Let the weed war commence!

My Pinterest toilet paper roll planters are working like a charm. My little pepper sprouts are growing steadily and I'm excited to get them in the ground. I won't have to wait too much longer if the weather remains as warm as it's been!

In the meantime, I've been exploring a few other ideas I gained from my Pinterest community.

Idea #1: Vinegar Weed Killer - Result: Fail - According to this "pin," spraying vinegar on weeds will kill them in a day or two.

For my first attempt, I diluted two parts vinegar with one part water and sprayed every weed in sight. The result was a slight browning of the edges of the weeds.

After a little more research I tried full-strength vinegar with a bit of soap to help it stick to the leaves. The result was the same. The weeds did not relent but I developed a craving for salt and vinegar potato chips.

Idea #2: Bleach Weed Killer - Result: Fail What can I say? Bleach doesn't kill weeds either.

I suspect that the pinners who initially posted these ideas must have really wimpy weeds. Clearly they're not the industrial strength, ten-foot root varieties that we are so blessed with.

Conclusion: I guess I'll just use Round-Up. It seems like it's the only thing that really works. I will, however, welcome any clever weed-busting ideas from the seasoned gardeners out there!

Spring Fever

As of last week, I officially have Spring Fever. What a gorgeous jumpstart into the season!

I took advantage of the beautiful weather and ran around Waterville Monday and Wednesday evening. It felt so great to soak up the sun and smell the spring smells. I was a little surprised that more people weren't out and about, but by the weekend, nature's memo must have gotten out because there were people all over town, walking, preparing gardens and chatting on front lawns.

Oh I love spring! ...almost as much as I love summer! Almost.

The only downfall of this particular season is that it's a little harder to motivate myself to go to work! The kids are feeling it too, for sure. It's amazing how dramatically their behavior changes when the weather starts warming up. They don't want to be inside any more than we do! I may have to arrange to do a rhythm and dance unit soon that will allow me to take some of my classes outside!

Easter Egg Hunt Madness

I read a story, recently, about an Easter egg hunt in Georgia that had to be cancelled because of agressive parents. These so called "helicopter parents," were apparently so concerned that their children weren't given a fair shot at finding eggs, that they crossed the barrier and began forcibly collecting eggs on their children's behalf. It threw the hunt into chaos. Many of the kids whose parents didn't intervene ended up eggless and, if you can believe it, some kids were even trampled!

The story made me think of Waterville's annual egg hunt. I didn't get to see it this year, but last year I was so impressed with how organized everything was. The park was sectioned off by age group. The littlest kiddos got to go first (if I remember right) and their eggs were conspicuously "hidden" on the grass, under tables and near tree trunks. The oldest group started last and were given a more challenging course.

I remember that everyone was polite, smiling and having fun. I don't recall anyone being pushy. In fact, I remember that parents were really just hanging out, talking amongst themselves, and were seemingly unconcerned with the possibility of eggy injustice.

I suppose it could be the small-town atmosphere that really makes an event like that work, but kudos to the organizers of the Waterville Easter Egg Hunt for a very well-executed event.

After all, who would have ever thought that an Easter egg hunt could incite violence?!