Yard Work...2011 Edition

Yard Work...the bane of my existence.

I know personally people who LOVE yard work. If they had their choice, they would spend every waking hour digging in fresh dirt, pulling weeds and planting flowers. I applaud those people and wish I could join their ranks.

But biology and desire conspire to keep me from joining their arboreal society. As a child my allergies almost killed me. The family joke was that once we crossed the state line from Utah to Idaho, I began wheezing. I do remember forcing air into my lungs, my shoulders raised and my mother looking at me thinking I was going to die. At the time, I didn't think much of it, but if I began breathing like that as an adult, I would get myself to the E.R. to make sure I made it to the next day.

So, what does this have to do with yard work? I believe it's connected. When I got older, I received allergy shots twice a week for a couple of years and the treatments helped immensely. But there are days in the spring and in the fall when my nose runs almost uncontrollably and I'm generally miserable. When important work must be done in the yard I get hit with the seasonal allergies. And when I mow the lawn, I get headaches that require I take some Advil and go lie down for a few hours (my friend thinks this is a psychosomatic reaction and he may be right...).

I do like having a nice yard, but it is difficult to do. I guess that's what happens when a couple disobeys their father and gets kicked out of the Garden of Eden...

I had a few hours this afternoon to work in the yard (see before and after photos). I used for the first time a trimmer that I purchased at the D.I. (our local thrift store) and it worked wonderfully.

Yard work, 2011...so far, so good.