Busy Weekend

   Laurie and I spent our Saturday babysitting Alex so that Chuck and Rebecca could attend a wedding. As with other times when we've been there, the little man prefers staying awake and being the center of attention to sleeping. He did sneak a power nap in when I took him out for a walk around the neighborhood and took another between his late afternoon snack and dinner.

Alex models his tasty spring jacket

  Sunday was one of those days where doing one chore led to another and another and another. I had to replace a section of the fence in the back yard that had rotted away. In the abstract, it's fairly straightforward, but since it was a section that was behind a large evergreen, it became a challenge of maneuvering, with some strategic trimming and the removal of the thorny vine that grows out of our neighbor's yard and into the bushes.
   Once I had that done, I had a few slats left over, so I decided to replace a some that were in need in another part of the yard. These, at least, were not behind a bush.
   Then it was on to gardening chores. The compost we've been "growing" in a trash can was transferred to the vegetable beds. The bags of potting soil went into the giant pots for the basil. The bags of mulch were spread.
   A profusion of dandelions had sprouted in various places around the yard and I had pulled up a few near the veggie beds. Now I was on a roll, so I decided to dig up the rest of them. There turned out to be more of them than I thought, as I realized when I saw how full the trash can was when I was done.
   Then  it was on to pool-related chores. Chlorine added, skimmers emptied, Robby the Robot (our automatic vacuum) bag cleaned out. Yes, the pool is open and, according to our Temperature Team, the water is about 65 degrees. Had the air been a bit warmer yesterday, it might have been the occasion for First Dunk 2013, but that was not the case.
   The shed was next. The poolside umbrellas came out for the season; the remaining fence slats went in. Snow shovels were moved to the back; the rake and lawn mower moved to the front.
   I thought I was finished as I gathered up the various tools I'd been using, but I noticed a nail on the steps that needed a couple of taps with the hammer. This, of course, led to a walk around the deck, tapping any and all other nails that needed it.
   With the list of backyard chores exhausted, I took the tools inside. Some of them are kept in the basement, where a basket of clean laundry was ready to go upstairs. And you can just imagine what that led to...