September 5, 2024

Tremendous gardening, digging & clearing. Ms Turkey and her (now huge) babies came by and watched me, carrying out their routine without much regard for me thundering around in the garden ten feet away. I killed a ring snake with my shovel the first time I penetrated the iris garden. I was upset, but could think of nothing to do about it. Total harmlessness would mean not moving at all. But I mention my poor reptile friend so that its existence is noted. Cleaned out the end of the bamboo garden that I had told myself I was keeping as a wild space, when in fact I was just too idle to clear it and put in a purple buddleia, as I did this morning, mulching between it and the extant rhododendron. Dug up cobblestones and old bottles, some of them unbroken. More work to do there, but fortunately eager (and fit) to do so. Given key lime pie for my birthday after choir rehearsal. Talked with K at my mailbox, met her new dog. Her friend had her chicken coop and most of her chickens destroyed by a bear. Cut swamp hydrangea seed pods for B, then we both fussed in the church yard to free a spider that had got into the bag.