Steps

 

It bloomed! I was happy to see a new bloom when I woke this morning. It motivated me to keep going out the door to more gardens. Then I realized I was still in my night shirt. I changed into play clothes and Eddie and I sauntered out to the vegetable garden. I picked up poop, while he made more. It reminded me of seeing something on Facebook that made me gag.

It was on a garden site and the person was bragging about the size of her vegetables. Her/his dog was pictured, as well. Then came the comment that I could not believe! They seemed to give the dog all the credit for the magnificent harvest they would have ...... because he fertilized the garden!!

I have gone to great lengths to prevent this from happening in my garden. Now I don't know if I would accept free vegetables from just anyone!

In other news, I have spending my insomniac hours wisely. As you know, I stalk Marketplace for deals. last season I found someone giving away wood. Not firewood, but cut pieces they deemed unusable. It was not far and we hooked up the trailer and rode over to the place with the free wood. It looked to be a dumping ground for sawmills and contractors. It was somewhat organized into bins built by used pallets.

HeWho drives and pulls trailers was somewhat dismissive and ready to leave when he saw it. I left the vehicle to peruse the possibilities. My man lacks imagination. I found a stack of sticks, 2"X2" or less. They reminded me of tobacco sticks. If you have never been near a barn with tobacco curing inside, then you have no idea what I am referring to. The sticks are 4' long. I started loading them and HeWho did as well. He was probably thinking it was all I wanted and if he helped we could leave quicker. I have found these to be quite useful, though I admit I had no idea what I would be using them for.

I left the man loading and set off, still on the hunt.I found some 2" thick, 10" wide pieces of boards. Not big pieces, mind you, but most were 12" or more long. Did I know what they would become? No, but they were free. I also picked up some random boards and tossed them on board, like 2"X4" bords that were about 3' long. You just never know when you might need a board.

I had been thinking that it would be nice to have another set of steps going up the embankment. We obtained a cheap burn barrel to burn debris from the yard and it sits in a big open spot on the embankment close to the edge nearest our house. I had raked up a bunch of dead leaves and such down on the house level and had an old shower curtain liner full. I had to hike up the drive to go up the steps I made and then carry the load back down to where the burn barrel sits.

Got me thinking in the wee hours of the morning while sleep evaded me. I had seen a picture of a set of steps made out of a plastic 55 gallon barrel. Huh? They cut the barrel into 10" pieces and started at the bottom, filling the first step with dirt, then setting the next ring partially atop the first one, then on and on until they reached the top. I immediately took to this idea and started hunting plastic barrels.

HeWho could not see my vision and used the full trailer of logs as an excuse not to go get one. He was no doubt thinking he could avoid any work related to my new project. He always underestimates my determination to solve a problem. I decided that the wood that has been neatly stacked behind the SheShed could finally be put to good use!

Viola! Still working on it, but my idea works! See, there is a value to those end cuts. HeWho did help. Even though you see a level there, there are not perfectly level. I had HeWho attach three boards together, leaving one side open. The open side butts up against the side of the embankment and when you dig out the next step area, the dirt goes in the step below it.

I accept all your accolades and praises! That bottom step is proving to be difficult. You notice the pick axe? I used it a lot and gathered lots of good sized rocks, but the rock seems to want to stay there at the bottom. I might have to modify the last step, but I am determined. The last step of the project will be using the 2X4's to attach to the sides to hold the entire unit together.

Even HeWho admits my idea was a good one!