June 7, 2014

A Saturday Filled With Yard Work

June 7, 2014

True to my Saturday morning pattern, I was up early and got a few things done before the housekeeper came.  Once she arrived I went to work in the yard and spent the next 2 1/2 hours working hard.  I mowed the back yard, did a lot of weeding, watered plants and filled birdbaths and ponds, filled the bird feeders, and moved some of the pot plants around where they may do better. 

This is looking out the side window in my sewing room,

 facing the house next door.

During that time I also got all the laundry done.  I was hot and tired by the time I came in, but the back yard is looking nice.  While I worked in the yard, I took off my Cochlear sound processor.  I was hot and sweaty.  They tell me it is OK to wear it under those conditions, but it was nice to totally cut out the noise of the lawn mower by not wearing it.  There was very little breeze today and I did get very warm working in the yard. 

Once I quit in the yard, I came in for a cold shower and read for a while as I continued to relax and cool off.  I did some work on the computer and then hemmed a receiving blanket.  At one point, I looked out to see a green jay in the birdbath.  He quickly headed for the tree while I got my camera and then he returned to the birdbath and took his bath BEHIND the elephant so that I couldn't get a photo!  Not fair!

Green Jay wet from taking a bath in the birdbath.   

While I had been in the yard earlier, the white chicken from next door kept getting in my way.  I tried to chase her back to her  home, but I think she likes our yard better.  She is pleased that I have a fountain at her height for frequent drinks. 

Chicken from next door.

When Ron got home, we talked for a while and then he went by his mom's house and then picked up milk and bread for us on his way back home.  While he was gone the bird activity in the yard picked up so I set up with my camera hoping for some birdbath visitors. 

This Lesser Goldfinch stopped by to get a drink, but not a bath.

We had lunch when Ron got back.  I worked on a baby quilt that has been in progress off and on for several month.  Ron napped for a while before going out to work in the yard later in the afternoon.  I joined him eventually.  In the storm about 10 days ago, a huge branch had broken in the top of one of the mimosa trees and was hung up.  Ron worked on getting that down after he trimmed the ebony tree in the front yard.

This is when I went out to "help".

Following the storm, this limb was horizontal about 15 feet up in the tree.  When I went out to "help", Ron had it handing down, but still had a lot of work to get it to the ground.  We worked for about 2 hours on that tree.  He would cut and I would haul the branches part of the way and then he would get them up on the brush pile.

It took a lot of work.

I told Ron I had to stand "up wind" of him, because when I was "down wind" sawdust kept blowing in my eyes.  The spot on the tip of his nose is where one of the branches hit him.  I don't know the story behind the scratch on the forehead.  Sometimes, I don't ask.  I think the only type of yard work Ron enjoys is cutting trees down.

Here is the main branch he got down, but you can see another limb still hanging from the tree on the right side of the photo.  Next he took out two more sections from the tree.  It was in a position where it could hit the neighbor's house in a storm. 

I wasn't the only one who came to watch.

I did more weeding while he worked and continued to haul limbs and palm fronds that I had cut this morning.  We were both tired by the time we finished putting away the tools and extensions cords, etc.  I fixed supper and baked a banana cake.  It turned out beautifully.  Yummy.