I got so much done this weekend! Woot, woot, woot! Of course, only about half of it was on The List, but it still counts. Because I added, then crossed off all the extraneous stuff. I do not consider it cheating, since you asked.
The weather was sort of crummy on Saturday, as the Big Rain forecast for our area dissolved into dribbles on and off all day. I did a drop-off run to the local food pantry (reducing the clutter in my laundry room significantly, as it's the only safe place to store food stuffs in a house that contains the Flying Sausage, aka Butters), picked up 100# of poultry feed from the local supplier, then headed home and hit the ground running. With help from my neighbor and his trusty chainsaw, all the sumac trees were taken down in the section of the chicken yard that was fenced off for grass rejuvenation. Then another hour was devoted to clearing the debris, followed by another hour of yoinking weeds, then another two and a half hours were spent with shovel, pickax, trowel and iron bar, trying - to no avail, alas - to dig out an oak tree seedling and move it to its new home. After following a large tap root (with no extraneous root system) for more than a foot and a half, the root zigged east and south and there was no way I could extract it. I was quite unhappy about it, as I love trees and had hoped to move it out of the flower bed close to the house to the new, grassy oasis in the back. At least I have a hole ready for a potential tree. I will have to start keeping my eyes open for a likely candidate.
By the time I threw in the trowel/shovel/pick/rod, I was mud from head to toe, as rain drizzled on me the entire time. The temperature on Saturday didn't rise above 60 degrees, so it was pure heaven to go inside and peel off the wet clothes, shower and put on nice, dry everything! The dogs spent a contented day, gnawing on their marrow bones and watching me labor in the rain from the dry coziness of their sofa.
There were many other small things ticked off the list - repair mirror chain, put a new layer of shavings in the duck hut and nesting boxes, switch poultry waterers (which I can now fill from my rain barrel!!!), weed the garlic, repair another window screen, etc., etc. I hit bed early and didn't move until 4A.
Sunday, I was out by 6:30, as there was more rain forecast for the day. I made four wheelbarrow runs, clearing out all the weeds I pulled from the grassy plain in back. I also noticed that the platform on which I had balanced my rain barrel had partially collapsed from the weight. You know those times when you do something sort of half-assed and you know it's half-assed and will probably end in a bad way, but you do it anyway because you're in a hurry/lazy? I did manage to prop up one end with part of a cement block and will have to wait until it's empty again (how ironic) to fix it. I am sure we will now be inundated with rain because I need it empty.
I then loaded my car with various flotsam and debris that I have been collecting and zipped off to the transfer station. Where they were having their coffee and couldn't help me unload. Harumph. I was then off to Marianne's for my farm stint. We weeded and fertilized everything in the greenhouse (she has fist-sized tomatoes!), admired her ducks and then headed in for an iced coffee and a nice chat. I really do love these 'work' days. I was back home in time for the rain, so focused on the inside of the house. I did get my mirror chain rehung - I love it so much, Joyce! - and then vacuumed, swept, cleaned bathrooms, and made a grass fed beef/Marianne's mushrooms ragout with GF mushroom noodles for dinner. Yummo! I did not bake one thing this weekend. I'm sure the barn guys are in shock (or mourning), but I took the day off. My latest favorite DVD series is New Tricks and two DVDs arrived in Saturday's post! Huzzah!
I awoke this morning feeling virtuous. I also awoke way too early because someone (SLIMMIE) managed to get my bedroom door open and I was wide awake at 2:30. I put in two hours on my sweaters (yes, I am knitting tandem sweaters because I am certifiable), then cleaned up the kitchen, washed eggs and made my lunch using the swag I picked up on Sunday:
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| Spinach, beet microgreens, my lettuce, cilantro microgreens, shaved sweet onion, Kalamata olives |
22 comments:
I remember New Tricks! Fun show, enjoy. We're also in drizzle mode lately, makes for some muddy eggs, but so much nicer than dry as dust.
You can't be gaining weight. Not with all the work you do. You simply have to be 'shifting' a bit. That happens ya' know. >,-))))
How can you gain weight (or whatever it was the mirror showed you) when you're always in perpetual motion? Nothing you put into your body ever has a chance to settle. (Actually this is a rhetorical question because I have exactly the same issue. I mean, good gawd, how many calories does a person have to burn to be thin and gaw-geous? Answer: A lot more than one puts into ones mouth when one sits down for a meal. Apparently.) Rats.
My, that was a wild thang bonus drive wasn't it! I feel lucky when I see one or two wild thangs. I have seen a bear, a cougar and a bobcat, but never on the same day. I feel blessed when do though. I have an owl and a nightjar that have taken up residence in my vicinity. I am thrilled. I'm doubly thrilled you got lots done. Wootx3 indeed! My weekend was full of "busy" work. Those things that need to be done but are more time sinks than hard labor. Organizing, dog beatings, goat wrangling, mouse relocation, mole relocation, canning, more canning. Isn't a relief when Monday rolls around? :-) Have a wonderful week! Give the Butter a pat and Lovey too. In fact, dole out some treats will ya!
Yes, it's one of those shows where the chemistry between the actors just gets better with each episode.
It's shifting, all right. But not to any of the 'right' places...
It ain't fair, I tell ya! Too bad that all that mental exercise I put myself through every waking hour doesn't burn calories.
I have done a little chipmunk relocation - it's furtive work around here, where they'd rather blast it with a shotgun. I will hand out an extra treat all around from their Auntie T.
I've seen way more bear butts than bear eyes!
Oaks are tough to transplant especially when they aren't dormant. When they are dormant, you can severe the tap root and it is still possible to get it to survive. It will grow slowly above ground for a year or two as most of its energy will be developing a new tap root. I've heard some oak trees can put a tap root down five feet in the first year alone!
With oak trees, many nurseries are switching to air pruning seedlings which makes planting them as older trees much much easier. But you can't really do that with an already planted tree with a tap root.
You are so constantly on the go, I can't see that you would gain any weight, no matter WHAT you eat. Surely you must burn it all off?
is it just me but are animals and insects taking over? there was a huge deer walking slowly down the next street today just looking for a small urban garden to devour. people, cars, ambulances and motorcycles don't even faze them. there was a bear sighting about 15 minutes away from me last week and i live in the middle of the goddamn city! is your mirror chain okay? stop looking in the mirror! after 60 we should trash all mirrors!
Surfacing from the bog here. What a wild weekend indeed. What you didn't want to meet Mama Bear? Wonder where all that wildlife was headed and why?
You most certainly keep busy and I have to agree with Mama Pea although I realize that there are those of us who can add padding while eating carrots. And those who lose that same padding while eating ice cream . Life is never fair.
While you were frolicking through Wild Kingdom I spent a large part of the weekend while doing chores and such watching Cal Fire tankers fly over my property to one of the larger of four local wildfires. It is just over the hill about 45 minutes by truck but faster then a speeding bullet if winds shifted.
Thankfully the men and women of Cal Fire were all other that and finally kept it to around 3000 acres and were in the process of beginning containment. Our firefighters are a bet hyper sensitive to this situation in the last few years and they were all over this one and others. Thank you all.
If you can spare it we could use some rain.
You always crack me up with your rendition of your days and life. Keep writing the way you do we all need a good laugh at your expense. Sweaters yeah a bit crazy in this heat I think but whatever :):) HUGS B
I still can't get over the fact that you get up at 4 AM every morning on purpose!
Ed, I will consult you before I plant any tree. You are a wealth of information!
You would think so, right? Well, no. I think most of my frantic activity is between my ears. I do a lot of heavy lifting (feed bags) but not enough cardio work. I need to rethink my work methods.
YES! We are overrun with ticks, mosquitoes, biting things, plant-eating things, rodents, you name it. A high wind last year caused my mirror chain to come down and, in the process - wouldn't you know - my darling hummer went beak-first into the deck. It snapped his/her little beak off. I had to track down another and reattach it (you tie very tight knots... :) Usually, I only see exactly what I need to see - like my left eye - while ignoring the elephant in the room, so to speak.
That is a scary situation - I have so much admiration for fire fighters in general and Cal Fire fighters in particular. Fighting wildfires must be equal parts terrifying, frustrating and exhausting. I would gladly send you any rain I could. Keeping you in my thoughts, safely away from harm.
Heat? Whazat? It was 41 degrees this morning (Tuesday)! I'm going to switch to knitting a blanket at this rate. Glad I can provide comic relief - it's certainly needed in these times. Hugs back at you! xo
I have given up trying to sleep past 4. I have been an ultra early riser since I can remember. Week days, weekends, holidays. I used to think of it as a curse, but now it's extra time. I only start to worry when I think I am getting up late if I'm not up and out of bed before 4.
Well that commute sounds pretty interesting. Sounds like you had a fantastic weekend. And you got some handiwork done too.
Congratulations on getting so much done!!! Your lunch looks so delicious :) And yeah...what a drive...I only had to stop (squeal the brakes) once for bears, but it was a mama and her cubs and my hand was shaking on the gear shift...ready to go into reverse!
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