A Very Zen Moment!

I have always been under the impression that gardening produced a Zen -like experience.  That thought should be revamped just a little bit, I think!

Perhaps, gardening in the middle of summer, when all one does is sit on the ground and pull weeds or move from flower to flower dead heading - now that's Zen...

The type of gardening I did on the weekend in more apt to kill you, than to cure you.

Seriously - digging out and moving shrubs and climbing rose bushes is downright dangerous!  I had what looked like a small shrub (can't remember the name) and a grown rose bush to dig up and move on the weekend.  The shrub, a pretty little thing was growing too close to the house, so I wanted to move it out into the garden proper.  The rose bush was only producing in early spring due to the fact that once the Elm trees got their leaves, the Roses' area became too shady.  Both very good reasons for a move.

How hard could it be?

It was not overly warm, I was dressed in a pair of sweats, and a short-sleeved t-shirt.  I had socks and ducks on my feet.  With garden fork in hand I set to conquer my task.

The bush came out after about 15 minutes of digging and pulling - it was transplanted in the perfect spot in the garden.

The rose-bush - not so much.  Ever try to get around a mature bush?  Well I will back track.  First I had to un-weave said rose bush off a trellis.  Oh that was fun - I'm still finding thorns in my flesh!  Then it was try and dig around a mature rose bush.  "Around and around and around we go - where we stop nobody knows! "

By this time I am becoming somewhat warm.  But instead of stopping and getting a drink of much needed water - I continue.

45 minutes later I am seeing double, can't breathe and have pretty much sweat out every body fluid I own.  And then  poof - it pops out of the ground - well sort of!

I had just enough in me to carry it to it's new home throw it in, rush to the back door of the house and then I collapsed.

I thought I was having a heart attack, but I was not.  I was over-heating  - big time.  I began to shake, I couldn't speak, I couldn't even move.  It took a panicked spouse to strip my clothes off down to the bare essentials and get the cool water to me.  Even then it was another hour before I was semi-normal (whatever that is)!

Definitely not and experience to be repeated any time soon...

O my goodness - I take that back - That was a very Zen - like experience after all!