Over the years I've always known that 'Tall, Dark, and Handsome' was a good catch. There has never been a doubt, but this weekend TD&H (Tall, Dark, and Handsome) really proved his worth.
I've put the poor man through a lot over our 29 years. I've asked him to do a lot of things in the name of 'making me happy'. I've pushed his envelope and he has always done so without complaint.
He's built sheds and buildings and meeting rooms - when he had never built anything before in his life.
He's cut sod for labyrinths when he didn't even know what a labyrinth was or why in the heck we would want one.
He's built restrooms for guests when I told him that nice little old ladies do not prefer to use porta potties.
He has dug out, refurbished, reclaimed, recreated and re-installed century old fences just because I said "Honey wouldn't it be nice if...".
He's been a good sport and helped to make lefse at the local bar - even though his Welsh/Scottish heritage vocabulary does not include the words lefse or lutefisk.
He's serenaded me for my birthday - with a little help from Bob Brossart and the Karaoke machine.
He's even participated in a little kick back time with Boy to enjoy his niece's wedding after helping me arrange all the flowers for the wedding.
But this weekend, yes THIS past weekend, the one with the gorgeous weather minus the wind...
He truly proved his worth. You see, TD&H let me move dirt.
First, let me explain that in 29 years, we have brought home 'dirt' from every trip or vacation we've ever been on. Sometimes, the 'dirt' was in the pots of plants that we purchased at the greenhouses along the way. Sometimes the 'dirt' was attached to the bottom of wildflowers dug from a relatives pasture or flower garden. There have even been times that the dirt was actually in a bag! I can't pass up a sale on potting soil. We've even brought home dirt that was attached to the bottom of little trees and raspberry plants dug from the woods around his cousins house in Wisconsin. So you see, TD&H is quite used to moving dirt around.
But this time is a little different. We're trying really hard to move our business from Churchs Ferry to our new Esmond location. We're moving only what we really need as there will be soooo many things that I would LIKE to bring with. Since it is too early to get some of the plants out of the ground and having no help lined up to move the greenhouse, we focused our attention on the therapy gardens which at our new place I had my heart set on becoming my kitchen garden. Sounds good doesn't it, almost romantic - a kitchen garden. Sounds like something a fine chef on the Food Network - or an herb gardener - would have....
hhhmmm, anyway - enough dreaming...
We set out to move the heavy 4 foot by 8 foot raised
planted made of very solid 4X4 posts and 2X12 walls. Yes, it's heavy. Built to last.
This wasn't just DIRT we were talking about. It wasn't the dirt we had become accustomed to in Churchs Ferry - which was mostly back fill from when houses were removed during the buy out. The dirt that needed to be 'amended with truck load after truck load of bison manure....
Oh No! This planter box was filled with the good stuff!
I didn't really have the heart and wasn't sure how to approach it, but somewhere in the planning stages the night before I happened to drop in that I sure would like to bring the compost that filled this behemoth along with. "It's not just dirt you know. It's black gold. It's the best and richest compost that we ever made. It took us three years to make that compost from rhubarb leaves, grass clippings and the end of season basil." He shrugged, rolled his eyes and gave me no comment.
Lo and Behold! The next day on the trailer, ready to go and retrieve my new 'kitchen garden' was the large tarp tote and the scoop shovel!
Because the compost is mostly organic matter, it was very light and easier to move than even I had imagined. We got it and the planters home and I now have my new kitchen garden in place, just waiting to be filled with beans on the obelisks, tomatoes in the big trough, peppers in the round pots and cucumbers in the big red planter (that is actually a threshing motor/belt stand tipped upside down).
So TD&H, go relax. You've made me a very happy person, in so many ways, over so many years. You've earned it.
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