Domino

Have you ever started off your day with the intention of going in one direction and ending up in a completely different spot?  That was my day yesterday.  One thing led to another until I ended up doing stuff I didn't really plan on.

It all started innocently enough.  I went out to the garden.  Picked some lettuce and a handful of strawberries. 

8am and the sun already felt hot on my skin.

Hm.

"Maybe I'll save the garden work for Monday when it's cooler."  I thought to myself. 

I went in and considered what needed doing.  I even made a list.  I thought about hosing the last of the pollen off the back porch but SM was still snoozing and I didn't want to wake him up.

The front yard beds needed weeding.  OK.  That shouldn't take too long.

So I grabbed my kneeler, claw tool thingy and a trash can and set to work.  The front yard is always cooler with the mature trees.  While I was working, I noticed that the layer of mulch was thin to non exsistent.

Hence the weeds.

Hm.

Maybe I should get a load of mulch this morning.  They're open till noon, so I kept weeding.  SM eventually came out, coffee in a "to go" cup.  He had an out of town appointment to keep and he'd be gone all day.  Quick kiss, "see ya later" and he's gone.

I keep weeding.  All the neighbors are out by now.  Lawn mowers going.  Our new neighbors are pulling and chopping down all the overgrown shrubs and bushes in their front yard.  Trimming the trees.  It's looking nice!  

Deb comes over and we chat for a bit.  "What time is it?"  I ask her.  9:30

After she's left and I'm back to weeding around one of MY overgrown bushes, I lean back on my heels and consider the shrubs.

They came with the house.  25 years old and I've always hated them.  SM and I have discussed ripping them out but felt that other projects had a higher priority. 

I knew that at the very least they needed a Spring haircut.

Hm.

I tossed that thought to the back of my mind though as I wanted to get a load of mulch before the place closed.  I warmed up our old green truck and took off.

When I get to the mulch place I ask for 2 yards of mini pine bark chips.  The fellow who runs the place says "I've got to unload some of my inventory.  If you buy 2 yards, you'll get 1 yard free." 

My ears perked up at that!

By this time it's about 10am and they close at noon.  "I can't take 3 yards all in one trip.  How about I take 1 yard now and come back for the other 2 after I've unloaded?"

It's a deal.  Whoo Hoo!

So I buzzed home and unloaded some of the mulch around the mailbox area and then backed the pickup over to the house and dumped the rest in a pile away from the shrubs.  I figured I'd spread the fresh mulch after I'd given everybody a haircut.

Back to the mulch place for the other 2 yards and home again.  I go get the electric hedge trimmers and get it oiled up.  As I started to trim the bush back I noticed that the leaves were really only on the surface.  If I wanted to trim these puppies back a foot or so, I'd be down to bare branches.

Hm.

OK then.  I've hated you from day one.  You're going down suckers!

And that's what I did.  I took those shrubs down to the bone.  

If we leave them like this, they'll grow new leaves and bounce back eventually.  But I'm thinking of asking SM to take them all the way down to the ground.  Chop them off at the base. They'll still come back, but much smaller. 

I can deal with that.

Tomorrow?  Finish the job.

I got you in my sights you little bastards!

Whaa Haa Ha!