Next

And now for the next project on the docket-- getting all of this cleaned out so I can start using this space.  

Most of this is landscape timbers and 4 x 4s my former next door neighbor gave me shortly after I moved into this house. She, for some reason, seemed to think I was going to turn my back yard into some sort of botanical garden or something, even though I kept telling her I wasn't.  

"You're going to have it so bee-you--tee--full!" she'd exclaim, clapping her hands like a little girl.  "No, I'm noooot," I'd reply, but she never seemed to listen and insisted I take the stuff.  

I don't know why people seem to think it's OK to give me stuff I don't want or need.  I have a cousin who will remain nameless on this blog who did it all the time.  He seemed to think I was his own personal garbage dump.  Unfortunately, if I told him I didn't want or need something he'd offered me, he'd get all offended. 

"FINE!  Be that way!" he'd snap.  

One time he sent Cody home with a computer monitor.  Not the whole computer, mind you.  Just the monitor.  I told Cody to take it back, only the cousin wouldn't take it back.  I called him and told him we didn't need an extra monitor, and he replied, "Well, I don't have room for it in my house."  I just said, "OK", and hung up, but I'm thinking, 'And you think I do?  Your house is 3x the size of mine!"  

Another time he brought over a super old fashioned carpet shampooer -- the kind where you have to hook the hose up to your sink and drag the water tank around behind you.  I didn't want it or need it, because by that time, I had a Bissell of my own.  

But as I said, I didn't dare refuse for risk of him getting all bent out of shape over it. After a while, I learned to just take whatever it was, then throw it into the garbage when he wasn't looking.   Same this all of that wood.  I'd just stuck it into that empty bay beside my chicken coops and left it there. 

Here lately, I'd been thinking I really needed to clean it all out so I could use that space, and that became today's project.  Even with numerous breaks to cool off, it didn't take long to get all of that junk moved out of here, and now I can use it to store my wheelbarrow in. 

I stacked all of the stuff beside my shed and advertised the wood in the local freebies group, just in case someone might want some. 

Even if nobody does, it'll all be right there when I call the clean up man -- which won't be until after this heat breaks, because I'm going to get him to help me clean out that shed, too.  You know, the one I've been saying for years I'm going to clean out, but then I take one look and get overwhelmed so I don't...Yeah, that shed. 

In other news, look what popped up in my memories this morning. 

If you guessed I didn't get up and go this morning, you would be right. I thought about it, but didn't really want to, and not just because I wanted to piddle in my own garden.  I just didn't want to.  I decided there was nothing there I really needed, even though I was tempted by the muscadines. 

It's been ages since I've had any muscadines...

By the way, after the fiasco with my last cayenne peppers and the mold, I tried something different this time.  Before I hung them up to dry, I cut both the stems and the blossom ends off.  

Hopefully, that'll allow the insides to dry out better and we can avoid any more unpleasantries. 

And finally, my power just flashed, so I'd better finish this and get it published before the lights go out.  Hopefully, they won't, but that wind is pretty strong out there.   

I finished my latest sailor hat. 

Yarn:  Hobby Lobby I Love This Yarn

Colorway:  Dakota

Pattern:  Basic Beanie

Needles:  US 8 / 5mm

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go hunker down and pray that we get some rain out of all this noise.  My poor yard desperately needs it!

Laters.