A Warm Sunny Day

1) John Deere
2) Kevin & Keri
3) Mark & Trudy
4) Janet
5) Lee
6) Firkin Friday

I was awake when Mindy rose to begin her day. I remained in bed as long as I could but the noise generate by the shower and her milling around proved to great. I am not used to lying there listening to someone else get ready. That is typically Mindy’s role.

I got up & started my day like any other. After all, I didn’t burn a personal day to sleep. I burnt it to enjoy the fabulous weather and to make a large dent in spring yard work. My exercises were done and Ykraps walked before 6:40am. I was on track. I didn’t bother with food prep, although in hind sight I probably should have made Mindy some food. I helped get everyone out the door then spent a few minutes toying on the internet. Before the clock struck 8am I was out on the running trail. There wasn’t a cloud in sight but the morning air was very chilly. It was only 42 degrees. But given that it’s mid-April, the high sun quickly heated things up. I ran along Trabue and Hague today. It was a very good run. I was back home right at 8:30am.

Needing some energy, I made myself a bacon and cheese on rye smothered in mayo. I changed into my yard garb and began my yard. I figured it an aggressive goal to edge around all the flower beds. I started in the back and methodically worked myself around the deck & then around the trees and other rear yard beds. Edging, itself doesn’t take all that long, but picking up the scraps and grooming the beds does. For that task I fetched the John Deere & trailer. I filled the trailer with the edgings and spent mulch leaving the beds ready to accept a fresh layer of ComTil & mulch. Just before noon I finished the rear beds and moved around front. I repeated the process there and the moved to the side beds.

For some reason our English ivy’s been ravaged. I figure the sudden cold snap in late January/early February coupled with the three week blanket of snow did it in. It’ll snap back but it’ll look a hideous for a while. I worked out front until 4pm. I got way more accomplished than I had hoped – no distractions. When it was all said and done, I filled the trailer five times with yard debris reminding how thankful I am to have the Compost area out back. There remains much to do but I made a big dent today.

I couldn’t have asked for better weather. The sky was crystal clear and the temperature flirted with 70. Plain and simple, it was a wonderful spring day. What’s even better, the weekend forecast calls for more of the same only warmer through Sunday. That works for me!

Mindy and the kids rolled down the street around 4:15pm. I was just about ready to hang it up about that time. My body was achy from all the shoveling, scooping, and raking. I gave the kids tractor rides just before putting it away. They loved it!. It was now after 5pm and Jimaken was here to pick-up the kids. They departed by 5:20pm. Mindy and I spent the next hour relaxing on the deck. We talked about our busy weekend plans among other things. We readied ourselves for an evening at Barley’s at 6:30pm. We chose to drive the BM’er since the evening was so pretty even though we knew we’d need the heater on the way home. After all, it was expected to be in the upper 30’s later.

Barley’s wasn’t too crowded at all, although the lot was packed. There must have been a crowd in the back half which I rarely frequent. I went inside to the bar. Mindy strolled over to chat with Mark, Dan, and Greg who were sitting on the patio. Noticeably missing were Bob & Mary Ann, Courtney & Jeremy. In fact, there weren’t too many familiar faces inside. But that changed quickly. Soon, Steve arrived. And it wasn’t long after that Keri & Kevin showed up, as did Mark’s girl friend, Trudy, who Mindy has taken quite a liking to. Mark & Trudy aired an issue that’s been giving them so problems. Mindy, being in her ‘Dr Phil’ mood, counseled the two of them for a greater part of the evening. Sometimes people just need to have a somewhat unbiased ear hear their issues openly.

We ate our dinner and had a couple cold ones. I tried the new Hoptopus. It was very good. Before leaving for home I ordered a to-go jug of the Double Dog Dare IPA. We drove home with the top down, never giving thought to breaking the golden rule. Mindy went to bed almost as soon as we arrived home. I poured about a half glass of my DDD IPA and did some reading on the internet. I found my own way to bed about twenty minutes later.