Saturday afternoon, sunshine and clouds dance shyly in the summer sky, negotiating rain. I mow the grass and cut some weeds. I cut dead branches from our Japanese maple that seems to be suffering from some kind of virus, though most of its branches are lush with greenish-red leaves that shimmer with caught sunlight.
The grass is a little damp, the mower more difficult to push. When I am done, after several breaks that leave me feeling disappointed in my stamina, I come inside. I smell of cut grass, sweat, earth, mixed with the slightest whiff of lawnmower exhaust. Sitting with a bottle of water I down in a few thirsty gulps, I rest.
And I am happy.
(I wrote this post yesterday, and I planned to post it last night, but I couldn't get to the website.)
Copyright 2010 Melissa LaFavers