Summer vacation has begun! I have been home for 11 days now on summer vacation, and let me tell you...this is a life I can get used to. I have found myself becoming very domesticated. I cook for Casey, get the daily cleaning done, food shop, and have even taken to Good Morning America. I find myself enjoying someone's pool on a daily basis, all while making sure I get my daily exercise, pay the bills, work on NJ Reading Teacher, and mow the lawn.
Speaking of mowing the lawn. It has come to my attention that we don't have one blade of grass on our 1/4 of an acre property. We are literally just cutting broad leafed weeds. And, with all the rain, it has made the perfect home for 100's of earthworms. Fat, long, slimy, plump earthworms. This would explain why there are always birds on our lawn. It is a never ending, all-you-can-eat buffet. I have to say, however, it is gross when cutting the grass. They try to quickly burrow under the surface when you expose them, but some can not escape the wrath of the accidental foot squash, or the unforgiving blade of the lawnmower. Yuck. I do dream, that one day, I will have a lush carpet of grass so green that it almost appears blue. Free of mosquitoes, weeds, and clover. Where the earth worms live where they belong...within the earth and not above it. Complimented with a lush vegetable garden, small tool shed in the corner of the yard, and a sugar maple that boasts brilliant shades of fiery colors in the autumn. Ah, one day.
In the meantime, weeds grow without enemy (except humans), and are always green in the summer. So, they will have to do. I am also really enjoying the new fence that the neighbor put up. Don't get me wrong, we have great neighbors. But it helps finish the yard a little bit. Now we just have to finish fencing the remaining three sides of the property.
Yesterday, while mowing the lawn, I got my foot stuck in, what I hope is, an abandoned burrow. The ground is just so saturated that the dirt around one of the entrances simply gave way. It was a moment of panic, which quickly passed. Realizing that this can be a continuing problem, it is apparent that the area in which it exists will need to be rotor tilled, filled and leveled, and seeded. As you know, I do have an affinity for furry creatures (particularly rodents), but I don't want anyone getting hurt or twisting an ankle in the entrance to a burrow. Plus, it is abandoned, so nothing harmed or hurt in the process.
If there are any teachers who happen to come across this blog, I encourage you to visit my website, http://www.njreadingteacher.com . I am working on posting free resources, bulletin boards, etc. and providing lesson plans and units for a small fee.
Casey's theater camp program is coming to an end this week. And Disney World is just a 13 days away! Can't wait for the trip! Photos and entries will be available for your viewing. I would love to make this a travel blog. Something I probably should have done during my flight attendant days. Now I am part of the regular workforce, which makes it a bit harder to do. But who knows what life will bring. You just never know.
Keep cool in this crazy heat and humidity!
-Kurt
