planned or spontaneous

Sometimes my gardening activities are carefully planned, complete with rituals. I know I have at least a few hours free. So I put on my gardening clothes, old comfortable shorts and tops. I put on socks, sunblock, hat, Blundstone boots and garden gloves- in that order. Then I go outside and decide what bit to tackle and what to do. I don't care if it's raining or cold or hot. I pretend I don't hear the phone. After a bit I am hungry or thirsty. I go inside, and am surprised that 3 or 4 hours have passed.

Sometimes I go into the garden for a specific purpose. I go into the back garden in order to put stuff from the kitchen to the compost. I go through the front garden to get the newspaper which has been delivered and left outside. As I walk along I check, note little changes, how things are going. I may see a weed. Or it may be hard to walk through the gate without getting sticky blue petals on your clothes and in your hair. If I don't absolutely have to be somewhere else in a short time, suddenly there I am, bending, kneeling, gardening - barefooted and barehanded. I go inside, and am surprised that 3 or 4 hours have passed.