Phewweee!  Daddeee. . . . . .

Yes, it is that time again. Time to evacuate one of my drums of its golden, eggshell ridden contents.

Another strange law of composting physics – It doesn’t matter how long eggshells are in the bin they always seem to still come out intact, in fact some are even more intact than when they went in!

I did things slightly differently this time, I really didn’t want to have to do some “blind reaching” into the bin’s murky depths, and I must say, it worked out rather well. I layed a large plastic leaf bag in front of my compost drum then proceeded to shake the black matter out onto it. I did this three times until the bin was empty.

I then just gathered up the corners of the bag and lifted and dumped all the decomposed decadance into my wheelbarrow . . .simple and effective. As usual it was rather moist – but I had a cunning plan for that too this time. Very pleased with myself, I began humming my “That was too easy” song . . then I frantically glanced around for the rake I was bound to stand on.

There were of course all manner of crawlers, some small, some large and some I do not care to mention….

…..ahhhhhhhhh!

So here we have it, one tub of compost filled up a wheelbarrow. I moved the wheelbarrow out into the Mars sun and proceeded to bake my cake. I turned it every couple of hours with a pitch fork and for once it actually resembled the compost seen in magazines, well almost.

Ahh, gold dust.

And there was just enough to cover a single bed. I don’t usually bother digging it in. I just let it rot down over a long period of time, it eventually rots down with the mulch, which I turn over in the Fall. I love putting compost out, but was I finished? oh no, for today was to be a composting frenzy, It was time for a nice English “cup of tea”. This tea may add a little additional kick to any cookie dipped in it though.

This is the “juicer” box on my smaller compost bin,
I lost the screw-top years ago.

Off with the tape, Then . . .

Let the good times flow! (I must have had too many Guiness’s last night?)

I diluted the concentrate down, and noticing all of the drowned night-crawlers floating on the top decided to drop a few into the goldfish pond as a special treat. This compost soup was then poured onto a few plants that looked a little peeky.

yum, hey everyone, we have night crawlers, I repeat, we have night crawlers!

These tropical Lilies are in full bloom right now. I have a few of these pond jewels which are filling the rear of my yard with their exotic fragrance. The colors are really subtle, from the purple tinged petals to the sea anemone yolk interior.

Spock, analysis.

Captain, I have attempted a mind-meld with the specimen to learn
more about it’s intentions. aAAAchooo!

Damn it Jim, Spock is having a reaction to the specimen. Get
him out of there. Now Jim.

The pond was getting really clogged with so many lilies the goldfish could hardly move, it was really funny watching them trying to circumnavigate the jungle to get to their food, sheer panic! I decided to thin them out. The discarded Lilly pads are the first inhabitants in my now empty and pristine compost bin…and so the process begins all over again.

Here it is thinned out.

Other details in the yard right now:

Emerging wing on an Agave, great form and texture. It looks like Dolphin skin.

Asparagus fern fireworks.
New asparagus growth expands to form feathery, branched shoots 1 to 2 feet long. From a small plant in spring with 3 to 4 stems, at summer’s end up to 10 or more billowing stalks will have
emerged.


Still culling the babies on the prickly pear. I am hoping to carve
my faces into these next year.

The pups are growing well . . in stark contrast to the Mother!

The Pride of Barbados seeds are just now beginning to form.

The first Amaranth seed head. This seems really early,
they usually get to this stage late summer!

This face hides one of the foundation posts under my deck

_____________Gandalf’s food preferences_____________
“Quite a merry gathering! I hope there is something left for the late-comers to eat and drink! What’s that? Tea! No thank you! A little red wine, I think, for me…
“Put on a few eggs, there’s a good fellow, and not the ones from your compost pile!” Gandalf called after him, as the hobbit stumped off the the pantries. “And just bring out the cold chicken and pickles!”

Stay Tuned for:

“Panic in the Patch”

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intergalactic reproduction strictly prohibited, and
punishable by  late  (and extremely unpleasant)
14th century planet Earth techniques.