Moments

It's positively gorgeous today. It's about 70 degrees, big blue sky, and plenty of spring activity in the area. Twas a lovely day for getting out there and getting that pesky yard work done.

Totally could've used your help, Goat.

I went through and pulled some weeds from the herb garden. The Russian sage seems to have fought off the Monsanto incursion from last year. The asparagus has not. I'm still mad at the old neighbors for that killing.

Right, Woody? How dare they?

My husband removed a lilac bush that was mostly dead from the same spraying. Now we just need to get rid of those rhubarb plants. I am not a fan, but my husband likes it. We have friends who also like it and make pies etc. with it. Not my favorite. The stupid plant is already going to seed for the first time this season. Nuts!

I'm sure the rhubarb is laughing maniacally like this.

The raspberry patch is cleaned out. I started it, but my husband finished it. I'm glad they came back, but I really hope we get more berries. It was scarce last summer.

All the berries. I love all the berries.

But raspberry more than the others.

My husband had to finish the raspberry patch because I got to use the new mower. It's electric. It looks like a child's battery operated race car until it's unfolded. It's super quiet. I was surprised. I could talk to my husband while mowing and he could hear me. He's legally deaf, so this is a huge thing. Our backyard is enormous, but this new mower was not only quiet, it's easy to maneuver as well. I did some weed whacking first of course. While doing that, I noticed that our alley lilacs and the ones out front are getting ready to flower. I love lilacs in spring.

Spring is the best feeling after long, cold winters.

My husband tidied up some materials in the back yard; many needed to be tossed, but others just needed some organizing. This pleased me as we needed to be able to clear the weeds in that area and also I'll need somewhere to put the ladder this summer when I finish the painting on the east side of the house.

Or maybe this pig will paint the house for me...

Whaddaya say, Piggy?

The yard looks good. It's dry though. By now, we usually have had a lot of rain and the lawns are all vivid green. We've had very little rain. Consequently, the yard is still quite patchy and brown. It looks more like the start of July out there.

Well, it's not that bad, Dude...yet.

We'll be tilling next weekend to prepare for the planting of the garden.  I've got to make a list of veggies we shall plant. I do know I want more lavender for my herb garden. I can't get enough of the stuff in the herb garden. I might get some more catnip just to make those neighborhood cats happy. Ours, too.

Footage from the last time I planted catnip in the garden.

In the back of my mind though, I am worried that I've done too much. I did the UV protection to avoid problems with the lupus, but my muscles are really shaky. I couldn't lift anything for a while and they're still quaking. I wasn't out there that long, but it was enough I guess. It's always a precarious dance knowing that it's beautiful and you feel pretty good, so get the things done that need doing because you never know how you'll feel later. I had a migraine for the lest two days as well, so I was a bit fatigued anyway, but the things needed doing! Gah!

Gardening at night isn't such a bad idea if I didn't have to go to work the next day, Data.

It's never easy to figure out what you can do and what you shouldn't do. Do I feel good enough to get this much done on my list, or should I scale back? If I scale back, what will I be able to get done later?  I managed a small amount today, but how much of a toll will it take tomorrow and the day after that and the day after that? It's awful not knowing how much your body will go along with and how much punishment you will suffer for trying to live a normal life of things you enjoy.

That looks fun, Owl. That may be all I'm able to do tomorrow, so thanks for the idea.

For now, I will drink some more water. I will prep dinner with my husband. I will sleep well. Hopefully when I wake up tomorrow, I will be able to go about my usual routine without difficulty. Besides, I want to enjoy the lovely job we did in the yard. It really does look nice.

You should come check it out, Moose.

We don't have a pool for you, but I'm sure the neighbor wouldn't mind if you used theirs.