I just arrived back home from the Y. I usually stop by the office, but today is Martin Luther King’s birthday. Our office and many others are closed. When I arrived home, I looked for Kate in the house. I had seen the garage door to the backyard was open slightly and considered the possibility that she was working in the yard. Though the sun is shining, the temperature is in the lower 40s; so I really thought she would be inside. Once inside, I called to her and got no answer. Then I looked out back and saw that she was on the ground in the flower bed around the fence. I went out to see her. I asked if she were cold. She said she was but it was not too bad. She said she had on two sweatshirts and two pair of pants. I also called attention to the fact that she was wearing 3 baseball caps on her head. She seemed happy as a lark. I made no effort to encourage her to come inside. If she gets cold enough, I know she will come in. Although I can’t imagine deriving the same measure of pleasure from this kind of work, I accept the fact that it is important therapy for her. I reiterate something I have said before, one day I do expect that her pruning activity will be rewarded with new growth. I just fear that it will be too late for her to fully appreciate it.
Yesterday was the warmest day we have had in several weeks. The high was in the 60s. The sun was shining brightly. Kate spent more than 3.5 hours pruning. It was almost 7:00 pm when she came inside. That was almost an hour after dark.
