Weekend Work

I did major leaf shredding on Saturday. With 3 huge sycamores in the
front yard we were literally wading through leaves, I had no choice. And
the lawn was a bit overgrown too so I got out the lawnmower, raked
leaves onto the lawn and started in. I filled up our 1 1/2 yard dumpster
and the "green" trash can (for yard waste only); it looks a little
better I guess but I probably could have done that 3 times over and the
trees have not even come close to losing all their leaves. But the lawn
is mown and this time of year I won't have to mow again for a month.
After the bins got full I debated about doing more, and piling the
leaves as mulch somewhere, but the wind was really kicking up and
swirling leaves onto places I'd already raked, which was a little
discouraging. And the dust! I grabbed my dust mask after just a couple
minutes but I couldn't do anything to keep the stuff out of my eyes.
I got a little carried away and ran the mower right through the mounds
of vinca under two of the sycamores. I used to have a nice combination
of plants in there until I foolishly planted the vinca; I liked it well
enough for several years and it didn't seem hard to keep under control
but then POOF the stuff took over. Now what we have - had, actually -
was the shady areas covered by a two-foot high mound of the stuff
interspersed with the occasional clump of grass and liriope spicata,
another ill-advised decision. So I decimated quite a lot of it, it's
bare dirt with stems coming up now, not real attractive but hey it's
winter. If I'm energetic, and I work at it, I could dig up a lot of the
root system and put other plants like geraniums back in there but even
if I'm not at least it will take a while to become a monster again. It
doesn't like to spread past the shade. So far.
It's that type of work I'd like to have someone else to do - just point
and say, dig that up would you? But oh well.
We actually got some rain this weekend, I didn't think the forecast gave
it enough chance but there it was on Saturday night. Probably not even
half an inch but it was enough to wash all the dirt off the plants and
settle the dust on the roads.  Wish I'd had that Saturday morning - but
then it would have been too wet to mow.  And Sunday was way too windy to
do much of anything outside.
I found ants on the lemon tree in the greenhouse, not so good, I had to
get out the ant poison. I didn't get into the greenhouse all last week
so I got my paintbrush and went after the blossoms again. I'd really
like some lemons off that little tree.
Husband is welding up a gate between the sheep pens. We should be able
to move everyone around with a lot less trouble this year. First chance
for lambs is late January, but that's probably optimistic - I don't
think our first ram had a chance to do much before his unfortunate
demise. Maybe late Feb or March.

Cyndi

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