Daffodils and Toenails

Blue skies today. The trees are budding and spring has sprung.

 I spent the morning cleaning up this garden bed and discovering all the green shoots waiting to see the sun. There was 4 wheel barrows full of leaves and such. Things like paper towels and cigarette packs and candy wrappers and receipts. I burned it all. Trudging back and forth with all my loads of trash to the burn pile.

 There was a breeze that made the daffodils bob to and fro. Like they were laughing at me as I labored with my rake.

Lilies popping up everywhere, waiting for me to remove the dead leaves ......

The mums are waiting for me to cut away the dead stems.

The rosemary made it through the winter and is not in need of grooming. Nice surprise.

I was careful to make my burn pile down wind of my clothesline where three loads of laundry dried in Mother Nature's clothes dryer.

 Funny story about the clothesline. It was sagging. I pointed this out to he who was playing with a dog as I was busy pinning pillow cases to the line. Always eager to rescue a damsel in distress, he quickly wedged the pole with a 2 X 4. I opined that the position of his solution to the problem was likely to trip me. His answer to that was for me to look where I was going.

Recent rains have left the back yard nice and soggy. I managed to hang out all the laundry while stepping lightly to prevent slipping down in the slick grass and mud. While laundry dries on a line, one really doesn't think about it. I went on with the chores I had set forth for my day. Clean sheets were applied to the bed and another two pieces of baseboard went into the bathroom. This is going slowly, as I am doing it ....... my way. Don't ask.

After the raking and pulling and burning, I sat a spell to cool down and listen to my blood pressure pounding in my ears, due, no doubt, to the decongestant I was forced to take to relieve the sinus pressure that made me want to apply pliers to my tooth. He who was playing in the cherry picker and clipping loose limbs came in and asked about the location of the garden rake. My garden rake. So, of course he had to tell me what he was up to before I would disclose the location. The conversation went something like this: Do you know where the garden rake is? Yes, I know precisely where it is.  (long, long pause) He stared at me. I take it you would like to use it?

He indicated that he was going to get all the leaves out of the pool. Thus making me feel guilty for sitting down. So I went to let a dog in and decided to go give him a hand. But remembering the laundry on the line, I decided to take it in before going to help. I didn't grab the laundry basket, just thought I could hold it, since it was mostly sheets, towels and his work clothes.

So, there I was with my one arm full of laundry tucked into my neck. I could not see my feet ....... and I tripped on the very 2 X 4 I had predicted I would. I tried to catch myself, but the slick grass and mud had me going down as I grabbed one of the lines. I was holding the laundry in the air like a mother would hold a baby to save it from the fall.

I am happy to report that nary a bit of laundry was soiled in my escapade. I did have white shorts on. I paid $3 for them on the clearance rack at WalMart. I think the side I landed on will never be white again. And the line I grabbed on my way down? If I thought the lines were sagging before .....

On my way out the door to help rake the pool Toni Louise escaped. This resulted in a 3 lap race around the kampground in the golf cart chasing a dog drunk with freedom. It was a bumpy ride for a sore old lady.

The weather is too nice to waste and I got one vegetable bed ready to plant. I hurt all over. Even my toenails hurt.