Thursday, September 12, 2013

Walk about Wednesday..........

What a week here in northeastern Ohio!  Temperatures soared to the highest of the year reaching a heat index of 107F. on Wednesday.  And Yes! that would be the day I thought I'd tear into the back gardens.  Hitting the back door at 7:15 am and the humidity hit me back harder than I hit the door.  Edged, weeded, soil turned over, some plants yanked because it's over!  By 2:30 pm I was toast. Headed to the barn and cold drink........ never got off the porch until 4:30 pm.  Wow, I am toasty, crispy and fried!  Not more than a sprinkle of rain since the flood at the Marina, July 20th and I am spitting dust.

The sweat runs into your eyes, filling your glasses giving a Monet look at the garden with a nice sting.  Your clothes stick to you in every possible way, going to the bathroom becomes an Olympic event because you are never getting those jeans rolled down in time.  The spring time fresh underwear you put on an hour ago is tear away.  Oh and almost impaled myself with pockets full of tools!  I was sporting the full butt compliment of weeding knife, pruners and hand sickle.  OUCH!  Wondering if "Depends" might be the gardeners friend in these awesome temps!   I realize I'm watering the garden with my own sweat as it drips down my nose.  And then through the mirky view of cloudy glasses you realize you're holding poison ivy, BAHHHHHAAAA!  Grab the vinegar and spray the offending vine liberally...... for three days I will spray!  Gloves are yanked off to be burned, arms are dosed in alcohol and scrubbed with fels naptha soap in cold water and I wait.  In three days I will know if the dreadful stuff has invaded my system for now, I'm clean!

As bad as all this sounds and I am so very aware of my uncomfortable state I step back and look what I have to show for the last few hours in hell......... it is fantastic!!  It is high garden satisfaction and I say out loud.......  I love this stuff!  And I am smiling!  I walk around the perimeter with my full butt compliment surveying the gardens.  The chickens cluck their approval from the coop.  I am done for today and will be back tomorrow.  Lettuce, kale and other cool weather veggies can still be planted.  Hoops need to be installed to extend the season.

As I walk to the house I am noticing the fruiting trees are just loaded this year, more than I ever remember.  Walking under the oak is like walking on ball bearings and just as fun!  The Cornus kousa is just loaded!  The garden has given back in spades this year.  Wondering if this bodes for a whopper of a winter.

The winds changed to the north this morning.  We are finally getting rain, needed so badly.  It's a gentle rain, grabbing the camera I run out the door to see what's going on............

















not sure when I will get to the studio...... for now the shelves in the basement are filling and the freezer looks pretty good.  

2 comments:

  1. So happy to know someone else suffers this sweat/ getting pants off thing. I am almost tempted to work outside and go for my walks in a skirt! Of course then I have to deal with the thigh rubbing together thing, haha!
    I also love it when you take and take and take and them look up to see a pretty yard, so rewarding.

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  2. LOL! A skirt! I would need thigh guards :) I remember corduroy pants from high school........ Running down the hall was awesome! Seeing accomplishments at the end of the day just makes me happy. Not a stack of papers or phone calls, tangible accomplishments. I think some of us are just wired that way ;)

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