Barber-ic Act

No, it's not misspelled. It's a weak pun (expect more of those, dear reader). Actually, it's about trimming our front hedge. I did it this morning, but I don't recall doing it last year. You see what a high priority it is. But I feel better now and it should be easier for us to water our hanging baskets. Get this: I had to use the lopper to cut the four foot dogwood that had volunteered under the petunia basket. It's a shame to cut a dogwood at any time, but I couldn't go on giving it false hope that it had a chance to mature, and eventually bloom. So out it went, with a tarpful of trimmings from nandina, azalea, camellia, wild rose, and smilax (cat-brier). I didn't get a "before" picture and I hope to add an "after," but take my word for it: it was out of control.

Now for the obligatory explanation of my title, "Barber-ic Act." As I was ruthlessly assaulting the hedge with my implements of torture, I realized why I never could have been a barber. It's all about lack of attention to detail. I'm a generalist, and far from a perfectionist. That works in some areas, but you don't want that from a barber. Talk about accountability. A barber's craft is not easily hidden (even now that guys wear their hats indoors--regrettably).

So the bottom line is, I'm now one step ahead of the hedge. It may not be level, it may not be neat, but it's not winning any more!