Yesterday I worked outside. The sky was overcast all morning and it had rained very hard the day before. These are perfect conditions for weeding because it’s not too hot to be out and the ground has been loosened by the rain. I put aside my disdain for the project and donned dark clothing, work shoes and tools. I did not don gloves. I knew my hands would get stained and I was prepared for that, I did not know that I would literally tear my skin off with all that pulling. I told Kris later, I didn’t know until I was washing up what I had done to myself. I felt the pain, but it was one of those things that you don’t really notice. I mean, yes it hurt, but it hurt the same on the last weed as it did on the first and I certainly didn’t rip off skin with the first weed. It was a gradual wearing away of my skin I guess. The picture shows my fingers with Band-Aids (wounds have been covered to protect the viewer) and you can see how stained my hand still is. I scrubbed and scrubbed but it will take time to get rid of that stuff. My excuse for not wearing gloves is as follows: My hands still get dirty, even when I wear them and I can’t get a good grip on the weeds with them on, so it’s faster without them. Speed was important to me. I was trying to get the whole thing pulled before Ivan needed to be fed. I almost made it.
The second picture is the finished “dirt bed”. Yes, I pulled everything out. I replanted some of it and hope to replant a few other things, but I just needed a fresh start with that poor spot. I’ve considered planting grass there and forgetting about a flower bed…but that might be more work. So…here’s to an empty canvas and hopefully future blooms.
The last picture is one of the mums that was in that bed. I replanted it last Winter and it’s doing well in the pot, but I thought mums were supposed to bloom in the Fall. Maybe it’s not even a mum…it was here when we moved and that’s what I thought it was but I don’t know.
On a completely different subject: My friend Brent just called and told me that he just had a doctor’s appointment. He has an ear infection and didn’t know it. Apparently it wasn’t hurting at all. His doctor asked a couple questions and exclaimed…”Your eustachian tube is completely blocked!” To which Brent replied…”Are you telling me I can’t have babies?”
That is too funny. Surely Brent knew what an eustachian tube was and he was going for the funny! Well done on the non-flower bed…I know what hard work that is (which is why I haven’t done it in my own yard).
That totally sounds like Brent- he always makes me laugh.
So maybe you need a garden weasel, they make it look really easy on TV. Given the results on your hands I don’t blame you for putting off pulling the weeds.
Ouch and giggle! Giggle for the Brent joke and ouch for the hand.