Dirt and dirtier

Oliver got a belated birthday present yesterday.  (Actually, he got it today, when we went to Target to get the Leapfrog Tag system and a few books for it, but I think yesterday was probably more exciting in the short run.)  We had a walkway put in our backyard from the patio to the steps that lead into the garage.  The yard is wonderful, and I would have preferred on an aesthetic level to not do anything at all, but the ice, snow, and rain in the past two years have been hard on the grass, our shoes, and the kitchen floors.  So Wes and I plunked down the money to put in the walkway and have the patio extended over a garden area that, well, had never been well tended.  The walkway starts level with the back patio but raises slightly so it's above the grass line.  Wes thought it would be better if the grass sloped up to meet the top of the walkway, and so yesterday was dedicated to adding dirt, seed, and straw to the sides in the hopes of getting said grass to grow.

So in the morning, after a hearty breakfast at Dunkin Donuts (umm, yeah), we headed out to a nursery about 20 minutes away where they have, yup, a bunch of piles of dirt.  They have regular dirt, mulch, bark, and something called "Holy Cow Garden Mix."  I think Oliver thought it was his wildest dream come true.  Not only did we pass probably 50 tractors getting there, but he was permitted to touch and help shovel the dirt.  The guy at the register, who Wes described using a rather pejorative southern slang term, thought we were nuts to have showed up at this place without a pickup truck.  They actually sell the dirt by the pickup truck.  Wes paid for a half load (as low as the register would go, according to said guy, and off we went.  Wes commented later, probably accurately, that my paternal grandfather, a lifetime farmer, would probably lose his mind if he heard that we not only paid for dirt but also shoveled it ourselves.  We got the dirt home, and after forcing Ollie to come inside and eat lunch, he and Wes spent the afternoon moving the dirt from the back of the car into the yard.  They eventually went back for a second half load, which Wes said was so heavy it actually made it difficult for the car to steer correctly (something about the front half of the car not quite sitting on the road...).

After more shoveling, and some seeding, and the arrival of Grandma Kay, Wes, Ollie, and Grandma went to Home Depot for straw.  The thing is, they were out of straw.  But the guy in charge of straw (who I can only assume bore some striking similarity to the guy at the dirt place) said they could have whatever they could sweep out of the semi that brought the straw in.  So the three of them spent at least 20 minutes, to Oliver's great delight, sweeping out the inside of a huge truck.  They brought it home in four huge paper bags, and Oliver literally climbed inside to get the last of it out.

Suffice it to say that my guys finished the day dirty, sweaty, and completely worn out.  But at least for Ollie, it was a great, great day.  And me -- I got my car cleaned out!