Shrub Trimming

Coker, Alabama

Weather: low 70 degrees, high 89 degrees, mostly clear skies

After my morning walk, I returned home and did almost nothing until we left about 1030 hours to go to Terri's house. It felt so good to not have to start work early. Of course, all good things come to an end, and once we did get going, we were busy until we came home about 1700 hours. I used the hedge trimmer to touch up the shrubs around the house and weeded the flower beds. The flower box at the end of the driveway needed some water, so I carried a five gallon bucket of water up there and took care of that little job.

As I was working in the yard today, I found myself thinking (novel concept) about how much easier it is to do yard work now than it was when I was a kid. I did a lot of yard work then to earn money for the movies or an RC Cola or.... Back then, I didn't know anyone who had a power mower. If a person had a mower, it was a manual push mower with blades that turned when the mower was pushed. It was really hard work to mow a yard, and yards tended to be small. If a person didn't have a push mower, the yard was cut with a sling blade, or a scythe. Hard, hard work.

No one had electric or gas powered hedge trimmers. Everything was trimmed with manual hedge trimmers, or lopped off one branch at a time. Weed eaters? Hadn't been invented. If a person had a garden, it was dug up with a shovel or plowed by someone using a horse or mule. Sand spurs and crab grass were pulled by hand. Ouch! I can't remember anyone using fertilizer or weed killer. And the yards were smaller than they are now. My, how things have changed.

Terri has three big German Shepherd dogs who are big babies. They look fearsome, but don't have a mean bone in their bodies. They have always lived in the country, with the freedom to roam the property. One of the hard things Terri and Thomas are going through in getting ready to move out of the house is coming to grips with the fact that they will have to find new homes for the dogs. She is exploring some options for this problem, but I have a feeling that whatever decision is made will still hurt. It's a shame, but these dogs will not be happy in a town environment.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Boaz, Alabama: City Of Possibilities

Not all who wander are lost.