From 72685228a7aacd6daa44da3833ac2eaeb80d1e39 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Collin Williams <96917990+bluedragon1221@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Thu, 24 Oct 2024 20:03:03 -0500
Subject: move some stuff around

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+---
+title: The Blackberry Wars
+---
+
+Life Lessons:
+
+- Take care of a problem early before it becomes a monster.
+- Opposition enhances our appreciation of the good times.
+- Adversity is our friend, not our enemy. Embrace it.
+
+Since Lori and I moved into the Ridgefield homestead house in the summer
+of 2006, I have been waging a war with the deadly blackberry invasion
+that has opened up on many fronts around the property. One of the most
+sorely contested spots is on the north end of the barn below the house.
+At this location, the vines have attained a height of about 14 feet and
+threaten to engulf the whole north end of the building. The photo below
+will give you some idea of the seriousness of the problem.
+
+![](md/37_The_Blackberry_Wars-media/media/image1.png){width="6.5in"
+height="4.875in" alt=""}
+
+Now this is a war that can never be won. As soon as the obnoxious vines
+have been eradicated in one place, they will spring up in another place
+and establish a new base of operations for the conflict. Any place where
+the birds like to land and lighten their load, the blackberry seeds in
+their droppings will happily start a new infestation. Thus, the conflict
+is eternal. I can hope to win an occasional battle in one place, but I
+have no hope of ever winning the war outright.
+
+After fighting this war for so many years, I have gained a great deal of
+admiration for the committee that was assigned the task of making good
+on the promise to create the "thistles and thorns and noxious weeds to
+afflict and torment man." These folks must be real over-achievers and
+the blackberry plant must have been their crowning achievement.
+
+However, upon reflection, I have reconciled myself to the importance of
+the lessons learned as a consequence of this war. Lesson number one:
+Take care of a problem early instead of waiting until it has grown into
+a 14-foot-high mountain of terrifying thorns. The effort to fix it is
+many times greater if you put off dealing with it when it is still
+small. Lesson number 2: This mortal experience was not meant to be a
+Garden of Eden. How could I possibly appreciate the beauty of a
+magnificently manicured garden without experiencing the opposite
+condition. In fact, the level of appreciation is directly proportional
+to the severity of the opposition. Sometime in the future, when I have a
+chance to meet the members of the "thorn" committee, I will personally
+give each one of them a big hug for giving me my impressive capacity to
+appreciate the opposite condition. Lesson number 3: We should not be
+afraid of adversity. In fact, every time it raises its ugly head, we
+should be ecstatic. Blessings that can be obtained in no other way are
+just around the corner. I can't count all the blessings that my war
+with the blackberries has brought me. I am stronger and wiser because of
+it.
+
+In fact, I wish you all the same good fortune. May your lives all be
+infested with lots of lovely thorns and thistles. You'll all thank me
+some day, I promise.
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