Wood chips, compost and hope!

I've been moving wood chips this week.  

Shovel, wheel barrow, closed shoes.  A toque on the colder days, a hat and sunscreen on the warmer ones.  

As I dug into the pile, the top and outer layers were dry and loose.  Further in I met up with frost.  

Deep in the pile I found a treasure trove of rich, black humus!  The oldest and deepest of the shavings (some of them have been sitting there for two years) have become compost.  Just all by themselves.  No help from me.  

I moved the blackest of that good stuff into my garden to cover the painfully dry soil.  I'm told that the soil needs armor - who knew?  The rest went to the flower beds and around the baby trees. 

Shovelling and dumping and spreading feel like actions of hope today.   Hope for healthier soil and better water retention.  Hope for a living soil to feed some of the plants that will feed my family.  

Sweat, dirty hands, earthworms and hope.

Small steps.

What's your latest small step?

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