This summer’s cleanup carries long, not so fond, memories . . .

We’ve been planning on this cleanup for at least a month, but various situations intervened, and meanwhile, of course, the piles, in the verdant, greening midwest spring, kept piling up. Here are four of five piles, as of last Saturday morning, when we took the first pile to the dump, i.e., Hoosier Transfer Station. 

After two work parties, Saturday and today, we’re still only half done. BUT: the hardest pile are done, these being left bottom above, Saturday, and right top, today.

Saturday

It may look like some people are just standing around, but actually they are waiting in line. We decided we needed to organize that way in order not to run into each other.

Tuesday

Today’s load was epic. Mainly because it meant that we were finally rid of what remained from an ill-fated project that was done thirteen years ago, as detailed here:

The Cob Oven Saga

All the hurt feelings, especially those between a neighbor and myself, have been healed, though that little remnant of bygone times took until last summer!

The oven’s walls, made of cob (a cement like feature) and rebar, sat, in three large pieces, upright in the backyard here for awhile, then were cut into smaller pieces with a diamond blade saw last summer by a visitor from Jackson Hole.  There they sat, in a pile, in the back yard, until another man cut them up even smaller, so that the rest of us could haul them out to the front. 

I decided to document the final ridding of the cob oven walls extensively, little by little, mirroring the little by little progress over the last 13 years that led to this glorious day. Here goes, with Joseph and Marita doing the heavy lifting, into neighbor Dave’s truck, as usual.

Part way through, this sight, under the bottom layer. We stood around and pondered it for awhile, how nature is full of tiny, lacy mycelliac (is that a word?) structures . . .

Nearing the finale . . .

The finale!

At the transfer station they learned the total weight of the cob oven walls: 1,120 pounds. Actually that feels low, not even as big as a horse.

In any case, we are now free.

Will reserve this week’s Saturday work party for the final haul, probably two trips, of organic matter to Good Earth. 

Hands and Hearts Serve Garden Glories!

Went out into the main garden yesterday early and what should I see but a single, unexpected burst of color!

A few hours later, I went back out, for our regular 10 AM Saturday workparty, and asked the five humans already present to stand still for the camera. They are, in order, Camden, Ben, Nathan in back, Joseph and Nicolas in front.  

So, we got to work. Joseph cuts back, while I sit on stool, planting itsy bitsy lettuces.

Nicolas, it turned out, wanted to go help his mom Marita turn compost in one of the back gardens. Marita also planted eggplant in the front garden of that house.

I notice the allium is fading . . . sob!

To me, what’s sadder than anything this spring, is to be utterly delighted by gorgeous flowers that emerge and flower unexpectedly, stay for a while, and then gradually fade. And yes, they mirror who we are. Each of us a unique gorgeous flower, that comes in (sometimes unexpectedly, for the parents!), stays for a while, and then gradually (or suddenly) fades.

Love that bok choi! And see just how many seeds (to save)  this overwintered kale produced, finally growing so heavy with seed that it now bends over to the ground. The flower below right, I don’t know the name of, but one of the women Joseph works for in her garden gifted it to him. YES!

Just as it did last year, valerian is growing up all by itself in the gardens surrounding the Overhill house. And that little plant, “Queen of the Prairie,” a native, but in the southwest! Neighbor Carisa said it had to get in the ground, NOW! So she brought it over. Already, three days later, it’s twice as big and much healthier looking!

And ah yes, the perilla, the perilla, coming up nicely once again, where it chooses. 

Here’s Joseph with his gigantic mullein, that he says he talks to. To the right, his wonderful friend Nathan, who has started to work with us each Saturday.

And finally, Joseph again, watering, in his fairy garden.