Itch

The Gardens

Ninebark indeed.

If you are anything like me then you are enjoying putting a few plants in the ground this time of year. Every year I garden and so do most people I know and care about and trust. We grow food. You probably grow some, too. The Peace Corps taught me that the best thing we can do to help heal the planet while enhancing our own wellness is to grow food. So, I grow food. And flowers. And art.

We repainted some yard chairs.

Coreopsis in bloom

Me neighbor Susan and I have matching poison ivies.

This old house painting is complete!

My new garden this year is now about full. Unemployment was a gift given to me two months ago. I use the time to work on our house(s), garden and travel a little bit. I am trying to find another job. I wish not to be a burden on society. Neighbors Don and Mary asked me to garden in their backyard this year. They have a deer and rabbit-proof fence, close water source and good soil. We don't share the exact same garden philosophy but there is enough in common that we are having fun with our installation of tomatoes, cucumber, canteloupe, greens, basil, cilantro, summer squash and lima beans.

More rain would be a welcome thing about now. I have a fancy rain gauge given to me by some nice people at MU. I check every day and report the rainfall or lack of rainfall. As I noted, not much lately to report, but they remind me that zero is a valid measurement. The rainguage people to whom we report track droughts, too, says neighbor Kate. Kate turned me on to formal weatherwatching.



Hobbled

During this period of unemployment and post-marathon training I have put a lot into getting the annual annual element of my gardens established. Maybe I put too much into the effort as this past Friday I re-agitated a lingering muscle strain in my lower back. I ended up on the ground in the garden boosting myself up. Very. Very. Slowly. Today I am resting or trying to rest. I don't rest well especially when there are house projects to do and friends to go visit. I ate aspirin and laid on the floor this afternoon re-watching 'Mememto'. Injury remind me that there are limits to what the body can do and more so with time.



Crystal ball: Summer

Lisa and I want to get jobs, take some trips, enjoy ourselves and see friends. I am now hosting the weekly African music program on KOPN. We aspire to stay cool in our house with no air-conditioning. This may be the summer we discuss most seriously getting a machine to cool the house. Or Lisa may just go any buy one/get one installed. Who knows? Maybe I shouldn't even mention it here lest I give the wife any ideas. Maybe it will be a mild summer and she'll forget. Maybe just maybe but she is pretty smart and remembers things for a very. very. long. time.