I decided a few weeks ago to try and improve the health of my lawn, which takes up almost three-fourths of an acre. I am actually guessing here, since a part of my property is covered in trees and such. Most of it is just a big hillside made of shale rock thinly disguised with dirt and grass in some places.

I bought the piece of land I am working on now about 10 years ago and I have been trying to improve it ever since. It has been a slow process, sometimes taking two steps forward and then taking a few back. I am lucky enough to have a few good friends in the area, one of whom has a nice pull-along drop spreader. I borrowed that from him and then picked up a truck load of pelleted lime.

I could tell that broom sage was growing on most of the hill behind the property, a sign that lime is needed, I have been told.

I also put on about 80 pounds of time-release fertilizer. I understand that it can help with root growth in the fall. With the grass more or less trying to live on rocks, it probably needs all the help it can get.

In the past, I have tried several methods of spreading fertilizer and lime. I have hand sewn it, thrown it and used a push-along broadcast spreader. But I can honestly say that I have never seen anything work so well as this spreader did after I hooked it to the back of my riding lawnmower.

I poured in a couple bags of the lime, took off, turned the spreader on when I was ready and then turned it off to refill it. It was simple as pie.

As I drove around the property, I occasionally passed by a structure or tree and could tell how far the particles were flying based on the distance I was from the structure.

I found that the faster I went, the further the particles would travel. Therefore, speed has more than one effect on the speed one gets finished with the task. I covered the entire property with a sufficient amount of lime in about half an hour.

At the time I spread the fertilizer and lime, the lawn was nearly dead. Then I noticed last week that the grass has come back to life with nearly the vigor it had before the first frost.

By Friday evening, I was mowing again. I am not sure that the fertilizer and lime are having the intended effect of thickening the grass. However, I am sure that they are making it grow. I am also very glad that I didn't apply either one in the summer months. I would say my mowing schedule would have been greatly changed in the process. Saturday I started off the day the lazy way, ambling about the house for a few hours as I prepared to come to town to take a few photos for the newspaper.

The weather was a bit on the cool side and a little breezy — perfect working weather. It seems like I have something to do on the weekends with such perfect weather that doesn't allow me to get my work done at home.

However, Saturday evening I got to get out and do some painting, finishing up the eaves and soffit on the back side of the house. That only leaves the two ends and the front to touch up and a few other places where the first coat wasn't quite up to par.

I have been trying to get the painting finished for the last four months or so, but something else always seems to draw away my attention. I had gotten to the point where I didn't even notice the partially-painted house when I was outside. That's how I knew it was time to get back to work on it.

I really enjoyed being outside on the ladder, making slow and deliberate brush strokes as the brown paint covered the wood. I painted the back of the house first for a few different reasons. First of all, I knew that it would be much easier to ignore the back of the house if I left it until last. I always try to do the part that no one will notice as much first or I will procrastinate even more than I usually do. Secondly, the sun sets behind the house, which made for pleasant painting.

In the summer, I tried to stay out of the sun when I was working. But in the winter, I always try to stay in it as much as I can.

I think I can finish up the painting with little more than a good day's work involved and then finally erase that task from my list of things that need to be done.

I felt like I had accomplished something in looking over the painted trim. That is a feeling I very much enjoy having.

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