Too much of a good thing

After a week of chilly gloom, we had a hot, muggy weekend. The temperatures soared from the high 50's into the 90's. With a youthful enthusiasm that turned out to be slightly misplaced I went out into the garden on Saturday to try and manage the encroachments of weeds into my little patch. I managed a couple of hours and then sensibly went back to the house and found slightly cooler pursuits.

Sunday however was a different story. There is something compelling about weeds. They are the potato chips of gardening. You figure you'll pull up a couple and the next thing you know, you are making your 8th trip to the compost heap with a bucket of uprooted weeds.

I had gone out at around 10:00 figuring I would put in a hour and then go to the museum or find some other air conditioned activity to pursue. Bend over, yank up weed, rinse and repeat. All the while a slow hose running in the beds.

Finally as I was sitting in my arbor taking a brief rest when one of my neighbors came trundling by with a wheelbarrow. "Your garden is looking good!", he said, letting himself walking into the garden. "Budge over.", he said. "There has to be enough room on this seat for 2 asses."
Briefly surveying my little piece of Eden he commented on the view. "I've never seen your garden from this angle. No wonder you love this plot."







I had to agree. I love my garden. I get to look out over the gardens and the park and the skyline beyond.

However, I have been reminded that there is such a thing as too much love. After Iory left, I looked at my watch. It was 2:00.

Yesterday morning I woke up feeling like crap. Too much sun. Fortunately, I had had the foresight to slather on a lot of SPF 15 all weekend, so I didn't have a sunburn on top of what I am guessing was a case of heat exhaustion. I called in sick and spent the day pretty much on the sofa feeling like crap.

Today I dragged myself out of bed. Blew off the gym and made my way to the office through the fug of air pollution that is currently hanging over the city. Summer is here, someone turned the heat up and everything is moving at a much slower pace. That said, I will take it over winter, heat exhaustion and all. Besides, I've got a pretty good tan now.