The last week of my “holidays” has been a flurry of activity as my in-laws and I have ploughed our way through the summer projects list.  The biggest, scariest and dirtiest of projects has been the source of continued procrastination but with help on hand there was no reason to put it off any longer.  This week we’ve cleared, cleaned and reorganised the barn.  I finally got around to organising collection of goods for the charity shop; completed a deep clean of cobwebs, mouse droppings and other unmentionable growths; and finally set some boundaries so that everything in the barn had to have a purposeful use with a rightful place.

No more hanging onto stuff in case I might possibly make use of it at some undetermined time in future.  No more ditching tools, wheelbarrows and sacks of grain in the first available space.  No more tripping over bits of wood, wheelbarrows, bamboo canes and skidding on compost fallen on the floor.  I’m proud to say my barn is now a show case of organisation in the true tradition of Shakers who I have long admired for their productivity, design and flair. Tools have hooks, paraphernalia has been consigned to shelves and cupboards and most importantly, all my vegetable growing gear has a new home – a potting bench of mammoth proportions made from a left over workbench and bits of landscaping timber.

I was reflecting on the sorting out the barn whilst walking out with the dogs this morning, in particular and how much effort we’d put in to re-using and recycling when my eye was caught by something bright in the Hutt River.   As I got closer I could finally see that what was sitting in the middle was a yellow wheelbarrow.  It looks a pretty serviceable barrow too, likely better than the one I have.  I contemplated whether to wade out and bring it home.  Tempting as it might have been I wasn’t brave enough to face my in-laws who would have most definitely frowned upon me bring more “waste” materials to live in our barn.  Shame really, I thought that it was a rather fetching colour. Clearly, whoever dumped it has no conscience nor taste.