I started a fight with about a thousand wild roses and a few hundred honeysuckle vines and just a dozen or so large grape vines that were trying to bring down my tulip, dogwood and oak trees. In spite of the picture above, I have won the first battle. Yes, I know, there are many more to come. I will know in a day or two if the poison ivy got in a few swipes. Only one little tick and a beautiful lizard after all that tromping through the woods. We were wary of copperheads, but didn't disturb any from wherever they were hiding. Gee, I make my yard sound like a dangerous jungle!We also moved the pile of rocks and pile of bricks that the builders had left behind to a less obvious place. That move disturbed a few dozen beetles.
Above is the first bloom on the lovely clematis that I planted near the front door. It is so fulfilling to start to see the plants come out of dormancy and open their blossoms. My weekends are so full trying to get the yard in order that I have little time to think of problems at work or otherwise. I guess this is a good thing. It is kind of a scary thing also, because I am afraid that when I retire the sudden lull will be like hitting a brick wall. I better have something lined up. Any ideas?
Tabor I love your clematis. Mine has yet to begin greening up this year (let alone blooming), and I am somewhat envious.
ReplyDeleteYour scratches look very much like the results of my recent afternoon tussle with the blackberry bushes along the trail in Lanark.
Actually, retirement is something of a blast, and I can't figure out how I ever found the time to work for all those years. There is so much to do now, writing, photography, quilt making, odd bits of research, reading, gardening, forestry and entomology (blackberry bushes are not among the pleasures though).
That's a really pretty color of clematis! In my woods, I am more afraid of the poison ivy than I am the snakes. Since Hurricane season 2 yrs. ago, the poison ivy has spread into parts of the yard that never had it before!
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure where you live, but your yard sounds like my old yard, and that cam indeed feel like a jungle when you're trying to clear it!
ReplyDeleteThanks for dropping by my blog, and I promise to read your most recent post after work, but I managed to oversleep today. Ah, the sign of an addict...I can't go to work without checking the email and the blogs :)
LOL You are too funny!
ReplyDelete