Why do I have a blister on my pinkie? I went out to the garden to do some housekeeping and ended up doing some MAJOR weeding. There was a whole side of the garden where I didn't lay down the weed guard which had become a bit of a jungle and it was choking out the plants on either side. I dumped two big wagon's worth of weeds over the edge -- and I did this with the bad back. Yeah, though I think when you have a bad back the worst thing you can do is not use it.
So I used it. And it's not worse!
ANYWAY, the intent of this post was to be upbeat and cheery, not talk about all of my ailments! Because while I was out in the garden, I was getting all Zen with nature and realized after my "blech" commentary I wanted to point out how less than 15 minutes later after ingesting a big glass of green juice I was outside absolutely at peace with the world. EVEN on Sept. 1st!
In between bouts of hauling up the most tenacious of weeds, I would stand up and look around. The tomato plants need help; and I really did a number in the pumpkin patch by separating all of the various plants from each other and sending them off in their own directions. The zucchini was getting choked out by the pumpkins, so I remedied that and I realized that I really needed to cut down the bolted lettuce. But with all of that before me, I couldn't get over how cool this garden really is. The cucumbers are plentiful, I've had lettuce all summer long and I am just now getting green peppers; beets; tomatoes and kohlrabi. (The latter I have no idea what to do with, but it is pretty!) And all of that without really that much work. I've neglected it really the entire month of August -- short of going out and harvesting the bootie. I do water it religiously, but even that hasn't been too much of a chore because it rains so much.
Now I can see where my neglect has caused a few problems; like with the zucchini and the brussell sprouts also were a little weed-choked, but overall, it has been a very positive experience.
And the sunflowers! Oh, I am so pleased with my towering sunflowers and was looking around and picking out other places where I want to put them next year, like up against the garage and surrounding the little brick patio to the right of the garden. I don't know why, but I find them to be so amazing. The stalks are so thick and they look so impressively tough. All of the flowers were turned toward the sun, and I too did the same, and for a moment wondered what it would be like to be a flower. And if I was to be one, it would HAVE to be a sunflower. Because they are purposeful and beautiful. And what can be better than that?
The sounds of the insects and the birds were also magnified as I felt myself fall deeper into the experience of owning what I was doing. Which was not only working, but being. Being present. There is this thing with dragon flies that I find quite interesting; they seem to gravitate in great swarms towards where people are. I am talking upwards of 20 of these magnificent insects all flying around me. They came out last weekend when Peter and I were sitting out on the back patio. Like the dogs and the cat; it seems that these bugs are attracted to the energy of people, and I wonder why. (Where ever we are outside, the three dogs are right there, and the cat with his catlike radar, will show up within five minutes to join in.) There must be something in the energy of the air that changes or something. All I know is that it happens all the time.
And it's not like black flies or mosquitos, where they hone in and then call in all of their buddies to say there is fresh meat available. These cool bugs just fly around and around and around, and don't even come all that near. In the garden they will land on stakes, and hang for a bit, and they are SO COOL to look at!
The earth was also full of worms and these tough black bugs. I have no idea what they were, but they were quite plentiful. And when I say tough, I mean hard as rocks. No matter what those bugs went through (being mauled by my little rake for example) they just kept on going.
It was also hot out there, and that made me happy because it was more summer-like than fall; and well, we all know how that makes me feel! But then I would stand up and gaze around and see how there really are so many trees changing. And I would sigh. And return to my work at hand.
And after just typing that, I looked out the window of my office and the dragon flies have all moved to the front yard, where I can see them. Do they sense that I am nearby?
Am I crazy?
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