Hay-Hey

Oh my glorious backyard - the one that I could not live without. Well, be careful for what you wish for!!!! I've heard that many a time before.

In between the patches of those deadly sand spurs are patches of sand. Not the pretty beach sand one sees on the advertisements. It's that ugly grey sand with no personality at all. The dogs and the cat and the people track inside the house that ugly grey sand and it creeps and seeps into all cracks and crevices.

If I had a maid there would be no worries but - no maid and lotsa worry. We decided to be proactive and attack the sand problem with enthusiasm. Our solution was to buy Coastal Hay at $8.00 a pop from the tractor supply place. So we diligently spread the Coastal Hay over the backyard. Dropping mounds on the ugly grey sand and all those nasty-nasty sand spurs. Almost immediately the sand spurs scared away the hay. But the Coastal Hay still lay on top of the ugly grey sand.

No more sand in my house. Victory - well, not exactly. Now the floors in the house are covered with $8.00 a pop Coastal Hay. I think the hay is ,more worser than the ugly grey sand. Dang. Life is not easy.

Florida Freeze

It's been cold in Florida lately and we are not at all conditioned to this blast of frigid air. We are flip-flop junkies in shorts and t-shirts. I would do barefoot if not for all those dang sand spurs. OUCH!!!!

So the little guy who hasn't much fur at all and just about hairless on his little belly began to shake. Poor baby doesn't like this cold weather either. Off we go to the land of Wallyworld - very early in the morning to miss the barrage of rather strange looking individuals who walk the trails to Walmart. And yes, I spotted one on the way out and no camera to document the episode. Some parts of the body just need to be covered - cold or not cold.

I purchased the little guy a red plaid flannel jacket and he looks so sweet. He is now a brave kitty-cat hunter. Whatever - at least his shivering has stopped. Monday night the freeze is supposed to hit so we are prepared.

Fairy Tales do come true

Life all by itself can be a rough road to traverse. Detours, unsavory conditions, stressers, financial woes, despair, road blocks, issues and let us not forget the family. So following the path of life without any stumbles can be at times difficult and traumatic. Such as what happened to me this very morning on my road in life: reality of living life jumped up and hit me smack in the face. Actually it didn't hit me in the face but the reaction snarled across my face.

Florida can be wonderful, quiet, hot, peaceful, relaxing and somewhat like traveling in a dangerous jungle. Take my backyard as an example - it's full of weeds - can't grow any grass here. The water restrictions puts a damper on growing lush green grass and then the heat burns it to a crispy long forgotten corn field. Not that we can grow corn in our backyard. We grow weeds pretty good and not the weeds you smoke. I think that cash crop does well in California. This is Florida - the land of the sand spurs.

Now if sand spurs was a cash crop or illegal - we would be right on the money!!! But NO - sand spurs are not profitable or fun. They are a pain in the tush or to be exact a pain in the privates. So this morning my world such as it is - crashed. Crashed by a sand spur. One deadly-nasty-ugly-hurtful-tiny little bugger that sets the world on fire. Not flames and fire but a stabbing fire that sears right through the skin directly to all of your tender zones. And these little buggers are smaller than a pea. Which reminds me of the fairy tale about the princess and the pea with of course the evil step mother or mother-in-law. Fairy tales kind of lump togeter all motherly females as evil characters. What's that all about?

Now, everything is clearer since I have brought back memories of the fairy tale - The Princess and the Pea. She couldn't sleep due to ONE pea placed under a gazillion mattresses which really means she is a true princess because she can still feel the pain of the pea beneath all those mattresses. Her true identity resolved she can now marry the Prince possibly live happily ever after with that witch of a mother-in-law.

I know I am not even close to princess material so that is why I am confused that one little-tiny-teeny sand spur could cause me so much pain and trauma. And how did that little bitty bugger get stuck in my undies? Try walking around with a sand spur in your silkies. I wonder if some evil character put this deadly prickly devise in my unmentionables? Perhaps I really am a Princess......but I will never kiss a frog.

Sandspurs

Oh! How Do I Hate Thee - Sand Spurs

Let Me Count The Ways

1. They are everywhere in the yard and you cannot eradicate them. Why can't these suckers become extinct?

2. When you step on one in bare feet you need surgery to remove the dumb pricker.

3. They hurt like hull.

4. They get infected - immediately.

5. They sneak onto your socks, shoelaces, pant legs and underwear - ouch.

6. They stick like super-super super glue.

7. They bond instantly.

8. They get between the dogs pads and fur.

9. They have 9 lives.

10. They multiply like mutant rabbits.

Walking with the Enemy

Sand spurs and bigfoot - what do they have in common? Well, these sand spurs are HUGE and they HURT. Big time. Bigfoot is HUGE and very elusive. Sand spurs in Florida don't hide - they lurk for any passerby. They especially grow where they know we all go barefoot.

There really is no relationship with sand spurs and bigfoot - except for the fact they are both HUGE.