06 May 2009

I gotta get a better hobby

Or, more accurately, I have several good hobbies, yet I spend two days moving rocks from one place to another...

See all those rocks? With the exception of maybe a couple dozen of 'em, I picked up each one and moved it. I filled the bucket in front first, then tore back the poly under the rocks starting at the front edge. Then I put down new landscape fabric, moved rocks from old poly to new landscape fabric, peeled back old poly, dug out rocks that had become one with the soil, unrolled a little bit more landscape fabric and repeated ad nauseum. I think I hit "ad nauseum" about an hour into the task.

I still have to pound in landscape edgers and trim the landscape fabric, but that should be a lot quicker than moving all the rocks. There are two other areas of rocks around the front and back, but I wanted to get this one done first since we are planning on planting a few pumpkin hills at the edge of the rocks and let the vines wander around the rocks since our garden is going to be pretty small.

Bug and Bean had fun running around outside when Beeb napped. Bug also spent a fair amount of time looking at rocks and watching bugs and worms. We unearthed part of an ant colony that was using the poly as the roof for a couple of chambers.

The little white things were larva or eggs or something. We saw the ants hauling them around after we disturbed them.

I amused myself by looking at pretty rocks and playing in the dirt. Little known Kitty Mommy fact: I have the ability to describe soil in excruciating detail. Even though this stuff was under poly and rocks, it was nice and dark topsoil. So I am optimistic that our garden will have some nice topsoil, if it ever gets dug...

3 comments:

Namma said...

Gosh, this rock-moving business might be something that runs in the family?...;o) A couple of summers ago, our neighbors all thought we were absolutely crazy because we washed (yes, washed) approx. 220 feet of river rock that was in our parking strip. A lot of soil had washed into the rocks over the years (in addition to various utility and cable companies digging through them), and they were sprouting lots and lots of weeds, even though we had put black poly under them when we installed them. It took us a couple of weeks, because as you know, rock-moving is heavy work. We removed them, section by section, washed them in a self-built screen box, and returned them back to their place. We're hoping the neighbors have forgotten that episode.

And if your rain ever stops long enough, we can probably lend a hand with the gardening once we arrive there. Can't wait to see you all!!!

Molly Bee said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Molly Bee said...

I have it on excellent authority that dirt is bacteria-y and bacteria is dirty if you want to add it to your nauseating soil talk. Just sayin'!