Slow and steady wins the race

Although the ground in Deerfield continues to squish underneath my boots, I couldn't resist the siren call of the bright sun this afternoon. I decided it would be a good time to clean up all the downed limbs in the woods around the house. I started at one end with a plan to sweep all the way around the house.

After two hours, though the work was not heavy, I could feel my legs quivering and my knees starting to ache from walking on the uneven slopes. The winter has left me heavier than I have been in a long time and completely out of shape.

My normal modus operandi would be to work until I was down in the back with swollen knees and then crawl into bed with a double dose of Advil.

I decided two hours was enough, a good start to ease back slowly into working shape. A gardener, even a gardener want-to-be, should be in it for the long haul.