Oh What a Yesterday!

Yesterdays are not the usual subjects in my thoughts but April 16 appeared somewhat different. Oh it began in the usual way with breakfast, shower, and drive to McNary NWR. I detoured to the Post Office and mailed off the package of Romance Contest entries I critiqued for the annual writing contest for Pacific Northwest Writer's Conference. Cement was going to be poured around McNary Education Center and volunteers were alerted to stomp in animal footprints when the time was right. I arrived at the Center and no one else was around. Kathrin and Thomas were at Columbia NWR helping Callie and Jennifer with a curlew survey. There were things I wanted to do on the scrapbook that unfortunately get put off for tasks more immediately at hand. I was interrupted so often I put the materials away and headed out to the native plant area. No one would interrupt me during weeding. That was a job that so far had come up with zero interest to otherwise excited volunteers. Cheat grass and henbit gave up easily to my urgent fingertips. Almost to easily. No challenge.
A large sagebrush was sprawling over a much larger area than it warranted because it had been tromped on a year ago. Overarching branches threatened to smother Prairie Clover and that was not allowed. The sagebrush would have to go. Obviously it would not get up and leave by its own volition. That meant I had to remove it. And I did. But not without an hour of sawing, twisting, clipping and hard pulling. Whatever had caused the sprawling damaged the plant and the branches at the roots were rotten. The branches, if I can call them that, now are piled in the path to be loaded in the Gator and removed to the burn pile.
What an accomplishment that was! On my way home I deposited the last check for a memorial to Margaret Greger. Very self satisfied with the completion of so much work. I was ripe for a rest in the warm sunshine on my back porch. For 2 hours I rested. Then I woke and removed myself to my recliner and rested again. I was certain that by ten pm I would never sleep once I went to bed. But I had to lie down for a change. Remembering a chill I had the past few nights I pulled out my electric blanket and plugged that in. And that was that.
Today will be quite different. (I think.)

Naomi Sherer