What a Waste

While there was some sunshine today, the bulk of this spring break has been a huge let down. There was hardly any good enough moments weather wise, to go out and put my hands in the soil. What was it that Sally and her Brother said... Too wet to go out, too cold to play ball, we just sat in the house and did nothing at all. It has been so disappointing. And, even todays sunshine was sheer trickery by mother nature. After a few moments outside I had to rush back in and either bundle up in my hat and coat or just decide to stay inside under my blanket. Kenny tinkered with the sprinkler system a bit, we got a count on which heads we need to replace this spring. I have to re-dig up and pour a new cement valve well, the plastic one I made last year didn't hold up well over the winter. The valve box is nearly all filled in with sand and crap.

I did a few inside things. I switched the cats to toilet friendly litter, they use a box next to the toilet they will be switching to(step one of training). I shampooed all the downstairs carpets and cleaned (though you wouldn't know that today). I cleaned the upstairs bathroom and supervised the kids in cleaning their rooms, that's a huge chore in itself. Other than that I have been sitting on my ass waiting for facebook status updates from friends and checking my email every 20 minutes hoping for a new message. Thank God my classes start Monday, I might just go crazy from boredom.

I did clean up half of a terrace wall that was full of tack weed "mulch"... about 3' wide by 30' feet long. I swept up the thick prickly mulch in a pile and shoveled it onto a screen to sift any excess sand out of it. It was as fun as it sounds. I put down some landscaping fabric over the spots I did, hopefully it'll keep this summers tack weed growth under control. There is another 40 feet in the current wall to do, then the lower section needs to be either torched or shop vac'd. I hate goat heads, tack weeds, puncture vine... whatever you chose to call them... they are the devil.

My garden needs about 1 week of 75 degree weather so that I can till it all up, and put fabric in the paths and over the boxes we don't plan on using this year. That is at least before it's 100. I really have to be ready, my window of viable outside time is so short. If I had some extra money, which I don't, I'd put up shade cloth over the garden... My tomatoes hated the beating sun last year. The tops of every plant were scorched, the fruit was either super small or non-existent (except for cucumbers), and I do not care for a garden when it's hot. I really need a green house, someplace where I can control the temperature.

I let the kids plant some seeds in some regular garden soil in some left over nursery pots from last year. I have tried and tried to do the starter kits in the past without much luck, but already the simple soil in pots have rendered success. After just a few days there are a few little seedlings growing. The kids should have some great fun growing their tomatoes, watermelons and cantaloupe. I wish I knew it was going to be this frigid for this long, I would of started lettuces in February. It's usually too hot here for much success with those.

Anyway, after Sunday none of this will matter. I will be too busy with my nose in the books again to remember any of these chores. I hope I can get more landscaping fabric down this weekend... otherwise I'll be nervous of the Jungle that will be in my backyard when I venture back outside in June. I can hear the books calling, and the yard is screaming in pain.