This weekend I have been in Alabama visiting with my Papa. As I mentioned in my prayer wall, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer about a month ago, so I have been spending as much time here as possible. My uncle and cuz came down this weekend too. While my mom and my aunt kept Papa company, the rest of us got out in his yard and did some work. You have to understand my Papa's place. His yards are big, but he has a huge garden, a green house, black berry vines, blueberry bushes, grapefruit trees, beautiful flowers. Anytime I am here I always just walk around the yards and admire his love for outdoors. Maybe his love for the outdoors and nature roots is where I get it from. There is something about it that brings me a peace. Always has. Well we work in the garden for a bit getting it watered and fertilized. This garden is huge.
This is all that I could fit in the camera screen!!
After that We got in the yard and mowed. My first experience on a riding lawn mower. I'm sure for the passer-byers it was a great laugh for the morning. Needless to say, my uncle finished that task and I decided to tackle the blackberry vines. This is where I spent most of my time during the day. I cleaned all the dead vines out and all million of the little oaks that were growing within them. I only come away with 5 or 6 thorns in my hands. Found great gloves that you can actually grab up all of the stuff up and not worry about the thorns. Blackberry thorns are the worst ever to me. I think I rather sit on a cactus. (Not really). Here is a shot of the blackberry vines after I finished them and the pile that I took out of there. I think after I finished, the pile actually had more in it than there was blackberries left on the vines. Cannot wait til the are ready. The are green now.
This is a row of the vines.
.... and the pile. (I worked hard!!!)
My uncle, my cuz, and Aunt pressure washed the back of the house. Now that would have been a pic to see, but my uncle being on that 12 foot ladder, not holding on and it wobbling everywhere.. I could not bare to watch. All in all we got a good bit done. We started about 9:30 I'd say and think we called it quits around 6:30 last evening. Papa would make his way out there a couple of times to check our progress, but I'm sure he just wanted to make sure we were doing it correctly if I know him. hahaha! After we called it quits, I walked around and took some pics of the some of the things that I love around here.
This is part of his greenhouse. He says the secret of growing plants is not leaving them lonely, so he actually has a radio in there that plays 24-7. He must be on to something, because he can make a dead stick sprout something.
I enjoyed the day working around here. Although any other time Papa would be out there in his overalls in the middle of it, and that fact that he wasn't was a bit hard to grasp, it still gave me a bit of peace about myself. I spent most of the time in blackberry vines alone and it gave me some time to do a bit of thinking which led to a reassuring conversation with Papa later, which gave me even more peace. I love it around here because everything here is my Papa. He has such a simplicity about him and a determination (or stubbornness) that is inspiring to me and has been for such a long time. The calmness and the contentment he has is everything that I strive for and hope that one day I will have. Maybe everything out represents that and it is why I am so drawn to it. I know that I am going to miss it and him when he is gone!!!
