So this weekend began the big move... getting the majority of my huge pile of crap from various points around central Columbus up to the farmhouse (and then later dealing with an actual huge pile of crap). My father came up from Cincinnati with the big van he uses to do antique shows and a borrowed 10'x15' trailer to help.
Yesterday also saw the first non-family farm visit. My friends Jenny and Walker drove up from Columbus to help us with the very urbane task of spreading a giant trailer-load of composting horse manure in preparation for next year's gardening.
I got the manure for free from a local horse farm, who was kind enough to help me load it in my trailer with a Bobcat.
Once we got it to the farm, we made a small pile near the house and then drove the rest out to the flat space which has traditionally been the garden bed on this property. Flat, even, and well drained, it's placement was not accidental, and I fully plan on continuing to keep veggies growing there.
Spreading the mixture out proved a large task, and so my father and Walker decided to employ the van/trailer combo and Walker's body weight to mechanically spread the manure/compost mix by driving over it, an activity which quickly assumed the name "Poop Surfing." Despite being quite amusing to watch, it did a fairly lousy job of actually spreading the stuff evenly, so we took up hand tools and got to work.
We were visited by my Micky, a one year old basset hound that lives next door, quickly followed and leashed by Kristi, my very nice neighbor from next door. Introductions were made, one of their kittens sauntered over, decided it wanted to come be friends with everyone, and (apparently) live in my garage forever, judging by the amount of effort it expended trying to get in there.
In the end, what seemed at first to be a truly epic pile of poop turned out to be barely a thin layer across just that one large garden bed, and I think I may have to take the lady at the horse farm up on her offer to have a guy deliver a dump truck's load of the stuff for $100. I've got many more garden beds to prep, and the more of the stuff I get on the ground, the more I can plant and grow next year. No sense limiting potential this early in the process.
After we got the stuff spread, we ventured out (about 20 miles) to nearby (cough, cough) Marion to grab some dinner. After a gutbusting meal at Ralphie's featuring fried macaroni and cheese, Walker eating three sourkraut-laden hot dogs called German Shepherds, and a dessert so large that four healthy hungry people were unable to finish it, we returned to the farm just in time to receive delivery of 20 bales of hay, courtesy of another local neighbor, Keith.
As of this Sunday morning, we're two huge trips in and still have a ways to go, including a fair majority of my furniture. We went to bed rather early last night, worn out by the long day, but we're up-and-at-em this morning. If all goes as planned we'll get another big load of my posessions moved and some serious planning and garden area layout accomplished.
My father's out of the shower and ready to go. Another day!
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