Note: This post appeared originally on April 20, 2016.

I mentioned a week ago that I needed to do some clean up in the yard, and that as a consequence I wouldn’t be blogging as much as usual; this is my “report”.

I had some adventures outside this past week, but for the most part, they didn’t involve having fun; I really don’t like yard work much. I found that tools I needed were no longer around and had to buy some new ones, I discovered that plants that used to be there are gone, and in a few cases, I found that plants I thought were gone are still there. Of course, I also got a refresher course on yard work itself, since I haven’t had to do any since 2013…

I had actually forgotten what it’s like to work in the yard when you can’t really see things; you’re always having to stick your hands into places you can’t really see, and you’re constantly being scraped and cut, you think you’ve got an area cleared out and then you get a closer look or a look from a different angle and discover that there’s more you hadn’t seen… blah blah blah.

Then, on Friday and Saturday, I was reminded of why I bother with it all; things that had been budding, but of course I hadn’t actually seen the buds, suddenly started to open up; early yesterday morning I took a few pictures…

I never knew that tulips close up at night… that IS a tulip, right?

Those miserable trees that made such a mess dropping their leaves are coming to life suddenly…

Yesterday afternoon those things that I think are probably tulips look a little different…

OK, so now I remember why I bother in the yard; well, other than the fact that I hear about it if I don’t. Even now after the neglect of the last few years, there are still some of God’s creations out there that are trying to come out and display His glory, and in the garden man and God work together to do something wonderful. Yep, a nice reminder, as they say; I’ll be focusing on yard work again this week. I made a dent, but there is still so much to be done!