RAIN.WHOOPEE

Today is Tuesday
It has rained off and on all day. The forecast is for heavy rain tonight.  That is ok as the hours of soft rain have "opened up" the soil to absorb more.  Bet there is moisture under the wet on the top of the powdery dirt in my yard. 

It has felt more like a Sunday. I went to the fitness center for my daily (mostly) 2 mile walk.  Coming home, was rained on hard for a bit.  This reminded me I had leaves all over the porch and sidewalk that could be really messy if they got wet.  Had to make a stop to get some leaf bags (the paper kind) to corral this mess. Have been putting it off too long. 
Got the leaves in the bags.
Too nice to go inside.  So, got my newly sharpened lopper and pruner and attacked the dead plum thicket again.  This is going to be a long siege.  I am only good for about and hour and a half and everything hurts. Plus those d---- plums have thorns about 3 inches long and HURT.

I took this picture in November.  Just getting started.  The colored leaves are oaks! Many of them are too spindly to grow upright. The leaves are all gone now, thankfully, I still have the pink tape on them.  Everything is just gray twigs.  I have cut away all the grayish brush to the right.  Many, many vines.  A lot of yanking.

We are still under a burn ban so just piling stuff far enough from the peach trees to not scorch them when I finally burn it all. Two years ago, we had horrific grass fires all over the whole state.  No rain for months (70 or so days at one point with no rain at all) and temperatures in the 100's.  It was also the year I seriously decided to convert the bluebonnet area into gardens. 
My plan is a small pile at a time (as opposed to hubby's burn the whole 6 foot by 16 foot pile). So he spends a whole day, where as, I spend an hour or so and can quit.
 
The biggest problem with the whole thicket is it is covered up with vines.  They hang in my shoes when I walk, they hold that dead tree I am trying to pull away from the whole thing. I am more concerned about tripping  and falling on thorns than anything. Great exercise, when is is 40 degrees and drizzling.  I thrive at this temperature. Always have.  Could it be that I grew up in Minnesota?

So, the rest of the day has been spent with aleve, a heating pad and a good book.  It is supposed to rain again tomorrow.  If not, lots of raking of dead limbs and vines.  May try to burn...................or not...