Why Do Ditch Diggers Have Great Bodies?

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  I'm almost half way through digging and filling my garden with 13 cubic yards of black topsoil from Pine Island, NY. It's the best soil you can have, since it comes from the Arctic glaciers that melted a few million years ago. I've always prided myself to be quite strong from years of Muay Thai fighting and various sports, but let me tell you....digging dirt is tough stuff! After about 2 hours of filling a wheel barrel, taking it to its destination and digging out the soil (I'm too short for leveraging the wheel barrel to just dump the dirt into the elevated garden beds), I'm a done deal! I know when to stop before I think I'll overdo it. This is repetitive work and now I know why ditch diggers sing songs to the rhythym of their motions....I'm singing all those songs of the south the sisters of brutality taught us in Catholic parochial school (the things you remember while digging in the dirt!).

So, here's my tip: if you're digging dirt, filling a garden and think you're going to get it done in a day...just forget about it! Sing some songs, take your time, drink lots of water and tomorrow is another day. It might take me another 6 days to get the job done - any volunteers to help out there? Have a wonderful week; be safe, be healthy and be cool!

It's Getting Warm...Time To Plant That Garden

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  The weather is becoming warmer here in the North East and it's time for Spring planting.  Don't injure yourself while trying to do too much at one time or over-reaching, lifting or bending.  Get 2 cheap spackle buckets from Home Depot.  Use one  for all your short handled gardening tools, so you don't have to go back and forth 900 times during the day. It is also the perfect size for weeds...when the bucket is full, it won't weigh so much that you can injure yourself carrying it to a mulch pile or trash.  Turn over the other bucket and use it as a seat, so you're not leaning and putting weight on your knees nor taxing your lower back.  Don't forget your bug spray, sunscreen, floppy hat and sunglasses.  Most importantly....hydrate!  A large thermos of cold water or non-sugary, non-alcoholic beverage is best when working in the sun!  Have fun and be safe this weekend!