Saturday *SUMMER* Saunter & Sweat

After only a week or two of "spring", it looks like we're moving right into summer - yay!!  Today's weather was absolutely gorgeous.  Couldn't have asked for better - clear skies, mid-50s... a practically perfect day.  And I spent a large portion of the day enjoying being outdoors.

During the summer, I sign up for as many charity walks as I can.  I figure it gets me out and moving, and I'm helping to support some good causes.  Today's walk was in Kincaid Park, Amblin' for Alzheimer's.  I can tell it's a little cooler in that part of town, since the leaves aren't as far developed.  On my side of town, we're getting the "green sheen" - where if you squint or look out of the corner of your eye, you see the lime green of new leaves as a mist over the bare tree limbs.  In a couple weeks, it'll be the darker green of full-grown leaves.  Ahhhh, sweet anticipation...

When I was done walking, it was still *way* too nice to sit inside, so I figured I'd rake the yard.  Get some sun and at the same time get the leaves cleaned up.  I even bared my scaly, hairy, brighter-than-the-sun legs, in hopes that I get a little color.  I plan on attending to the hairy and scaly bits (lotion and a razor will work wonders) since that's fixable, but my legs haven't been other than blindingly white for years.  (Well, in Florida a couple years ago, I think I got them a lovely shade of lobster red, but once that was gone it was back to shiny-white.)  I don't know that there's any hope for changing that, but ever the optimist, every year I expose them (and other people - amazingly there aren't more wrecks noted at that same time).

I should've been thinking about prepping for raking earlier.  I like using the fan-type leaf rake.  When I got down to the yard, I found four - yes, four... and why is it that a household of two with only one yard needs four (potentially five) rakes, you might ask?  I'm asking too, and don't have an answer yet.  Anyhow.  Four of the 16-tine metal rakes, and not one leaf rake.  I remember it was plastic and a tine or two was broken - must have gotten rid of it last fall and neglected to get a replacement.

Let me tell you, raking with the leaf rake is much more enjoyable - if any raking can be considered enjoyable after the first five minutes. I can definitely tell I don't do manual labor for my living.  One rake, two blisters, three dead mosquitoes (no bites that I'm aware of - slapped myself silly before they could take a sip), and an hour-and-a-half later, it's done.  (Except for the bagging - I'm waiting for Greg to help me with that... I'll let him grab up the moose poop that's buried in the leaves while I hold the garbage bag open.)  =)

Another sign that summer is here.  With weather like today, I'm starting to think about my flower pots.  It's a little early yet - probably won't do any planting until after Memorial Day weekend, but this year I'll probably buy them beforehand so I have a bigger selection. I hope this summer is a nice one!!  =)