Monarch and echinacea

I managed some form of balance today. A run in hazy conditions with a smokey smell, reading a new book, and doing garden stuff involving a wrecking bar or crowbar.

The latter was enough garden fun for one day. I have a piece of driftwood artistically placed (yet to be cat tested) and a 50cm deep hole back filled with better soil.

I battled through a clay pan, heavy wet soil, and rocks - enough to fill a bucket as it turned out. I lost a young horopito tree which didn't appreciate wet feet. I normally work with what I have but aesthetically I'd like to try another horopito in the same spot.

So I dug a hole 50cm D x 45cm W x 50cm L. This time with plenty of gypsum and sand at the base. I've mixed 20 year old horse poop with compost, some of the heavy wet soil, and other organic matter. Now all I need is a new tree to plant.

Yesterday my brother in law in Canberra, Australia gave me some perspective on the fires. The 2018 Californian wildfires destroyed 750,000 hectares and were classified as catastrophic. So far the Australian bushfires have destroyed 450,000 hectares.

It's destruction on a scale that's difficult to comprehend.

Today's gratitude: For the the industrious worm I placed on the new soil mix I filled the hole with. I watched it slowly burrow beneath the surface and out of the heat and light. Amazing.