Happy Soggy Fourth!

Here in the south it's been a soggy  few days and today  was no exception. Rain off and on all  day long. Yesterday was a total wash out with heavy rain and storms the entire day.

Had to work today...bummer but at least I have a job to be bummed about working on a holiday and it's not like it was a clear and sunny day and  missing all the cookouts. Home Depot next  door to us grilled out under a huge tent and gave away free hot dogs and soft drinks, so at least I DID get to go to a cookout!

Around three I noticed  they were finishing the landscaping at  the new Academy Sports opening up next  to us. They had huge piles of sod scraps piled up all around and that got me a thinking! I have one big spot in my front yard by the street  that is bare and nothing but red Georgia clay. I've tried grass seed but it never  takes hold. I also have a few bare spots in my back yard where the dogs graze by  the back door and plow up all the grass.

No one was in the store so I took  the cordless phone and sauntered out to the three amigos  nearest me trimming out the sod.  I asked what they were doing with all the scraps and the one guy who understood me replied "Basura." I work in a restaurant so I knew that meant "Trash."

What a waste!

A few years back when they were building a subdivision  around the corner from me I noticed when  the landscapers got through sodding yards  they piled all the scraps into a heap and dumped them by the lots they were building out. I stopped by one day and asked if I could have  the scraps and the guy in charge said to help myself...so I did.

There was a small hill between my house and my next door husband's where no  grass would grow so I loaded up the trunk of my car at LEAST twenty times and pieced it all together on  the hill. It took off and spread and is now covered in nice thick grass.

I asked my new amigo who I needed to talk to and he pointed to a man across  the parking lot and said "De Boss."

I wandered over to where he pointed and there were two guys talking with blue prints spread out on the ground. I asked if he was the boss and he replied "Maybe." I asked him what  they were doing with all the scrap sod and he said they had been putting it in the dumpster. I told him I would love to have it and wouldn't mind picking it up myself. He asked if I worked at  the furniture store and I told him I did and got off at  six. He said "How about I get them to put all the scraps over there by  the side of your building?"

I was thrilled! I was thinking I was gonna have to go  load each separate pile in the huge parking lot. I told him that would be great, thanked him three times and told him he had made my day! The guy standing next  to him said it was perfect weather to put down sod and with all the rain we were having would  take off and spread like crazy.

I was so excited! Then not fifteen minutes later I saw "De Boss" pointing at  the scraps and talking to the amigos.  They scooped up every pile of scraps , probably ten total with  a Bobcat and dumped them right by  our building.

I called Tim and he came up with his car when I got off at six. We pulled out some huge plastic sheets out of the back room that couches had been delivered in and started loading!

He loaded  the back of his station wagon and I loaded the trunk of Massey's car. That didn't even make a dent in the huge pile. We got home and unloaded both  cars.  It was still raining but you  gotta strike when the iron's hot and the first  two loads covered at  least ten square feet. I was all worried somebody was  gonna take my pile of sod and told Tim I was going back for more. He said he would go back with me in the morning but I was pumped and worried someone else would take it.

I went back twice, loaded and unloaded in the rain.

This entire area was nothing but red clay but now have sod and a week's worth of rain to make it take root.

There are at least two more, maybe three loads left and am  getting up first  thing tomorrow and going to get them. The last two loads will cover all  the bare spots in my back yard and then I will have grass growing everywhere!

I told Tim we probably got at least three hundred dollars worth of sod for free and he agreed. It's amazing what you  can get when you  simply ask.

I was soaked to the bone by  the  time I finally got through but felt a tremendous feeling of satisfaction.

It was a soggy Fourth but now it is a "Sodded" Fourth!

It's the little things that make me happy. Running a really hot bath and soaking in it. Reading my book and heading to bed.

Lesson learned...all you have to do is ask!

Til next time...COTTON