Dear Reader,
It is good to be back. I did not do very much in terms of baking this week, but it has been very productive in terms of yard work. I did not think to take before and after photos the first two days I pulled weeds from around the yard, but I did take photos after 4.5 hours of work, and again after 3 hours of work. So far, in total, I have spent 7.5 hours working on my yard (including the garden) and Dad and I have filled the truck bed 4 times and taken the weeds to the local “dump” which is really more of a composting location. The only thing you can take there is plant matter, with the exception of puncture vine (goatheads). No one wants those.
They pile all the yard waste up, and as it decomposes, they move it around and add water, and then you can buy the finished compost, steaming still, for a really reasonable price. I think counted five piles going today, each in a different stage of decomposition. They alsot take logs and bigger pieces of wood and cut them up and stack them to be sold as firewood or turned into landscaping materials for the city.
I am so grateful Shelob’s descendants do not grow to LOTRO sizes in real life. I have encountered so many of them, and watching them scurry off as I pulled the weeds they had hidden in was oddly gratifying. I did not kill them outright, as I know they do a lot of good work keeping pests down in my yard and garden, but I did destroy their webs and hiding spots. I encountered many mantises as well, and moved those to the garden and to my forsythia and rose bushes.
In the photos, you’ll notice there are still weeds behind the shed because I encountered an active wasp nest early this morning. I squeaked, jumped back, then ran inside and called my dad for backup. When my heart rate slowed, I went out to pull weeds along the dog run and west fenceline. Dad examined the nest I found, and thinks if I spray it tonight, I should be able to get the rest of the weeds behind the shed either tomorrow or Monday. I also need to pull weeds in the front yard, but expect to only fill one more truck bed full.
This week’s photos are mostly me bragging on my yard work. I am really proud of my work! With some photos of the corn and other garden plants. Enjoy!
Sincerely,
Cyndars
8/6/26 dog run
8/7/26 dog run
8/6/26 west fenceline
8/7/26 west fenceline
8/6/26 power box side
8/7/26 power box side
8/6/26 shed
8/7/26 shed
corn
tomatoes
lemon balm and nasturtiums
more nasturtiums
Scarlett runner beans