Cotton, again

For the last 8 years, I have been saving money and planning for a back yard-side yard-front yard-entry way makeover. I have been hard at work getting the inside of the house the way like it, while keeping the rest from falling down. And along the way I have been sidelined by my health, parents needing help, funerals and graduations. Lots of little issues pop up and reset the priority list.
While I wait for my time to rip apart the mess and get the landscape in order, I have had some garden experiments. Three years ago, I planted cotton. It wintered over and continued growing and producing the second year. During the third winter, instead of cleaning it out, I ignored it and planted some wheat in a different area. Soon the wheat was done, and the cotton was blooming again. That brings us to year three- cotton bolls like crazy- construction on the way.
I have started working with a contractor to get this place DONE, well, mostly done. Everyone knows that a house is a continuous project. But I intend to get a lot done.
To my surprise, the area that I thought would be last will be first. The East side will get trenched, concrete removed and fencing. When that part is done, the entry way will get its time. Then the West side, and lastly the back yard, where the cotton is.
I have had a long talk with this cotton. I told it to hurry up or its seeds won't have a chance. Last year, I was still harvesting in January, but this year I must be done before the plants get dug up. This might be as late as December. There is still time to finish up some of those lazy bolls.
As much as I have loved this patch, and it has been of such low maintenance, I would like to make this a better yard. I am going for easy care, with a few garden beds, a small corner patch of cotton. Even still, this is very productive cotton and makes more with each consecutive year. I have so much to spin, I can't even find all the bags.
So the experiment will come to a close at the end of 2014. It has been great fun.