Tidying Up Using Sharp Instruments of Destruction

Despite predictions of a dry spring this year, we have been seeing lots of clouds and rain.

Between Monday and yesterday, we got nearly an inch of rain! This is very different than this time last year and we are grateful!

Here are some clouds spilling over the Sandia Mountains yesterday morning. Beautiful! And wet...







...which means that between the weather and final exams, papers, and presentations, I have not gotten out to the garden.

But today was a perfect day, finally. All finals, papers and presentations are complete. Last night, the moon was "a ghostly galleon" among the diminishing clouds. And this morning dawned fair and dewy. Dew. Or "tal" in Hebrew.
I have not seen dew in New Mexico in years! There was none up here last spring, and before that we lived in the high desert.




"Today," I told N. at breakfast, "I am working to tidy up the garden areas."

"And plant?" he asked eagerly.

"Don't be hasty. There is a lot of work to do before we can plant. And anyway, the danger of frost has not passed until around Mother's Day. I'll be tidying up," I explained.

"Does that involve sharp instruments of destruction?"

"Yep," I replied.

"I'm there!" N. exclaimed.

Here he is, using the long-handled clippers to cut back a purple sage bush. They look really nice against adobe, but oh, Lord, they are weeds! They spread all over the place and have to be cut severely back and thinned in the spring. I probably should've done this in March--but with cleaning for Pesach, gardening has to wait.


I am always amazed at the industry shown by young men if they are given "sharp instruments of destruction!"

Here is the purple sage bush after N. went at it.
While I did the dooryard garden area, he not only got the bush trimmed, but also raked the rocks clear of most of the twigs. And he also started on the Aspen suckers.

I don't why the former owners planted Aspen--they are largest living plant on earth. When you see a stand of Aspen, you are really seeing one organism. The damn things clone like mad, forming stands a hundred yards wide sometimes. Bruce is eventually going to take the Aspen out, but until he does, we do sucker control.

But back to the point. In two hours, we got four hours worth of work done--all because N. wanted to work with "Sharp instruments of destruction."

Can a woman really every understand the male of the species?