And yesterday's work

 Last week (before July 4th), I called the city. I think I've mentioned before their complicated bulky waste policy: they pick up once a month, on Saturdays, but you have to call and get your name and address on the list. And also, you cannot put anything out to the curb more then 24 hours before (as far as I know, that's a new policy; I remember some years ago putting stuff down as I cut it and it was fine, but then also they picked up twice a month back then and you didn't have to reserve with them first - that was when they had more employees, I guess)

So yesterday was the day if I was going to get brush cut. I spent maybe five hours doing it - took a couple breaks (one, because it turned out there was poison ivy mixed in with the virginia creeper and even though I had gloves I couldn't be sure and wanted to rinse my arms off, another time for lunch and a bit of a rest).

I got the entire front gardens cleared out, and cut back the hollies in front of my dining room windows to let more light in for the plants there, and I cleared out most of the tiny side yard on the north of the house.

Around 3 pm, my body just went "no more" though there was still more stuff in the back yard I COULD have worked on - this is either 10 or 12 wheelbarrows full of stuff, plus a few other things (some stuff I'd cut before and stored on a tarp, and a couple of large branches that came down in a storm). Also the dead vacuum leaner and 2 dead lamps they said they would pick up.

Well, when I got up this morning the vacuum cleaner and one lamp (the brass one) were gone; I guess a "picker" came over night and if they can fix those things, more power to them. (Or if there's enough recyclable metal in them to make it worth their while to strip them). Later, the city came and took the third lamp (the upright of it had broken and I think it had a short in it any way) and all the brush. 

I'll probably have to try to do this again for September. (I will be out of town for the August pickup)