That's a good idea with the to-do list as Monty does. I think I may try to do the same.

Sore back: If you can't get relief from heat and Aleve, etc. you may want to try one of those little "shock pad" thingys. They're available in any drug store (CVS, etc.). We have one and it really seems to help. It delivers just a tiny "blip" of a shock to the sore spot and after a while, the pain fades. The shock isn't painful, more just a sort of tiny thump sensation.

Hellebores: I am disappointed in mine and I wonder what I am doing wrong. They just do not thrive. They are planted in partial shade and I keep after them, but I wonder if the heavy clay is just not to their liking, even though it's well mixed with compost/leaf mold etc. Are they heavy feeders? Do they need a lot of moisture (mine are probably relatively dry in the summer because of nearby maple trees.)

My achy muscles feel much better this morning. Mike has one of those shock pad thingys but I never think to use it. I'll try it next time.

My hellebores seem to be in the same conditions as what you described for yours. I don't do anything special to take care of them - just add annual compost and mulch. No feeding, no extra watering. How long have yours been planted? The ones that have really taken off are at least four years old now. The younger ones are growing at a slow rate and are also flowering, but just not the same as the more established ones.

I finally gave up and came back inside. It is just way too cold for me and I am about frozen. Earlier in the week, the forecast for today was gorgeous - sunny and 69. Then it changed when I looked yesterday to the low 40s and breezy. I shouldn't even look at the weather forecast until the morning of because it changes so much. Drives me nuts to plan out my gardening week based on the extended forecast because it never seems to pan out. I'll have my prioritized to do list and only figure out if I can actually work on it when I get up in the morning.

I really don't know what's going on with my hellebores. The oldest clump is nearly 10 years old, but it doesn't spread. The newer ones are at least 4 years old and they just don't seem to thrive. HOWEVER, and this is a big however, I just now went outside and took a good look at them and it seems to me as if they have lifted a bit out of the ground. So I'm going to lift them and replant them deeper and see if that might not be the problem. I can't tell if the plants were frost heaved (seems unlikely) or if the compost etc. has settled (more likely).

I like the colder weather. It's the heat that I can't handle. Give me days in the 40s-50s anytime. But once the temps get near 80 I'm done for. I think it's genetic. My mom told me that my grandpap (my dad's dad) strung electric lights through his garden so he could work at night during the summer because he couldn't take the heat. And this was up in the Western PA mountains (Johnstown PA), where an extremely hot summer day is like 80 F.

I am going to post this to my journal, but I wanted to share this with you: it's a short time lapse video and it is the most breathtaking thing I've seen in a while. Hope you like it, Annie https://youtu.be/m6Uw2DJ9Md8