Making Dirt

Today I made dirt. Of all the things I do, dirt may be the thing I'm best at. That may have something to do with the fact that it happens pretty much on its own -- even breaking down hulking tree stumps effortlessly. Whether Mother Nature gets the credit or I steal a bit of it for myself, it's very satisfying to do and I get a very powerful feeling from being part of the process of turning destruction into something useful.

Here are some photos of my burned out garden as it progresses from a pile of skeletal remains to rich, brown, sweet-smelling earth.

Observe total burn out:

This gets removed to a new pile or added to an existing one:

Over time the pile breaks down:

Then it needs to get sifted out:

Behold DIRT that's ready to get added back to the garden!: