Sunday, April 13, 2008

Yard work.


This is absolutely not my front yard! It's just pictures that were randomly stolen off the Internet to show you what my yard will look like this afternoon when I finish working on it.


What is it about springtime, and the warm weather, that makes a persons wife instinctively know that it is time for the poor husband to work in the yard?

We have a late season here because we live on the north side of a hill, so I get to make a late start. Nothing will grow here until late April. I planted some Sweet Peas in the flower boxes on the deck back in November and they are only about a foot tall so far. So it is just a big waste of time to plant too early. The one flowers that do great here are Impatiens. It is a great choice because it comes in a variety of colors.

Wow! I’m starting to become inspired… I’d better go do it… But first I’ll need a good breakfast. Then I need to clean out the truck, so I’ll have a place for the yard waste. Then I’ll have to go pick up my wife, who likes to walk the dog, but doesn’t like to walk back. Then my wife wants some stuff moved in the garage because it is too close to her car. I have to go check on an Ice cream maker that I worked on to make sure it worked okay. Then I’ll need to worry about lunch. Then maybe I should change the oil in my truck because it is past due. I changed the oil in the car already, but I can’t figure out how to make that little “change oil” light go away. Something about turn the key on without starting the motor then stomp on the throttle twice within five seconds but that won’t work, so I have to read the manual again. Then I’ll have to watch the game on television for awhile because all that work will require a little break. Then, before I know it, it will be dark, and too late to work in the yard. I hate when that happens!

7 comments:

Kym said...

If it were me, I would have at least two breaks to go check out the blogoshere. Someone may heard that an atomic bomb is scheduled to explode this afternoon. Wouldn't want to miss the latest info!

Ernie Branscomb said...

Well, I burned the pile of yard trimmings. I thought that I was going to have a terrible time getting it to burn. I stuffed some news paper under it and lit it on fire. It started real good and started building right away. The flames went about twelve feet in the air and was starting the get into the underside of a pepperwood tree. I was quite surprised. As I looked at the tree and waited for the flames to die down, it occurred to me that it was still building. I had two hoses laid out with nozzles. I did it just for show in case Calfire drove by, I would be in complete compliance. It was good that they were there, I was able to cool the flames and keep the fire small with the hose.

It is amazing what a difference you can make in a fire with just a small amount of water. Remember that fire fans; water will put out fire! You can save your property with just a small amount of water applied in the right place. But you should never put yourself in jeopardy to try to save property.

Then I moved on to cleaning the Koi pond. I trimmed the irises and cleaned the filter and added water. Then I cut up some down limbs for fire wood, and restacked part of the wood pile.

Then it was dark. The yard doesn’t look that much better, but my wife says that it is okay, she will give me another chance next weekend…

Kym said...

Wives are like that.

Carol said...

The photo on the left looks like Butchart Gradens in British Columbia. I visited there in 1981.

Ernie Branscomb said...

Carol, you have a very good eye, it is Butchart Gardens. My wife and I visited it three years ago on a cruise to Alaska. Something about the cruise ship rules that say’s a cruise ship has to visit more than one country on a cruise to maintain it’s international status. It was our good fortune that they chose Victoria. The weather was clear, the sky’s were blue and about eighty degrees when we were there. About this time of year. The Butchart Gardens are the most incredible, and neatly maintained Gardens that I have ever seen. They are deservedly world famous.

I said I stole the pictures off the net.

Victoria is also a beautiful city, it reminds me of San Francisco, complete with a Chinatown. Other than the fact that they have all the sea-planes taking off and landing in the harbor.

Ernie Branscomb said...

Credit where credit is due. If you are a gardener, do the photo tour.

Butchart Gardens

Carol said...

I visited Victoria and B.C right after Mt. St Helen's eruption. It rained and rained, even it June. I guess the volcano eruption changed the climate for awhile. I was camping and backpacking. I frequented bakeries and breweries. I remember one night singing with members of the Canadian Navy around a piano in a pub. Everyone sang and harmonized. I beleive Canadians know how to have fun! It was wonderful!