House and Garden

I slept late for me (8:00), and then I just sort of stayed in my pajamas for awhile, something I rarely do.  I watched Real Genius, one of my favorite oddball 80s movies, and then I read.

I had decided when I woke up, though, that today was going to be useful.  There was something at Moundville I sort of wanted to see, but I knew if I went that I would spend money I don't really have right now.  Therefore, instead of road trip Saturday, this was going to be do something about my crappy house Saturday.

I started with the yard.  There is never a non-mowing season in Mississippi.  Well, maybe about a week in December and the first two weeks of January.  Aside from this the growing things are a problem all the time. My yard isn't green yet, but it was scruffy with spring weeds, seedpods from blooming things, and drifts of live oak leaves.  The tufty stuff had gotten high enough to hide snakes, which like the yard are always a problem here, so it had to go.  I walk dogs out near the woods in total darkness, so clear ground is a necessity.

I got my mower running after getting air in the tires, etc., and spent the next three hours zipping around and avoiding boggy spots on the zero-turn.  It's amazing how much junk there was now that I've seen everything cleaned up.

Chewie, Yelldo, and even Roux were outside with me.   Roux was on her new run that Dad crafted with some industrial-weight cable and huge eye-bolts.  It lets her run around some outside between two large trees in the backyard but removes the risk that she'll take off.  She can finally have some sun with everybody else without having to be held on a leash.

After I finished with the yards, I got out my hammock and strung it up.  Roux immediately came and laid under it, poked her head through it, demanded I pet her over it.  I took a picture of her when she figured out she could stick her muzzle insistently through the loose weave of the hammock.  She's a mess.

While I was in the hammock, I saw the first hummingbird of the season.  He came up to the feeder in the backyard, stuck a beak in, backed up, and flew off twittering in irritation.  I guess tomorrow I need to clean up the feeders and refill them before the little sugar-hungry devils start roughing up  me on my way to the car.

About 6:30, I came in and got ready for Doctor Who.  The new episodes are on now, and although I know Moffatt is building character background, I still feel a little underwhelmed by this season.  Maybe next episode is "the magic episode" I'll need to kickstart my enthusiasm.

After Doctor Who, I turned off the TV and turned my attention to the rest of the house.  I cranked up the stereo and started in.  I cleaned up the kitchen and reloaded the dishwasher.  I moved laundry from point a to point b and started that process over again.  I vacuumed, the task I hate the most in the whole housekeeping rigmarole. I made a fresh pitcher of tea.  As loads of laundry finished, I dumped them on my bed since what I've been washing for most of the day is bed linens and my comforter, etc.

Now I'm waiting for Chewie to decide he is ready to come in for the night and for the last load of bed-related stuff to finish.  When those two things happen, I can take a hot shower, make up my bed, and get some sleep.  I'm by no means finished with my house cleaning, but what I've done will help me not to feel so bad every time I come home and see my junky house and yard.