Wasted Weekend

Every year it seems like I have to waste one whole weekend in the spring because I have to get the yard cleaned up.  And that entails raking/thatching the lawns getting all the chunks of bark and branches that broke off over the winter cleaned up, and cleaning out the gutters. 

At first I didn't think I'd be able to get it done this weekend due to the amount of rain we got the last few days, but the weekend was actually pretty warm and dry (relatively speaking).  I started out just wanting to get a few spots raked, but it eventually led to me doing the whole front lawn, or at least the majority of it on Saturday, in addition to the upper half of the backyard.  Then on Sunday I finished the rest.  After the raking was done I thought I should take a look at the gutters since all the little red buds began falling last week.  At first I didn't think I needed to, and then I remembered I put strainers in the downspout openings last fall to keep them from clogging up with leaves.  But that also keeps the buds from washing down.  All of the gutters (mainly in the back and on the garage, the front gutters weren't too bad) were half full with buds.  Instead of washing them down, I thought I would just grab the shop vac and vacuum them out.  It worked pretty well, except that they were water logged, so they weighed a ton.  I think the final weight of the bag after emptying the shop vac was in the neighborhood of 60 pounds.  That was a drag hauling it up and down the ladder.  And while I know it is something that needs to be done, I just wish I didn't have to spend all my off time working on it.

But at least it's done.  And I have to say that after raking the yard looks so much better after the snow all melts and everything is matted down.  Granted, my grass isn't the best, I think a lot has to do with the crummy soil I have to work with, but it is better that it would e otherwise.  Now I just need to get a little seed down, some fertilizer, and get ready to fire up the mower.  Summer is almost here!