Dancing in the Woods

(Just rambling about my afternoon, because I over did it and re-twisted my ankle that I injured dancing at Inlet Harbor in Daytona a couple weeks ago - I need to baby it again)...

I spent a good part of the afternoon working outside today. A delicious 60 degrees (mmmmm!). This is the second year of helping God make dirt - the compost piles I've nurtured and turned are in different stages of composting, with the larger limbs and twigs set aside for our fire pit, and to help burn some of the excess leaves. I dug so easily into the soil - waking up big fat worms and oh, did it smell sweet!. By the 5th wheel barrel, the soil was just as good, but I was getting weak... I took frequent breaks between loads, sitting at the fire pit to enjoy the cheerful calls of spring bound birds, including a bright redheaded woodpecker. A neighbor cat came to show off how well he could roll in the leaves, and I also walked down to the creek twice, once with AJ kitty, and another with Big G, where they lapped up water that is trickling, thanks to our recent and needed rain. The dirt loads were put into one of the back yard beds I'm trying to get healthier. The hard red clay is quite a bit of work to turn, but little by little I'm seeing the fruits of my labor.

Michael got started on the pond and waterfall, and I am so excited about it. Last weekend I was busy inside, and he called me out and I was astonished...He hooked the hose up, flowing through a temporary fall, and the sound of the trickle was sooooooooo beautiful! I was speechless - with the drought, we have more time to work on it, and it's not going to start out as big as originally planned, but with time and effort I know it's going to be yet another sanctuary for me.

Ugh - I was going to write about my mother's influence on my love for gardening and my father's influence on being out in the great outdoors. I think I'll wait for now - my whole body is beginning to complain about my workout and I have to save enough energy to make dinner (Hot and Sour Soup with Tofu - especially for Michael because he's been fighting a cold all week).