I'm yet living. All the usual suspects here are doing well, despite the horrible heat and humidity.
We have reached the point this summer where I'll have my ten and fifteen year old nephews each Wednesday. I can't begin to tell you how much help they are.
This morning, the youngest one watered the ferns at the northwest corner of the house that were starting to die off from lack of water. Then he trimmed the lemon balm for me, pruned the flowers off the sage, watered the herb garden, and filled the bird bath.
His older brother hefted three heavy bags of bird seed for me, filling the seed bin. He brought a wheel barrow full of compost to the herb garden, and we built up the area around a cherry tomato plant that is visiting the herb garden this year. Then he collected the cuttings and pulled weeds and took them to the pile in the back 40. He helped me empty two containers that held tulips, separated the dirt from the tulips, and then we replanted the containers with chocolate mint and spearmint. I gave him the chore of cutting out a honeysuckle that was trying to grow in the corner of the herb bed where the purple coneflowers reign. One day we'll have to dig that root out, but today wasn't the day. And, before we quit, he swept out the side of the garage where I had been trimming iris.
See, what I mean? I had the chance to get plants into the herb bed, and weed while they worked. It would have taken me all day to get their work done!
I took the boys with me to a birthday breakfast for our exercise group, then we came home and raked up downed branches, mowed the lawn, and washed the car. They are going to give their uncle a hand while I work on dinner.
We pay the boys for their help, and I should probably pay them more. I know they aren't thrilled with having to get up at 6:30 to get here, but they've already discovered the benefits of getting the work done while it's a bit cooler. And, when the work is done, they come in to play electronic games.
It seems like a win-win situation. I've enjoyed their company, and I have to think about what needs to be done, so we can do it in the most productive order. I'll miss them when it's time for them to go back to school. Some jobs just don't seem so bad when you have company.
Comments (5)
It sounds wonderful! Ask those young people how they feel about spending time in Kansas.
I can only put in 30 minutes at a time, outside, at this time of year. I feel like an underachiever. Yesterday, I re-spaded a small portion of the area to the East of the house (the portion that abuts the back lawn), covered that area with several layers of newspaper (Wall Street Journals work the best), and spread four bags of cedar mulch over the papers. Some of this area is under the tomato plants that cascade from the concrete blocks that I placed to restrain a slope, so I had to get it done before the tomatoes grew too, too huge. Then I trimmed two of the three bittersweets and pulled nutsedge out of mulched beds of shrubs/trees/flowers.
This morning, I did more spading, more weeding. This evening I'll do more spading, more weeding, and (maybe) get some more mulching done. I picked up 10 more bags of mulch this morning.
Posted by Cop Car | June 29, 2005 5:06 PM
Posted on June 29, 2005 17:06
SNORT!! An UNDERachiever. Good Golly....you got a LOT done for working just 30 minutes at a time. Have you moved the seven tons of sand yet???
I think you get so much done because you keep working at it. I forced myself to stay with the raking of the sycamore branches because I wanted my nephew to be able to mow that section. If it had been just me today, I would have either done it tonight....or waited for a cooler day.
After I wrote about our day, we actually did more. While the boys washed the car, I weeded half of the front walk garden. Then, the older of the boys helped Dear Husband move 5300 pounds of limestone sills. As I said....they worked hard and we really needed the help! I think we'll ALL be aching tomorrow.
Posted by buffy | June 29, 2005 9:23 PM
Posted on June 29, 2005 21:23
Ooh, I love limestone. Send sills--lol! It is surprising how much one can do in just 30-60 minutes night and morning. I do the morning stint before I shower! This morning, I stuck it out for over an hour because I got an earlier (cooler) start. Made more headway on the spading/laying newspaper/mulching, this morning, and washed out two trash dumpsters, thoroughly. No, I haven't moved the sand because I haven't bought it, yet. HH must be gone for a period of at least two weeks in a stretch for me to tackle the sand.
It is well that I didn't have them bring in the sand. I've been using HH's car when I need to drive farther than just here in Derby, which I couldn't do if a pile of sand were in the way). (Well, I've used HH's car once--to attend a meeting of a coalition on end-of-life issue education, Tuesday.) My tire needs work (it loses 15 psi in 24 hours) and I've just not got it in when they had the time to do it, yet. I'm supposed to take it in at 9:00 AM, tomorrow.
Posted by Cop Car | June 30, 2005 12:35 PM
Posted on June 30, 2005 12:35
I'm very impressed. How on earth did you manage to get two young lads to help you in the garden. The Stepson is a smashing person in many ways but he flatly refuses to do any work in the garden.
No, I'm mistaken. He will now he has left school - if we pay him as much as a professional gardener would charge. And he can bunk off quickly. He is, of course, a university student. ~sigh~
Posted by Adele | June 30, 2005 4:36 PM
Posted on June 30, 2005 16:36
Cop Car, I didn't want to part with that limestone. I didn't move it fast enough to claim it, and it got away from me! :-(
Adele, admittedly, we are paying my nephews, but such a pittance that it hardly matters. I feel like a piker after these two days. I think they are going to get regular raises. The boys have surely been told by their mother that they are to do whatever I ask of them. I never fail to compliment them on a job well done, and I frequently marvel, in their presence, how great everything looks thanks to their help. I know the oldest one has figured out that I can't do it on my own, so he has a sense of satisfaction at being able to help me. The pocket money doesn't hurt, either! lol
Having said that, I have a stepson who lives with me who is not interested in gardening, at all! He will help me with a one-time task that is beyond my ability, but other than that, don't ask! So, I understand your situation.
Posted by buffy | July 3, 2005 1:14 PM
Posted on July 3, 2005 13:14