Amateur Hour

Or

Cindy “Lopper” Rides Again

The vision: A slender Southern Magnolia tree reaches out with deep green leaves, to welcome the sun. It’s surrounded by a ring of glowing lily and dazzling amaryllis, drawing bees and butterflies, in a flirtatious, insectile display.

The obstacle:

In the foreground, a glossy privet; an ornamental hedge plant, that has gone feral. It’s tall, it’s tough, and well nigh unapproachable.

The solution(?):

Well, it’s as close as I got, to a partial solution. This is the very brand and model I bought, at Walmart. In retrospect, I’m wondering if anvil style loppers wouldn’t have been better.

The result:

This is what was left after an hour and a half of work, not counting the breaks I had to take, because I’m old, fat, and out of shape.

The thing fought back. I have a blood blister/bruise, on my left forearm. At least, I can now get close enough to the beast, to go in, for the kill.

In other news, the dewberries are blooming, at the edges of the woods, everything is leafing out, and azaleas are beginning to bud.

Someone tell Punxatawny Phil that Spring has sprung, finally, and to do better, next year!