Serendipity is HARD WORK!

My schedule and project plans just got knocked sideways.  I met a lady who's downsizing her house.  The had a huge yard and garden which sadly I've only seen in pictures.  A senior, she can't keep up anymore and had to move to an apartment and everything must go.  Sadly, the purchaser of her home doesn't want her raised bed gardens.  So we made a deal.  I get the wood and soil and hardware.  She gets my muscle.  Cool idea but it ended up a massive job.  She has 4 beds at 4 ft by 8 ft.  One octagon 4 feet per side.  And a huge diamond.  We started a week ago and got rained out but so far it's 3 truck loads of dirt.  There is no access to the yard with equipment so we are filling garbage cans, carrying them to the truck, rinse repeat.  3 full days work and we've got half done.  Wow.  I'm tired.

Here is the first load.  We were planning very well so just dumped it.  Then we got smarter!  We also got a free planter!  Look at that hilarious beast.  Take a tire still on the wheel, turn it inside out, and cut petals on the edge.








The next load sat in the truck while we prepped the new beds.  I cleaned, brushed and repainted the boards.  Then we laid them out, dug the sod and filled with the new dirt.  Pretty nice improvement in the front boulevard.

And the second front bed in progress.  It's twice as large but we got a lot done so far.












And last, but surely not least, the Sauropot!  With my son's beetle decoration.  I know I know.  That's not a sauropod.  But the name is awesome.

Shop nightmares

My shop is an utter disaster.  I cut out most of the parts for the digger a month ago and things went fine.  Then I began digging in boxes and bins for accessories and layout tools.  Next thing you know I've got crap everywhere and can't find anything when needed.  I broke my bandsaw blade as well and then FINALLY, the weather turned to spring.

So I have put the digger on hold with parts ready to assemble while I plant the garden.  That is going great.  I am doing my vegetables in containers again.  I did 24 hills of potatoes in bag gardens, a huge pot of carrots, 4 kinds of herbs in 10" pots and bought a dozen tomatoe plants.  Last year I was more organized and did my  tomatoes from seedling but with the snow and cold in April I failed to realize the time had arrived.  Still, we should have a good harvest as long as the bucket brigade maintains it's vigilance.  Container gardening produces massively but you have to be Johnny on the Spot with the rainwater or it's a bust.