>> What kind of flower is that with the funny green petals?
It's a very rare hybrid, Zinnia treefroggy. They very seldom reproduce by seed, and they almost revert to either the parent Zinnia, or the parent tree frog.
>> I can't stand a wet handle
I usually wear gloves, but I agree that a wet handle is nasty, especially if the wood is oiled or waxed.
P.S. Wood waxed with beeswax is "grabby". It will give you a great grip, but causes blisters very quickly if you slid the handle through your fingers at all.
Paraffin wax or bowling alley wax gives a hard, slick slippery finish.
There are two kinds of Johnson's Paste Wax. One is smooth, but the other has fine no-slip-grit added for using on floors.
For oiling wood to resist rain, sometimes I use fancy semi-liquid furniture polish with orange oil and some fancy waxes semi-dissolved in it. . But usually I just rub it with a rag that' has some mineral oil on it. Then maybe rub with some beeswax or paraffin.
