Cockeyed Optimist

Carried away on a wave of enthusiasm what with the warm weather and the anticipation of more mowing, I did something I rarely-to-never do.  Instead of putting the tractor back under cover in the shed when I finished, I left it out by the front walk the other day.  I had also left bags of feed in the truck instead of putting them inside the shed.  Nature has a wicked sense of humor and she must have gotten a big laugh when she sent rain, a good, steady rain, yesterday and watched me race out in the early morning to put the tractor away and haul wet, heavy bags.  I never saw it coming.  Bessie Anne and I had gone for walkies the night before and I noted that even a fingernail sliver of a moon was bright enough to cast shadows.  There hadn't been a cloud in the sky.  I usually tilt the tractor seat forward when I'm finished (to break connection with the battery terminals) and I hadn't done that either, so the seat of my bibbies was soaked when I went down to milk.  If the Old Girl meant to teach me an object lesson, it left a lasting impression.

The rain finally let up in the afternoon.  Unable to mow the wet grasses, I took advantage of the softened earth to finish hand weeding the front walkway, nibbling away at what seems (is!) a daunting job if viewed as a whole.  Everywhere I look there are weeds up to my knees.

At sundown I could see rain being wrung from the last of the clouds that had drifted away from our area and out over the valley.

The day before I had potted red, yellow, and orange cherry tomato plants for the deck, and they definitely were watered in.  This crazy weather has been beneficial to the strawberry plants; this year they are bigger and better than they've ever been and I've already had two berries, beating the birds for once.  I brought the plants with me when we moved here, so they've survived over fifteen years and continue to sprout more.  They get "E" for effort, for sure.

It's bright and sunny this morning and I'm optimistic the yards will dry by this afternoon and I'll get more mowing done.  Unless Nature is playing another trick on me.