway more visible."
"Where are folks gonna eat?"
Kato asked. "There's nowhere
to sit, anywhere I can see."
Boss Blaster turned in a circle,
but he couldn't see anything either.
"We'll need some picnic tables
and other benches," he decided.
"I'll talk with nearby owners and
see if anyone else wants a bench."
"We got plenty of pallet wood and
other stuff in our stash," said Bobbie.
"I'll let our woodworkers know what
we need. You want to include
a stage for a busk stop?"
"That would be awesome,"
said Kato. "Everyone loves
listening to street music."
It may complicate a schedule,
but Boss Blaster didn't care.
Music was the thing he missed
most after leaving Blues Moon.
"Add the busk stop," he said.
"Make sure the woodworkers
include a roll-under table for
Simon," said Kato. "You know
if Shiv's in on this, Simon and
Tolli won't be far behind him."
"Good point," said Boss Blaster.
"Hmm, does this place still have
a hookup to the city water?"
"The pipes are here, along
with sewer and electricity,"
said Farrah. "There are
no active connections, but
the city is obliged to provide
those if you want some."
Boss Blaster nodded. "I'll
install a couple of fountains
like they have at parks. I've
seen a model that includes
a drinking fountain, bottle filler,
handwashing sink, and pet bowl."
"That will take a while, but we
could set up a wash station like
for planting sessions," said Kato.
"That'll do for a start then,"
said Boss Blaster. "Get on it."
"Without inspections, you'll need
to check the pipes and soil for lead
on your own time," Farrah pointed out.
"I've got people for that," said Boss Blaster.
"I'll get it done before installing fountains."
Since the lot had been mostly underneath
a building, he wanted to have Dozer
make sure the soil was up to supporting
both plants and foot traffic anyhow.
Then his phone rang, showing
Shiv's number. He answered it.
"Hi, I've got some information --
Hey, you kids! Put that down there,
no, over there," Shiv said. "Sorry
about that, it's pretty busy here."
"That's okay," said Boss Blaster.
"What did you find out about
getting some produce here?"
"First I checked what's in season,
then crossed off everything that's
harder to cook or less tasty," said Shiv.
"May had lettuce and spinach, herbs,
and radishes. June already has carrots,
peas, and spring onions. Cherries and
strawberries ain't ripe yet, so don't ask.
I'll send you somebody when they are."
"All right, that sounds like a good start,"
said Boss Blaster. "Who did you find?"
"Salad Sam specializes in salads.
They got several kinds of greens, then
stuff to put on top like radishes or carrots,"
said Shiv. "You can just buy ingredients,
or they'll assemble a salad for you and
pack it in a carton. They could send
you someone after lunch today."
"Excellent," said Boss Blaster.
"It will take that long for us to get
the lawn mowed and trash cans out."
"Totally Tomatoes is what it says --
they only sell tomatoes but they have
hothouses all year round," said Shiv.
"They got everything from beefsteaks
for sandwiches to pastes for cooking
and cherry types for snacking. They
grow a lot of great heirlooms too."
"Sure, everyone knows things to do
with tomatoes," said Boss Blaster.
"I like to eat 'em with just salt."
"Get the 'Cherokee Purple' and
'Brandywine' for that," said Shiv.
"You might also like 'Green Zebra'
and 'Big Rainbow' if you're willing
to try more unusual colors. Anyhow,
these folks can come this afternoon."
"Send them to me," said Boss Blaster.
"And ask them to bring those tomatoes."
His mouth watered at the thought.
If he asked nicely, Cas would make up
a vegetable tray with dip after supper
for snacks while watching television.
"Can do," said Shiv. "Last one is
In a Pickle. They buy produce from
farms to make countertop and canned
pickles of basically everything. They got
pickle-pickles in dill and sweet, plus stuff
like dilly beans and Italian giardiniera. They
make great pickled watermelon rind, but
nobody's available to sell until tomorrow."
"That's fine," said Boss Blaster. "Always
leave people wanting more. If we can
add different things over time, it will
help build up a customer base."
"I'll keep an eye on farmer's markets
and let you know if anything else looks
good for your site," Shiv added. "Folks
have been using parts they used to toss
because of shortages after the Big One."
"Drop me a line if you see anyone
selling cartons of carrot top pesto,"
said Boss Blaster. "That stuff is good."
"Yeah, I haven't seen anyone selling
any of that yet, but we had some
at Freeman's Family Hospital for
a Yes, You Can Eat That! class,"
said Shiv. "Goes great on pasta,
sandwiches, and other stuff."
"I wonder if I could get anyone
to do classes around here,"
Boss Blaster mused. "Not
everyone has had a chance
to learn about cooking."
"Oh, please find someone
to teach that," Shiv begged.
"Remember what happened
to me and my kitchen. You
don't want that repeating in
any of your properties."
Not long after Shiv got
out of prison, he had set
his kitchen on fire, since
nobody ever taught him
how cooking worked.
Boss Blaster had to help
clean up the mess from that.
He made a firm mental note
to find or bribe someone
to teach basic kitchen skills.
By then Bobbie was waving
at him, so Boss Blaster
wrapped up with Shiv.
"What do you need?"
he asked Bobbie.
"We're gonna need
someone to handle
the advertising for
this," she explained.
"Figure out when things
are happening, then send
announcements to folks."
"Good call," said Boss Blaster.
"Ask the girls who aren't working
today -- some of them do a lot
of online activity. You can also
tell Edie to start the phone tree."
"Well, then we won't have to buy
much for the shade gardens,"
said Bobbie. "Folks will bring
their extras like they did earlier."
"I can't swear that we'll have
any picnic tables ready today --
unless somebody already had
some started -- but we can
by tomorrow," Kato added.
"All right, that's a plan,"
Boss Blaster agreed.
Bobbie's phone chimed.
She checked the message,
and then said, "Hey boss,
the mower is on the way."
"That's good," he replied. "It
shouldn't take long to mow."
Another chime. "Grove
offered to come survey
whatever plants you have
and make recommendations
for new ones," Bobbie said.
"Great, take him up on
that," said Boss Blaster.
"Do you mind if I take
a few 'Sold!' pictures for
my website?" asked Farrah.
"I could even swing back
by next week to see what
you've done with the place."
"Sure, go ahead. It will
be interesting to see
how things change,"
said Boss Blaster.
So Farrah took a few
of the empty lot itself.
Then she snapped
pictures of Boss Blaster
and the button twins
standing in the lot.
"Thank you for the sale
and for the snapshots,"
Farrah said, smiling. "It's
a small space, but you've
got such big ideas for it.
What will you name this?"
"Walnut Park," he said.
"Thank you for thinking of me
when this came up for sale."
Once they shook hands
and Farrah left, then he
checked his notes and
looked up phone numbers
for the relevant food trucks.
He had a lot of work to do,
but he was looking forward to it.
* * *
Notes:
This poem is long, so its setting and content notes will appear separately.
(no subject)
Date: 2026-04-17 03:21 am (UTC)Also... "great pickled watermelon rind"
Pretty sure my dad used to make these (or at least they were in the house?), and I miss them! They were so good!
Thank you!
Date: 2026-04-17 03:37 am (UTC)By all means ask for more in any relevant prompt call. This weekend will be the Creative Jam with a theme of "Progress" for a perfect match.
>> Also... "great pickled watermelon rind"
Pretty sure my dad used to make these (or at least they were in the house?), and I miss them! They were so good! <<
Thanks for the vote of confidence.