i got a lot of things done this weekend, but was frustrated by my back, which is once again out. i overdid on saturday, hauling mulch, putting down mulch, weeding, laying down weed cover, planting the gardens. i also helped my neighbor ron rehang the ramp leading to the shed. i made 2 trips to home desperado for mulch and rebar. by saturday night, i was sore. i tried to get up off of the couch, and out it went. that meant that the rest of my weekend was shot in terms of doing the things i had planned, such as putting in another couple of above ground flower beds. the mulch, rebar and wood is waiting for me, but i won't be doing it for awhile. very frustrating. this is the time of year, because of the low heat and humidity, for me to do my heavy labor. now i am down and can't do it. it makes me very, very pissy...
i am thankful, however, for good neighbors. ron seems to own every boy power tool known to man and apparently is a small engine man, having had his own go cart business in mechanicsville until the flood from gaston wiped him out. he tuned up my push mower and then he took his high powered gas weed wacker and went to work on my banks on the dam as well at the jungle down between the big willow tree and the cattails. i had always wanted to do that, but lacked the equipment. we left the natural grasses and cattails, and now it has potential to be turned into the sort of pond side oasis i have envisioned. it still needs more bush hogging, as there are little tree stumps and they can't be easily pulled up or cut down. he lopped down major big stuff, but the ground really needs to be cleared. it is easier now to fish from the bank, and amy (my other next door neighbor) was excited about the clear down and is offering to help me trim the branches off of the willow and do stuff that will make it a place to hang out. i already have a picnic table and some chairs down there, along with the original blue deer and several other blue deer.
i think i am going to plant some of the hostas that i have there in the shade, and a couple of them are doris' hostas from her yard. pam has been propagating them in the greenhouse the last 2 summers. i think that would be a fitting permanent tribute to her. i also have some purple fountain grass and could transplant some of the zebra grass down there as well as ferns. there is a lot of potential!
good neighbors also extended to cooking out with bruce and amy on memorial day and going down the street to meg's house on saturday night. she managed to lure me out, and tony spence was there, and i hadn't seen him in many, many years. he was the person who first introduced me to meg and rob.
i also experimented on the smokey cooker with a pork shoulder that got converted to bbq, and ribs, which i am still working on. neither was a slam dunk, but no one was complaining. i also came up with a gemelli pasta recipe that involved velvetta, rotel tomatoes, and various spices. it was very good. i got the idea from taking pimento cheese with jalapenos and mixing it with macaroni. i just expanded on it. i like making up recipes and trying them out on people.
i am ready to rest for awhile, so i am looking towards school being over here in a couple of weeks. i am not looking forward to hot weather, though. i have created a bit of an oasis on my front porch with the swing, the plants, and the bamboo shade. if i bring the box fan out there, it could be habitable even in hot weather.
tonight i parted with a bit of family...the 1994 town and country van. i sold it for $800. i wasn't sure i needed to part with it, but i did as i don't need 3 cars. in some ways, i wish i had sold the acura instead, as now i really don't have anything to haul stuff around in. but with the prices of gas so high, and insurance to pay on both, it seems ridiculous to have it. sometimes you just have to let things go. i have enough friends with pickups that if i really have to haul something big, i guess i can borrow or beg...
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