Winter Storm Cleanup

Collin and I have spent the last three weeks cleaning yards on Saturdays after the massive ice storm that pounded our area. We cleaned our yard and helped our neighbor just up the hill on the first Saturday. We cleaned Mom and Dad's yard the following Monday, and then spent the last two Saturday's helping Collin's parents clean and get rid of limbs and debris. I've hauled and drug tree limbs until I should have the muscles of Superman. I've raked giblets of leaves, pine, and tiny sticks such that I wore a blister on my thumb through my work gloves. I've bent over and loaded tons of piles into my wheel barrow until my back has almost stuck in the bent over position. We've had burn piles so high that it is a wonder that some concerned neighbor has not called in a fire alarm. Bryan worked all day with us on two of those Saturdays.

I think if we wanted to earn vacation money, we could hire out every Saturday from now until May. The first Saturday we headed to Brookland, Collin had our truck bed loaded down with chain saws, rakes, yard brooms, wheel barrows, gas jugs, etc. As he was securing everything down, he made mention that we would look gypsies driving down the bypass. I laughed and said, "If you'd put our phone number in the window, someone would probably try to hire us." We stopped at Sam's to buy gas and wouldn't you know it. The attendant came running over and excitedly asked, "Do you folks clean yards? I'm looking for someone to clean mine up." I chuckled to myself and thought, "I guess I was right. I should make a sign, Elder Lawn and Tree Cleaning."


Now all this yard work has brought a few things to my mind. First of all, all these leisurely Saturdays that I had expected to have in January and February have kind of gone by the wayside. You'll remember from an earlier post that I was looking forward to some peaceful weekends with maybe a few road trips. Wrong! And by the way, just how many women do you know that spend Valentine's Day with their sweetheart hauling wood? I had envisioned and had begun planning a Saturday in Memphis with a little shopping and a wonderful dinner at a nice restaurant. Wrong!

In all fairness, I must tell you that Collin did bring home a Valentine balloon Friday afternoon and we went to Shorty Small's for dinner that evening. It helped to soften the blow of my thwarted plans from prior days of traveling to Memphis. I somehow doubt that either of us would have felt like eating out on Saturday night.


Secondly, all this exercise which results in aching muscles and back pain reminds me that I'm not as young as I used to be. I know that somewhere in this old body, there is a trapped 18 year-old just dying to get out. Thank goodness for a jacuzzi and lots of hot water. I always feel better after a long soak at the end of the day. It would warm me up as well. Some of those Saturdays were cold and I had to really bundle up. Mamaw fixed a big crock pot of vegetable soup one of those days, and did it ever hit the spot.


Lastly, in spite of all the work we've done, there is more. Collin finally began cutting down the tree that is leaning over our shop and alas, yet another mess to clean up. Spring time with its rains and thunder storms await just around the corner and no doubt, more limbs will come tumbling down. Oh how I love being outside working in the yard, but could we just concentrate on flowers a little while rather than tree limbs.
Marcia