hey, pilgrim! you forgot your pop-gun!

Thursday was Man Day.

The day I rolled up my short sleeves to tackle the duties of a pioneer on the frontier.

Around here, that means pulling water cabbage and water hyacinth out of the laguna.  The chore has been neglected for some time.

First, it was the crocodiles babies.  I was reluctant to disturb the nursery.  And, as you may recall, MaMa Croc was far more intent on me not disturbing the nursery.

Then I wandered off for two months.  In my absence, the laguna was emptied twice.  When I got back, it was a plain of wet mud covered with water plants -- hanging onto life in the few puddles that survived the drainage.

For the past three weeks, my inlet has been filing with water.  And just like income tax rate cuts, all boats (or, in this case, plants) are rising.

Having put off what needed to be done for too long,  I started gathering up my tools.  Well, tool.  I only have one.  The four-prong hook that I toss into the pond and then pull out with a rope.  If all works well, a carpet of plants will come along with it.

But, if you look carefully at the photograph, my two-part tool has been reduced to a single piece of re-bar.  Without the rope, it would be as futile as a governmental program to toss the hook into the pond.

I am considering driving to Manzanillo on Saturday -- for a day in the Little Apple.  If I do not buy a rope locally (and there are plenty of local retailers), I will pick up one there.

Then I can return to my John Wayne impression.