Red Wheel Barrow

photograph by Renee Griffin;  taken at Sanctuary Safari

so much depends
upon

a red wheel
barrow

glazed with rain
water

beside the white
chickens.

                    ---  William Carlos Williams

Who needs a photograph when carefully chosen words can convey the same image?  W.C. Williams saw the poetry in the object and sought to convey the art of the image rather than the art of language.  His image of the wheel barrow is emblazoned in my memory in a way that a photograph could never attain. 

It was Mr. Williams' image of a wheel barrow that kept me company this week as I cursed my own.  Bill seemed to comprehend the importance of the wheel barrow.  You know who did NOT fully appreciate the importance of the wheel barrow?  Wheel Barrow Incorporated.

With each emphatic thud of earth I watched the red container wobble on its stilt-like legs.  I waited for the awkward beast to topple over like the prom-king who has had one six -pack too many.   The heavier the load, the further it listed.  But like all good drunks, my wheel barrow humored me by leaning against the wall. 

I understand that the wheel barrow is a tricky bit of engineering, which only seems to strengthen the need for substantial field testing- no pun intended.  I also realize that we live in troubled economic times and that budgets are tight.  Perhaps Wheel Barrow incorporated experienced a down-sizing which forced it to distribute pink-slips to their product testers, as a well as a complimentary wheel barrow.

Wheel barrow be damned, I now have a Hosta bed where I once had Oklahoma clay, sandstone, construction debris, a collection of grassy weeds and lawn-mower-crippling ruts.  Well, okay, the Oklahoma clay is still there; and so, I hope it doesn’t turn my planting bed into a mass burial site.  But just in case my plants succumb to Oklahoma clay, slugs, and triple digit drought, I took a picture -  You know, proof that I don’t sit around penning blog posts all week.

 Here is the before picture.  And there waits my traitorous wheel barrow.  Did I mention that I forgot to air up the tire until after I had already filled its belly with clay and rocks?

I stripped away the top 4"-6".  Anyone want any trash dirt??







Here is the finished bed.  Thank you Mia, for taking the picture.  After gardening all day I was in the kitchen making dinner and I sent her out with the camera.  By the way, dinner was FABULOUS!  Anyone interested in an easy satay recipe, just holler!