Planting

We planted two more trees over the weekend: a nectarine and a peach tree. Those two both grow well in our area. In fact, many of the houses in this county were planted on land that belonged to peach orchards just 50 years ago. Tim and I decided we needed a peach or nectarine to round out our collection. The only other fruit tree missing would be a sweet cherry tree (we have the sour variety). However, thinking about our friends the maggots, Tim and I decided to go with two from the peach family instead. So they are planted. We now have two more skinny sticks reaching six feet into the sky toward heaven.

In April, we love our fruit trees. We watch them tenderly, and exclaim over every new bud and blossom. Last October, I was so sick of our yard I couldn't stand to look at it. I had been picking and processing fruit in my spare time since July. That's four months of fruit production. Eight trees (only counting those that produced last year). And just three of us. It was exhausting. We gave up and let a lot of it rot on the trees. But by January, that plum fruit leather processed in September was sooo good.... We have decided to spend every minute of free time this upcoming September making more. It's easy enough to say that in April.

I also planted rocks this weekend. That is, I'm putting together a nice path through our own little orchard. Since we have buckets of pale gray rocks dug up from some construction work 1.5 years ago, it seems reasonable to put them to decorative use. So I've been digging little holes for them, and planting them gently into the ground, where they can settle in and grow some roots. Maybe in a few months I will also plant some Pictures! here on this blog. But not now. I'm in a verbal kind of mood.

Today my shoulders ache. It could be because of all that planting yesterday. It also could be because I did 35 push ups yesterday. Did you hear that? I'd better say it again. I did 35 push ups yesterday. OK, so they were the wimpy variety where I bent my knees under me. And I rolled away crying when I was done. But I finished. And I did 135 crunches, in sets of 15. This is because a week ago, I decided I wanted my 23 year old body back. I think the 23 year old body is hiding somewhere inside this 33 year old one. My thought is to torture both bodies with push-ups and sit-ups, and especially lunges, until the younger one cries uncle and comes out from hiding. Maybe sometime mid-June. That would be good timing, as we have some family pictures scheduled then. Anyway, maybe I'll let you know how that goes, too, and whether those muscles I am planting actually grow to fruition. In case I forget, ask me about it in June.