Grounded

I couldn't go for my exercise walk today because I had a bit of a mishap yesterday.  But since we had a gap between rain storms I took my camera out into the yard instead. 

Ironically, yesterday Facebook reminded me that it was just four years ago on that day that I slipped and fell while out walking and face planted on the blacktop with a well placed piece of gravel that created a bloody lump right in the middle of my forehead. The resultant black eyes were quite dramatic, and it took months for the lump to go away. 

Well, yesterday I got an early start on my floor exercise routine, and then Tom and I went for our walk. So far, so good. At 11:15 I was ready to go work in the yard until 1:00. Boots on, snippers and bin in hand, I started on the driveway, clipping crocosmia and picking up debris. 

Then I moved on to the back yard where Tom was pruning a shrub on the wall. 

Scene of the crime.

We still had some fencing wire on the lawn as raccoon defense and I stepped over the first section but didn't realize there was another hidden in the grass. I tripped and in what seemed like slow motion, descended to the ground, body first,  and motion propelled into another face plant into the grass. My glasses went flying, but remained intact, and my face survived with only a slight bruise from one of the nose pieces. But I apparently torqued my right thigh muscles and my arthritic hip. 

Tom noticed me from his step stool when he heard the "G.. D....t" I expressed from the ground. After letting him know in no uncertain terms that it was time to pick up that damn wire, I got up with a hand up from Tom, collected my glasses, sat for a few minutes and then went back to work. However I was hobbling pretty good by the time we quit for lunch at 1:00. I had to go grocery shopping in the afternoon, so I had Tom go with me so all I had to do was push the cart.

Today I am much better, but it will be a few days before I can set an aerobic pace for 3 plus miles. I might have to work back up to that gradually. 

One of you asked about our raccoon saga. They still come back, and I checked, and we still have live Japanese Beetle grubs that they are after. We will have to wait until the first of March to start another grub eradication campaign.  I don't know what we will do about the raccoons when we try to replant grass. 

 Others of you have made comments about " gardening now?!"  Yes, here in the mild climate of the coastal Pacific Northwest there is always something to do in the garden if you can get out on dry days. There is mulch to spread, beds to dig or clear of debris, or perennials to clip, or shrubs and trees to prune. 

And there is always color and something blooming. 

 The patio pots are dressed for winter, but that geranium still not yet destroyed is a surprise. 

Yesterday we got the beds around the upper lawn clipped and cleaned out.

 We found daffodils emerging, with fat buds. 

 In the secret garden the moss carpet has come back. 

 Rain drops from last night's drenching bejewel branches. 

 We do grow moss well here. 

 Evergreen ferns ring the secret garden. 

 Big fat leaves still linger on the oak leaf hydrangea. 

 Native mahonia (Oregon Grape), sword ferns, and acuba fill in under the fir and maple trees. 

And the native red flowering current buds are teasing us and the hummingbirds as they wait to burst. 

There are more photos, but those can wait for another post. This one is quite long enough.  I have plenty of time on my hands, since I am grounded.