Rainy Day Jobs

.For the past three weeks it's been wet or raining most days. Great for the soil and building ground water reserves, but not much fun for doing farm work outdoors. So it was time to bring out the old job list that's reserved for rainy days.

(Only the second time this past year that the rain gauge recorded over an inch of rain.)

Rainy day jobs all need to be done, but for one reason or another, they get a low priority rating. Guess I'm just a procrastinator when it comes to jobs that don't interest me. I'd rather be outdoors working. Yes, some tasks are essential, but come on, digging in the dirt is so much more fun! 

(Rain drops pooling on the surface of taro leaves. I wonder if local islanders ever used large taro leaves to collect rain water in the old days.)

So what's been occupying my time lately? Fun things like, catching up on paperwork, organizing the tax records, cleaning out closets, mending clothing, washing windows. Ouch! How boring! At least some of the jobs I enjoy but never seem to have enough time and energy to get to-- like re-organizing the seeds, updating the planting schedules, making the charts to summarize the weather data, coming up with plans for future projects, catching up on Internet info, catching those YouTube videos I'd like to watch.

Certain farm tasks make wonderful rainy day jobs. Sharpening the tools. Repairing equipment. Getting the general maintenance issues done. I don't mind these nearly as much as in the house jobs, at least it's part of farming, right? 

(Puddles and mud, a rare occurance here on the farm.)

I haven't found a farmer yet who likes paperwork. Some will trudge through the paper themselves. Others will hire someone to do it. And there are others who just shove it to the back of the desk, then fly into panic mode when it needs to be completed by yesterday! Hey, sounds like me! There are plenty of people out there that love organizing and doing paperwork, but they are not the "lets get down in the dirt and work" kind of people. At least I haven't had the pleasure of meeting one of them yet. The perfect situation would be to have one partner love the farm work and the other partner love the paperwork. Gee, that ain't happening here. While Hubby is an OCD organizer, it all revolves around electronic gadgetry and computer stuff. He couldn't successfully plant a row of peas even if his life depended upon it. Nor could he be enticed to organize the seed box, draw up a planting schedule, clean out the tool shed. 

Anyway, back to the drudgery discussion. I've tried to confront the growing piles of dull work several times during the past year. But we never had stormy days, never got snowed in, never too cold to be outdoors. Instead the sun would shine, the tradewinds would be delightful, the outdoors would be whispering in my ear.....come out and play! So I'd succumb to the call. Warm sun on my skin, balmy breezes blowing hair across my face, birdsong in my ears, warm earth on my hands. It wouldn't be until night that I'd feel any regret or remorse. Then I'd feel lower than the belly of a snake for not getting that paperwork caught up. Luckily I hit the sack by 8 pm, so I don't have long to have to put up with feelings of remorse!   ;) 

So after much self berating.....with the help of much rain, I've got most of the dull jobs caught up....except for all the paperwork. That's partially done. But we are still getting rain here, so it looks like I'll be confined indoors with nothing but that dang paper pile to whittle away at.