Composty Goodness

Is it weird that I’m totally psyched for free compost?

The local landfill collects leaves, branches and yard waste all year long, and then each spring gives away the compost and wood chips created from them for free. You’re allowed two truck loads while they have it, all you have to do is drive in and they will fill the bed with their bucket loader. How cool is that?

Since I had to work today (and tonight), my mother went to the landfill for me, filled my Dad's truck and my brother is going to unload it tonight on my back hill near where the raised beds are going (I’m so glad I didn’t get the raised beds in this past weekend - hooray for procrastination!).

So I've been talking about reclaiming my backyard since last summer. Want to see what I have to work with? Please keep in mind that my Dad is the über-packrat and I have inherited much of his junk since he and my mother moved to a smaller house:

Old compost pile, leaf pile and a wooden "thing" of my Dad's

(no clue what purpose it ever served)

Behind my shed = my new fencing, 2 metal oil drums, my ladder and a ton of old rotting wood that my Dad thought he'd one day use

My back hill ~ as of Saturday morning, this was covered in leaves, downed branches, boards, pipes, scrap metal and plastic gutters (look how clean it is now. The arching branches belong to the lilac bush that is older than I am)

The old fence that needs to come down, a ton of bricks and cement blocks (all the pipe, plastic gutters and scrap metal is still sitting here waiting to find a home - preferrably in someone else's yard!)

The dregs of my wood pile, the old wood splitter that needs to go, along with the cable coil that Dad will never use

So this is my backyard ~ it's scary and very hillbilly-ish. I wasn't going to show anyone pictures of this, but I want to document the before and afters. If it wasn't for my brother's help and motivation, the three truck loads of brush, leaves and branches that we got rid of this past weekend wouldn't have been removed.

There is still a lot to do, but its a good start! And every time I walk out back I get giddy; the vision I hold in my mind of how I want it to look is getting clearer and clearer

I leave you with images of my sweet Sadie enjoying the warmth of the late afternoon sun (the top left is my fav). Enjoy your evening!