I have been burning the candle at both ends, and it has a short wick. I like the analogy.

There is so much to do around here that I walk by things and think – don’t have time for that.

Outside -- there is considerable tall cow parsnip that has sprung up in various places around the stead. I just don’t have the time to go and knock it down.

I would pay someone a thousand dollars if they came up to me and said that they found a use for the stuff. It is the most nasty species – it is very hardy, multiplies fast, and can only be gotten rid of by digging it out of the ground, an admittedly arduous task.

Cow parsnip crowds the backyard

The horses won’t go near it. The goats won’t eat it. The dogs shun it. Touch the leaves on a sunny day and you’ll get a burn. It’s like kudzu in the south, but only worse. That stuff you can pull off buildings. This stuff is rooted.

I also have been bypassing all the gardens, not taking any time to pull weeds. I could, if I had the time, graze the horses on the outskirts of the garden beds. Nope, hasn’t been happening. Been too busy attempting to get from point A to Point B.

The goat pen again needs cleaning.

I need to rake up the wet hay in front of the horse pen and get it in the compost.

Inside – books need to be, ahem, sorted and categorized. I’m stepping over boxes of them in my study.
I need to put my clothes that have been washed, away.

I should clean the bathtub.

I ought to empty the compost bucket.

The refrigerator has a few unrecognizable food items in it. The chickens would appreciate it if I gave the contents of the glass jars to them.

Toobusy,toobusy,toobusy,too busy.

My attention to a large part has been focused on the book project, and right now next Tuesday’s silent auction and kid’s day. There are so many details to be attended to. For instance, the kids will be painting newspaper boxes donated by the local newspaper. Pete’s taking them to the Sutton Library. Tonight, as I was walking Tinni, it occurred to me that beforehand, the boxes should be cleaned and sanded. And perhaps there should be a base layer of paint applied before the kids go at it.

And the baskets – tomorrow I need to go pound the pavement and see if I can get area businesses to donate gifts to include in the baskets. This, after going to the senior center.

Oh yes, and horses still need to be ridden and cared for. Short rides today, but nevertheless, rides.

When you have too much to do, you prioritize. Quite obviously, the book project and the horses are my priorities. Pete’s priorities center around all the other, more practical stuff.

This is all very unimportant. I wonder what I’ll think when 10 years from now, I go back and read this dispatch.

Next: 188. 7/8/21: Hey You!