At Least It Didn’t Snow

  • Post published:07/06/2009
  • Post comments:5 Comments

The past week was  cold, wet and windy. Not much time out in the garden, although I did pick the last of the lettuce in the herb bed, and lots of sugar snap peas. We eat them raw.

On the cloudy, cold and windy Fourth of July we went to a neighbor’s BBQ where we huddled in the kitchen, only nipping out to the fire and hot dogs occasionally. We all know that kitchens are the best for catching up with rarely seen neighbors, relatives of neighbors, and relatives of old colleagues.  On our way home we stopped in our hostess’s newly wattle fenced garden to admire the sundial she won in the Commonweeder Giveaway.

Once home, where we had left an ailing son Chris and his partner Michelle, we built a fire in the stove and had a cup of hot tea!  It has been known to snow in Heath in July, and even August, but no snow on the Fourth.

On Sunday we had the unexpected arrival of a work crew – daughter Diane, her husband Gerry and son Ryan. Diane has amazing powers of motivation as well as organization. The men took down trees at the edge of the shed because they were destroying the metal roof. While they did that the women restacked the woodpile so that the oldest wood would finally be burned.  My husband, the Major, and I decided the next priority was a birch tree in the field that had been felled by the December ice storm.

Ryan and the Major
Ryan and the Major

Ryan and the Major got the tractor going. You can’t see the wagon in this photo.

Chris and Gerry were already hard at work.

Diane and Michelle had to move all the removed limbs out of the way. We were all celebrating the one year anniversary of Diane’s recovery from surgery. Last June she donated a kidney to her ailing step-mother, but is now back to her old energies and activities. Her stepmother has had a slow but good recovery.

The men brought the wood back to the house, and the women stacked it on the new pile.

A job well done. A day well spent.  Thank you!

Where was I you might ask?  Well, I took some photos and even stacked a few logs, but where do you think the Granny serves?  In the kitchen.  This was a hungry crew and deserved a hearty meal.

This Post Has 5 Comments

  1. Kate

    The photos are beautiful! It sure looks like Sunday was perfect – and you all were so productive!

  2. commonweeder

    Kate – Perfect and productive. What a combo! It was a great day and we are grateful for the family.

  3. VP

    What a busy time, but spent with friends and family makes it very special.

    I hope your son gets well soon.

  4. admin

    VP – I am so sorry. I didn’t mean to suggest that Chris was really sick. Just enough under the weather to pass on a BBQ with people he didn’t know. He is fine, and put in a fine day’s work on Sunday.
    Pat

  5. Shady Gardener

    What a great project… good memory-maker! Your daughter-in-law is also a wonderful person. It is good to know her mother is improving.

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