spring -- don't ya love it?

I took a vacation day today to "enjoy" the 75-degree weather. And, even though I spent the entire day working in the yard, it really was quite lovely.


This was my main project -- to clear out all the brush underneath this juniper shrub (hell, I don't really know what it is, but I think I'm close) and trim it back with the hope that, given some light, space and food, it might flourish once again. We'll see. I used a saw to trim it back and cleared out about five year's worth of dried leaves, pine needles and mulch. If it doesn't come back, we'll pull it out and replant with something else next year. Anyway, much sweat was produced during this task.


Here's some of the debris from the yard and under that shrub.



Barney loves having me at home, and spent a good bit of the day threatening the squirrels (this one is high up on a branch.)


I stuffed eight bags full and two trash bins full of debris.


Self portrait in the late afternoon.


My reward was to plant some pansies to bring some color to the back yard. Despite my cleaning efforts, it's pretty austere back there still.


Another reward at the end of the day -- a glass of wine and the feeling of ibuprofen settling into my bones.