4.17.10

Today the goal was to work on the center aisle. I was hoping to get it completely dug out. I had updated my "free dirt" listing on Craigslist and had the stereo on and my phone out, both tucked under some plastic sheeting to protect them from the elements. Pulled out the tools and prayed for dry skies.

This is the main aisle. It's 6 feet wide by 25ish feet long. We put the tarps down last summer to control the weeds and they helped a LOT. I wasn't sure what I was going to find underneath though. The weather was behaving, but I didn't want to test it by wasting a lot of time combing through the soil for roots and weeds. I just wanted to slice out the damp clay and pile it on the driveway.

There were two tarps on the ground. I pulled off the first one so I could start digging, and left the second one on the ground to keep it dry. That board there is a makeshift lid we put over the trench I had dug last year to test my failed bottle/led lighting idea.

These are the bottles that I had put in the ground for the led trial. The weeds grew pretty tall last year before we put the tarps down, and this is the sad mangle of dessicated yet soggy runners hash-marking my bottles. It was a great idea, just a bit outside of my reach. Oh well, in honesty, it won't be missed.

Close up of the lid. Plywood. Yep.

The trench. I thought it was going to be a pain to backfill, but it wasn't. It just sort of disappeared. Maybe Candelario filled it.... Candelario is my mostly-Spanish-speaking, Landscaper neighbor. I had promised him a bunch of the soil. While he expressed an interest, he wasn't really doing anything about it. He watched several loads of soil get carted off, and I think he wanted to really earmark some of the soil for himself. I had pulled out all of my tools this morning, which meant two shovels, two rock breakers and some other things. Candelario came over, grabbed a shovel and started filling the wheelbarrow with me. We did a pretty good job of communicating about where I was digging and how deep, and we worked from about 11 until about 2 on it together. Each time the wheelbarrow got full, he wheeled it next door to his house to dump the soil. It was REALLY awesome! With his help, I ended up getting that whole aisle dug. Just need to tweak it a bit before laying the dg and sand, etc...

But I digress... got a bit ahead of myself. Digging out the wine and beer bottles that I had worked so hard to cut to size for the lighting idea. I think it was good that I let them sit for awhile, and didn't just dig them up right after I did the trial and it failed. Digging them out then would have been heartbreaking. Digging them out this morning was just part of the day's goal. No sweat.

Boy, I did get ahead of myself. I had gotten most of the path up to the back of the first set of beds dug out myself before Candelario joined me.

We got some rain today, and my phone was blowing up with Craigslisters looking for fill dirt. I knew most people weren't going to want to slog sloshy, sticky Texas mud around in their trucks, no matter how rugged. But I also had priced having the stuff hauled away, and the price was outrageous! I wanted to keep the dirt as dry as I could so people would still want it. So, when the rain started coming down, I popped up the tent to cover it. Worked GREAT! Thanks again, Tent Giver!! This thing has been invaluable!!!

Texas soil is thick, tenacious, nasty stuff. What's more, it has both the properties of stickiness (in abundance, as evidenced by the state of my Wellies) and slipperiness. So when your boots are caked with this mess, you have to walk extremely carefully, especially over rain-slicked tarps and hard-packed, similarly slick mud. And even MORE especially when carrying a trug full of 40 or more pounds of mud. Again and again and again and again. Can I get a "Ramen", Spaghetti God?!?

You can see here that I have actually rolled up the tarp full of mulch enough that I can start digging the path between the intended compost bin and the house. That is a HUGE accomplishment, as this pile of mulch is never ending, and thusly has been there since shortly after the project began. I have used it in countless beds and potting mixes, etc, etc, and it never gets smaller! That was an awesome $20.00 purchase!! If only I had a golden coin that did that!

Off topic but not really, it was when I was working in this area when I felt a sting on my right calf. Then another closer to the back of my knee. Then one in my boot! OMG, I had ants in my pants! I'm SOO glad Candelario had already split for the day at that point, because I could not run into the house and strip my pants off fast enough. I did NOT need a witness to this! My blasted boots were caked in mud and I couldn't get a grip on them to yank them off. By the time I finally did, I had several more bites. I finally freed myself of them inside the garage and flew into the house so I could peel off my rain and mud soaked jeans and get relief from the ants. NOT. FUN. AT. ALL. All of my other work jeans were in the wash, so I had to finish the day in workout pants, wellies, and my football jersey. If Clinton and Stacy had seen me in that get up, I would be in NY by now with a new wardrobe.

AND I started attacking this bed. This is the one just outside the living room windows. This one isn't as high of a priority, but I needed to get after it just the same. I cleaned up the debris that was being stored there, and started hacking out the path between this bed and the nearest set of blue boxes. I also pulled out all of the volunteer roses (gave to Calendario) and weeds in this bed. Roughed out the trench that I will have to work on more later for the short retaining wall.

In order to clean out the bed pictured just above this pic, I had to move the blackberries (in temporary pots) closer to their intended places. When I did that, things really started to click in my head. Each of these plants will soon be in one of the tall trashcans, but pretty much in the location in which they sit now. Seeing this was really a good thing for my body and soul. My body is aching. The skin on my hands and my fingernails are peeling and splitting and gross. My fingers are creaky and my hands spasm and cramp. My back is sore and my shoulders are killing me. Seeing this made all of those things fade for a bit. Kind of like when I'm drinking a cocktail and it kicks in. Fuzzy and lovely and a little bit numb-y.

Another picture, 'cause it just does me so much GOOD!

The onion pod, in slow-mo burst! Oh, man, my dad gave me the coolest camera that I should have set up to capture this. I've been so focused on the digging and paving that I haven't learned how to use it yet. It's made for the garden, so is weather and heat proof, and it'll take pictures every X time period, as you set it. Then the pictures can be put together to make a movie! Tomorrow may be a really wet day, so that seems like the PERFECT day to learn how to set up that camera and be ready for the next perfect thing to photograph in time-delay. Thanks SO much Dad! Can't wait to play with my new toy!

My first 'mater of the season. A sungold cherry tomato. Those things are like crack. So juicy and sweet. And prolific!! Last season, I had so many that I sacrificed a TON of them to make fried green tomato poppers. They were FANTASTIC. I smashed each 'mater with the side of a butcher's knife to remove the seeds. Then I did a double dip coating. I think it went milk, cornmeal, egg, cornmeal, deep fryer! Now that I'm vegan, I'll find a non-animal product binder and make a bunch more of these this year. And I think I can do a "pan fry" instead of a deep fry. It'll be more of a fritter than anything, but same concept and same deliciousness!

This is a gorgeous purple globe basil. I had a green globe basil last year and loved the sweet, mild flavor. It wasn't as sharp as Genovese. This purple one has a bit of a licorice flavor to it, which isn't my absolute favorite, but I thought it was so lovely. I want to try a basil mojito with this!

The tent again. Only noteworthy if you understand that this is not the same pile as was in the tent before. Nope. That whole pile was hauled off, and this is a new pile. And it got much bigger before the day ended.

Backing up a bit... at some point Candelario took leave of the project. He left me his flat-edged shovel (I HAVE to get one of these!) and his pick axe to borrow for the rest of the afternoon. Before he left, we were both paused, catching our breath at one point, and he said in Spanglish, "Much work". I laughed and agreed. He added, "Por Hombres". I just about died! "Man's work!" I couldn't tell if he was being respectful or derisive, so I'll just split the difference and take it at half way between the two.

That said, I totally could not have gotten this far today without this guy's help. It was so fortuitous that he had the free time and just picked up a shovel and started working. (I know Trent would have helped me, but he's down with a hurt foot and isn't even playing basketball, so you know it's not invented to get out of this project. And we all know he's not that kind of guy anyway!) When I took his tools back to him, I brought him another sizable volunteer rose bush from under the living room windows, and a paper bag with all of the strawberries I had that were ripe enough to pick. It was only a small handful, but it was every single one that a bug hadn't tasted and was red enough to be yummy. He deserved 'em!

Sorry this post is sort of all over the place. It doesn't feel like it flows, but I'm too pooped to edit. I try to be a good story teller, but my brain is jumbled today. I'm trying to force myself to take a day off from the hard labor tomorrow. The skies just might help enforce that. Though if they don't, I'll feel compelled to work through the fatigue to make the most of the dry day. The forecast STILL shows rain for every day until I start my new job. But it would bite if I started it and was a ragdoll from working myself too hard. Rambling again. That's a wrap!