Several more days of rain and now, a "steam bath"

I have been away from the keyboard over the last couple of days, busy with activities pertaining to the Script Supervisor course I am currently enrolled in, and trying to reclaim the flowerbeds. The front flowerbed, in particular, has been sitting on the bulls eye for some time, and now that I have the OK to get in it and work, I am making up for *lost time (*i.e.; last year and the year before).

Perhaps I am being a bit too aggressive, and there is no doubt I should pull back a little on the bending and similar activities, but if I don't do it now, it is only going to get worse (weed-wise) and harder to accomplish down the road -- when it is hotter and more dense (weed-wise).

My practice is to begin working early in the day, while the sun is on the east side of the roof line and I am mostly in the shade. I take frequent breaks and drink lots of water while I work and I wear a wide-brimmed hat and baggy t-shirt for extra coverage, and then stop once the heat has risen along with the sun. It seems to be working; I am not over-taxed, haven't felt any abnormal pains or pulling in my abdomen, and I feel more energetic and get great sleep! Plus, the bending and stretching is really helping me feel better all the way 'round. The only thing I lack is a pair of coveralls to work in. ;^)

A few days ago I chopped the life out of the unruly Forsythia that had taken over the northwest corner. I love the electric yellow show of flowers in the early spring, and the bright medium green foliage is a nice backdrop, but it is invasive as all hell and hard to keep in check once the heat of the summer arrives. It almost requires weekly grooming otherwise the suckers grow beyond my ability to manage it all, and I am not up to the task of constant trimming. So, while I had the energy, I simply began to make drastic cuts, and the end result was very similar to a bowl cut by your grandmother on a brunette, mop-haired child.

Sure, now it looks skeletal, but shortly it will be fuller and more shapely. Besides, I uncovered two peony plants that were badly in need of sunlight (that was more important), and I was able to take care of more of the bed without getting jabbed in the ribs, arms, neck and face. Thursday and Friday found me mostly tying up bundles of the branches and cutting out the remaining large branches and trunks with a hand saw - removing the last of the most unsightly mess. After this morning not much remains on the lawn to bundle up, and that is a good feeling. This means I will be able to focus on cleaning out the rest of the bed tomorrow morning - provided I have my scripty homework done today. Once the bed is clean, I can focus on planting my new young plants (begun from seeds in my very own garage!) and laying down the mulch I picked up from Barb's church fundraising project. Of course, that's all providing I get my classwork finished.

Yikes!

Part of what I am finding necessary to do in the bed is transplant some of the perennials and hostas. I moved one hosta four feet north to give a suffering poppy more time in the sun, and hopefully it will also help the lupine that were also in it's shadow. There are two other hostas that may need moving, as I think they get too much sun, and they haven't been able to thrive because of it. It really is a balancing act.

I haven't been able to quilt at all this past week, nor work on any clothes, and the class will end next Saturday afternoon (the 29th), so my time will be limited until then; but I feel I am making the best use what I do have right now.

The class is great - taught by an awesome SS named Randi Feldman. She has dozens of screen credits (major films, indies and minor stuff) to her name, and is exactly the type of person that should be teaching the course!