Yard Work...Just Another Spring Chore...

Here in Central Maine, Spring is definitely in the air. Although there was still a bit of a cool breeze today, the sun was warm and bright. Unfortunately, it is also mud season. And we all know what that means... MUD-and lots of it!

My front lawn currently has FOUR Toyotas on it. Hubby's Toyota Project (as in restoring and fixing 90's models Toyota trucks and sending them to Guatemala) is still going strong. When I got home at lunch today, there he was... changing a brake line in a 4-Runner.

I feel I am destined to have a front lawn full of ruts and mud. No Spring flowers on my front lawn...sigh. Guess I will just have to admire the neighbor's crocuses that are peering through the dirt and in a few short weeks will be blooming all over the place. Any blooming done on my front lawn will consist of a few sparse blades of grass and perhaps a dandelion scattered amongst the discarded mufflers, radiators and bumpers. (The local scrap metal hauler loves my husband, and with good reason)

Yesterday I decided to check out the back yard where the swing set is, and find out that my son has chopped away one of my lilac bushes with a machete because there were a few dead branches on it. Not to mention that the new tenants (the apartment buildings are thisclose to each other in my neck of the woods) have been using my back yard as their personal ashtray all winter. There are literally HUNDREDS of scattered cigarette butts and other trash they have thrown out two of their windows as they sit upstairs and smoke and drink. The worse part is that they are all near the swing set and in the garden as well. After seeing that, I can tell you that their landlord got a call pretty quickly. And I noticed that their windows were shut today, so hopefully they have taken to using an ashtray in their own house... or at least tossing the ciggies out the other side of the house, into their OWN driveway for a change. But in the meantime, that leaves hundreds of butts for us to clean up as we get the yard ready for Spring and garden season.

At times, I so wish I lived at least 10 acres away from the nearest neighbor. Plenty of place to garden, run, and let the kids play. And not having to listen to the neighbors partying as I sit on either the front OR back porch.... nor having to smell the wafting herb as they pass the peace pipe around while chugging their 40's. That being said, I COULD have had a nice house, with a big yard. But with it came a BIG price. This was before the mortgage crisis we have today-but for some reason, I wanted a mortgage that was affordable. One that I could live with, that was cheaper than renting, and one income could pay for if need be. Unfortunately, we got an OK house in a rough neighborhood. Not the best, but affordable. And there ARE some positives: a couple of nice neighbors, and the fact that I can walk to the social services agency where I work if I have to.

My layoff is next Friday, and I am anxious to get out into the Spring air and start working on the yard. Visions of chile peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers fill my thoughts as I envision myself going out into the back yard to pick my own veggies :)Unfortunately no pics yet... I still can't find the darn USB cord and the cat isn't telling me where he dragged it to! Happy Spring everyone!