Pretty Weeds

 For my first day of work off, I slept in.  Isn't that what one is 'supposed' to do on a day off?  I spent part of the morning either being mildly productive or avoiding being productive.  Another classic day off strategy.  After lunch I made my way out to the garden.  Here I was very productive doing things that I wanted to do, but that weren't the high parts of my priority list.  It was a good day.  Here are other happy things from today:

• I planted something.  There is a small section of the garden that I pulled roots from, strained dirt back into, and needed to finish putting dirt back into.  I found even more roots that I missed the first time through, but got the dirt back in.  I had a zinnia that looked close to gone that is now planted there.  Maybe tomorrow I will get some more into that area.  

Poor lonely zinnia.
I hope it makes it.

• Some of the tiger daylilies that are by the common milkweed have opened.

Tiger daylilies with common milkweed behind.

• Yesterday I weed whacked in the garden and today I pulled weeds.  A few weeks ago I had noticed that the woodchucks, or some other critter, had eaten the greens off the radish plants.  While pulling weeds I found that some of the radish bottoms were still okay and I pulled them to eat.  Yay! A small harvest.

Radishes.

Midway into weeding.
The garden needs more of my attention.

• There is a trip that I am planning with some friends at the end of August.  I sent out an email this morning in preparation.  This trip is to check the contents of our SCA trailer in Pennsylvania and I am more excited to go than I probably should be for this task.
• It was just Zed and I for dinner and Zed had errands.  He picked up dinner at Subway-I am very full and it is good.
• Here are some pictures that I took today of some plants on the property.

The butterfly weeds.

Butterfly weed up close.
No butterflies on it when I looked.

Common milkweed up close.
It is so pretty.
I can see the relationship between this and the butterfly weed.

Yarrow.

Black-eyed Susan.

Raspberry, it may be a black raspberry
not yet ripe.

☮

Currently reading: The Backyard Homestead Seasonal Planner, by Ann Larkin Hansen.

Thanks for reading, stay safe.

Part of the Balancing Act

 While working outside this morning I had a thought about what I might write, so I wrote down some key words, "The ability to sustain and create."  At whatever time in the morning this was, I knew exactly what I meant.  It was brilliant.  Okay, maybe not brilliant, but I had ideas.  The more I read over what I wrote, the more I think I was going to talk about balance.  

Today I delved into a project in the garden that was hard and took a lot of time.  It was part of the continuing fight I am having getting the fence set up the way I want it.  I kept digging too deep, literally, and this added more and more time onto the project.  The end result is that I didn't finish, I came close.  

I pulled roots and rocks out of the dirt.
I buried part of the netting to make it harder,
in that section, for critters to come in.

I started to feel overheated, even though the temperatures were much cooler today than they have been.  Shoveling dirt, sifting dirt, and pulling out rocks and roots will do that.  So I got to a stopping point and cleaned up.  This was creating.  On the way inside I noticed the roses.  It is hard not to, their smell wafts through the area when going to the door.  I got my heavy duty gloves on and pruning shears and deadheaded the rose bushes.  This was sustaining.  

That is the balancing act that I am working on with the gardens.  This balance will be skewed more when I start work on the 22nd of June.  I strive for more sustaining and less creating.  I want the fence and netting to just be done and the dirt prepared so I can plant all the things that are starting to get root bound.  Then I want to be able to concentrate more on sustaining.  I have known this, I just needed to put it better into words.  I am happy with today's progress.  Here are other happy things for today:

• For the second time this week I got out for a walk with a friend.  We have a mutual former coworker that is retiring and we were asked to make a little video for them.  My friend and I decided to do it together.  

Chipmunk that stopped to pose a moment for the camera.

Ducks we saw along our walk.

• A few weeks ago we started watching Doctor Who with Zed's mom.  Tonight she came up and we watched the second episode.  We are a bit behind, I am anyway, they are rewatching because they forgot.  I like the female Doctor.

☮

Currently reading: The Backyard Homestead Seasonal Planner, by Ann Larkin Hansen.

Thanks for reading, stay safe.