digging

This last week found me in an ongoing outdoor project of at least three facets. One part was to dig up all the remaining shrubbery and then replace it with a different type over the winter. Part two was a continuing effort of taking out the dirt bank along one part of the northern border of our property. The reason for this is that it is too steep to mow – I’m removing dirt and then making a more gentle slope to make cutting the grass easier. I say continuing effort because I have been at it a year or so.

Interwoven with these two is the fact that I am taking the dirt from the bank and placing it next to the house where I have taken out the shrubbery to gently slope this area and keep rainwater from pooling next to the foundation of the house. This is just in case we ever get any more rain. It has been so long since we’ve had a serious rain that any mention of it by the weatherman seems to be a toying with our emotions. Though we did get a light rain overnight, it was hardly enough to wet the ground.

The problem of this whole project is that my outside work had been curtailed for so long and I attacked it with such pent up energy and ferocity that it drove me into the dirt – a little pun there. I wasn’t good for much at the end of the first day. But even in my near collapsed and energy depleted condition, I did get my necessary rehab walk completed – a little slower than usual. The next day I started later, worked at a saner pace and took more breaks.

The afternoon of this second day found me shoveling dirt into my large two-wheeled cart when YD drove up with the gruntmonkeys. Of course they wanted to help and I managed to get them enough shovels to do this. GM3 had a long-handled one and promptly bonked me on the head with the end to which he wasn’t paying any attention. The thought crossed my mind that they were going to get dirty but the very next thought told me that this is what they were supposed to do.

When I took a load of dirt over to dump it, GM6 followed me over and I rode him back in the cart, he was big stuff. Next load they all followed me over and the whole crew rode back – as they did the next also. I had pulled the cart, so I automatically became the horse and they were the cowboys shooting at the bad guys. After the last load, I rode them all the way around the house and they pretty much ridded the whole place of all bad guys. They seemed to enjoy this for some reason. Too soon they were gone but I think they might remember this and it will probably have to be repeated.

This brings us back to the drought and the condition of the pond – I have described it as mud flats and while it may not be quite that bad, it does remind me of a very large mud puddle. Though I am a bit surprised, we have not had a fish kill as yet – there must be some deeper areas where they are staying – hunkering down until it rains.

I mentioned some several missives back that we had acquired another acre added onto the back of our property and this includes the west bank of the pond and a short ways out into the water. The property stakes are still in place and when one sights down them, there is only one small puddle of water left on our property. If I had some means other than by hand, I would dig out to make the pond deeper on our side – just in case it rains again. Rain or no, God is still good, all the time. ec