Autumn Reflections (sigh)
Every autumn I prepare my garden for the winter. This is a shameful process; yanking up 3-foot tall weeds, leveling my overgrown mint dynasty, peeling a frozen green tomato off the wire support stand, and uprooting a bush I mistook for parsley (no wonder that tomato sauce tasted odd), I must come to terms with the obvious truth that I am a terrible gardener. And, the cold, hard truth is not very pleasant for me. Now, I do like the idea of having a garden. It looks pretty when it's in bloom. But, if I had the extra cash, I would hire someone to make it perfect. Because, I can't make it perfect and that bugs the shit out of me.
That might actually be worse than not having a perfect garden—knowing I can't make something perfect. Damn my flawed human hands! So, in an effort to be the first to laugh at my imperfections and failings as a gardener (and possibly as a human being), I decided to photograph my ineptitude—not hold anything back. I stand poised with my black bucket that I consider to be a more mobile, cheaper version of a wheelbarrow. No bothersome wheels to get in the way of progress. Just lift and toss. And, of course, no gloves for me. I like to feel the pressure of the dirt build up underneath my fingernails.
Garden Schlop
I proceeded to get my camera out. My cat then arrived for a cameo (I was going to say cat-me-ow [chuckle, snort, harhar] but chose to keep it clean) and the sun broke free from the cloud cover to shine on my decaying land, blanketing the gnarled vines and leaves in a warm, autumn glow. Soon, I was happy in my perfectly depicted failure. No one could laugh at my shortcomings now, not if I'm being so eager to document them and poke fun first!
But the Sun Rises in the East
