Spring tilling, bluebirds
I went for a walk by the river with my friend Cindy. The park people have placed bluebird houses along the meadow-side paths, and yesterday we saw a mated bluebird pair sitting on top of one of the houses! Cindy says bluebirds begin their nesting very early here.
The temperature rose to sixty-something and will do so for the next week!
I borrowed a mantis tiller and (after getting a neighbor to start it for me), I wibble-wobbled my way through the winter-clogged garden, until I was so shaky from the tiller's vibration that I was glad when the blades got clogged and it stopped...I went off to my book club, thinking we could hack out the rest of the bed, and that Kate could do the rest, being more robust and enthusiastic.
It was dark when I got home, so until this morning I didn't see my garden work, but when Kate left for work I stood on the back porch to say goodbye and she took a first look at the garden.
"Gosh, Mom! It looks wonderful!" she said, and I stared at the tidy furrows and ridges.
"Um," I said.
She drove off to work, and I drank a cup of coffee and thought how pretty even a shaggy messy job can look in early dawn mist, but I then thought about the ridges--I had surely raked that corner, I thought; so I put on my shoes and walked outside.
My landlord, who had loaned us his tiller, had obviously come by while I was at my book club, and had tilled a beautiful garden for us! And here it is, ready for spring lettuce and radishes:
Furrows and ridges
Spring vegetable bed, plowed yesterday
The temperature rose to sixty-something and will do so for the next week!
I borrowed a mantis tiller and (after getting a neighbor to start it for me), I wibble-wobbled my way through the winter-clogged garden, until I was so shaky from the tiller's vibration that I was glad when the blades got clogged and it stopped...I went off to my book club, thinking we could hack out the rest of the bed, and that Kate could do the rest, being more robust and enthusiastic.
It was dark when I got home, so until this morning I didn't see my garden work, but when Kate left for work I stood on the back porch to say goodbye and she took a first look at the garden.
"Gosh, Mom! It looks wonderful!" she said, and I stared at the tidy furrows and ridges.
"Um," I said.
She drove off to work, and I drank a cup of coffee and thought how pretty even a shaggy messy job can look in early dawn mist, but I then thought about the ridges--I had surely raked that corner, I thought; so I put on my shoes and walked outside.
My landlord, who had loaned us his tiller, had obviously come by while I was at my book club, and had tilled a beautiful garden for us! And here it is, ready for spring lettuce and radishes:
Furrows and ridges
Spring vegetable bed, plowed yesterday