It’s been a long, exhausting day – I worked in the yard from about 10 am on until 730pm, with breaks for when I got too warm and wobbly, or to run errands. But I’m pleased with the results – almost all the mulching is now done, several new plants are in the vegetable garden, which for the first time ever will possibly have vegetables in a month or two, and the “kitty garden” has been dug out and replanted. I say “dug out,” because the lawn care guys so helpully cut back everything in there to the ground and then overseeded this spring. And Stuey’s ashes have been installed in a little hole David dug, and the little statue is on top. So that’s finally done, too.

I added 2 bags of mushroom compost to the vegetable garden, and the rest went in the kitty garden. The bright brick-red mulch is all down except for one bare spot in front under the lilac and burning bush – and I have just one more bag left.

Most of the weekend I just sat around, but today was cool and not as rainy Saturday, and not as warm as yesterday, so I managed okay.  I had totally neglected everything last year, mostly because of Mom’s passing; after doing the little front flower bed at her house for the “celebration” after she died, I just kept avoiding anything in my own yard the rest of the summer.

Well, that’s changed for the better this year. It’s not as nice as it looked the first year, when I was all motivated and had patio planters and everything, but it looks nicer almost all the way around the house (the “blind” side will always be somewhat neglected, however).

I  stuck in some more petunias and planted some perennial dianthus, mulched the shit out of the front and side yards, and weeded and put out weed/feed besides. It looks okay.

What really surprised me was that the poor, neglected clematis plants I stuck in a couple of years ago made it through the winter, and in fact are thriving and even blooming. So I got all ambitious (but not crazy-stupid with it) and put in an heirloom tomato plant, a couple of peppers, and some herbs and even strawberries. Hence the errands to the home supply store, because I hadn’t planned on planting anything more, but oh, well.

My shower after cleaning up all the tools and weeds and stuff was interesting; a slurry of mud and compost and mulch and dirt went down the drain, no doubt. But it felt so good – I was seriously wiped out by the time I put everything away.

However, we made a pretty awesome dinner – David grilled some ahi tuna steaks and asparagus, and I made the soy/lemon/garlic sauce that he likes that’s sort of faux creamy for the vegetables.

Also, I gave Reilly got a couple of catnip leaves for a treat, and he went absolutely friggin nuts for them, like turning a light switch from “on” to “TOTALLY WACKY CAT” in about 2 seconds. So that he wouldn’t eat them and then barf them up later, I tucked them into one of his catnip mice that has a refillable pocket – he’s been throwing THAT up in the air and chasing after it much of the evening.

Not right now, though; he’s sacked out next to me. It’s time to sack out for me, too.

But oh, my back is going to be killing me tomorrow.