Over the past 2 days I have spent quite a few hours on my hands and knees in the garden. It seems a constant struggle to hold back the growth of weeds. In the past two months we have seen no measurable rainfall at the farm. We have watch the pastures go dormant and have had to water our vegetable garden, the blueberry bushes, grapes and all of the new trees that were put in this year. But amazingly, the weeds in the garden have flourished. It seems that drought conditions only serve to make the weeds send their roots deeper into the earth....thus making weeding a bit more difficult. Resigned to the work ahead of me, I settle myself down into the straw and begin the tug of war with each dandelion, grass, and clover...not to mention several others that have no name. The work occupies my hands, allowing the rest of my senses to take in the sights and sounds and smells of the garden. As I pull weeds, occasionally my nose is treated to the smell of citronella emanating from some variety of weed. But most of the time I just smell "green". Green is perhaps the only color that has a smell associated with it. I am sure you know what I mean by smelling green. My fingers busily tug, dig, pull, wrestle......finally, the weed's roots give up their hold. The music of the garden is the non-stop chirping of crickets, the quiet droning of the bees, and an occasional call from a crow. I am aware of the sound of a quiet helicopter hovering just over my right shoulder. I look up to see an insect about 2 feet off the ground with black and yellow-tipped wings feverishly beating to keep it airborne. It is a grasshopper's wings that imitate the sound of the helicopter. A couple of feet away I hear the rustling of the broccoli and out scampers a little bunny. Apparently, a family of rabbits has found that inside the garden with its 8 foot fence is a very safe and comfortable place for a burrow. Ah well, with a garden this size, there is enough food for a family of bunnies, too.
Perhaps the most amazing site today was this colorful enormous spider. She had spun her web between two tomato plants...and I must say....not your average Charlotte....
