Unique smiley

Is it just me or did life all of sudden become busy??  My to-do list is so long that I almost feel paralyzed by it.  Procrastination is tempting, and seems easier than prioritizing.

Aging mushroom. (The giant shrinks.)

In reality and in the long run, procrastination is never the easy way to go.  It leads me to doing busy-work or starting a new and complicated project.  Ultimately, it is stressful and more work than the work I was putting off.

Ground lights

I sat down this morning and made a list in an attempt to prioritize things.  In the end I decided that the outdoor work has to come first.  The weather is much too beautiful for me to be spending my days indoors, and this exquisite weather will not last forever.

Today's view of the pond.

See what I mean?  Look how amazingly beautiful it is outside.  Who would want to be indoors on a day like today?  Certainly  not me.  I bet you wouldn’t, either.

On the road. Processed in Picnik using the 1960s treatment.

We had dinner with M the Younger and his wife last night.  Merdi and I went out shopping first, looking for fabric to make some Roman shades for the sun porch.  The talented Merdi is going to make them for me.  I didn’t realize shopping for fabric would be so difficult.  I did find something I love, but it was (naturally) one of the most expensive fabrics in the store.  Buying enough of that would defeat the whole purpose of having my daughter-in-law make the shades for us rather than purchase them.  But, oh, it was cute and beautiful, making everything else pale by comparison.

On the road II. (Without the 1960s treatment.)

I did bring home some swatches.  I’ll have a good look at them and will eventually be happy enough to settle for one of them.  Or I’ll keep looking.  There is no rush.  We won’t need them until next summer since cooler weather means no need to block the sunlight.

Today’s outdoor work was a continuation of yesterday’s garden clean-up.  While I’ve been busy with that, M has been repainting the side of the house that gets blasted by the wind.  M the Younger will be coming over sometime in the next few days to help with that.  Nobody, it seems, wants to volunteer to help out in the garden.  Hmph.

That’s okay.  Weeding, once the procrastination ends and the actual work begins, can be very meditative.  I always come away from the garden feeling good.  Tired, but good.

We will probably start the chipping and shredding work soon.  We had a lot of branches come down this year and did a lot of trimming.  That translates into a lot of mulch once we finish running it all through the chipper/shredder.

Chipping and shredding is not a meditative process.  It is important to focus on the task at hand for safety reasons.  It is also important to wear the proper gear which includes ear plugs, gloves, and safety glasses.  Even so, I usually end up with a few scrapes and bruises from flying wood chips.

Another view of the back corner of the pond from this morning. Can you spot the Great Blue Heron?

Having put in a full day’s work, we’ll be relaxing around a campfire this evening.  You’re welcome to join us if you happen to be in the vicinity.  We might even roast a few marshmallows while we’re out there enjoying this splendiferous autumn evening.

(Note:  Today’s post title is once again courtesy of the search engine terms.  “Unique smiley” is a result of this post.  The other possibilities I considered were “squash yellow vegetable erotica” because it’s so bizarre, and “wood tree tops” because I often state the obvious.)

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