Tonight’s project was to clean out the shed attached to the well house. The other day while approaching the house, I was embarrassed to note that all the crap sitting around there made my place look a bit too redneck for my taste. Not that there’s anything wrong with rednecks. They are some of my best neighbors, and in fact, I could use a good redneck right about now. Preferably a tall, ruggedly handsome one who doesn’t talk much but cheerfully throws his rippling muscles into cleanup projects such as these. While I watch from the porch, sipping my favorite summer soda.

But no such hero appeared and thus it was up to me to haul a year’s worth of leftover construction materials—HardiPanel, which is HEAVY, trim board, cedar closet paneling from the old house, bales of wire, cinder blocks, and mosquito-breeding pieces of dirty bunched up plastic—out of the shed.

With a relatively clean slate I raked up a bunch of moldy straw that had been there for almost a year, along with some of last fall’s leaves. I dragged my rake through huge cobwebs and warily ducked as disturbed wasps swarmed about my head.

I felt better as soon as soon as I could see the dirt floor and clean foundation inside the shed. With the recent snake drama around here, and in the well house area no less, I want to eliminate all the scary hidey-holes and piles that dot my property. Thank goodness the only scaly reptile I encountered tonight was a cute black ringneck snake. He didn’t stick around for pictures, but he was perfect and just the size I like my snakes—about as big as an earthworm.

With all the organic debris hauled into the woods and added to my compost pile, and the trash sorted from the usable materials sorted from the bonfire fuel, I reloaded the shed leaving plenty of space to walk around and check for unwelcome visitors. I still wouldn’t call it pristine, if for nothing but the simple fact that I have way too much leftover building material that I need to store somewhere. It was dark, thus no photos, but I think it looks a bit better, and I think it’s progress. Next up: the garage!