That’s the advice of a fellow blogger. Rather than abandoning a regular post for lack of ideas just start talking, who cares what you say.

I have a little trouble with the who-cares part.

Anyway, I decided to start talking and just see where it would go. At the very least, I thought I would tell you a quick story. One where I made a choice and got away with it, until I didn’t. It has to happen to all of us sometime, right?

So I was writing this inspired version of the story, including pictures to illustrate the point. The trouble was, one of the pictures was in a weird format and no matter what I did nothing changed. It was irritating because one picture was big and beautiful and the other was not.

The trouble escalated when I explored, trying to find something in this new editing format that would help me out.

I clicked on the Wrong button.

It was something called enhanced format or some such thing. I did not want to go there but it would not let me leave. There was no close or cancel button that I could see. No matter what I did it wouldn’t go away.

So I did the only thing I could do.

I trashed the whole thing.

I’m starting over with a scaled back version of my story…which is probably better anyway.

The law of averages says you can keep taking a chance but sooner or later something will backfire and get you.

I’ve been doing a bunch of pruning in my yard this fall.

I have a nice sharp pair of clippers. If I twist just the right way with grit and determination, I can muscle through some good sized branches. By good sized I mean about twice as big as one of my fingers.

Anything bigger I’m out of luck. Usually.

Last fall while my teenage grandsons were over I borrowed a long handled pruner from my neighbor and they whistled through the bigger branches. The ones I couldn’t cut with my clippers. They weren’t huge. Maybe an inch and a half thick.

This fall, I still had those long handled clippers. I looked at them, looked at my small trees and thought, why not? I bet I can cut something with them.

Sure enough, it worked and I was thrilled.

It was easy to move on to bigger and bigger branches until it was almost impossible to have the strength to squeeze the handles together enough to get the job done.

Where there’s a will there’s a way. Get creative.

With lots of whole body contortions I discovered I could rest one handle against my left side, grip the other handle with both hands and squeeze with everything I had. It worked. Sometimes I had to finish the last little bit with my small clippers, but it worked.

I was down to the second last tree and it was awkward up against the fence, so close to another tree. Somehow I just couldn’t seem to get the usual angles happening. My left side normally worked better for this chore but not this time. So I decided to give my right side another try.

Bad move.

Something popped. I was Ow, Ow, Ow, THAT hurt. Hmmm. Let’s go back to the left side.

I’ve never cracked a rib before.

It’s been about four weeks and things are starting to feel better. If I behave I can forget it’s even happened.

The trick is to know when to hold and when to fold. I gambled and lost 🙂

So, like my guy in the Sunday story prompt…. I have one more story to tell the grandkids.

Sunday Scribblings  initiator of these story prompts is hosted by peckapalooza – the Confusing Middle

Today’s prompt …

Expectation

I was hoping to write some awesome fiction for today’s submission but I think my self-expectations were too high. I don’t seem to have much of an imagination when it comes to stories worth reading.

I suppose, with enough effort it would be possible for me to produce something but honestly … my heart is just not in it. There are so many other things I feel passionate about.

When I look at this whole idea realistically, it makes sense to be thoughtful and wise when deciding where to spend my time. Not that I will never write fiction, just not today.

Sometimes my expectations are too high but sometimes they are not high enough.

So, this was my task for yesterday. The two smaller trees in front were in need of a prune. It doesn’t really look like it so much in this picture because fall is here and most of the leaves have dropped. A few weeks ago, though, they did look overgrown and in need of a haircut.

The day went well and I managed to prune and clean up the main mess before I ran out of daylight. Six very large garbage bags later.

So this is what it looked like post haircut.

I know, you are probably thinking that looks more like a scalping than a haircut.

Last year I did the same thing to a tree in the front yard. I didn’t really know what expect but I figured it would probably take a couple of years at least for it to grow back. Boy was I wrong.

The lovely full tree on the left was scalped last year and look how lush it is now.

My expectations were blown out of the water. I can see what I should have been doing all along.

The bush in front is a lilac and it can’t be treated quite the same way. It will have to wait to have it’s major haircut next spring after it blooms. I can hardly wait.

So…

My project today was to be haircuts for these three trees. I managed to get the middle one done and cleaned up before the rain started. Tomorrow is another day but as long as I get it done before the snow flies it will all be good.

Next year’s challenge will be to win the war with the bunnies. They’ve eaten most of the tender perennials gracing the center part of this flower bed.

My expectation is to find a way to be smarter than they are and win the turf war.