An afternoon in the back yard

I was spending a wonderful, lazy Sunday, and (although I try to have an internet sabbath on Sundays) somehow managed to stumble across Donna Freedman's recent blog post, Missing out on the World.  Ironically, or providentially, this was a post comparing how kids long ago had fun versus how kids nowadays amuse themselves, and -- of course -- nature vs. internet was a key theme.

This was just what I needed to get myself out of the lazy, search-the-computer-for-entertainment mindset. I resumed my internet sabbath and headed out into the giant weed patch that is my back yard.   With my August travels and September rains, the entire place had become overgrown with wild grasses and who-knows-what-all kinds of plants. 

When I undertook weeding, I found all kinds of amazing things still thriving.   It was kind of like my kids cleaning their rooms and unearthing long-lost favorite toys. 

Okra, as big as my hand. 
By letting it grow so long, it's now too woody to be edible.
But it's still fun to look at.

Cucumbers. And a basil plant (I didn't actually kill it?!?)
that decided to come inside and join me for dinner.

Stone cat. Starting at bicycle sculpture.

A walking path, past the grape vines, now actually passable.

Thank you, Donna, for writing the internet blog post that got me off of the internet for a little while!