The Platypus Celebrates Naked Gardening Day

Saturday was World Naked Gardening Day and the Platypus turned it into a naked gardening weekend.  Aside from running some shopping errands at the store and the family's trip to church this morning, he spent the hours landscaping.

Now, to be perfectly honest the habitat of this Platypus is not secluded enough for him to bare his fur while mowing the lawn or weeding and caring for the front yard.  In fact he had to keep shirt and shorts on while he transplanted a large oleander to a corner of the back yard and planted two lilacs in a window box nearby where their height would help make things more secluded too.

This Spring, for the first time, the vegetation in this little corner of our world is lush enough that it is actually possible to get naked and enjoy the fruits of all that labor.  The space may only be about 8 "webbed" feet by 8 "webbed" feet, but it is enough to set up two chairs, or a blanket, where you can be au naturel without giving offense.  We're counting our blessings. In the past we have always had to set up a small shelter constructed from a quick-up canopy.

Now there is no need.  And no walls... just thick vegetation so the breeze flows through everything. What's more, with all those flowering plants around the scent of the live bouquet is nothing short of amazing.  Powerful jasmine here, mixed with lilac and freshly cut grass that includes some clover.  The space may be small, but that means we can lavish it with Miracle Grow that we couldn't afford for the rest of the yard.  And we can thoroughly water everything in on this little patch without being water gluttons.

Laying there in the sunshine... comfortably naked now... it was possible to get a glimpse of what life must have been like for Adam and Eve before they bit the fruit.  The wonderful smell.  The sound of mocking birds chirping and insects buzzing.  The sight of butterflies and dragonflies. Splashes of orange (lantana), purple (lilac), pink (oleander and bougainvillea),yellow (lilly) and blue (plumbago).

If someone were to ask the Platypuses why we are nudists, at this point our first response would be to sit that person into a chair, out there, on a day like today.  Just sitting there (or laying on a blanket), in the sun would capture the essence perfectly.  We have cruised on nude cruises.  We have been as far as Mexico and Canada visiting nudist clubs with all manner of amenities.  But be it ever so humble there's no place like your own backyard in the buff.