At last, we finally received a nice dousing this morning. Just in time too. I just weeded an area around Paul’s sculpture of “Surrender,” and planted a few plants at the base. Clearing out space for a new garden can be a literal pain in the back. I’ve tried a number of different gardening seats, stools and kneelers over the years. Lately I’ve reverted to an older storage bin with the cover on. It seems to be just the right size for my short legs. I had one of those short rolling seats but kept falling off the thing when I rolled it and had a Dickens of a time getting back up. The kneelers are out of the question because I no longer possess the knees of a 16-year-old.

One of the best things about slowly going through a section at a time is that you find all kinds of surprises. As I gently pulled long roots of weeds I came across a few lilac bushes. There are about four of them in the beginning stages of life. I lost a lot of these fragrant bushes when they installed the humongous sound barrier behind our house. I was so excited to see these baby lilacs pushing their little heads out of the ground. If I had been in a hurry or using a speedier method of eliminating the weeds, I would have taken these out as well.

Gardening for the geriatric population is not only a rewarding hobby, but you can work at your own pace. We’ve had some sweltering heat in May this year. So a little rain is a refreshment to the plants as well as the planters. I finally realize what it means to slow down and smell the roses.

ART & POETRY BY PAUL & KATHY BOECHER©

Refreshing, cleansing rain falls softly on an eager earth,

Thirsting for relief, longing for renewal and rebirth.

The tears of God bring respite for the dying soul,

He gave His only Son to fill a gaping hole,

The hole that widens every day,

When we forget to look up and pray,

As branches dance and lightening fills the air,

I think of Him who never fails to care.