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Surprise! I expected to be shut in all day yesterday by the wind and rain that nearly kept me home Friday night. But surprise! I managed to work up a sweat in the garden while removing an unsightly dead shrub at the entrance to the yard. Now the first thing you see when you walk through the fence opening isn't a mass of dead branches, with weeds growing up through them as if taking full advantage of my neglect.
The scratches all over my arms will prove that I didn't feel it necessary to wear long sleeves while working. Next time I'll know better, but you have to suffer to learn these lessons, especially when you're your own teacher. And yes, I did put something on it. Those screams you heard were the Lanacane hitting the exposed nerves; the scratches were that deep. (No, not really.)
This is what too much Ground Force will do to a person. They take an area the size of my garden or even larger, and in two days they can make it into a showcase. Not just that, but a useful showcase, where there are places to walk and sit and watch the birds.
It's going to take me somewhat longer than two days, but then I don't have the resources they have. I don't have their money, or their team, or their tools and equipment. I don't have one percent of their knowledge, but I'm learning. The first lesson I've learned is that all change is good. I can't quite apply that to the rest of my life, but I have nothing to lose when I use the philosophy outside.
The hardest part was getting the roots out, because I had to work around other plants without damaging them. But the ground was soft from the previous night's rain and eventually, with much strain and a little earthy language, I got the job done. And believe me, that was enough of an accomplishment for one Saturday. I rewarded myself with a nice nap. | 
