now I'm ready for a nap

I finally got out in the yard Friday to do some maintenance which is constant around here. I have been needing to clear the spray nozzles from the septic system of grass and weeds. They sit inside a concrete donut and one of the spray heads needed to be replaced which was done last week. So I got my trowel and nippers and a bucket and a shovel for something else and headed over to the shop yard. Audra was over there with the great grands while she detailed a car and when Paisleigh saw me she came running with open arms…Gramma! She helped me pull grass and dig with the trowel. 

When that task was done we pulled all the roots and weeds from a pile of dirt from when Mikey dug a little trench in front of one of the bay doors to help with drainage so rain wouldn’t seep under and into the shop. Then we transferred the dirt to the bucket, me using the big shovel, Paisleigh using the trowel, and used it to fill one of the holes in the flower bed around the fringe flower tree that I had weeded and bordered with bricks previously ay my house. After that it was time to come in and cool off and then a run to the Evil Empire.

I have another couple of chores to do over at Pam’s house this weekend. The tallow tree that grows on the fence line needs to be pruned back because the branches have completely swallowed the weatherhead on the power pole that brings electricity to the house and Virginia creeper has grown up under the house and is coming out at the top from under the siding. 

I’ve already been out this morning at my house cutting down all the water sprouts from the four crepe myrtles in the front yard.

Last night after getting hot and sweaty during the day I wanted something easy and light for dinner. I paged through my binder of accumulated recipes twice and the penne pasta with grape tomatoes, olives, and spinach was the only thing that appealed to me. No after picture but here’s all the ingredients waiting to be combined in the skillet. L to R front row: pasta water (only used about 1/2 cup), red pepper flakes, garlic thinly sliced, coarsely chopped kalamata olives, fresh basil leaves; middle row: vegetable broth (also only used 1/4 cup), black pepper, salt, grape tomatoes halved, parmesan; back row: olive oil, penne pasta cooked al dente, baby spinach.

I sat down after lunch on Friday and made another stab at the other violet drawing and I’m much happier with it now. I didn’t erase the whole thing just most of it to get it back to where it started from and then went from there. It’s better. I’m happy enough with it.

Later…I am too damn old to be crawling under that house on my elbows and knees. But first I pruned the white orchid tree, a volunteer from mine. I gave it to my sister who planted it in the ground next to the house and while it freezes down to the ground every winter it comes back bigger and bushier than the year before. It’s more like a shrub than a tree so about twice a year I have to prune it so the branches aren’t rubbing up against the house. Then I cut back all the Virginia creeper that was growing among the bulbs she planted along the front of the house. And then I raised two of the skirt panels on the end of the house so I could get under there and cut away all the Virginia creeper growing under there and up under the siding. I had to crawl under the struts and beams more than halfway down to get it all.

After that I got the 12' ladder and cut as much of the tallow branches as I could reach around and over the weatherhead. It's clear for now but I need to see if one of my neighbors has one of those pole chainsaws to get the branches hanging higher above it. All that debris can just stay because after an hour and a half my hair, sweat rag tied around my forehead, clothes, panties, all soaked, not to mention dirt encrusted knees and elbows. I'll drive the truck over tomorrow and haul it all to the burn pile.