Bouquet Brigade

Saturday’s morning downpour may have put a damper on outdoor Valentine’s Day activities, but it didn’t put a halt to holiday-related business.

At the entrance to the northbound Ventura Freeway at Town Center Drive in Oxnard, a man stood in the rain selling roses--and he said sales were brisk. The 21-year-old, who declined to give his name, was charging $25 for a dozen red flowers with stems.

“Some guys are driving by and buying $50 worth like it was nothing,” he said. “I think they were heading to their girlfriends.”

The storm, which dumped 1 1/2 to 2 inches of rain across Ventura County, could bring showers again today, with another storm due Monday night.

At the Westlake Plaza Florist shop in Thousand Oaks on Saturday, Stefanie Pantelas was met by two desperate-looking men waiting in the rain when she opened up at 7:30 a.m.

“They were worried it was too late to get arrangements. I told them, ‘You can never be too late on Valentine’s Day,’ ” said Pantelas, daughter of store owner Kathy Pantelas.

She said about 50 customers--mostly men--weathered the storm to buy last-minute roses and fresh-cut flower arrangements before noon.

The pouring rain kept Ted and Erika Pierpont huddled in bed later than expected Saturday morning. It was the first Valentine’s Day the Pierponts were spending together in their new Oxnard home.

*

They finally crawled out from under the covers to spend the afternoon shopping together before heading to Santa Barbara for an evening party.

“It’s kind of a ‘Home Improvement’ Valentine’s Day,” said Erika Pierpont, 26, standing in the power tool section at Sears in The Esplanade mall in Oxnard.

“We’re going out next to get her some gardening tools for her rose garden,” said Ted Pierpont, also 26. “I figure instead of buying her roses, I can give her stuff to help grow them.”