A Good Morning's Work!

 This morning I woke up pretty early.  This was a surprise since I originally awoke at 11:30 last night and was awake until 2:30 AM.  I did accomplish a lot while up those three hours but still, no sleep.

So there is supposed to be a substantial amount of rain over the next few days, starting today.  Those pricker vines in front of the house have been staring me down for a long time...since last fall.  Now they all have blossoms, which makes them kind of pretty BUT makes me worry that they are hoping to continue propagating like crazy.  Last night while awake I was thinking about what to do this morning and decided I really HAD to get out there and pull up those miserable little guys before the rain.  Of course, after the rain it might be pretty easy to pull them as well.

Shortly after seven I went outside with headphones and iphone and a book in the Michael Vey series to keep me working.  I don't know about you but when I have a job to do that is not my favorite or for which I need a little encouragement, I put on the current audio book, or sometimes sessions of General Conference, and listen away as my hands are working. (And speaking of hands: the only reason I am really out working this job is that we acquired some fabulous heavy thick leather gloves that protect our hands from the prickers.)

These gloves make all the difference between working and not working!

A few times over the next hour-plus ( and that is NOT normal for me...I usually can only keep up the good work for fifteen or twenty minutes.  Sad, but true.) I dealt with dizziness and almost pitched headfirst into those miserable prickers, but did just manage to avoid that fate.  In the end I had stuffed many many vines into the black trash barrel we use for plant refuse.  Surprisingly, the city plant-picker-upper truck came by while I was out there.  If you don't have yard waste out the night before pick up day, you will be too late!  This batch of plants will wait until next week.

Here is some of the results of my labors this morning...

One other result of the job was this wound...fairly deep but I am sure it will heal up just fine. Pretty sure...

That is all the report for today.  I feel pretty good about that project...and even though there is more to do there by the holly tree, a large part of weeding in front of the house is done.  For now!  I am not so silly as to think those guys are gone forever though that would be ever so nice.

The side of the house has a huge infestation.  Perhaps later on today, if it is not raining too much, or tomorrow afternoon, I can get to those guys.  Once our very kind neighbor said she wanted her yard men to help us along that side of the house.  Yikes!  We did not realize how bad it looked.  Or how generous she truly is.

Now on to the next, which today is the wonderful "Handwork Chat Group" we have here at the house every Friday morning.  It is so wonderful to meet with others who like to keep their hands busy while chatting up a storm!  Recently we have had some new young knitters join us.  They are knitting their first hats. I think today they are ready for decreasing the crowns and finishing off.  They have been doing such good work and have bought into the idea that if they don't like it, they rip out their work and start again.  It is better the second, or third, time!