Determination

 The weather has finally calmed and yesterday was picture perfect. I decided to get rid of some furniture that was crowding everything. This decision was not made yesterday, but several weeks ago. As you know, anything involving help from HeWho takes time ....

In order to move the furniture, we would need to employ the flatbed trailer. You might recall that magical day when I heard the shout "Look Out!!" from HeWho drives and tows and looked up from my weeding to see the pontoon boat crash into the trailer, then the tree. Since then the boat has been successfully moved to the paved area, but the flatbed was still unmoving against the tree that I no longer want to cut down.

I don't think I mentioned that the contents of said trailer, the pile of bark sided pieces cut from logs that I had not used up in my gardens. The trailer's back wheels were up on this pile. I had thought the trailer remained unscathed, but that little wheel that is on the tongue is no longer there and it was lodged solidly in the dirt.

The first attempt to pull the trailer out ended with the truck stuck. It was still wet from all the rain and a woman's logic (mine) would have dictated that it would not be a good idea to back up all the way to the trailer .... Of course I held my tongue while he made quite a mess getting the truck unstuck. Then I suggested that maybe it was not a good idea to attempt to hook up the trailer in such wet conditions. Okay, maybe I didn't phrase it gently.

This was while the hearing aids were not in his ears, as I forbade him to stick them in his head again to have the earbud come off and remain lodged in his ear canal, so I doubt he caught all the words, but he did see my face .... He waited a few days before attempting again and could probably guess what I was saying. This happens when you have been together as long as we have.

The second attempt also failed. He decided to use some heavy duty straps (and Lord knows we have plenty of them) and let the truck remain of the paved area. I was absent from the site on this attempt. Later, upon examining the area I saw immediately what the problem was. The strap was fine, plenty tough enough for the chore .... just not long enough.

Instead of walking down the driveway (or even driving since he does not walk anywhere) and getting another strap of the same strength he searched the bowels of the truck and found some nylon rope that he had bought for the boat. You already see where I am going, don't you? This was sufficient to tie the boat to a dock, since boats float in water and are relatively easy to move in water. It was not strong enough to loop through the strap and then be tied to his bumper hitch to pull a trailer lodged in the pile of logs and lacking the ability to pull the tongue up. Of course the nylon rope snapped on the first attempt.

Mother was right, I am smarter than most people! I think before I act. Most of the time, anyway. Another couple of rainy days went by. Then yesterday, he was chomping at the bits to move the trailer. No doubt inspired by my not so gentle scolding after I had to clean up the mess he left on the porch trying to determine why the porch refrigerator stopped working. Turns out the power strip it was plugged into had been turned off.

The discovery was made only after he moved a cabinet and the refrigerator, causing things to fall behind both. Not bothering to pick the stuff up, he just pushed the them back as far as he could and walked away. He should know this sort of thing makes me crazy. In a failed attempt to excuse himself, he tried to tell me that I told him to "just leave it" and that I would take care of it. I did say that the first time it happened, but this was not that time.

I was ...., let's say, difficult to be around, so he left me cleaning up his mess and when I looked up, I noticed the truck was not in the carport. I figured he had gone to McDonald's for a forbidden sausage biscuit (cardiac patient's will stray far, far away from their new lifestyle as they begin to feel better).

My phone alerted me to his call for help and I dispatched myself up the drive way. I have learned to never try to hurry up the slope, but to pace myself along the way to breath. When I reached the top of the driveway he was muscling the tongue of the trailer onto the hitch on the truck. Whether fueled by guilt for his mess or anger at me for not being fast enough, he got it done and told me I was not needed after all.

All hooked up, he was ready to load the three big pieces of furniture we did not need. There was a loveseat on the porch, a recliner, as well. The biggest thing was the queen bed in my She Shed. Common sense dictated that the bed should go on the trailer first and he was chomping at the bits, so I headed to my shed to remove all the boxes atop the bed. I did not want him to do it, or even help because he would have just lifted the mattress and dumped it all on the other side of the bed. I like to move things to another area and leave enough space to easily get to it to organize it.

It wasn't easy, but we muscled that mattress and then the box springs down the slope to the trailer parked on the driveway. I had suggested leaving the trailer at the top of the driveway, since the path he chose involved steps down into the ditch ..... I didn't measure to prove my point, but it did not save any steps carrying that load. I would have found an old tarp to lay on the ground, then put the mattress on it and dragged it up the gentler slope to the trailer. 

Instead we went down the much steeper area, rife with areas able to cause bodily harm should you deviate from the path. You might recall the cement blocks I used to create my "stairs" up to my She Shed and the "fence" I lined the garden side with. Easy to grab to steady oneself. Also had a sturdy limb driven into the ground on the opposite side for extra support ....

You guessed already, but those stepping stones are loose enough now to slip as you walk and that sturdy limb is broken off at the ground and I have a pulled muscle in my neck. None of this stopped me when we had to get the box springs down the same path and heave it onto the trailer. I watched as he backed the trailer towards the house, thinking murderous thoughts and how angry I would be if he backed it onto the lawn I had nurtured all season.

To his credit, he backed it into the carport and not on my grass. The love seat was light weight and had feet on the bottom, providing handholds. It was fairly easy to move. I returned to the porch and took the cushions out to see that he was strapping the load down. The ugly recliner that was here when we moved in still sat on the porch and I was determined that it was leaving, as well. He would have happily made two trips to the donation place, but not on my watch! There was room on that trailer, although he didn't think so. I am known to move large furniture pieces all by myself with a method I call "end over end". Easier to flip, that drag. I got the recliner out the door and down the steps into the yard all by myself. Had he left without it, I would have considered watching that recliner roll down the ravine and into the creek. If it landed right side up on the rocks in the creek, he would have a new area lounging area. As we heaved the old chair onto the space left on the trailer I noted that it fit, just like I said it would.

Today my neck is still sore, but I have things to do! I will slather some Icy Hot on my neck before I leave the house. Tiger Balm is empty, but I have discovered that the bugs do not like the smell on me and leave me alone for the most part.

The remainder of the rescued zinnia are getting used to their new home. The purple cone flower is not growing well, though. Same story on the black-eyed susans. I need to test the soil. This area should be filled with the blanket flowers I planted last year. They are all gone, pulled down and into a tunnel inhabited with moles or whatever tunnel creatures they are. Some plants thrive here, others don't. Research is needed, but that would be for a day inside, not this day!

You could see some of the ditch in the first photo.  This is a better view for what I am currently working on. I am filling the ditch with rocks. This is almost impossible to mow. Look up the drive and see all the grass and weeds still needing to be removed to recieve the rocks I have been picking up as I mow the upper lawn. It will take a lot of rocks. I am using an old planter that will hold just the amount I can easily lift and carry. So far I have dumped about 20 of those loads. It will look nicer and eliminate the need to address the grass, weeds when I mow. I will be putting down a weed barrier as I move towards the sunny area, before dumping my hard won rocks.

Coffee is done, joints are almost all moving correctly and I am off to either pick up rocks or organize a She Shed depending on how my joints feel after climbing up the drive.