The Day The Internet Died (at my house)

How ironic is it that on Earth Day my Internet connection went down and we were forced to go outside.
Shortly after I posted my Earth Day photo yesterday morning, some workers in the area cut everyone’s DSL cable.
Panic began to set in when they told me it might not be back before 6pm Thursday. That would mean a whole day and night without Internet. I shuddered to think I could not get email, or access to my blog. I was alone again in the universe!

Then I gathered myself together and realized I wasn’t isolated on a barren island, but rather quite safe in a suburban neighborhood where I’m fairly sure other humans reside. So we ventured outside to see what we could do in the back yard. We really aren't hermits, but the back yard has become the dogs territory. Plus we have a lovely, well maintained park just around the corner.

Well, the yard is a mess! There has been almost no rain here for months and I don’t have sprinklers. So between two big dogs who dig and the drought, it’s sink or swim for the plants and grass.
By the look of the piles of dead leaves in every corner and dead plants leaning on the fence, most of the plant life decided to sink. My son quickly retreated back to the patio after encountering more than one large fire ant mound.

This was not going to be a small project and some supplies were needed if I wanted to turn the yard around. That included a new rake (the handle broke the first time I used it), some portable sprinklers, and sod. Off to Lowe’s we went and after spending way too much time trolling the aisles, we went home to see if our DSL was back. I held off on the fire ant killer until I could get online and research an eco-friendly way to repel them.
Still no Internet access, so we spent the rest of the afternoon pulling out dead plants and raking leaves.

There is still a lot of work to do, but it’s a start. Our DSL line has now been repaired and I am searching for earth friendly ways to get rid of fire ants. This weekend, we will get more work done I hope. I have to let the sprinkles get the ground soft and wet enough before I can dig and plant. All in all, a very productive Earth Day 2009.