Tag: Nashville life

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Early Birds and Overgrown Vines: A Weekend Yard Tale

Written July 12, 2025

Hello, Dear Readers,

When I woke up this morning, my wife was already outside, hard at work tackling the yard tasks she had planned for the day. Lately, she’s been taking on more of the yard work to help me out—especially since I’ve had some pain in my foot from a minor gout flare-up. She was worried it might make things harder for me, so she quietly stepped in.

She can’t do everything, of course, but she consistently puts in about an hour to an hour and a half on weekends and holidays. And let me tell you—it makes a big difference.

When you’re dealing with kidney issues, you really have to be mindful of your body. Gout can make even walking feel like a medieval punishment. Thankfully, this time the attack was small and short-lived. But my wife, ever the vigilant one, is still concerned—about the gout, my kidneys, and probably the rest of me too.

Back when we lived in Portland, yard work wasn’t such a big deal. The summers were dry, and not much grew. Most of our neighbors had waved the white flag on green lawns long ago—watering restrictions and parched earth will do that to a community.

Now that we’re in Nashville, it’s a whole different story. We get regular summer rain, and the humidity makes everything grow like it’s auditioning for Jumanji. If you don’t stay on top of it, the yard gets wild fast.

I always want to help with the yard, but my wife is an early bird with a running start. By the time I rolled out of bed, she’d already worked out, practiced her German, and was knee-deep in hedge trimming. Since she started helping, it’s become way easier to keep things under control. She’s trimmed back the overgrown bushes so they now look neat and intentional, not like they’re plotting to take over the driveway.

There were some vines sneaking up the back of the house—beautiful, but potentially damaging. She caught them just in time, yanking most of them before they could strangle the siding. We hadn’t gotten around to the back section yet, though, and those had already grown about two feet. I’d planned to run a 5K and then help her with the vines, but by the time I was laced up and ready, she was already heading back inside. Apparently, she’d gotten up way earlier than me and knocked out her to-do list like a one-woman landscaping crew.

We picked up a power washer last weekend, and she’s got her sights set on the driveway, the deck, and the siding next. After that, it’s gutter-cleaning season. (Lucky us.) Homeownership is not for the faint of heart—or for people who like sitting still.

She’s also been pulling weeds from the front yard like it’s a personal mission. Thanks to her, the house is looking pretty sharp—no wild grass, no messy vines, no rogue weeds. We’ve still got more to tackle tomorrow and next weekend if we don’t get through it all, but hey, one trimmed bush at a time.

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An Interesting Early Autumn Yard Tale Of Unspoken Tree

Written Septermber 10, 2024

Hello Dear Readers,

It’s only early September, but our lawn is covered in leaves. The reason behind this premature leaf fall is two trees in front of our house. The larger one, a towering presence on our neighbor’s property, overshadows the smaller tree on ours. When we had an arborist inspect a tree at the back of our house, he informed us that the smaller tree on our property was struggling. Its health is declining due to competition from its larger counterpart next door. I suspect there’s a silent battle for resources happening beneath the surface. Unfortunately, our tree is on the losing side.

It’s fascinating to think about how trees, which appear so still and tranquil, constantly struggle for survival. We don’t often consider what goes on underground, where their roots stretch out in search of water and nutrients. Our smaller tree, likely overshadowed and outcompeted by the larger one, shows signs of stress. It frequently sheds branches during strong winds, even though it looks healthy on the surface. It also seems to lose more leaves than the bigger tree, which is surprising given their relative sizes.

This year, both trees are shedding their leaves much earlier than usual. The lack of rainfall might be a contributing factor. Lawns around the neighborhood appear to be suffering, looking patchy and dry. It starkly contrasts with when we first moved to Nashville from Oregon in August 2018. We were struck by how lush and green everything was here. In Oregon, the dry summer season and water usage restrictions made it challenging to maintain a vibrant lawn. My wife, a lawn care expert in her own right, used to water our lawn sparingly but for extended periods to encourage more profound root growth. Having lived in the Waterloo region of Ontario, Canada, where water restrictions were common, she was well-practiced in keeping grass healthy with minimal resources.

Maintaining our yard has become more complicated over the years. With the early leaf fall this season, I’ve found myself transitioning seamlessly from mowing the lawn to collecting leaves. Fortunately, it’s been dry for the past week, making vacuuming the leaves much easier. Today, I spent a few hours on this task, stopping only when our water delivery arrived.

The cooler temperatures have been noticeable lately. The crispness in the air signals that autumn is just around the corner. It’s a reminder of how quickly seasons change and how each one brings its own set of challenges and rewards. Ever since my brain stroke, managing these chores has become more challenging. I’ve had to learn to pace, take breaks when needed, and not overexert myself.

Despite the extra work, there’s something satisfying about yard work—mowing the lawn, collecting leaves, or tending to the garden. It connects you to the changing seasons in a tangible way. I’m looking forward to the colors of autumn, even though it means more leaves to rake. Soon enough, my yard work will halt as winter sets in. At least we won’t have to worry about shoveling snow daily like in other parts of the country. For now, I’ll enjoy the last of the warmer days, the occasional leaf collection, and the beauty of this early taste of autumn.