The Briar Philospher - Good Work, Good Neighbors, and Gratitude

Anyone who reads my column regularly will know that Autumn brings a lot of good, honest labor into my days. This year is no exception, in fact, it’s about double what it usually is. Last fall I was handed back the reins of the paper and did not have the time to grub and mulch my trees. The spring found me trying to catch up with things that were left undone in the fall, but with so many other things to get done, I didn’t get around to the trees. Now, the task is just too much for any one human to handle on their own. The Boy has been busying himself with other tasks around the house, so I enlisted the help of our good friends and neighbors, Jamie and Tony Timberman. 

The task(s) are daunting, even for hard workers such as us. To begin with, there are 50 trees that have to have all the sod grubbed from under them out to the drip line (the outer edge of the canopy.) Some are small and don’t take a lot of grubbing, just a 3-foot circle or so. Some have grown so much in the last two years that they require a much larger circle, often as much as 8” across. That’s a lot of grubbing. After that, each tree must be mulched, and that’s a lot of mulch to wheelbarrow all over the yard. Mountains of mulch have already been moved in that manner, and there are still over 20 trees to go. It’s usually Jamie and I teaming up, though she often works on her own while we’re at the office. Our efforts are truly starting to show as we look back at what has already been accomplished. That gives us the courage to keep going. As with most things, if you just focus on the task at hand, one tree at a time, and don’t hold the enormity of the overall job in your mind, it’s a lot easier. No one can climb a mountain or move one either, all at once. 

You have to focus on what is immediately at hand or your brain will become overwhelmed. That goes for any kind of task or any kind of goal. One tree at a time, one wheelbarrow full of mulch at a time and we’re already more than half way there. There will be other tasks to follow but they will seem small in comparison.  I guess I’ve always been one to tackle the hardest things first and get them out of the way and out of my head. 

I, personally, love this  kind of labor. I love being able to look back and see what has been accomplished. I love the way it wakes my muscles up. I always try to go into winter in pretty good shape so that I’m not a total slug by spring. I don’t think that will be any issue this year. Once we finish this task, there will be the garden to burn off as the wet humid weather causes a bit of fungal overgrowth. Then there will be mulch and old hay to deliver to the garden, raspberries to clean out and trim, a fence line to clear by hand as I won’t use any herbicides, Some trees to cut and later trees to prune. We are determined to get it all done before the weather gets really cold and I have no doubt that it will all be accomplished. 

I am so grateful for the help and for our neighbors as a general rule. They are always there for us if we need anything at all and we do our best to be there for them. None of us have much money and we were all raised poor but a helping hand is often worth more than all the money in the world. I’m also grateful for a free source of mulch. Thanks to not having to spend money on so much mulch, we’re all tanked up on propane to keep my gas cook stove running all the way through the winter, for which I am also thankful.

Life comes with all kinds of obstacles; broken down vehicles, plumbing problems, family matters, enormous tasks that must be accomplished, etc. etc.  But all of it is so much easier to deal with when you have good neighbors who you know will always be there for you when you need it most.