Composting

Yesterday was cold and windy so I only did a few things outside. I should say that my wife is doing her thing because she has her own list. First, I straightened out the compost bins. One had fallen apart and my son put it back together again. I have four compost bins. Every year I move the compost from one bin to the next one, so in four years it's ready for use.
After that, we cut the rhubarb. No, not cut, pulled. Cutting it kills the plant. Kept some for ourselves and gave the rest to neighbors.
Then it was to Kent to pick up ten bags of mulch. It keeps the weeds out of the garden. And that was my excitement for the day.
It's not like I don't do anything else. There is things to do in the house. Make meals, wash dishes, things to do for my daughter, she has to eat too. There is things I do on the computer. One of them is learning how to read and write German. I started in Apr. and I want to start reading a book in one year. On Facebook we have friends in Germany. They write in German and there is a translation button. I try and read it, then press the button to see how close I am. Have to keep dementia away.

Yard Again

The compost bins are on the other side of the yard behind the poor excuse for a rock garden. It seems to want to collapse backwards. The rock garden is a mound of rocks that I threw some dirt on. Just rocks scattered about the yard.
At the back of the yard, along the fence are some old cement blocks. I got them when I enlarged the entrance at the back door. The entrance and steps were too tight to move a washer and dryer through. I couldn't reuse the blocks that I removed.
So I took these blocks and stacked them two high behind the garden. Now some soil to fix that up and it will be a work of art.
All this is cutting into my writing time.

More Work in the Yard

      Next thing to do was get my firewood racks in order, refill the rack I used in the winter, old wood up front, etc. That took a while. One side of the shed has a firewood rack. Get the sun most of the time. The other side has my compost bins. Three black plastic bins and one wooden bin. Each year, I move the stuff from one bin to another. The wooden bin is last, and that's where my wife get the soil for all her planters.
That side of the shed seems to be in shade most of the time. That's one reason I have to move them, and another reason is that I have to lift that side of the shed. A lot of water accumulates at the back of the yard during the winter. At the back corner, on the other side of the yard, I had a wood rack - gone now. And that is where the compost bins are going.
       There's a photo of my shed a few years ago. Wood on one side, bins on the other, but you can't see them. Shed looks level.
      And you can pick up a copy of my latest book "Mediterranean Mission" by clicking on the photo on the right.

Compost

    The area behind my shed is where I do my composting. It's kind of a dangerous spot in the winter, tree roots, holes, uneven, ice, etc.. Last week I decided it was time for a move to the side of the shed where it's easy to get at. First, I built a 4' x 2" wooden container. The one in the back is falling apart. I've had it for a number of years. I sifted the compost from there, filling two garbage cans. My wife will use that for the flower boxes. The container is still half full, so I'll just throw the rest in the gardens.
    A friend of ours gave me a square black composter she didn't want. She said to just come and get it, which was easier said than done. They hadn't used it for five years and it had about a foot of compost inside. Roots had taken it over. I had to rip it all apart.
    When I had it all back together, I put it beside the wooden bin. I have a similar composter, which I put next to that. Each spring, I move all the compost from one bin to the next one. So it takes two years to get compost.
   I talk like I've done all that, but I'm only half finished. Have to work on non-rain days. Did some yesterday, but it started to rain. Can't do much today, I have to go to a "Caregivers Luncheon." Not my thing, but it is what it is. (I seem to be saying that a lot lately.)