How I Spent My Summer Vacation
Chapter Six: Garden Secret
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July 2 I'll say this for my cursed portal: it usually brings me something useful. With the exception of poor Frodo, I've gotten some help from all my visitors. The house is progressing well, but I realized today that I really couldn't afford to ignore the garden any more. I don't think the previous owners did much with it over the past couple of years, because the place was getting overrun with grapevines, bindweed, and "volunteer" seedlings. I had really hoped to finish the butler's pantry today, and I'm way behind on refinishing the bannisters, but I set those plans aside and marched out to the tool shed. I opened the door and strode purposefully inside--or I tried to. Actually I tripped over something just inside the door. Something that hollered very loudly at being tripped over. "Watch where you're goin' won't you?" I blinked at the figure in the dim light. "Um...Samwise Gamgee, I presume?" "That's me," he answered, rubbing his head. I believe I actually squealed with delight. "*Just* the person I wanted to see. Hobbit. Whatever." He looked at me through narrowed eyes. "You're no teenager, beggin' your pardon, ma'am." I decided I'd forgive him for that on account of his extremely timely arrival. I grabbed his hand, pulled him out of the shed, and pointed him toward the garden. He clicked his tongue disapprovingly. "Fair neglected, this place is." "That's right. You're the only one who can help me, Sam." Without a word, he turned around and marched back into the shed. A second later he reappeared, carrying several garden implements. They were all much too large for him, but that didn't seem to bother him: he made a beeline for the flowerbeds and started weeding with a vengeance. Meanwhile, I went back inside and started on the butler's pantry. We had both finished our jobs by late afternoon, and then he made me a delicious dinner out of some edible mushrooms he found growing in a corner of the garden. After dinner he went out to put the garden tools away. I wasn't entirely surprised to see that he didn't emerge from the toolshed again, but I was rather sorry. I could have gotten used to having a useful guy like him around. All the same, I do wish the portal would send me another full-sized man. Lisa
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