Whatever You Do, Keep Going

You will become entangled in greenery. (Disentangle. Keep going.)

You will pull vines until your shoulders scream. (Keep going.)

You will be doing something under a tree and forget the limb above and whack your head. (Let the stars pass. Keep going.)

You will be pricked by thorns. (Pull them out. Keep going.)

You will feel a throb in the tips of your fingers while working outside in winter. (Keep going.)

Your clothes will tear. (Replace them. Keep going.)

You will get scratched by brambles. (Keep going.)

You will dig in the earth until your back aches. (Straighten up. Keep going.)

You will forgot to apply sunscreen. (Apply it. Keep going.)

You will be picking burrs off your clothing for hours. (Keep going.)

You will face equipment failure. (Get it fixed or find a workaround. Keep going.)

You will step in holes and fall down. (Get up. Assess the damage. If nothing’s broken, keep going.)

You will hear insects buzzing in your ears. (They came to say Thank You. Keep going.)

You will hit yourself in the hand with a mallet while driving stakes. (Shake it off if you can. Keep going.)

You will feel full-body exhaustion from dragging heavy things. (Rest until tomorrow. Keep going.)

You will find ticks attached to you. (Be vigilant. Remove them. Hot shower. Keep going.)

You will look with frustration at your neighbors who are not doing their part for nature. (Keep going.)

You will get rashes. (Put on some ointment. Keep going.)

You will trudge out to the edges of the property only to find you forgot your loppers. (Go back and get them. Keep going.)

You will get so dehydrated working outside that you want to faint. (Rehydrate. Rest. Keep going.)

You will overreach with string trimmer and brush cutter until your back aches and your arms want to fall off. (Keep going.)

You will return, after a week away, to a sea of invasives. (Don’t get discouraged. Keep going.)

You will wish someone else would do this for you. (There is no one else. Keep going.)

You will drop a limb on your leg while using the chainsaw. (Assess for damage. If none found, keep going.)

You will be stung, most likely by a yellowjacket. (Take a break until tomorrow. Keep going.)

You will want to quit or sell your piece of nature to the highest bidder or do the easy thing by mowing everything down. (Resist the urge. Keep going.)

You will wonder why you’re doing this. (You know why. Keep going.)

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Pam’s raised bed garden (mostly not native) looks lush this time of year:

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