Weed-Slayer (....too ferocious?)

This week I am groundskeeper at Patch of Paradise (aka home).  Spring is both wonderful and back-breaking.  Today I tackled weeds.....(they got the best of me)....some days I wish for napalm (not really...I'm not actually that desperate)....well maybe.

Years ago Cowboy made a wagon wheel bench for me.  We cleared a little fence row and some of the woods to the east of our house and put together a peaceful park-like setting.  The wagon wheel bench nestled at the edge of the back yard became one of the focal points .  We made a grass walking path behind the bench surrounded by newly planted pine trees and the trees of the existing woods.  I planted daffodil, tall flocks, lily of the valley, hosta, hibiscus,  holly bushes and  boxwood bushes.  We artistically placed a little concrete bench and urn in one area of the "park"; we hung an inviting hammock between 2 trees;  we added a little bird feeder;  we spread tons and tons of mulch.  We worked our tails off.  And it was beautiful.  (*Was* being the operative word in this tale)  I would show you pictures...but I'm too ashamed.  Wait!  I have a picture of the bird feeder.....

We painted it to look like copper patina...thistles hadn't come up yet....
so it looks pretty, don't you agree?

I'm ashamed to admit that my lovely park looks like ....  well, it's been overrun by thistle and ...well mostly thistle.  I can't believe it!  I can't roundup...I'll kill all the flowers.  I've got to pull 47.5 million thistle plants tomorrow...before they go to seed.  {frown}

On a brighter note:  Here are some of today's highlights:

I picked a bouquet of lily of the valley (up there at the top of My Favorite Flowers of All Time list) ... my house now smells heavenly!

Lovely lily of the valley

14 four-leaf clovers

and I found 14 four-leaf clovers today...I'm lucky like that.  

Four-leaf clover bouquet

A friend said that it's better to be lucky than good.  I'll have to ponder that one....

A tiny egg (the one on the right...duh!)  Should I worry?

When I gathered eggs, I found this teeny egg in one of the nesting boxes...I put it next to a regular-sized one so you'll see what I mean.  I don't know whether to be concerned or just marvel.










And when I went to put the chickens to bed, 2 mocking birds were in the pasture singing the greatest bird hits of all time including all the one-hit wonders...{but not in unison...which would have been awesome}....

So...that's the record of the better part of my day....I'm going to get some shut-eye.  I've got a big day ahead of me.   While I'm getting crazy on weeds tomorrow (and sweating and crying), Cowboy will be de-worming the cattle and weighing calves.  I wanna to do that!