Saturday, October 23, 2010

IN AUTUMN, A MAN'S MIND TURNS TO …

cleaning up the yard and getting ready for winter. Which I was doing this afternoon at our micro-holding. (For those of you who are not familiar, I think our property is really too small to fit the classic definition of a "small holding"; hence, it's a "micro-holding.")

When I work outside, Her Ladyship, Miss Sadie, comes with me. First we play a bit. Then we light a fire, into which I can toss odds and ends of stuff that need to be removed and can be burned.
Then I get down to work. And Miss Sadie waits for me to be done with the work silliness, and come to play — which is the important thing to do outside.
When I need to take a break, we play.

There was a lot of brush to clean up at the back. I didn't take a picture of it, but you can see where the leaves are. That's where the brush was.
And there was some other stuff to clean up, too. Like garbage that blows in from the back lane. (The automated garbage pickup isn't always that thorough.)
It has to be bagged and returned to the garbage, along with bits of glass and metal which uncannily pop up to the surface of the earth from time to time. And I need to do something with Miss Sadie's "leavings" (otherwise called, by some, "doggy-doo").
Then, the wood pile. It was a mess. Now we've got it organized, and partly tarped. The one challenge is that there are mice living under there, somewhere. I only know about them because Miss Sadie keeps trying to find the mice, even climbing up on top of the wood pile.
Last job, cover the rose bush with fallen tree leaves, to protect it over the winter. (This was the first year since we transplanted it to our yard that it actually bloomed.)
We had beautiful magenta roses. I hope we get them again next year.
All in an afternoon's work. Or play (if you see it from Miss Sadie's perspective).

8 comments:

Unknown said...

Hallo Rob-bear...thanks for popping by on your way home from Willow's (did you try that pecan pie!)
You know what they say darlin' 'some days are diamonds and some days are stones'...
hope today is a good day for you.
I'm taking your post as inspiration and going out to tackle my micro-garden today too. Giving up on the loofahs, don't think I'm going to see any pods this year and the dying vine is driving me crazy...time to tear it down.

ain't for city gals said...

You have been a busy bee...glad to see you out and about...

Unknown said...

I was doing some of this same activity over the weekend; cutting back the hostas, trimming some plants and deadheaing others. And I had my Lexi (a miniature version of Miss Sadie) with me too and we played as you did during my breaks.
What a fantastic day... so glad you had one too Rob-Bear.

The Blog Fodder said...

Tomorrow is yard clean up here too. Fall happened while we were away. Leaves to rake and apples to rake up as well. Flower beds half worked over today and Tanya says the rest will be done tomorrow.

I will take pictures of her flower beds in late October. There is a new yellow rose by the front walk and lots of other blooms. We have had frost and the geraniums may be cooked.

CAMILLA said...

Bear has been very busy, am sure Miss Sadie has enjoyed her time out with you too, love the photo of her, ah bless.

Jackie said...

What a pretty magenta rose!
And.....you know what the first thing I thought of when I saw the fire...? It was burning trash, etc. I thought of getting a stick....putting on a marshmallow....and roasting it....(burning it a bit...) and then eating it! Yummmmmm.
Hugs and smiles,
Jackie

Rob-bear said...

® Jacqueline: Thanks you so much for dropping by. Glad to have been of some inspiration.

® afcg: Keeping busy keeps me out of mischief (usually). Hope you're doing well.

® GS: Glad you had a grand day, Jane. Having a "helper" is good for cleaning up, isn't it.

® BF: You must have much milder weather than we do, which I find a bit surprising.
Pictures at 11:00?

®

Rob-bear said...

® Camilla: Yes, Bear has been busy. (Sadly, Bear overdid it a bit, and has been suffering from physical indiscretion.) Sigh.

® Teacher's Pet: I thought of marshmallows, too. However, we were heading to our daughter's for supper and watching a football game, so I didn't quite have the time (since I had to finish up and clean myself up).
P.S.: For some reason, I cannot get your blog to show up in my list of "Other Thoughts Worth Considering." I'm still working on it. If I could get you in the queue, I'd remember to visit more often.