Yesterday felt more productive than today. It was sunnier. I was awake earlier. I got more planted. Just overall, it felt better as days go.
But today was not a bad day. The excessive sleep thing happened to me again and I awoke at around 2 pm. The early part of the night was broken, but still, it was around 14 hours of sleep.
Today was overcast, and cooler than yesterday, so I thought it would be a good day to start burning down the brush pile still left over from when we had the black walnut tree removed last spring. 
Over the course of the day, with the kids drifting in and out as they played with friends and did whatever kids do when summer vacation is new, we worked our way through about 2/3 of the pile, finally stopping at nearly 10 pm, with the embers safely covered with the screen top to the pit, and the ground around the pit properly mudded.
I did a bit in the garden. Still working on the strawberry patch, weeding out the creeping charlie that so likes filling in any nook or cranny it can get away with existing in. It really is an amazing ground cover but I could do without it. Even though I did not move the patch or thin it out last year, the plants are happily flowering and I think it will be another good harvest. I have a good bit of rhubarb already harvested, waiting for the strawberries.
I like rhubarb sauce just fine, but I prefer rhubard and strawberry preserves. I am hoping to can up quite a bit of it this year, but we will see how that goes. For now I am happy seeing the flowers, and grateful for the rhubarb I have processed. There is a lot we need to get done.
I try to stay ahead of the pain and discomfort, knowing I need to take breaks, knowing not to even try lifting more than a half full watering can, knowing not to try to twist (because I cannot anyway) and trying to find ways to work without bending, because the body simply doesn’t bend.
This week’s total forecast is cooler, and wet again, as opposed to the warmth of last week. There were frost warnings north of us which thankfully did not extend down to our home. The evening and night were cool, but I have no idea what the morning was like because I slept through it.
I have a lot of plants I need to harden off. Might even need to buy mint plants, which just seems odd, but this winter took out my spearmint, regular mint, and maybe half of my chocolate mint. After so many relatively mild winters, this last one reminded us of how harsh the weather can be, and drove home the need to make sure, if possible, that perennials and bulbs are mulched well. My garlic harvest will be less than half what it would have been if I had mulched it last fall. We lost nearly all of our largest variety of hosta. (I think Patti said they are called Some & Substance but I am not sure on that point) and nearly every plant Patti had planted the last couple of years that was rated zone 5 but had been doing fine, died with our zone 3 winter.
If we have a cool summer it is going to put a crimp in the fall harvest for a lot of people. I am looking at the tomatoes I have started and wondering if I should really emphasize the shorter season ones when I can get everything into the ground, just in case. This is much later than I usually get them in the ground. A September frost could kill the plants just before many of them would produce.
We will see. Onward and upward. I did manage to plant three 5′ rows of Landreth Stringless green beans. Still trying to make sure that every day I get something planted until it is all done.
