Difficult Tasks

I just received a phone call from a florist in California.  She was trying to figure out how her outfit might arrange to deliver to me a  floral bouquet for my birthday which, as it happens, is today.  We had a longish talk about this, which once again reminded me of how those of us who live here have accommodated the limitations of life in Point Roberts and how those of us who don't live here have a lot of trouble understanding exactly what is the problem.

The florist lady was clearly someone who rose to the challenge.  How about having somebody in Blaine deliver it?  How about my driving to Blaine to pick it up?  How about finding a Canadian florist to deliver it?  How about my driving to Richmond to pick it up?  How about sending it via the U.S. Post Office?  We didn't get into hiring a private plane or boat from Blaine or Bellingham, or even a taxi driver.  But she finally accepted defeat and sent me the birthday wishes from my oldest non-relative friend in this world.  Which I gratefully accepted.

But then, I began thinking, how much more difficult if my beloved friend had decided to send me a nice potted plant! Dirt: worse than terrorists.  Dirt may not cross the border in any direction and nobody can bring it.  At least nobody we know.

[Update:  I have just returned from Tsawwassen, where I bought a dozen tulips for me from my friend; since her birthday is close to mine, I have urged her to go out and buy a dozen tulips for her from me.  Mission sort of accomplished, though in a kind of clunky way.]

[Yet one more addition]