Finally had a full day off yesterday and I spent the first warm spring day of the season gardening- and by gardening I mean A) Cut up a 30 ft Aspen and a 20 ft lodgepole pine, both fallen in our recent heavy snows, with a chain saw B)Shoveled out the driveway curve where a 1/2 inch of mud had accumulated C)hooked the De-thatcher to my Lawn Tractor to clear the grass of pine needles, then hooked up the aerator and core aerated it. 4)Fertilized same

At some point during this process, it occurred to me that Spring gardening in the Rocky Mountains resembles a military operation. First comes the all out blitzkrieg in which you marshall all your heavy equipment in the attempt to subdue the encroaching forces of chaos. Then the mopping-up operation, with plenty of rakes and garbage bags, and at last the peace process and a return to civilized behavior. At least until next Spring.

LEJ