First Blood

I made a grocery run after church last evening. I needed milk and a few other items because I was to help can green beans Thursday AM. Cat food and kitty litter as well as sugar free Dad’s root beer and some nuts for me to snack on. I also grabbed a package of lunch meat, buns, and bread. The bill was over $60.00.

After I helped to clean and snap the beans, I helped to fill the jars. We put them into a pressure canner. There was nothing else that I could do while they cooked, so I left to buy gasoline for my car and for my mower. I spent another $46.00 for three gallons of gas for my mower and for a half tank of gas.

It was hot when I came home so I prop[ed my feet up and had some ice cold lemon drink. I was hoping it would cool a bit before I tackled the lawn, but it wasn’t to be. The blessing was that there was a stiff breeze that kept me cool.

I’ve been trying to clean up several areas of my yard. I moved several cinder blocks so I could eventually mow the weeds where they were hiding. There are still a few left, but six of them in my wheelbarrow were quite enough of a load. I may decide to move a few more tomorrow.

The back portion of my yard is many times soggy, especially after a rain. I definitely wanted to mow that part before last night’s possibility of a storm arrived. The other odd thing is some type of burrowing creature is leaving small mounds of dirt all across the soggy areas. I’ve tried mole traps and deterrents. But to no avail. It was very frustrating to see the mounds of dirt each time I mowed. Plus there were pebbles in the dirt hills and the mower would fling them out if I ran over them with the mower deck instead of squashing them with the mower’s tires.

Last night it changed. As I mowed, a small gray furry thing scurried to hide in some thicker grass beneath a fruit tree. Hiding close I could do nothing although I made a valiant attempt to cut him off in his escape. On the next pass near his sanctuary, the noise must have scared the little rodent, because he made another attempt to flee. He wasn’t successful. The mower claimed its only victim so far and spilled first blood. Look out Sylvester Stallone.