In The Yard

I'd like to post that I got the entire third garden bed dug out today. I'd like to tell you that my back didn't hurt. That I didn't get dizzy and light headed. That I managed to get those poor romaine sprouts in the ground that are stifling in the little pots I bought them in weeks ago. I'd like to, and I probably could if I wasn't being honest.

A strawberry that has so far eluded Emmy.

Truth is, after two hours working out there I'm beat. My head is a little fuzzy, my shoulders are killing me (Thanks a whole lot to the guy that hit me last July). I'm too young to feel this bad after just a little bit of work. I really need to focus on my food intake and stop eating tons and tons of Girl Scout cookies with every meal while trying to convince myself I'm just doing it to support my two new Brownie Scouts  food that's not very good for me. I have a sweet tooth. A bad one. And I'm picky. And an emotional eater. But that's a whole other post.

One of the blueberries.

The 3rd plot got about half way cleared out. That creeping Florida grass just doesn't want to come up! Cordelia was a trooper and hung though it, helping to pull up as much as she could after I broke it up with the three prong handheld garden rake/fork thing*. We'll have two 4x8' beds once I'm done plus the various potted trees.

Garden so far.

I did get to replant the pineapple which Leeloo has been battling. Did you know various long green things are a puppy's sworn enemy? She got the broccoli too. And the Elephant Ear tree has been taking some hits.

Unmarred Broccoli

Days like this are precious in the hot as Hell state of Florida. It's gorgeous outside a high in the low 60's. Bright blue sky the perfect shade without a cloud in the sky to take from it's brilliance. Birds swooping and singing to me while I work. The bugs are still laying low since the temps do tend to dip. I have to covet these kinds of days while we have them.

The sky above my house.

Seeing the veggies and fruits sprouting and not having to worry quite yet about the bugs is a huge thing for me from last years horrific, heart crushing invasions. Everyday I pray they'll survive. I go outside filled with hope and a little bit of fear. In a few years we might be banking ours and the lives of five little kids on what I can grow and actually get to harvest. The garden could make or break us. It's a liberating feeling, exciting too and yet very, very scary.

Zucchini

Sorry the photos aren't cleaned up more. My editing software seems to think the photos are being used elsewhere and refuses to save any changes. I haven't been having a very good relationship with technology lately.

*Does that thing even have a proper name?