Monday Moanin'

Well, it was supposed to be hot and thunderstorm today. We did get a brief shower or two during the work day, but the predicted thunderstorms never showed.

So, against my back's better judgment, I stopped at Home Depot and bought 6 more bags of mulch and more grass seed. Got home and didn't even change clothes, but went out straight to work. I cleaned up the garden under the front maple, and the bush in front of it, and then dragged out the weedwacker to clean up the overgrown grass. Then I applied fresh mulch (took before and after photos and posted them).

While walking back and forth I noticed I have a LOT of big stones from the driveway in my grass. Why? Well, the only thing I could think of was during the winter when a young neighbor boy offered to shovel my driveway for $15 after the only significant snowfall we had. Long time readers may remember that I gave him $20 on the condition he do a good job. He did! But, I think, in his enthusiasm, he threw not only snow but gravel onto the lawn. Not good for my lawn service, whenever they show up. He's a neighbor, and I don't want him to screw up his machines because of my lawn and the rocks!

What to do? My back's already hurting from this weekend and now today's yard work. I glanced across the street and had my answer. There are two little girls (six and eight year's old) who live in the townhouses over there. They are always playing outside and when I was laid up with my knee operation, I used to play kick-ball back and forth across the street with them (they thought it was cool and I needed the exercise). So, I went over to their mother and offered to hire them for two dollars apiece if they would come over, pick up the rocks and throw them back in the driveway. She said she would supervise and the deal was done.

I gave her the money up front, because I was going in the back yard to work. I peeked out every now and then, and it seemed like the mother was doing most of the work, but when they left, all the rocks were back where they belonged and, for just four dollars, I was a very happy man!

I got the little garden on Jake's patio mulched and the one herb garden by the chiminea. I noticed the French Tarragon survived the winter and is coming up again, but the Rosemary did not. I had one bag of mulch left, but my back was screaming, so I quit.

Dinner was just leftovers and TV was taped, so I went to bed early.