Things I'd Do Differently the Next Time I Get "FREE manure"

A few weeks ago, inspired by one of my facebook friends, I started looking on craigslist to see if I could find some free manure to help with my plans for a garden. (After checking out several books from the library, I've learned that the cold wintertime is actually the best time to get manure for your lawns - you just need to dump it, and it will do its work during the winter). Oh, well - we'll see how my garden turns out this year.

I found this ad on craigslist and thought how wonderful - they'll load it for you ~ my friend who inspired me had to do her own shoveling into her truck, so I figured I was "ahead of the game" so to speak. I wanted to share this funny post with you and perhaps give you some pointers in case you want to get your own free "gardener's gold."

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**AGED HORSE MANURE** "Gardeners Gold" (Fair Oaks)
We have tons of FREE aged horse manure\fertilizer ready for your garden. Great compost!! We can load your open boxed truck and\or trailer or for smaller amounts please bring your bucket & shovel. Please call prior to coming out to ensure the tractor operator is available to load you up. We are located off Hwy 50 & Hazel Ave - where Sunset and Main dead end. Shadow Glen Stables 4854 Main Ave, Fair Oaks 916-989-1826. thank you and happy gardening.
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Things I’d do differently the next time I get “FREE Manure”

1. Go earlier in the day as opposed to the 4:00 pm Sacramento heat.
2. Line my husband’s truck bed with the free landscape fabric we have in our side patio before going to the stables (would have been SO much easier to just “drag” the stuff out of the truck, and not have to worry about sweeping, hosing, and washing the truck afterward).
3. Not stop and unlatch the tailgate before backing up to the tractor that would load it (this would have avoided the embarrassment when the tractor-operator told the ranch-hand – “the tailgate needs to be up, otherwise it will just fall out”).
4. Not be upset when the tractor-operator said “that’s all she can handle” after dumping only half a load of manure = he’s right – that’s all the weight the truck could handle, AND it was all that I could handle when it came to unloading it once I got home.
5. Move my car to the other side of the driveway, so there would be less distance to haul the buckets of manure between the truck and the garden area.
6. Ask for a wheelbarrow for Christmas so that it would only take 4-5 trips to get the truck unloaded as opposed to the 25-30 trips with the bucket.
7. Start working out months before, rather than just two weeks before, to build up those arm/shoulder/back muscles before attempting such feats. :)

Hope that brought some smiles to you! Happy Tuesday.