Fire ants vs. Dandelions

Today was spent weeding a couple of beds that looked like a cage fight between ants and weeds. I joined in the fray with a hand held tool at first, but after getting an ant bite on my hand and realizing how soft the soil was after all the rain, I quickly determined that I could get more done from afar. So, hoe in hand, I joined the conflict.

In the battle between the weeds and the insects, lines were clearly drawn. The ants owned the back wall of the bed, while the taproots held the middle ground. However, in one instance, they formed a symbiotic relationship. I'm not sure who was there first, but the dandelions (3, to be specific), were growing straight through the ant mounds. It makes sense, I guess. The ants make the soil light and frothy, making it easy for the weeds to create their long, deep, carrot-like roots.

Regardless, I had the hoe! So, in this battle, I won. That, and the bucket of fire ant killer we spread around the area.  (Insert evil laugh here.)  Really, I'm not a violent person, but those fire ants have had it in for me since I moved back to Georgia a couple of years ago. I get scars where the damn things bite me. So, payback is hell, little creatures!

The Loss of Youth

Ah, Spring is upon us. Spring, the season of rebirth; the season of flowers, baby birds and showers; the season of, dare we say it... gardening.

For the last two years, when gardening season arrived, I had two young helpers to assist with mowing and weeding. But not this year.  The young master Alex, is weeks away from graduating high school and is generally too busy to come mow.  Little miss KG, the haiku composing weeder, has now turned 15 and has a boyfriend.  Obviously, that makes her unable to do yard work.  That, and the fact that she doesn't have a pressing need for cash.

Sigh, the loss of youth. Or, in this case, the loss of paid child labor.  Now, if Alex is busy, I have to (get to?) do it myself.  I'm not a fan of the weed eater (too many flying projectiles near my eyes), so Brian does that part. Seriously, I'd rather pay them to come hang out and do yard work with us because it is so much more fun with them around to play with. And, there is less work for everyone.

Alas, youth is gone.


Note to readers: Alex did come mow last week.  This blog was written in my head about a month ago. It just got put into writing today, after a gentle prod from my favorite brother-in-law.