ILP–GENTLEMEN, START YOUR CORNDOGS

Paul Burch

Quite possibly, one of my favorite pastimes in spring is getting a leg up on Mother Nature. A greenhouse greatly facilitates this. Finding enough containers means a concerted search for them at my relatives’ business (Sunnycrest Nursery). I plant 800 or so seeds and they give me the potting soil. In return, I give them about 500 starts that I cannot use. It’s a win/win for Veterans as Claudia and Dale Loy donate to the Key Peninsula Veterans causes. What could be more fun than helping down and out Veterans?

Paul and Leigh Burch got us started using Silver Queen seeds about four years ago. Truth be told, I was always a Jubilee yellow corn fan but sweet white corn is hard to beat. With Paul’s recent passing, it resonates even more deeply that we continue this tradition. It might not be much consolation for Leigh but it’s very à propos inasmuch as it keeps Paul’s memory alive.

https://asknod.org/2016/03/22/milestones-paul-burch/

Most times I have spouses come to me for help or questions. Virtually 100% are wives with very ill husbands. Paul was the exception to the rule and we worked long and hard for years to get Leigh her benefits. People sometimes complain that it takes months and months to extricate their c-file from VA. It took two years and an Extraordinary Writ of Mandamus to get VA employees off their poor tired, bonus-callused asses and comply with Leigh’s anguished plea. Even then, it was still a spell before the claim was won at the BVA.

Whereas before Harvoni we all faced inevitable death sooner rather than later, we HCVets have reason to rejoice now with the disease in full retreat. Leigh was given a transplant in 2011 that was immediately contaminated by the virus within. Fortunately, she was accepted for the early trials of GS-7977 (Sofosbuvir plus Daclatasvir) and protected her new liver box in time to save it. Many were not this lucky and expired waiting for the miracle cure to materialize.

But I digress. This is about life, not death. Spring brings us the promise of new life, new beginnings and new hope where there was a dearth of it before. This Silver Queen’s for you, Leigh but we will never forget Paul.