Ganesh, in the Hindu tradition, is known as the remover of obstacles.  I have a garden for him within which are many exotic stones and plants.  This also is the memorial garden for my father passed almost ten years now.  It’s a chaos of rocks and plants and themes. I want it to be so chock full of disparate elements that new possibilities are created.

Last year I set Ganesh a challenge I thought he had a chance at, described (here).  Well, it was a very cold winter.  It was so cold it killed even some of the mega cold-hardy bamboo I have.  The eucalyptus in question was covered in snow most of the winter and even as the snow receded it looked like it may have made it.

but that was quite the bit of wishful thinking, like how green a vegetable might look coming out of the freezer before it realizes it’s dead.  The aftermath (aftermath, I like that connotation) of the challenge follows.

Now the question is whether obstacles were removed.  This may be the subtlety of Ganesh.  I thought that the obstacle to be removed was the seemingly necessary death of this plant staying outside in so cold a winter.  Apparently the obstacle to be removed was my thinking that it would live.  What an effective removal of an obstacle!  A great magic indeed.

Now of course my ignorance is deep and persistent.  I have another such Eucalyptus and I think it fair to believe another winter will come.  Surely it cannot be that death must befall it, surely.  Surely?  We will see, of course.