An Aging Body Is a Pain in the Shoulder

I spent some time yesterday afternoon shaking dirt out of the sod clods back into the garden area. Today, I finally finished pulling up the rest of the sod in there. I won't be able to finish de-dirting the clods it until at least tomorrow, probably not until Saturday, because there's some really nasty weather brewing and it's supposed to last through at least tomorrow afternoon. At least the sod-pulling is done. When I finished, I sat and weeded the flower bed around one tree in the front. (The bed around the other tree needs very little weeding, it's planted with Bishop's weed http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/components/7566-49.html which grows before the weeds get started and prevents the weeds from getting any light to grow.) Now my hens-and-chicks, violas, and mums have some room to breathe. But after leaning on my left hand yesterday afternoon to de-dirt clods, and again this afternoon to weed, my left shoulder hurts so much I can barely lift my arm. Time for some ibuprofen. Getting old stinks.

While I was weeding I kept thinking of how I'd do anything to get out of weeding when I was a kid, and how I don't mind doing it now. I could practically hear my mom, "You hated weeding when you were a kid, how come you like doing it now?" Well, I don't hate bugs any more (for the most part, anyway, there are still some bugs that give me the shudders - like the grubs I saw in my garden today, I'm going to have to break down and get some Grub-ex), I don't mind getting my hands dirty any more, and I don't have a gazillion other things I'd rather be doing, as I did during summers when I was in school. Besides, the flower beds are mine now, and I like when they look nice.

My beautiful oriole kept me company while I was weeding, sitting in the other tree and singing to me. He's spectacular, and his song is so clear and sweet. I stopped weeding and just sat and watched him for a bit. During the time I sat and watched the male cardinal visited the feeder, as did a blue jay and the house finches and goldfinches. So much avian color! Bright red, blue, orange, yellow, and rosy purple. I don't think I'll ever get tired of bird-watching.

And speaking of bird-watching, I haven't gotten up on my step stool to peek at the kingbird nest since Tuesday, but there were at least 3 babies in there then. I managed to snap a pic just as the oldest one stuck his head up and cheeped for his mama:



When I took my mom's dog back to her on Monday, I stopped on my way home and picked up a couple flats of impatiens. My impatiens seedlings are still small, and I wanted to get a couple of hanging baskets planted with already-flowering impatiens for my mom. I planted one basket (for myself) Monday evening, and did all the rest on Tuesday. That used up one flat. The next time I go up to Mom's, I'll take her baskets up to her. I also did one planter for myself, and have another half-dozen or so I'd like to do with the remaining flat, and some other planters I'm setting aside to fill with the seedlings I've started. The ones I started are pastels with deeper centers, they should be beautiful when they finally get growing.

This weekend's projects are the gardens. Once the heavy rain is gone, I'll get my herb seeds planted in the raised bed. Then I'll get more sod clods de-dirted, get the soil in the vegetable garden amended with peat moss and a manure/compost mixture, and get it fenced in. I'm hoping to be able to get at least some of my seedlings planted by Sunday, and the lettuce, carrots, zucchini seeds into the ground. My heirloom tomato seeds have finally sprouted, I need to get all the little seedlings out to start hardening off before I plant them. I'm hoping to be able to get everything into the garden by mid-week.

Here comes the rain! Hmmmm..... the dogs are sleeping quietly, I can't get outside to do any work... I might just have to take a nap. *grin*