Digging, Digging, Digging.

We've been given a shed.

A new neighbour was showing me the work they were doing in their garden and said they were getting rid of the shed. I offered to buy it from them and they said we could have it for free.

Of course everything has a cost.  Mine was about 6 days of work. In one back corner of our garden there is a wasteland.  Think post-apocalyptic.  We had no idea what we were going to do back there as it would require quite a bit of work, and until there was a purpose, a vision if you will, we didn't know what the work would be.

But now we have the vision, the purpose.  We have a shed.

As a result I spent a number of days excavating - the land is not level. And I had to go slightly deeper then I would have liked.  There were rocks under the fine soil, some as large as a schoolboy's head. And tree roots as well.  The tree is long gone, but those roots were up to 4" across.

So as well as a shed I now have an axe.

In the end I dug out more than a ton of soil, and although I didn't find any Roman ruins - not uncommon around here - I did find some bottle cstoppers that are amore than 80 years old. 

 I then carted nearly a ton of pebbles from the front to the back in smallish tubs.  We might have a shed and an axe, but we don't have a wheelbarrow.  Oh, and front to back is mostly steps.

The excavation then needed to be leveled, with a weed membrane put down, and cement blocks to keep the shed of the block. Then a layer of pebbles to allow for drainage, and it was done.

I must say I am pleased with the results. It was a race again time before the weather became too cold, and despite being chilly and damp each day I did beat the clock. There still needs to be work done in that corner, and the now-dismantled shed needs a few repairs before being assembled, but that corner is now almost civilised.

And so we have a shed, and and axe.  And in telling this tale to a friend, who asked why I didn't use a wheelbarrow, we now have one of those.  He had a spare, an old one which he was getting rid of.

I might wait till the weather warms a little before erecting the shed.

But did I mention, we now have a shed.

The Garden.

The veggie patch has served us well this summer, although the tomato plants are just about dead.  With the long run of hot weather we've recently had in Melbourne I'm surprised they held out as long as they have.  The leaves are now fried and the tomatoes are pretty much done. Still, it seems as though we harvested more tomatoes than many of our friends.

The pumpkins, zucchinis and eggplant are running amok and our fridge is filled.

And so in a month or two we'll try planting some winter veggies for the first time. If the weather stays cool enough, that is.

A Budding Career?

I had plans to write quite a bit on the weekend, instead I took the opportunity to get out into the garden and do some much needed work.

My wife and I weeded, cut the grass, repaired a bit of edging around garden beds and generally tidied up. The garden looks fantastic. Spring has suddenly arrived. Leaves are starting to bud on the Japanese maples and the flowers are starting to open.

My backyard is an oasis in the middle of suburbia. There is a very natural, peaceful and positive vibe, and it's just a great place to be. Very calming. Over the next few months I might have to retreat outdoors and do some writing there.

And so the next few months promise much. Warmer nights and clearer skies mean I can spend more time out at night with my telescope and fellow astronomers. Less rain means I can venture out onto the Warburton Trail more frequently. It's a beautiful walk and my dogs love it. It'll certainly be more green than this picture I took a few months ago.

And hopefully I'll make more time to write. My recent rejects are already out elsewhere They are in fine shape after minor pruning and weeding (just to keep the gardening theme going) and I have a couple more about to be finished. Plus some new ideas I need to get started. Hopefully some of my current submissions will actually sell and my writing career will take off.

Hopefully.

Look for me at the newsagency. Soon.