Spring is on the Way

Saturday was another gorgeous day.   We had mild temperatures and the sun played with the clouds most all day long.  It was a great day to spruce up the lawn and flowerbeds in anticipation of spring planting. 

Lawn and garden work has not taken a lot of my time in the recent past.  New Mexico is a desert and I felt obligated to save the water there, as did most of my neighbors.  We had more water than much of that state but even so, I viewed it as a special commodity not to be used for such frivolous stuff as a lush Kentucky Bluegrass  lawn.  More importantly, besides being wet, water is expensive in a desert.  To me it was much more pleasurable to hop in the airplane and spend the money converting gasoline into noise and altitude than it was to watch grass grow and then use the lawn mower and edger to make noise.  Those two tools have seen very little use in the last couple dozen years so I 'spose part of this years spring dance should include a visit to a mower mechanic.  In my opinion, pulling the cord on a piece of machinery without result is right up there with bubblegum on the soles of both shoes.  I don't much like when either happens. 

A week or so ago I decided I'd plant a vegetable garden this year just to see if I'll be able to coax the plants to produce in this climate with it's short growing season.  So, I started cleaning last years debris from the lawn and beds this morning.  By afternoon,  even after filling a hastily constructed compost pit, there were seven large, black trash bags filled to bursting with left overs.  A trip to the nursery department of the local Lumberbox allowed me to pick up a bunch of seeds and starter trays.  The clerks were sort of sneaking quick glances at me as I shopped - I chalked it up to spring fever.

When I got home and read the planting tips on the packets it finally dawned on me that the clerks were not suffering mild cases of trappedinsideitus - they were wondering about my sanity.  I'm not supposed to plant these little gems until late April or early May!  Oh well, I have room to store the stuff in my nice clean garage and meanwhile I'll till, fertilize and play in the dirt until then.  Maybe I'll invite my brother in law over and we can use the seed packets as chips in a poker game.  "I'll see your turnips and raise an arugula."  Sounds like fun to me, but then again, I'm easily amused.

Playing outside in nice weather is something I enjoy.  I've been known to sit outside and vegetate for hours at a time.  It's going to be nice to have a for-real green lawn and colorful flowerbeds in our new place.  I've missed these things for too long.