Since Tuesday, the weather has been so incredibly warm--unprecedented 70s--that I've had no excuse not to be outside working every day. I've weeded and mowed, edged and pruned, cleaned out pots and hauled debris, sprayed and raked, groaned and sweated.
The front wasn't as bad as the back, probably because the deer have helped with the pruning. After working on the front, my last chore was to spray the deer repellent and, of course, just as I got a good stream shooting out of the nozzle, a light breeze kicked in and I got a nice face, mouth and nose full. When I was finished, I thought about burning my clothes. Seriously. This stuff is brutal. Even after hosing out my nostrils, I was still breathing it yesterday. Ah well. It might smell like Satan's armpit, but it does the trick.
I quit working around 3:00 yesterday, mainly because after two full days of bending and twisting and pulling and hauling I was so stiff and sore I could barely lift the wine glass to my lips at the end of the day. And then there's getting out of bed in the mornings, though I've got a rolling-lurching-stagger technique that's fairly effective.
Yesterday, at lunch, my neighbor popped in to bring me a beautiful vase of Clematis that she pruned from her back garden. The flowers are delicate and beautiful, with an amazing scent. I'm hoping for some root growth, then I'll find a place to start my own Clematis vines...
Today I worked in the back, and frankly, I'm about ready to place a very large order for gravel or maybe cement. It's difficult to work because it's steeply sloped, except for the flat part at the bottom for the lawn. And there are pots and hanging baskets and oak barrels, because it's fenced and the deer can't get in so I've gone overboard with flowers.
When I stopped for the day, I was covered in scratches, sweat and dirt. I stripped off my filthy jeans and tee shirt in the laundry room, then practically crawled up the two flights of stairs to the shower. Where I contemplated the practicality of concrete. I think I got a sunburn too...in March, peeps. March. Though it could also be heat stroke.
Thankfully now, in the late afternoon, it's beginning to cloud over and with any luck at all it will rain for a few days so I can catch my breath before I have to go back out there.
And maybe by then I'll even be able to stand up straight again...
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