A Tale of Two Yards

Another week has gone by, and the school year is one week closer to completion, and the weeds have one more week of the growing season under their belt.  At least, some weeds do.  My yard is in pretty good shape.  If there is a weed with more than two leaves on it, it's probably not in my flower or vegetable beds.  And Mom's yard is looking good, too.  I put in four hours of nettle pulling yesterday, and made decent progress.  We found a relatively non-toxic (to humans, pets, etc) weed-killer made of vinegar, dish soap, and epsom salts.  It works nicely on small weeds in sidewalk cracks.  Two of Mom's four weed raised beds are covered with plastic, and even if the other two don't get in coverable shape this year, that's two beds more than last year! 

Two of my four veggie/herb beds are protected at least reasonably well from the bunnies.  I hope to lash some chicken wire to the remaining PVC frames later today, and then can get them up tomorrow afternoon, weather permitting, and pop my tomatoes and remaining plants into the ground.  Asparagus and rhubarb production is in full swing. 

The First Frame, protecting the First Asparagus

Next week, I start a Bible Study on the Sermon on the Mount.  And I'm not leading it!  Two wonderful things.  To prepare, I want to finish memorizing Matthew 7.  I've heard that one part of the homework for the study is reading through the Sermon on the Mount each week.  Nothing like being able to do part of your homework while laying in bed in the morning with your head on the pillow and your eyes closed! 

Knitting has gone slowly this week, due no doubt to how gorgeous the weather was and how much time I spent with a pair of loppers and fist-fulls of nettles.  The leather-palmed garden gloves I got this year -- in April, I think, but possibly in March -- have a split seam, several serious scuffs in the leather, and a spot on the thumb that looks suspiciously like a popped blister, about the size of a nickel.  They're getting serious use.  I wish they looked like they were longer for this world.  It's not every garden glove you can use to pull Russian Thistles without getting stuck! 

I did, however, get One Single, Solitary Thumb knit on the first glove.

And five ticks off of my dog.