Finding the Buried Treasure.

 It was a glorious day today,

so

I left the confines of the porch

(that is just waiting for the last touch up of paint

before the windows will finally be done.)

I headed up here:

 This is my plant inventory

that needs to be ready for my plant sale in three weeks.

That means this mess needs to be uncovered,

weeded,

sorted,

priced,

and moved down to the yard.

(I will leave out the screaming that should have followed that list.)

 So, I got right to it.

Here is a plant with weeds.

 Yes, there it is, see it?

 I move the weeds away and pull them out.

It may seem funny,

but I actually LOVE this job:

physical work in the warm sun

under the canopy of the walnut tree branches,

finding growth under the blanket of dead leaves that kept them warm through the winter:
the beautiful life God has bound up in a barren-looking stick of a plant,

plants that we carefully helped to grow roots,

or divided from our own plants;

and then potted up in a nice composition of dirt enriched by the cows rotted up "gifts."

(It is useful that the cows benefit us in so many ways.

Nothing seems to go to waste.)

Violet actually helped me a lot with the weeding last year

and she did surprisingly well at not pulling the plants out,

but she had other things to do today.

She's a great worker,

always volunteering and doing things really well.

She loves to help.

But math was her taskmaster today.

(I know she'd rather help than do school.)

Don't worry though;

she got plenty of recess.

The butterfly nets were in great use

although the butterflies are few yet.

This one has escaped the rigors of real school.

I'll give you one guess as to what he has found here.

I'd rake the leaves out,

and he'd be there ready.

Let me tell you,

he found a heap of Big Daddy worms under those leaves!

I did have some help though:

 Tiger keeps me from being too lonely by rubbing against my arms,

and sticking her nose as close to mine as she can.

I finally shooed her away,

telling her to go keep watch for...

 the long lone garter snake who inhabits my plant patch.

He always waits until I am right onto where he is hiding

and then shoots out and away like a flash.

The neighbors for miles around all know when I've come upon him.

My scream echos across the hills in all directions.

So Tiger's job is very important to me.

 When I had to quit to go tend the baby when she woke from the nap

(what did women do before baby monitors?)

I felt a relief at how much progress was actually made.

Another day or two and things will be fixed up pretty well up here
(It is possible, right?
Please, hope with me on this big expectation).

Then I can start the pricing.

See you tomorrow,

little patch of work.

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