Green Green Grass

There is an old saying that proclaims that the "neighbour's grass is always greener".  Not always. Not on my turf. I am a vegetation war criminal. I commit a yard genocide every spring. I relentlessly pursue and tear all dandelions from their cozy growing spots. I find this to be the best way. It doesn't use any chemical products and the result is more satisfying...it's just too bad that we live in a world where effort has apparently lost its merit, or status. In my opinion, it takes effort to achieve great results and quality. With today's information overload and the crazy pace of our lives, it is easy to fall on the Dark Side of lazy-way-outs. So I don't mind sweating through my dandelion killings. There is something zen and deeply satisfying. The other tricks to keep the grass thick and green are quite simple and no secret: leave it long and cut more often (at about 3 inches). The roots will dig deeper and your grass will 'resist' the usual 'attacks' naturally by itself...Leave the cuttings on the lawn. This will auto-fertilize the lawn and hold a bit more moisture in times of drought. Finally, applying a healthy dose of seeds in spring and fall doesn't hurt...

To redeem myself from my brutish treatment of dandelions, I have become the savior of critters in distress. After the usual frogs getting trapped in my inground pool, it was the turn of a Redwing Balckbird youngling to be rescued. After the very strong winds that gusted through our area the other day, the poor bird likely got knocked out of its nest (?). I saw him by the side of the pool, his parents taking turn to come feed him on the ground. It happened so quickly, a moment's innatention, and I suddenly noticed the little bird had fell in the water and was dangerously being swept away. I started off my chair in a bounce and caught the little one and let him dry in the sun by the side of the pool. Later on, I could not see him anymore so I assume he either survived and hid in the underbush or got eaten by a marauding cat. I will keep believing the former option at the detriment of being dellusional. I guess we'll never know what really happened. Makes for a good end.