Yesterday was sunny, affording the only opportunity to attend to the grounds. The forecast had rain coming in the night and lasting until Friday. That will eliminate the Thursday and Friday morning mowing in preparation for the big weekend. I started early and set out to mow the sites that are not easy to get to on the big mower. I also mower closer to the ground. I got 5 sites done and 5 more prepped for HeWho mows while riding.
I chose to stay home and trust HeWho hurt his knee to go to the clinic alone. In his absence I moved the newly painted picnic tables to the finished sites. This can easily be accomplished with a hand truck. Just lift from one end and tip the tabletop toward the hand truck and roll away. This is my way. HeWho much prefers starting the tractor and maneuvering the bucket attachment under the table top and lift it precariously in the air. This always results in having to retouch the paint job and sometimes a rebuild if he tries to race to the site and drops it. I prefer my way, it is actually quicker and results in no damages. Quiet, as well.
I cursed the man under my breath as I re-situated the big bolt ends that define the playground. Instead of using the weed whacker he pushed all of them forward with his mower into the pea gravel to facilitate mowing the grass along the edge. He will employ this method for moving picnic tables, as well. This will also result in damages.
To say I was tired when he returned goes without saying. I decided to make the store stock run while the skies were clear. I don't relish the thought of tackling that in the rain. I don't care for driving in storms, either. I got to sit down while driving, too.
I returned and stocked the store and checked expiration dates.
It was still light outside. I was torn between picking the ripe strawberries or mowing the dog park. I mowed the dog park. I was stumbling tired when I finally came in as dusk was falling. I had forgotten to eat lunch and the breakfast toast energy had been gone. I pulled out leftovers and put them on to heat up and toyed with thoughts of picking those berries, but took out the trash instead.
Sleep was hard to come by, as I was aching all over. HeWho slept in oblivion with his new pain meds. Toni Louise was particularly restless, she kept looking at the window and growling deep in her throat. I shushed her sternly and continued seeing dandelions behind my eyelids.
Today dawned sunny and bright and I dutifully tackled the kitchen mess from our late supper before grabbing a bowl and heading out to the strawberry patch. Yesterday lots of red berries peeked at me between the leaves. At a glance you could see that the plants were full. But, today, nothing! Somebody deftly picked my berries! Not a critter, they would have left a mess. This was done by human hands. I was profoundly annoyed. Not even green berries were left to ripen.
But, I had no time to launch an investigation! This is the week before the season opening big holiday weekend and I have stuff to do! I staked up some baby trees and helped HeWho hauls away aluminum cans bag them up and tie them to the trailer. I tended to my hanging baskets and then decided to mow the side yard, as the skies were starting to look bruised.
My bedroom window looks out on the side yard. The vegetable garden extends back from the side yard. The peach tree lends shade to my window and the strawberries grow along the fence. As I mowed, I noticed quite a few green peaches on the ground. It was not windy at all yesterday and I had actually gazed up into my tree, noting that I did not have many peaches. Now I have none .....
Maybe I should not be in such a hurry to shush my dog! The dusk to dawn light gives such brilliance to that area it causes me to make use of room darkening shades. The rain began to fall as I finished the last bit of grass. And now I sit, still wet from the rain and ponder the lost berries.
My peonies, choking in weeds.
My peonies, after weeding.
5 comments:
It's so senseless.
Garden thieves! Toni Louise probably could hear them sneaking around out there.
having stolen a strawberry or two from my neighbor's yard as a kid I can't say much. I never took them all though.
I'd like to think it was a ground hog; they've swiped things from our garden on a regular basis, but when you said peaches, well it's obvious some jerk was out there and your pup was on alert. People!
They used to pick our blackberries! Came right onto our property, carrying their picking buckets, bold as you please, in broad daylight! When questioned as to why they thought they could just come on our land and pick our berries, standing in the field mowed by Hick, not even getting scratched by the brambles...they replied, "We've always picked here."
Seriously? Like they couldn't tell there was now a barn in that field, and a tractor, and cars, and a house? That field didn't mow itself!
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