Years ago I knew a farmer's wife, we have sadly lost touch, but some of her words stay. She married a dairy farmer and was quite honest in saying that she didn't know what she was getting into. She soon found out...when they couldn't take a honeymoon and he woke on their first morning together at 4am to start the milking. Full udders don't wait for a honeymoon! This was a concept so foreign to me...
Well, a few weeks ago my back finally gave in...I have had trouble for many years but at the beginning of December I knew the pain was different. By just after Christmas I had lost the ability to bend, would get "stuck" if I tried and could not lift my left leg to go up steps...
The first thing to suffer was my garden and around us lie the signs of neglect. Besides for watering and a bit of weed pulling and harvesting here and there I have done nothing in the garden.
The wind this year seems to be much more persistant than before and this causes all sorts of havoc with the taller plants. Milddew has hit again and robbed us of our pumpkins with the exception of 2.
So things lie around needing attendance, roots are exposed, beds lie bare which should be planted up with the second summer vegetables, tomatoes need staking, seed needs to be sown...but alas, it all has to wait until I am better.
Like all things, there is hope on the horizon. After 3 weeks of intense physio and chiro I have mobility back but I am not pain free. The kids and I hatched a plan over dinner tonight to spend 3 half days in the garden. With a plan of action we should get it all done so I have been promoted to overseer from labourer.So, now I understand what my friend meant all those years ago about not being able to take a honeymoon as a new farmers wife...and I can say, my vegetable garden will not wait for a back to mend.
Aaah...well...enough of a moan...thanks for listening.