Another mild day with a high of only 81. I was comfortable even without the air conditioner or a fan.
Today was a day to gather stones, in Gerry’s honor and memory. The side of the driveway is still fertile ground for large stones, perhaps castoffs when Gerry was building the fireplace and side porches. I found a magnificent anchor stone for the back yard, on the order of forty or fifty pounds. Muscling that stone to the back yard was a mighty and memorable work.
I was also looking for filler stones to surround the feeding trough when it is sunk and planted with the herb garden. The ideal is hand sized stones, relatively smooth and flat. The nearly dry bed of the fire prevention pond was a perfect source. I hauled my bucket of stones up the hill and into the back yard and was demoralized to see how small it was in comparison to the space to be filled. Perhaps a metaphor for life. There will be many more excursions for filler stones.
I cleared the areas for the rain barrels to be installed. Filler stones are a natural product of digging up the ground. I was also pleased that the feeding trough stifles any green growth beneath it. The area around the trough is, however, infested with Bermuda grass that will need to be removed, poisoned and cursed before the stones can be laid.
Crape myrtles are supposed to thrive on infrequent and deep watering. The two oleanders and the crape myrtle at the far end of the back yard received special love today.
A Year at the Snake 