My dahlias are gone. The freezing nights have taken them away. The cosmos have also succumbed ....... it is almost November. Today the sun was shining and it was a balmy 68. So I started cleaning up my garden beds and getting them ready for a long winter's nap.
I have cosmos everywhere. I don't actually plant them as much as I toss a handful of seed in various places in my gardens where I want some late summer blooms. This results in massive seedlings in one spot. I used to thin them, but I now just let them grow, created a hedge of blooms. The stems can be as big as corn stalks. When they turn brown, they are not attractive and don't just wilt down to the ground. If I leave them, I have to yank them up and clean the beds come Spring.
So, Sunday afternoon I decide to tackle them. Some of them pulled up easily and some I have to use the limb trimmers. I ended up with a huge pile as tall as me. I tried loading them on the back of the golf cart and the wind kept taking them down. The tiny, pointy seeds were in my hair, my socks, inside my shirt ........ everywhere. I was happy when the sun started to sink and the temperature began to fall. I earned every drop of the hot shower!
Today I knew I had to tackle that pile of dead cosmos. First I mowed the back yard and pondered the sticky problem. My wheelbarrow is in use at the dog park and my golf cart trailer was full of firewood, destined for the woodpile in my backyard for winter use. Are you wondering why I didn't simply take it into the back yard and stack it? Because the old cast iron wood stove is in the way and try, though I might, I can't move it. I know I could have emptied the trailer and reloaded it later, but I am loathe to handle the wood more than I have to.
The wind was light today, so I took my long handles weeding tool that doubles as an apple picker for those apples above my arm's reach, and grabbed a big bundle of weeds and pulled it beside me as I drove the golf cart. It was light enough that my shoulder did not pop out. I made several trips and burned debris all day long.
As I rounded the pile the last time to stick the tines into the tangled branches a new thought popped into my head .......... Golf Cart Polo! All that would be needed is some hockey sticks and a ball and a bunch of senior citizens on golf carts! Just remember, this was my idea! I thought of it first.
7 comments:
ha. we almost got kicked out of a country club once for playing a bit of golf cart polo...it def was fun though...need to do some cleaning out around our yard this weekend
Oh yes, I can see it now! You truly are a brilliant woman, not being snarky a bit. It must feel good to get out and get the gardens cleaned up. Mine will probably sit until Spring when it will sit for another season...just the way it is over here.
I think you've hit upon a new Olymic sport. Creative thinkining, indeed!
Too funny!
Earlier this summer a friend was having some knee problems. She needed to get her (rather large) lawn mowed and trimmed and came up with a unique solution. After she cut it with the riding mower, she grabbed the gas-powered trimmer and used the mower as her chariot to do the weed-eating.
Too funny. I read along thinking Damn, there goes the shoulder again. Golf cart polo needs patented.
Do you have any hedgeapple trees? If you do, you've got...uh...they could be used as balls!
I have lost all but the Camelias and they are full of bloom...spent the past couple of weeks planting the bulb beds and scattering spring seeds...now I wonder if the riding mower could become a polo event? What say you?
hugs
Sandi
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