Sunday, April 15, 2007
Opening the pool can't be far off
Spring means its time to open the pool. Because I have a lot of trees in my yard, there are bushels of leaves and all kinds of sticks in the water on the top of my pool cover. Our 12-year-old neighbor even told me today that there is a dead animal in there too. He said it was a rat; I'm guessing it is a squirrel. I hooked up a pump and hose, plugged it to an extension cord, and made sure the hose-water isn't washing out the side of the hill. So start the summer jobs of yardwork.
Not that I mind - I actually look forward to being outside more and doing physical work. It gets somewhat exciting that I am soon going to plant seeds, buy annuals, and spread a little mulch. Ray mulched for me last spring, and I am not going to re-do everywhere this year. I have bought a few seeds: carrot, basil, spinach, arugula. These are for my raised beds, but since we still had SNOW this morning, I don't think it is quite time. There are blooming dandelions, though, so it is getting close to time to spray Round-up. I think there is some comparison about lilac blooms and when to plant, but I have to see exactly what that time is supposed to mark.
A couple weeks ago there were daffodils opening, hyacinths, and I even saw a redbud turning, uh, purple. Then the freeze hit and temps fell to below freezing for several days. It looked like all the flowers were ruined! But, as April will, it got warmer, warm enough for later daffodils to still turn yellow, stand up and shout: It's SPRING! Now, even though we got snow today, and I don't know when we've had it this late, the day turned warmer and I even got to push Arya around in a stroller. Around 5:00 it wasn't a bad time to do that little job around the pool (but then I couldn't find the dead animal) and roll out the trash cans for my house and for Dad.
It's all enough to point to a wonderful change of seasons (sounds like a song!). Come Spring!
Not that I mind - I actually look forward to being outside more and doing physical work. It gets somewhat exciting that I am soon going to plant seeds, buy annuals, and spread a little mulch. Ray mulched for me last spring, and I am not going to re-do everywhere this year. I have bought a few seeds: carrot, basil, spinach, arugula. These are for my raised beds, but since we still had SNOW this morning, I don't think it is quite time. There are blooming dandelions, though, so it is getting close to time to spray Round-up. I think there is some comparison about lilac blooms and when to plant, but I have to see exactly what that time is supposed to mark.
A couple weeks ago there were daffodils opening, hyacinths, and I even saw a redbud turning, uh, purple. Then the freeze hit and temps fell to below freezing for several days. It looked like all the flowers were ruined! But, as April will, it got warmer, warm enough for later daffodils to still turn yellow, stand up and shout: It's SPRING! Now, even though we got snow today, and I don't know when we've had it this late, the day turned warmer and I even got to push Arya around in a stroller. Around 5:00 it wasn't a bad time to do that little job around the pool (but then I couldn't find the dead animal) and roll out the trash cans for my house and for Dad.
It's all enough to point to a wonderful change of seasons (sounds like a song!). Come Spring!
# posted by Carol @ 4/15/2007 10:24:00 PM 
