Weed-eating the Savannah

Our backyard may have been considered a health hazard….

We have yet to finish it; (a 2011 project perhaps?) and so, every winter we simply “let it go.” California’s very rainy winter = a very green spring => a whole new level of backyard vegetation! Our patch of dirt was covered from wall to wall with “wildlife,” most of which extended up past my waist. (There were even what appeared to be small game trails in our little Savannah…)

Brett and I decided we are going to surprise Matt and complete this “little” project… On our preliminary walk through, we get so many stickers in our running shoes we have to switch to snow boots! (All we had at the time…) Brett’s a crazy “weed-eating” machine; making safety goggles a very necessary piece of equipment. (We are looking good now) And so, for what feels like an entire day, Brett commenced chopping all the weeds down; I raked and bagged. (It was a much bigger/dirtier job than my initial analysis …)

THEN WE GET MATT’S BELOVED TIRE… (Yes, it’s the same ginormous tractor tire that he HAD to bring home last year.) The tire sat dormant all winter and had become the cherished home to many bizarre creatures. It took teamwork to pry Mr. Tire from its resting place and we were in for quite the treat… SPIDER village!!!!! (Those creepy critters definitely make the top five on the “things I despise” list!) I had never seen a black widow in real life, but we caught three GIANT female widows… another two male black widows, a brown/white speckled one, an all white one and a furry one with green eyes….. AAAHHHHH!!!!! So gross! After securing the spiders all in an iced grande McDonald’s cup we sat back and watched them eat each other… strangely fascinating. The winner (a momma widow) received a bath of spider spray. J

You can now add “gardener” and “exterminator” to my repertoire.