I am a morning person. I apologize for that to all of you night owls who dread the sound of the alarm in the early hours. Today I was up early enough to see a lovely sunrise as I peered up the road along the edge of the property. What a glorious sight! I am so happy for such simple beauty.
It has been a flurry of activity with the weather as it has been. Warm and dry. I love spending time outside. This past week there has certainly been much to do, and keeping the grass mowed has been a chore. First, the push-mower gets a workout mowing all around the house, and trimming the grass around the trees. Then, I ride the big mower around the yard, getting time to sit and take it my surroundings as I steer around the two-plus acre plot.
The weekend was a whirl of activity. Yesterday I was back at Mum’s, this time with Hubby and his truck of tools. She has a swimming pool that has been in place for well over 20 years. Pennsylvania winters pose a bit of a challenge to aboveground swimming pool owners. Over the years, the ground has shifted, and with it, the supports. This year the decking was heaved so badly it posed a safety hazard. We had the task of disassembling the deck on her swimming pool, attempting to re-level the supports, and reassemble the deck.
Although the weather has been a bit unpredictable, overall the temperatures have been warm and welcoming. After a bit of a cool, wet spring, the end of the season has allowed things to dry out a bit. The grass is growing, the trees are green, and the underbrush in the woods surrounding the house has grown up and become a bustle of activity with squirrels, rabbits, and chipmunks (to the delight of the barn cats).
I have spent most of the past few days in the dirt. Literally. For me, working in the dirt is a labor of love.
Today I made a journey to Gravel Run Farms near Saegertown, Pennsylvania. I have been purchasing eggs from them for a few months now. I love fresh eggs. The yolks are bright yellow, and the shells a variety of tan, white, and pale green. The farm is owned and operated by Jasen and Kelly Diley. They graciously allowed me a visit to meet the “girls”.
When I was in my early 20’s, I lived in Virginia. I was on a visit “home”, and my dad and a dear friend of his were going fly fishing behind the house. (Being raised on a trout stream is yet another story!) They asked me if I wanted to join them. At that point, I had better things to do than fish, but enjoyed being outside, so agreed that a walk along the stream would be nice.
I went to the gym this morning, as per my usual routine on Thursday. I arrived about 7:45 AM, turned on the lights, started the music playing, and started my warm up. As always, the start of my workout is a way to get my muscles warmed up and settle the spinning of my thoughts. Time to focus on the workout.
Last night, the rains came. Not a steady rain, but sporadic bursts… sometimes noisy, enhanced by thunder and lightening, sometimes quietly dropping from the sky. After a long stretch of dry, sunny weather, the rain is welcome. I am not thrilled that it will allow the grass to spring back to life, but I am thrilled for the garden.
Yesterday was a day full of tasks. Most of them were a bit time-consuming. One item on my list was mowing the lawn.
Mowing our two to three acre lawn is a therapy of sorts… a three-hour therapy session. The session started with the trusty Toro push mower. I pushed the old red mower around the house, getting into the nooks and crannies that evade the bigger riding mower. When I was satisfied I had allowed myself enough room around the house, trees, and other lawn obstacles, it was time to fire up the Husky.
Yesterday was a remarkable day! It started early and ended too late for me to write! I was up before dawn, packed the Subaru, loaded “Jefe” (my old yet loved Gary Fisher HiFi Plus dual-suspension 29r mountain bike), and started on my 2+ hour road trip. My destination was a county park in New York, southeast of Buffalo, where I would partake in a women’s only mountain bike clinic.
