I have pulled a whole lot of weeds in the last few days, and my hands are showing the evidence. I've tried using gloves, but they always end up with dirt on the inside somehow, which is really annoying to me, so I just go without. As a result, my nails are stained no matter how I try to get the dirt out from underneath them, and my fingers are calloused and scratched. My hands are looking and feeling a bit manly, but at least they are small, and not hairy.
Every time I go out, I pull, and I pull; it's sort of addicting, but the weeds seem to keep coming. Someday, I have faith that the plants of my choice will crowd out those grassy weeds that produce fox tails and other irritating stickers which eventually end up stuck in the feet, ears and coats of my animals, causing problems and spreading into more weeds. In the mean time, I pull, trying to catch them before they go to seed, trying to pull when the ground is still soft from recent rains. I plant new baby vinca, poppies, rosemary and sage to fill in the weedy ground. When I throw the weed clots over the fence, the goats come running. Depending on their moods, they will devour them, or snub them. Whatever they ignore, the chickens peck and scratch through. I'm glad they are enjoying my weeding, and turning it into a feeding. Nature is so resourceful.
