Gardenias!

It felt very good to clean and tidy the house yesterday. And it felt just as good to get started on the untouched part of the front yard. As I said in my previous post, the goal was just to clean the forest floor. I went into it yesterday with excitement.

I’ve prioritized my very private backyard; it’s where I live my entire outdoor life. The front yard is exposed to the street and too hot, but it’s also the part of my yard people see, so I appreciate the improvement my work is making. Like the deck scraping, though, it’s not something anyone will notice. 

I’m leaving all the Salal and Oregon Grape, but trimming all the dead twigs and small branches off them. I love doing the work; it’s not demanding and it’s slow, but it dramatically improves the appearance of the entrance to my yard. It’s a project that probably won’t be finished until next Summer. Getting started now, though, gives me something productive and beautifying to do. And … I it burns calories!

This morning, Sheba goes in for a haircut after our walk together. I’ll get back to work on the boulevard again for the rest of the day. It’s another stunning day and we’re predicted to have more of them for another week, so I’m planning on going back to Nanaimo with Sheba tomorrow for another walkabout and more Halibut tacos.

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I’ve weighed the same for a week. All the self-control and physical labour of the past week has been, it seems, for naught. Pooey. And overnight (!) last night, one arm became covered in Eczema. Thank God for Hydrocortisone.

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I bought three hardy Gardenia bushes when I moved here, and they did not do well. So, a month ago, I moved them into the edible garden where they get more sunshine and one of them now has three buds on it and they all are clearly thriving. They are bursting with new growth. I am thrilled. Nothing—absolutely nothing—beats the smell of a Gardenia.