Serendipity In My Own Back Yard

I have been an uncharacteristically conscientious homeowner this week.

I am a fairly fastidious housekeeper inside the pleasantly climate-controlled walls of our house. It's funny, then, how it can look like the Amazon jungle in my back yard and it usually doesn't bother me one bit. Once Summer parks it's humid unpleasantness on us, I don't go in my yard if I can avoid it. The thought of just sitting in that muggy rainforest of a yard is enough to make me, nauseous let alone exerting myself with physical labor. Frankly, we are doing good by our standards if the lawn gets mowed on a fairly regular basis during the hottest months.

This year, however, we've been blessed by the weather gods with several pleasant days when I've actually enjoyed spending time sitting - and yes, even sprucing up - out in the yard.

Being outside has forced me to actually experience the leafy walls enveloping our yard... The horror movie they will undoubtedly make about our yard will surely be titled, Attack of the Honeysuckles! I couldn't stand the look of it! I dragged out the hedge clippers and the branch cutters - wishing I had a machete as well - and set about cutting and clipping the beastly bushes down to size!

The downside of this project is nothing surprising...

I expected the sore muscles and joints from the repetitive motion, bending and stretching.

I expected the multitude of scratches and gouges from immersing myself in the branches.

I expected to get leaves and sticks in my hair and clothing.

I expected to be inundated with insects... Perhaps you are aware of my revulsion for insects?

The upside seemed straightforward as well...

I expected to see my yard again.

I expected to like the improvement as I regained control over the foliage.

I expected to burn a few extra calories.

I expected that was all that was to be expected.

But I didn't expect to find this...