A marvelous tool is the scuffle hoe
I know that sounds like the beginning of a limerick. Sadly, that’s all there is and there ain’t no mo’.
It’s just that today I was reminded of the tool’s excellence by the simple fact of using it to begin expunging the weeds from my front yard. It’s just great for that. It’ll take the little bastards off level with the ground; sometimes it even hooks them and yanks ‘em out by the roots. Which is definitely bonus.
It’s about the only thing I know to get rid of the foul weeds locally called goatheads, shy of a flamethrower (which, granted, I so wish I had), or just grubbing the things out one by one by hand. Which, given the properties of our North Valley soil (the phrase “cement-like” springs to mind) would be a slow and brutal task. The monstrous things produce horrid miniature caltrops, which in fact greatly resemble a goat’s head, complete with horns - especially with horns - that endlessly torment my dog. And also me, when she tracks them inside and I walk around barefoot. As I prefer to do. The plants themselves sprawl on the hardpan as if defending against a Brazilian jiu-jitsu takedown, making it extremely hard to get at them. Unless you attack them right flat along the ground.
That’s what the scuffle hoe will do for you. New Mexico gardeners: buy it. Use it. Love it.
In other news from the terraforming of my yard, the compost I’ve got separated into its own container now, after a night’s airing-out, looks and smells and feels like nice, rich soil. Which I am given to understand is the point of the whole damned operation. Meanwhile the stuff in the composter, while it still smells a little evil, is generating heat again. I may need to turn it again in a couple days, although I confess it’ll be a spell before I’m willing to wrestle with screening it again.
Things progress. Likewise on the writing front, I’m pleased to report. I’ve slacked a bit on dictating, but that’ll come along as well.
I am in general making a lot of progress. There’s still plenty to be made, to understate grandly; and I don’t advance equally on all fronts. For example I’m currently lax about reducing starch in my diet, hence not losing weight. But … it’ll come together. I’ll learn to integrate these things. It’s all just skills, and skills are learned.
Looking over this it occurs to me to put it under the “Lazy Landscaper” rubric. But I won’t. There’s nothing lazy about using a scuffle hoe. It is more efficient than other methods, which is certainly consonant with the principles of Lazy Landscaping. Whatever they may be. But it’s pretty vigorous; and having already re-aggravated some tendonitis in my left elbow yesterday, I greatly hope not to re-enact last year when I got serious bursitis in my right elbow that literally gave me a fever and rendered the arm near-useless for months.
One way or another, I shall persevere.
Tags: Life, Me, scuffle hoe
May 9th, 2008 at 8:22 pm
Simple possession of a flamethrower is entirely legal under federal and state law, as far as I know. HOWEVER, you would probably be harassed by APD for using it, as there are ordinances against burning things in your yard, for example.