Happy Thanksgiving

This week was a positive experience and we got a lot accomplished at work.  I had a mild bout of depression on Monday morning and thankfully had the day off to clear my mind.  It may have been the inclement weather on Monday but,  I was definitely struggling.  The difference between now and years gone by, is that I am able to fight my way out of depressive episodes.  What I was experiencing on Monday would have thrown me off for the whole week in the past but,  I was able to focus on the remainder of the week without being affected too much by Monday.

We only have three more weeks left of grass cutting which I am thankful for.  I love to cut grass but,  I am anxious to start fall clean ups.  We also started two fairly big jobs this week, which should keep us busy for the next few weeks.  It will be interesting to see how fall clean ups go this year.  We will be one man down this year for the clean ups, so it may take us a little longer than usual.  I am confident we will be able to push ourselves to get them finished in a reasonable time frame.  The key with clean ups is not being overwhelmed with the scope of work at properties.  When I did my first one a few years a go,  we started at a massive property and I was not sure how we would finish such a job.  You have to break properties in to sections and focus on individual tasks before moving on to the next section.  It makes it much easier not to get frustrated with the amount of work there is before you.

I get a chance to visit with Elias and Micah today.  The Chapman's are up for a thanksgiving visit and am looking forward to some quality time with them.  We are also closing my parents pool today which does not take too long.  I borrowed a chain saw from my boss this weekend just in case my mom would like some branches cut out of her trees.  I know what I would take out but,  they like a lot of privacy so I may have to hold myself back.  I also bought the old Echo trimmer from my boss and I am really looking forward to making some vertical edges.

Bernie and Karen are coming to visit in two weeks and I am really looking forward to seeing them.  We do not get a chance to visit with Jodi's parents too often so it will be great to catch up with them.  We are also fortunate enough to visit them in Florida over the Christmas holidays which should be a lot of fun.

I was up early today and already had a chance to take Ollie for a play at the arena.  If it was up to me,  I would have already cut the grass but,  I am sure my neighbour's would not have appreciated being woken up at 6 am on a Saturday morning. 

Landscaping tip of the Day: Spacing

When designing beds and deciding what to plant at your home,  always remember spacing.  A common occurrence I see at some properties is lack of spacing.  Plants, shrubs and flowers growing in to each others space.  You have to take in to account the natural maturity of plants and shrubs when deciding what to plant.  If you plant a row of yews that are in their first year of growing right beside each other,  then there will be no separation once they reach their full growth.  Plants need a certain amount of sun and moisture to remain healthy.  I have seen situations where a more aggressive plant will take sun and moisture from others and those plants will struggle.  If you have existing beds that have some spacing issues,  do not be afraid to cut a way some things to create a little more space.

That is all from me today.  Happy Thanksgiving!  Have a great weekend.  Take care,  Shawn.

Although life may be a struggle at times,  when we truly take a look around,  there is always something to be thankful for.