When things need fixing around Augustana, sometimes whatever's amiss can be dealt with surprisingly fast. But the job is no less appreciated for all that.
Case in point: the struggling, straggly river birch trees that were one of Pastor Gorder's super-cheap-end-of-season garden purchases a few years ago. Of the three he bought, only one has ever looked as though it might actually live to see another day. The other two were subject to many discussions and consultations between the garden mavens, always ending with “Well, let's see what they do next year.”
But eventually it's time to face reality and admit these plants are never going to make it and frankly, they're really, really ugly. Time to get rid of them.
It's also true that no student can hit the books all the time, so one night at choir practice Luther Rinehart was cornered and asked if he'd tackle the job of digging out the two ailing trees the following Saturday. Ever agreeable, he said yes and showed up at 3 PM, was presented with a loppers and a spade, and set to work. By 3:30 he was done, and that included digging out the roots.
It was a win-win situation. The hosta garden got a facelift and Luther got a study break. What's not to like?