A Time to Weed

Today is the last day of July. I know I shouldn’t but I feel Summer is basically over. In fact starting this week I am starting my “Summer vacation” which is essentially taking four days in August: every Friday I like this because for just the cost of 32 hours I get what to me feels like a month long vacation. Working 4 “eights” is nothing. I can do that on my head.

I actually spent some time in my garden yesterday. It was hot but there were clouds and I had my hat on so I did not get too over heated. I chopped weeds—much more entertaining then I thought the job was going to be. I even stopped half way through the project when I realized the hoes I were using were too dull to achieve any efficacy. I actually stopped my work and powered into my garage where I was totally surprised that I could reach my grinder and it was plugged in and everything. I put a sharp edge on two of the hoes and went back to the “chopping fields” and I was surprised the difference made. The only problem is that I made so much cultivated dirt it was difficult to ascertained the dead weeds from the live ones. Those weeds cunning enough to feign death and get themselves buried under the loose dirt should be visible after twenty-four hours. I am going to visit the site, maybe tonight and do the exercise again and I’ll do it again till I am sure weeds are gone. Cutting these weeds and clearing the area is going to render a lot of open space and I need to find something to plant in this area or the weeds will just back you know “Nature abhors a vacuum” and everything. I know the first of August is super late in the year to be planting anything but maybe I’ll stop by some of the nurseries in the area and see if they have any interesting left over from the spring. I would be interested in maybe some egg plants, squashes or some other deciduous plants; even if the plants would no fruit in the relative short time growth time left in this season it would be fun to watch the plants grow. The ground cover would be nice too.

Mark and Jazzy came over to visit last night after I had attacked the weed patch. I had missed seeing Mark the past couple of weeks and was good to catch up with him and Jasmine. It’s unbelievable to see the little girl grow. Her speech is un cannily well developed and her manner were impeccable. The two ended up staying for dinner. We fired up the pit and had steak and hot dogs. Jaz is a girl after my own heart and really got into her hotdog. Mark continues to come over on his day off and mow the yard and work on the back yard. Mark has done wonders this summer and his efforts have made all the difference in the world.