March 28 – “Buried Treasure?”

So the actual fence workers, Nathan and John, were both on shift at the fire station yesterday.  That meant we were on our own at any yard work back there.  So we attacked it with fervor. 

First we dug up a huge batch of lilies.  Some will be relocated to a new flower bed Chris has envisioned.  The others will find new homes.  In fact, how would you like some lilies?  See Chris …

While digging up the lilies, we uncovered a broken off portion of the original gate to the backyard.  I mean original.  The one we just tore down was added when they built the addition to the back of the house.  That was all done when we moved in 24 years ago.  “Buried treasure,” for sure.  I had to dig all around it about three and a half feet before it loosened enough under the stress of my kicking for me to pull it out.  And I may not have been strong enough to do that, except the top third or so broke off with one of the kicks.  I did uncover some treasure.  A pretty little blue marble.  Priceless, no doubt.

After lunch I started tearing out the back chain link fence.  That’s some tedious work.  And it’s the home of the famous wisteria vine.  At one point I was trying to save one of the heartier looking branches.  Chris was even helping me pinpoint where to trim off extraneous branches and portions of fence.  After a long period of that “tedious work” I mentioned, Chris carried a segment of fence to the garbage.  I trimmed off some more extraneous branches so I could better see where we were.  Yep.  I hit the wrong branch.  Cut off the very one we had been working so hard to save.  Chris said she didn’t hear my cry of “aaaaarrrrrgggh,” but it was definitely emitted.  She did accuse me of doing it on purpose, but after all that work, I think she realized that an elderly gentleman in my precarious condition (read here “old and tired and somewhat cranky”) wouldn’t have wasted all that time.  She disappeared briefly and returned with a fresh bottle of water for me to drown my sorrows.  Very nice lady, that wife of mine.

I’m pretty sure the previous owners of the house were concerned about dogs or other critters burrowing either into or out of the yard.  Everywhere I dug to get at fence bottom, I ran into either a double stack of bricks or a brick-wide, buried strip of concrete.  I will say kudos to the person who created the wire-cutting tool I had access to.  Big ol’ bolt cutters is more like it.  The fence would not have come down without it.  So how much did I get done?  Well, I completed a section on each end, working my way toward the center.  The center.  That would be the location of the wisteria mother ship.  Staying away from that for as long as possible …

Matthew 6:6 says, “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your father, who is unseen.  Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

Father, be with the guys as they work on the fence today.  Keep them safe.  Amen.