Fence, Flowers, and Food

Okra in cornmeal ready for freezing

I just finished preparing some peaches, rhubarb and okra (separate items there, not mixed) for the freezer.  The next veggies will be tomatoes and squash.  I plan to can the tomatoes and I may make some salsa as well.

It is a good time to stay in the house as much as possible and drink great quantities of iced tea with lemon.  I try to get my outside garden work done before noon and avoid the 100+ temperatures.  It wouldn't be SO demoralizing if it was at least July, but it is so discouraging to have it like this so early in the summer.  I have bowed before the high temperatures and turned my air conditioner on, but at least I am comfortable with it set on 80.

Clearance geraniums perking up

Just as I thought they would, my geraniums bought on clearance are perking up in their planters on the deck.  I also snagged some caladiums and basil from WallyWorld clearance and have containerized them for deck enjoyment.

The real accomplishment of the day has been my assault on the fencing slated for removal.  I was able to loosen a twenty foot section this morning.  But after that (and my early morning jogging session) I was pretty much done.

Fence removal tools & aids

The blue bucket holds the snippets of wire that The Husband used to attach the fencing to the metal posts. We have a basket full of mismatched work gloves to use.  The mattock-pick tool is borrowed and I think the hoe is mine.  I use a pair of vise lock "channel locks" or pliers as well. 

After the wire staples are pulled loose, the removal of the fencing involves, hoeing away the rampant Bermuda grass and brush piled against the fence.  Then I take the mattock and dig a trench alongside the fence.  Using the pick end I attempt to pry up the base of the fence.  I have gotten to a part that has vines growing on it so I must also break the stems loose from the roots.  Definitely labor intensive. 



What usually transpires is that only a little bit of the fencing breaks free from the soil so I must begin a process of rocking the fence loose.
It seems that I make a ridiculous number of trips from one side to the other while I try to figure
out what is still holding the fence.  Sometimes it is a vine, some times I have overlooked some wire attaching it to the post. In one place a

After the fencing is removed

sycamore seedling has grown into a sizable
 sapling entangling the fence.  I had forgotten
that sycamores have a nasty white fuzz on their leaves that makes me cough like crazy. There's  nothing quite like staggering around in the weeds with sweat burning your eyes and
 running off your nose while coughing and
 hacking. No one said recycling and saving
money was always easy.  At least I hope I
never said that.


Unfortunately it is even harder to dig the fence posts out.  The Husband said he thinks one of the neighbors has a fence post removal tool.  I will definitely check that out.  That could make it pretty easy to love my neighbor as myself.