The former definitely starting to happen, but strength in short supply!
Now let me be quite clear: I like being a girl; I enjoy walking into a D.I.Y store, like I did yesterday, feeling quite feminine (reddish lipstick and all), but fully intending to walk out with an armload of mean-looking tools. Yesterday’s necessary item was a utility knife capable of cutting through the sidewalls of a tractor tyre (or three). So I asked the nice man where I could find the utility knives, and he was more than happy to show me. When I grabbed the baddest, meanest looking knife of the bunch and explained what I wanted to do with it, I then got the raised eyebrows, and, “You have got somebody helping you with that, haven’t you?!” Well… Best thing to do, I’ve found, is smile and nod, pay for the thing and leave. Quickly.
And that brings me to the actual task of, you know, cutting the side wall out of a tractor tyre. Or three. The sort of job you’d probably give to a guy, if you had a spare one just hanging around. But there isn’t one handy at the moment, so… I warmed up to the task by cutting the sidewall out of a normal car-sized tyre, and, voilà!, the beginnings of a compost bin!
Flushed with that success, I thought I’d have a go at one of the tractor tyres. I chose the one that already seemed to be quite weathered and managed to get the knife blade in. There then began the business of what can best be described as sawing my way around the tyre. I managed it, with much effort, and a dawning realization that I really *need* to be doing more yoga… I’ve been way stronger than this, bring on those sun salutations! Those handstands, those downward dogs!
But of course I still couldn’t remove the central part, with its metal inner ring, because all of that is quite firmly connected to the side wall on the other side. So… I heaved the tyre over, and began the much more laborious process (because this side wasn’t so weathered) of hacking the side wall off side 2. Began it, but too tiring to finish today. Did I mention there were three of these things? Whose idea was it to make raised beds anyway??
Instead I took a rest and went searching for signs of spring. Spring, and old grain sacks.
I spent quite a satisfying half hour or so playing hunt-the-old-grain-sack. I think these have been dumped here over the years by hunters, spreading feed to attract deer. There were enough to fill three large sacks – I’ll keep the ones that were still fairly intact, in case they can be reused for something else.
And after the scavenger hunt, the pictures… They’re both a celebration of approaching spring, and homework.
One of them is a daffodil type, obviously, but I’d like to put names to the white-flowered plant that is carpeting most of the homestead site, and the tree that has grown its own deer-repellent spikes!
Good news on the tree that was dripping last week (I’m calling him The Old Man) – not dripping today!