FOURTH OF JULY GOOSE

 

ROSES IN SPRING BEFORE THE ONSLAUGHT OF WEEDS

Our grandson spent the day here today.  This morning it was so gloriously cool that I thought that it would be the perfect day for us to spend some time outside so that I could get the weeding done behind the rose bushes.  It has been so hot that the weeds were getting taller than the roses. 

Weeding behind the rose bushes is a thorny operation.  I have a whole set of precautions that I take before this endeavor.  I wear garden gloves (very unusual for me, I am more of a dirt under the nails, thorns in the hand,  grab a garden snake by mistake type of person).  My other major precaution is a giant piece of folding cardboard, (the kind that is used for science fair projects). The cardboard keeps me from getting all caught up in the rose thorns.  So gloves, garden digger, pruning shears, 2 different loppers, big grass shears, gloves,  giant folding cardboard, phone, water bottles, garden basket, huge sunhat,  and grandson all gathered, we went outside to pull, yank, cut the weeds behind the roses.

I didn't think that at 4 1/2 years old my grandson would be able to do anything in the weeding department, but he loves to play outside.  One of his favorite things is to look for sticks.  He keeps pretending they are guns, and then we keep trying to change the subject and have them be other things.  In preschool, he could get in trouble for pretending a stick is a gun.  So now I encourage him to just get big sticks that can be for walking, or just for poking around.

So a little time passed and I was already making good progress with the weeds amongst the roses.  My grand was coming back from his stick search with a good long new stick in hand. 

The next thing I heard was him giggling a little, I was still bent over.  Then I heard him giggle again, by this time he was behind me and I was still bent over yanking on a weed.  And then I felt it.  He just couldn't resist giving me a little "goose" with the new long stick.  By that time his giggle had turned to outright mischievous  laughing, and then when I let out a little holler and started giggling and laughing, he laughed even harder, and so did I.   

NOW PICTURE ME BENT OVER  RIGHT BEHIND THOSE ROSES WITH MY GRANDSON SNEAKING UP BEHIND ME

I only have a picture in my mind's eye of what a sight we must have been, as we stood giggling and laughing,  but I hope to keep that picture in my mind and heart forever.  My Fourth of July Goose and the giggling that went with it!

Happy Independence Day!  I hope yours was as gigglingly good as mine was!