Wanna be farmer suffers from Trash Trauma and Toxic Waste

Oh my god.  The wannabe farmer had quite a disgusting day cleaning out the shed that was supposed to be cleaned out before we moved in to our place last year.  YUCK.  I swear that I will not leave toxic waste behind in my shed when I die.  I'm on a quest to get rid of every toxic chemical that was left behind here and I'm telling you, there is a lot.  5 gallon buckets of oil, lots of them.  Some of the oil spilled and was smelling so bad I was sick and almost lost it yesterday.  If it makes me sick it can't be good for my little old pony gal so today, with rain clouds thick and winter coming, I had to clean the shed.  What kind of mom would I be to build my horse a stall and maker her breath toxic waste?  Ten dollars and 99 cents later I'm home from the Ace Hardware with some environmentally friendly oil spill clean up powder.

I dump the white powder out to sop the oil up and yeah it works.  I was able to sweep the oil up but now what do I do with the soggy crud?  Toxic waste anyone?  Sell it on Craig's list?  E-bay?  Save it for that once a year toxic waste day we have around these parts?  What do I do with it until then?  AH yuck.  I find more spilled oily stuff on the shelf of an ratty old cabinet.  I open the drawers and what do I find?  Drawers full of spilled slug poison and weed killer.  OH MY GOD.  I couldn't face it.  I'm afraid of it.  I'm taking a break but I know I have to get it out of there.  Am I going to die of poison dust or of disgust or of the combination?  I'm swearing.

The wannabe farmer (moi) meant well.  John and I are building a stall in the shed for Abby, my old horse, to keep her out of the rain this winter.  I foraged for wood from the old barn that lies rotting under the blackberry bushes out back.  Found some good pieces.  John removed all the nails and then had a heck of a time sawing the old wood.  He muscled his way through the circular saw cuts with motor burning and smoking (I was screaming but he couldn't hear me) with moi sitting on the fur side trying to hold the board still as it rocked forward on the wheels of the ancient edger it was sitting on.   Not the safest of situations.  Got the wood cut without a mishap (thank you for that huge favor)  only to find out that the nails we had wouldn't go through the wood.   HUH?

I really have to laugh as I fight the urge to jump in bed for the night and rid myself of the look of disgust that has taken over my face.  The good news is that Abby will soon have a place to protect her from the the rain and the "rattling devil winds" that come whipping off of Mount Rainier.  We will have succeeded once again in making do for our animals using our meager talents, tools, materials and finances to get the job done.  We are big on fortitude.

Meanwhile, piles of toxic waste and garbage are now sitting in our back yard and I'm praying that it doesn't rain tonight and that John brings home a tarp from ACE.  $10.99?  You think?  He did.

Thank you Johnny boy for all you do when you would rather be doing something else.

Did you know that cement nails and finish nails don't work when you are framing but framing nails work great?  Now I know that too.

Drawers in the old shed were full of snail bait and weed killer spilled out of old bags

Miscellanious junk spending the night in my yard

Disgusting

This is where the stall will be

This is junk I set aside for a local sculptor who makes fabulous art out of this kind of thing

Old milk cans; we'll keep these

My Abby girl with the neighboring cow girls.  Tonight about 40 of these beasts surrounded Abby's corral and wanted in to share her hay.  Oh my god.  80 eyes in the flash light scares us all.  

M