#Gardening is Fun

 It never fails. I’m out there working in my garden on the hottest day of Spring. And I’m working against the clock. Yesterday the temperature soared to 33.3 C. It was stifling hot. I started getting my garden ready. First job was to make the beds for the plants and seeds. That is usually the most gruelling job. I grow my vegetables in raised beds. I’ve done so since I started gardening. Why? I read it in my Gardening book and it works for me.

I was done with that by 1:00 o’clock. Working during that time of day is not too smart, because that’s when it is hottest. I think I spent more time sitting on a lawn chair in the shade of the old spruce tree, gasping for breath and drinking cold water. Well, actually the spruce tree is not even 20 years old, but it is the tree closest to the garden and it does provide nice shade.

While I sat there contemplating life I also wondered why I was torturing myself. I’m talking about killing myself on the hottest day of the year just to have my own vegetables. I can buy all the vegetables I want and need without suffering hot days in the sun and without overtaxed muscles or joints. Then I thought about the tomatoes I’ll be harvesting and the sweet ripe cucumbers I’ll be picking. That’s when I knew why I did it. I remembered the tomatoes we buy in the store. We buy them seldom. I might as well grab a handful of grass, dip it into red food coloring and roll it into a ball. And then eat it. The taste will be the same as eating bought tomatoes. Thinking about those delicious tomatoes and the different lettuce I was growing gave me strength and vigor. And let’s not forget all those wonderful peppers I use to make my own salsa. There is nothing more relaxing and satisfying than picking beans. I won’t talk about the inevitable weeds. They are one of the nuisances along with the mosquitoes a gardener has to face and tolerate. Nothing is ever easy, but when you love doing what you do it isn’t a chore.

After lunch I seeded a couple of rows of Yukon potatoes. This is the first year I’m growing potatoes. Apparently nothing compares to homegrown potatoes. I can already taste them.

It started raining at 4 o’clock. I wasn’t surprised. It happens every year. I’m in the middle of seeding and the weather people decide to make my day miserable. I’m at their mercy. It must be a government conspiracy to make life difficult for us gardeners. These days I blame everything on the government. I just can’t figure out how they know I’m working in the garden. Do they have satellites overhead watching? Am I getting paranoid? Must be a sign of old age. They say gardening is fun, healthy, and it makes you feel good. So why am I so sore and tired today? Another lie we’ve been told by the drug companies so they can sell us those painkillers.  But that’s okay. I will fight on. This garden will be finished eventually. That is a promise. I won’t give up, despite their efforts to stop me...

It’s raining today and the temperature is not comfortable, so I shall relax and plan my next move. And I shall complain and whine a bit. Bare my soul so to speak.

By the way, on Friday when I was shopping for vegetables for the garden I hit my head on a hanging basket. Does that explain why I’m rambling on? Maybe I should sue. Everybody sues somebody these days. Omar AhmedKhadr is being sued for 50 million dollars by the Americans and Khadr sues our government for 60 million dollars. Quite some nerve that guy has. The only ones making money will be the lawyers. Anyone know a good lawyer? One who isn’t too expensive? One who understands the plight of a gardener?