a pleasant crunch

You know how that is: sometimes you get really busy doing stuff you find dreadfully tedious and downright unpleasant. Chores that are somewhere between a root canal and a chicken coop clean out. (In case you don't know this, a chicken coop is one gross enclosure after the hens are done huddling in there for a night or two or three.) On the other hand, other tasks can zap your energies, leave you breathless, in need of a nap maybe, but you love them (or the end result) to pieces and you can't imagine life without them. From lily snipping at the low end of things, to grandkid visits and getting ready for them on the other -- the high end. 

I'm in that latter camp right now: more grandkids are coming this weekend and I must be ready. Which is easier said than done. I also have a friend visiting from out of town today, a mother who is very high maintenance at the moment, Steffi's House to look in on as the lawn there seems to be dying and no one is around (except for me) to water it,  and the usual afternoon kid care at the farmhouse. So things are rather tightly would up right now, even as I am looking forward to a week that I would describe as having a very pleasing crunch to it: lots to do, amply rewarding, totally time zapping. 

Let's start with this morning, when farmette fields are still asleep. With some flowers really letting me know that this is it for them, others (purple phloxes come to mind) hanging on to that pre-fall burst of light bloom.

(The tubs will carry the color into early fall...)

Breakfast is with my visiting friend. Downtown, at Madison Sourdough.

 

And then I get on that treadmill of tasks before it's time to pick up these two... It's their last day of summer camp and so a celebratory ice cream is on order.

When they leave, I return to the tasks, wondering to myself -- did I forget something? Oh yes! House cleaning. Shouldn't have I scrubbed the place clean before visitors descend this weekend? Shhh! Don't tell anyone. I bet they wont notice. (One can hope.)

Late night for me. But I am ready (more or less) for that pleasant crunch, starting early tomorrow! 

with love...