During the spring of the year is the time I realize I am totally out of shape. After spending the dark months cocooned in relative warmth and comfort, the spring is bringing rebirth.
The problem comes when I decide I can't wait another minute to begin working in the yard - too much to do, not enough time. I am still working on a huge pile of shredded bark in my front yard, moving it from the pile to different areas of my gardens. This pile is now just over a year old because I in no way, shape or form was able to move as much as I wanted to last year.
Why, you may ask? Well - and that's a deep hole in the ground - my plans seem to be bigger than my muscle power. I work mornings and then write all afternoon, so I don't have much spare time, especially during fall and winter when it's dark before 6 o'clock and too cold to work outside. But spring brings us daylight savings time and warmth, so by 5 each afternoon, I'm ready to hit the yard - or rather, the mulch pile.
Ah, but here comes the problems again - after shoveling up and moving 2 wheel barrels full of mulch, my out-of-shape body is screaming, "Please, for God's sake, no more!" I have to stop and rest for at least 15-20 minutes before making another attempt. Attempt number 2 amounts to 2 more wheel barrels of mulch, but the recovery time is twice as long. After 30-45 minutes of rest time, I have to get up and start supper and while supper is cooking, I may get 1 or 2 more wheel barrels moved before calling it a day.
Five wheel barrels a day, 6 if I'm lucky - at the rate I'm going, I may be finished in a year or two. Ah, but here comes another problem - no matter how many wheel barrels I've already moved this spring - and at last count it was 21 and yes, I'm keeping count because I'm anal like that - I am slow to see progress in the gardens, not to mention the size of the mulch pile.
Oh, and did I mention I still have tree limbs to move from the ice storm a few months ago? And dead growth to cut out and remove from the flower beds? And a garden to till up? And, please God, let me make it to April before I have to mow the yard for the first time. And the house needs repairs ...
Too Old to Pull the Plow, Too Young to Die
The Booboo Leg
21 hours ago
1 comment:
I am looking forward to getting out in my yard this next weekend hopefully. I need to get some stuff planted.
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