Gardening

Yesterday Ben and I took Matt and went to the WM garden center. They didn't have the 4x8 lattice panels I wanted, but I did get an "above ground" garden. The soil here is so stony that even the Troy-bilt isn't able to get far. Till three feet, rake out rocks. Till three feet rake out rocks. By the time the rocks are raked out.... there isn't enough soil to plant a seed.
Yesterday, I had a brainstorm. A very small one- but hey, with my brain, I get to count anything. I saw the little rigid plastic wading pools in the garden center.... and they are waaay cheaper than landscape timbers. 40 lb. bags of soil were .84 cents. So we came home with a wading pool- which I could of smacked some of the sweet old ladies with.

They see the pool, and see Matt walking along beside me. They just HAVE TO come over and talk to Matt. "Oh, you got a new swimming pool! Oh you will have so much fun swimming in it!".

Um, No.

Ben tried tilling a hole to bury the pool in... see above for success. We did at least manage to get it more or less level. I had bought 10 bags of soil and 2 of composted manure. It was more than enough for the little pool. We also filled the 'half barrel' cow feed bucket, the planter my tree was transplanted out of, and three hanging baskets. (I planted petunias in the hanging baskets). We have four varieties of tomatoes... 2 "Mr. Stripey", 3 Roma, 1 Arkansas Traveller, and one other open pollinated heirloom variety that came in a six pack. I still have three of those to find homes for. We planted two red bell pepper plants, and one orange bell pepper. Two jalapenos for the guys. There are a few marigolds inter planted with the vegetables... and several more marigolds to find homes for. I still have my little "window boxes" from Marlow I can plant the flowers in.

Matt had a great time helping "Sam" (Ben) open the bags of soil and spread them into the pool. (After a minor hissy fit that we were putting dirt and not water into 'his' pool.) One of the neighborhood dogs came over to supervise us... the huge white great Pyrenees that lives a ways up the road. He and Matt loved all over one another. When Wanda arrived to get Matt, he led the big dog by the collar to her car and tried to shove it into the back seat. It wouldn't fit, and kept backing up. Matt was behind it, shoving, and alternating in front trying to pull it into the car. Wanda finally got him to let go of the dog, telling him that they would ask his daddy if he could get a big dog.

Mr C was not thrilled with the garden. He says he is going to stop house hunting now, since we have a garden to keep us here.
"Why would you plant a garden when we are fixing to move?"
"Because every spring you say we are fixing to move, and I don't plant a garden. Then we don't move and I missed having one for no reason."
It seems that while renting, we have moved away from several gardens.

We have now been in this rented house longer than any other house we ever rented. Most of our rental stays were just over two years, or six or less months. Nine houses in 10 years. Then we bought our home and were there ten years. We have now been renting for five, 18 months in Westville and here since then.

I dreamed last night that I was painting this house, over crabbing from Mr C.
He was telling me I should not be painting, we were going to move. I said the place needs painted and I may as well enjoy the nice paint until we do move. LOL. Even my dreams at night have decided to make the NOW better, instead of packing and waiting for the big move in the future. (Up until last night, I still spend half my dreams packing to move to my own house.)

Have a great day today. Give all your kids an extra hug!