I got outside today, spent the time weeding overgrown area, made a surprise discovery of a tomato plant, then accidentally ripped it out. Hoping it will survive replanting, it looks good where I put it.

Started on the overgrown wasteland outside my bedroom window, while the menfolk were at a soccer game I cleared most of the weeds out, cut up some branches I found in the overgrowth and lit a small fire in my brazier. Everything was damp so it put out lots of white smoke, that's when my brother in law turned up and quipped "hey look you lit a smoke". I still have to get approval on my idea for the area, not that it matters, husband knows I'll do it whether he approves or not. The other day I checked out display houses near my work, mainly for decorating ideas and saw how I want to do the paving. Told David that I wanted him to come out and see it.

I was hoping to burn at least some of the things I was pulling out, it was all too damp though so most of it went into the bin. It's all full of seeds, especially farmer's friends, those seeds that attach themselves to your clothing so you resemble an Echidna. Not that it's legal to burn off these days, when we were kids just about everyone had an incinerator in the back yard. Ours was a made of brick, 3 sided and about knee high. We were allowed to light a fire whenever we wanted, we would cook things for our friends on those fires. We spent so much time outside when we were kids, we made our own fun something that kids today don't seem to know how to do, even my own kids.

My son has discovered this same fun, he and his friends head down to a local bushland reserve whenever they are able, they come home filthy and I couldn't be happier. When I mention to anyone else what they are doing I get asked "how can you let them do that?" They make rafts to float in the creek, which they can safely wade across. When I was a kid we spent time in the same area, we had to keep it secret from Mum as she didn't let us go there. At that time the area was crawling with motorbikes, Mum was worried we'd get run over but as soon as we heard one coming we would jump off the track and hide in the bush. Funnily I remember hearing them but have no memory of actually seeing any. These days the reserve has been turned into a park, lakes and picnic areas put in, there's no more motorbikes running along the tracks so I know it's much safer. At least it gets him out and away from video games.