My plans to do a lot of outdoor jobs had to be put on hold when I hurt my shoulder helping to net the plum trees. This year the crop of delicious plums is quite small and I don’t think there will be enough for me to make jam. We decided one hot morning that if the trees were not netted that day, there would be no plums at all as the birds were already picking them daily. Netting trees sounds simple enough, but in my life jobs always get bigger and more complicated as soon as I start them. First my son set off to buy some agricultural piping to that it would be easier to drape the netting over the trees. Then stakes to hold the piping were cut, the trees pruned and the ladder brought to make the job possible. No, I didn’t fall from the ladder. It was just the length of time that my arms were above my head pulling and arranging the netting to go over the spikey branches that caused the problem in my shoulder tendons. Several hours later when I had to drive to town and back I was barely able to put the car into gear and even three weeks later I’m still not able to drive.

The holiday has been full of fun just the same and any day now the first plums will be ripe and as I am the earliest riser in the family, I plan to be the first to taste the rewards of my labors.

Tags: gardening, outdoor activities