Bottoms Up in the Garden

Yesterday found me back by the woods. Joe was in town and I decided to do some gardening. The day before, I noticed that a Sumac tree along the border was hanging way out and almost touching the ground. The guy who mows, for us has to go around it and I end up having to trim where he misses the tall grass. We have several of these in the woods...they grow in kind of a colony, sometimes along the road and railways. This one, I can do without. It shades part of the border where I want sun. I wiggled the small tree...the trunk was loose in the ground. It looked like it could be pulled out easily. I was back there with just a trowel and a pair of clippers. Didn't want to walk back to the house, so I started to loosen the tree by bending the whole thing back and forth...then side to side. It was getting looser, so I started moving it more in a circular motion. If you can picture this...here is an older woman rotating this tree back and forth. I must have looked like a character. I heard a little, "What are you doing?" from behind the fence. It was Bryce, who was pulling weeds around the pond. I was struggling as I told him that I wanted to pull this thing out of the ground. He said, "Oh." and went back to his work. I really got going and was pushing the tree toward the woods and then back toward the house. I gave it one hard push and it went "SNAP!" I tumbled, with the tree into the woods. There I was in a position like I was trying to touch my toes.....bottoms up :) (hey, I'm 73 and can still touch my toes!) I let a naughty word slip and then began laughing at myself, when Bryce popped up again. "Do you want some help?" he said. He hopped over the fence and we started the process of winding what was left of the trunk around and around and back and forth. Finally, not getting anywhere...just getting exhausted...I suggested that he try to do what I had earlier. He gave it one great push toward the woods and "SNAP!" went the rest of the tree. We laughed, as I picked up the branches and put them in my wheelbarrow. Bryce went back to his weeding and I headed for the house...Mission accomplished.

Balisha Whew!