hermits of the world escape
so portlanders are a little like the mole people of NYC - venturing out into the daylight when the weather begins to warm up. all kinds of freaky people come out of the woodwork. hermity folks (including myself) come slithering out of the comforts of their homes - mowing lawns, pulling the weeds that threaten to take over a yard in less than 8 hours, and planting all kinds of goodies. i am envious of the people with so many variations of plants that are planted in a way that is organized, yet au naturel as we tackle our yard. they make it look so easy. i want a yard overgrown in a (meticulously clean way) milieu of blooming flowers, green, and shades of red. we have a vegetable garden still in its toddler stage but i want more! i do have to say getting my hands in the dirt and plating things has felt great. even the menial task of mowing the lawn has been comforting. oliver (my dog) has also taken to pulling out what he supposes are the weeds (it's the longer bits of grass) in his enthusiasm to join-in on the weeding fun. he has even uprooted an old dead sage bush and proudly dropped it at my feet. a girl couldn't ask for a better dog. anyway, gardening and hermits. maybe that is the reason for all these yards overflowing with flora - you don't need sprinkler systems here in the rainy northwest and it just feels good to be outside on those sunny days. even the overcast ones are fine with me - no squinting in the sun = less wrinkles. less wrinkles around my eyes are always a good thing. if these crow's feet get any deeper i'll have to invest in a scarecrow for my face.