In the Garden

There is just something about working outside.  I've always enjoyed yard work even though I complained about it at times as a kid.  It is rewarding to do a little manual labor after being in an office most of the time, not to mention to see things take shape.  When my dad and uncle bought the lot of land here in Richmond that has been in the family for over a century it was in a pretty sad shape.  With the previous owner being an elderly great-uncle, and far away, it was left to a property manager and renters to keep up the work, which rarely turns out well.  Now though, the yard is slowly transforming.  My dad and uncle have done a lot of work to clean the place up, including currently building a new home since the old family home burned down.  In the back of our little rental home (which used to by my great-great-grandfather's shoe shop) was a plot of weeds as high as the fence.  Last fall my uncle sprayed them in hopes to kill and clear them this year.  This spring I cleared all the remaining debris including dead weeds, glass, rocks, garbage, weeds, bottles, weeds, wood, weeds, etc.  I borrowed a tiller and set out to create a garden.  It is a larger garden plot than I have ever worked on, measuring about 30' x 30'.  Friday we made a trip to the local greenhouse to purchase starters and plants in all their varieties.  Yesterday, though I was on call at the hospital, I started one more round of clearing weeds and turning soil, hoping to plant as well.  It was a beautiful day.  I lucked out and didn't get called in!  I was able to get all the plants and seeds in even before some nasty gusting winds attempted to ruin my progress.  It was fun and therapeutic.  Come late summer and early fall we will hopefully have a harvest of tomatoes of all kinds; zucchini, summer, and spaghetti squash; peppers of different sorts, watermelon, cucumber, corn, beans, peas, carrots, and several herbs.

Today I am paying the price.  I worked without even thinking about the sun.  I am burned to a crisp and very sore, an obvious indication that I need to get in shape.  It was well worth it.