The Progeny
14th Annual Stone/Cone Festival
It's springtime in America.
The happy Hoyts stride out to meet the turf in a veritable fit of vernal exuberance. But this is not mere child's play, oh no. 'Tis a burst of energetic labor, befitting the majestic lawns and gardens of noblemen.
We speak of the de-stoning of the ditch.
Here, the happy offspring search the blades for stonage donated by the winter plows.
Indeed, it is a most gladsome time. A time sorely missed by the poor, unfortunate collegiates who are denied the privilege of participation.
After a hearty lunch of cold cuttage, the lads and lassie gambol about on the lawn, picking up pine cones and small sticks.
Their only wish could be for more small bits of branch to have fallen during the winter icings. But one must not complain, must one. A contented hour spent stooping is one hour that can never be taken away from our eager conscripts.
Alas that all the work was completed in one day!
________________
OK. That's about all I can take of that. I need to return to normal speech...
This year I did something different. I went through my ditch lilies with an ice cream bucket and filled it up 22, count 'em.... TWENTY-TWO times with gravel.
I figure that's about 3 or 4 years' worth of friendly fire from the snow plows.
Our driveway dips are eternally grateful.
And since it was going to rain, we burned all the yard trash, leaving a nice clean look to the uneven bumps in the lawn.
Also uncovered my strawberries, which, at 100 plants does take more than just a minute or two.
AND I transplanted a few wildflowers from the far yard to the garden, furthering my long-range make-it-up-as-you-go landscaping of the property. When my 10 spruce trees arrive--a free gift for donating 10 bucks to the Arbor Day Foundation--I hope to plant a few groupings, here and there, to soften some spots.
You never know, I may even reduce the gallows effect around the utility pole swing set.
Spes ver eternus
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The happy Hoyts stride out to meet the turf in a veritable fit of vernal exuberance. But this is not mere child's play, oh no. 'Tis a burst of energetic labor, befitting the majestic lawns and gardens of noblemen.
We speak of the de-stoning of the ditch.
Here, the happy offspring search the blades for stonage donated by the winter plows.
Indeed, it is a most gladsome time. A time sorely missed by the poor, unfortunate collegiates who are denied the privilege of participation.
After a hearty lunch of cold cuttage, the lads and lassie gambol about on the lawn, picking up pine cones and small sticks.
Their only wish could be for more small bits of branch to have fallen during the winter icings. But one must not complain, must one. A contented hour spent stooping is one hour that can never be taken away from our eager conscripts.Alas that all the work was completed in one day!
________________
OK. That's about all I can take of that. I need to return to normal speech...
This year I did something different. I went through my ditch lilies with an ice cream bucket and filled it up 22, count 'em.... TWENTY-TWO times with gravel.
I figure that's about 3 or 4 years' worth of friendly fire from the snow plows.
Our driveway dips are eternally grateful.
And since it was going to rain, we burned all the yard trash, leaving a nice clean look to the uneven bumps in the lawn.
Also uncovered my strawberries, which, at 100 plants does take more than just a minute or two.
AND I transplanted a few wildflowers from the far yard to the garden, furthering my long-range make-it-up-as-you-go landscaping of the property. When my 10 spruce trees arrive--a free gift for donating 10 bucks to the Arbor Day Foundation--I hope to plant a few groupings, here and there, to soften some spots.
You never know, I may even reduce the gallows effect around the utility pole swing set.
Spes ver eternus
Tweet
posted by Ma Hoyt | 6:25 PM
7 Comments:
Okay.... the use of the word "gambol" was a pole vault clean over the top.
Well, they did look sorta frisky, but I think that was an effort to go fast and be finished.
And, they kept asking, "Is this enough?"
They're so cute when they pretend to be blind.
I have to ask: Do the (Nolan's?) bare feet help find more stones? Seems rather torturous to me.
Nolan seems inured to all things cold and harsh (including verbal exhortation).
For the entire winter, while I was wrapped in sweaters and double socks, he continued barefoot in the house, wearing shorts and a T-shirt.
I'm not sure if his bare feet helped him find any stones. But he soon learned that if he emptied his bucket with only a handful in the bottom (walking slowly), he could forgo a minute or two of the pickup work.
Derek Hoyt said...
Wow, it only took you one day? When I was young...
Yes grandpa, we know.
We only spent one day because:
1) we started earlier in the season, before the grass had grown as much. Easier to find the stones
2) they worked at it a fairly long time during one day, as opposed to several short bursts over several days
3) significant rain was coming, and I didn't know when we'd get another chance
4) I'm not as picky as I used to be
5) Appearing to make life easier on the younger kids, and thus inherently unfair to the older ones, has given me a new zest for life.
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