A cold, foggy January day back in Fairy Holler, you'll be tired when you finish, so grab a cuppa tea or somethin'

madgardener · 2006-01-22T07:18:28+00:00

I sit here with the soil stains still on the sleeves of my work sweat shirt.There is still a bit of clay still staining my hands, and I feel the coldtrying to grab these fingers, but I wanted to just ramble a bit abouttoday's efforts.Today was a cold-assed, foggy, January day back in Fairy Holler. It'sweather like today that makes me appreciate where I live. When it's thisfoggy, I have to realize that it's probably clouds that are hanging low andskirting across the tops of the hillsides and foothills of the Appalachiansand Smokies where I live. This truely is a ridge with a holler, and today'swet and rainy weather was replaced by thick fog. But like I said, I knewthese were gray clouds clinging to the trees and shrubbery moisteningeverything with wet. . You could feel the humidity and taste it.The birds were all subdued, and out of the corner of my ear, I could hearthe tentative creeeeking of a foolish peeper. One of the ridge top'sresidents, a sleepy, and cold tree frog. The small water frogs are stillunder slabs of rock and edges of things until true springtime. They're notso foolish to waken as early on a false spring like January day like today.I had all my tools in the various pockets of my carpenter jeans I alwayswear in fall and winter. Pruners in case I want to whack at something, andmy Maple Appalachian Ball weeder, which I quickly realize is all I'll need.I should have left the pruners in the drawer inside. (no sitting in thegarden trug on the potting table for THESE). The excessive moisture we'vehad recently has softened up the soils considerably, and I am stilldetermined to rip out every piece of vinca major. Maybe not all TODAY, butas much as I could before running outa steam. It was mid-afternoon, afterall and I only had so much light left.The grayness thickened to literal swirling of fogs so thick that I knewimmediately that it WAS clouds that were skimming past the south side of the ridge I live on in their trek eastwards towards the...

Jan 22, 2006 28 Replies

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madgardener 20 years ago

LOL well to put another perspective on the whole yanking thing.........I am about to go outside to pull up some more after I go to the mailbox and check on the mail, run to the store to get some tortilla shells to stretch meals with and then while the ground is nice and tender, tear out a few more and cart that two wheel cart somewhere and dump the load that's still sitting in there. (if you want a picture of it, e-mail me and I'll pass it onwards to you)

maddie, still up to her armpits in Vinca major........

wait a minute........................YOU were yanking out some vinca today when you were out taking your dogs for a walk?????!!??? That means it's survived the ROUNDUP....................arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh I'll NEVER be rid of it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(breath marilyn, breath...................) <

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Harry 20 years ago

yes, they seem to be bitching amongst themselves now..........strange them women folk when they get started.............me I just get outside and cut the grass.......

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Tom Jaszewski 20 years ago

pot calling the kettle black.....

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madgardener 20 years ago

yes, they seem to be bitching amongst themselves now..........strange them women folk when they get started.............me I just get outside and cut the grass.......

women tend to do that. Cackle like hens after the fox has long left the henhouse..........and I'm not immune to that sort sometimes. Glad I didn't rile you up with my scoldings. So what was it, just a remark, or observation that I'd used too many words? curious mind wanna know................

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Rupert 20 years ago

You wish to lead a happy life? Under no circumstances attempt to unravel the warped British sense of humour :-)

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madgardener 20 years ago

,maddie

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Rupert 20 years ago

OK you are awarded compassionate British citizenship. Watching the tele won't help beat that periwinkle.

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madgardener 20 years ago

you got that right.........I wonder where my child hood friend's mom got the name "Sultana"?? that's what Alice's mom always called it.........but periwinkle does ring a bell somewhere. I gave up today. it was more miserable today than it was the other day when I pulled so freaking much. and the war isn't over yet.......... maddie

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loonyhiker 20 years ago

Maddie, You have inspired me to go out and fight the vinca! It is 31 here in SC and the bird bath is frozen over but I can't stand it! I'm cutting off the computer right now to fight the battle.

By the way, I'm trying to learn Paint Shop Pro and Adobe Photoshop Elements also and I'm learning how to do some digital scrapbooking. I may use some pictures you sent me to do a scrapbook page about you if that is alright.Then I will send it to you to keep...share..or just plain toss in the trash.

loony

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