What did you do in the garden today?

[Minanora]

I am not a big fan of plastic, either. It's just that plastic is so much better for some situations. For example, I reuse plastic peanut butter jars to hold misc. nuts and bolts, screws, etc... out in the garage instead of glass jars which would break and shatter if dropped on the cement floor. That's a good second life for those plastic jars.

I recently purchased a big plastic jar of carmel corn because I wanted to use the jar to hold my zip ties later. The jar is tall enough to hold up to 11 inch zip ties. Plus, it's big enough to hold all my zip ties in one container.

View attachment 3771992
Well, that, and I like carmel corn...

I did the same thing as an excuse to buy a big ole thing of Cheese Balls "for my son's party".... to use the jar for storing beer tap brush plugs. Ehem, I ate most of those cheese balls, I'm certain of that.

See, those containers are no longer being used for food. Even if you totally ate the food that came in them. Haha!

I'm lucky, my husbands family ran a hardware store and kept all of those old metal Curtis bolt organizing drawers with the metal slides when they closed; We have them now! I pretty much have a hardware store at my finger tips in my garage. I have more fasteners than I know what to do with; sadly... I'm a picky person when it comes to fasteners. I'm a fan of truss head whenever I can use 'em so then I can avoid washers for the most part, Except those coated T25 deck screws are awesome for almost every project I've worked on over the last few years. I do love those for general wood projects. But for hardware, and fasteners for hardware, I go with stainless; it's just the boater in me I guess. I even have stainless retractable dock cleats for hanging coats and towels up on the pergola outside.

 

[Smokerbill]

My Jalapeno pepper seeds are finally beginning to sprout. I'm still waiting on the bell peppers, marjoram and flat leaf parsley to break ground.

 

[Sally PB]

I can still lift and carry 135 pounds if I had to.

The only 135 pounds I could ever carry was my own.

 

[Minanora]

I can attest to the Gorilla style cart being a superior tool for moving pretty much all bags of things. Mine even has a dump feature and it's saved me a ton of time and headache! I used it to move that 6 cubic yards of mulch yesterday. I used a wheelbarrow for two loads at first because my cart was full of weeds, I dumped them on the ground after my wheelbarrow wheel sunk into a gopher/mole tunnel and sent me and the load tumbling into one of my favorite sage bushes. It will live, at least.

 

[Sally PB]

We are getting much needed rain. Mostly gentle, with a few heavier showers.

Yesterday, I gave the chickens 3 buckets of weeds. Today, they got their usual mash snack.

Next week, we'll have highs in the mid 30s/low 40s, and upper 20s at night. In other words, "normal" March weather. Hoping that nothing is going to be too far along to withstand those temps.

 

[gtaus]

those coated T25 deck screws are awesome for almost every project I've worked on over the last few years.

I agree that the coated T25 deck screws are awesome. Unfortunately, they are more than 2X more expensive than drywall screws. Most of my pallet projects, for example, don't need the more expensive T25 deck screws. I use drywall screws for most of my projects and they are good enough.

I really do like the T25 screws which are stronger and don't ream out. I have used many of them over the years. But, to save money, I use drywall screws most of the time.

 

[Sally PB]

Yesterday, we went to TSC to get a wheel barrow. (It actually will be the best tool for what we need to do.) We thought they'd have one on display, and we'd get one in a box. We took the Jeep, because we could fit a big box in it, and not have to take the trailer.

No, they assemble all of their carts and wheel barrows. And, it won't fit in the Jeep. So, hubby went back home to get the trailer, and I sat in the parking lot, on one of the (assembled) picnic tables with the wheel barrow. It was nice and sunny, at least!

A woman came along, looking at the 4-wheeled carts, and I chatted with her a bit. I pointed out that the handle on the two larger sizes converted to "tow mode" behind a riding lawn mower and she thought that was just the greatest idea ever!

A salesman came out to see if she needed any help (he already knew why I was there), and started showing her the 4-wheeled plastic carts. I heard her ask, "And can I tow it behind my lawn mower?" He pointed out how the handle could be set up to do just that.

I felt like I should get a commission.

 

[gtaus]

I can attest to the Gorilla style cart being a superior tool for moving pretty much all bags of things. Mine even has a dump feature and it's saved me a ton of time and headache! I used it to move that 6 cubic yards of mulch yesterday.

Yep, Dear Wife can easily haul bags full of mulch with no problem using a Gorilla cart. She would never consider using our old wheelbarrow. She is just too small and not strong enough to keep a wheelbarrow from tipping over.
Two of my Gorilla carts have the dump feature, which I agree is very nice. My third cart is the kind with wire mesh sides. It does not have a dump feature, but the sides can be removed.

It's a different design, but it has some advantages over the watertight bins of the other Gorilla carts. If I need to store something in the cargo bay, like loose mulch, I would use the wire mesh cart because if it rains, the water can flow through the mesh whereas the solid plastic bins would be a wet, muddy mess after a hard rain. So, it's good for me to have the option of either type of cart.

I used a wheelbarrow for two loads at first because my cart was full of weeds, I dumped them on the ground after my wheelbarrow wheel sunk into a gopher/mole tunnel and sent me and the load tumbling into one of my favorite sage bushes. It will live, at least.

That's what I mean about wheelbarrows not being nearly as safe as the 4-wheeled Gorilla carts. Good thing you did not hurt yourself. More than once I wrenched my back with the old wheelbarrow trying to prevent a tip over. I don't worry about that with the 4-wheeled carts.

 

[Molpet]

Yep, Dear Wife can easily haul bags full of mulch with no problem using a Gorilla cart. She would never consider using our old wheelbarrow. She is just too small and not strong enough to keep a wheelbarrow from tipping over.
Two of my Gorilla carts have the dump feature, which I agree is very nice. My third cart is the kind with wire mesh sides. It does not have a dump feature, but the sides can be removed.

View attachment 3772020

It's a different design, but it has some advantages over the watertight bins of the other Gorilla carts. If I need to store something in the cargo bay, like loose mulch, I would use the wire mesh cart because if it rains, the water can flow through the mesh whereas the solid plastic bins would be a wet, muddy mess after a hard rain. So, it's good for me to have the option of either type of cart.



That's what I mean about wheelbarrows not being nearly as safe as the 4-wheeled Gorilla carts. Good thing you did not hurt yourself. More than once I wrenched my back with the old wheelbarrow trying to prevent a tip over. I don't worry about that with the 4-wheeled carts.

I have tipped over with 4 bags of feed, because I was on a slope. I now put 3 bags and use a different route. Cart fits through the outside basement door and right to where I store the feed.

 

[Minanora]

I agree that the coated T25 deck screws are awesome. Unfortunately, they are more than 2X more expensive than drywall screws. Most of my pallet projects, for example, don't need the more expensive T25 deck screws. I use drywall screws for most of my projects and they are good enough.

I really do like the T25 screws which are stronger and don't ream out. I have used many of them over the years. But, to save money, I use drywall screws most of the time.

Ah yes, see, my stash of T25s, I got lucky! I frequently search the clearance end caps and nooks and Home Desperate and Lowes to find good prices. A few years ago I came across lots of boxes of the off color (totally baby poop yellow) deck mate screws in various lengths for a STEAL. I'm certain that they cost more to make than what I paid for them. I bought all of them, naturally. Same thing at Lowes a few times for similar fasteners. Also how I wound up with my kitchen sink and shower tile. Both are beautiful! Sink was a custom order return, tile was clearance.

I've busted my knuckles open through my gloves with the phillips head all purpose screws enough times now. I'm a wuss. I do use the ones for hanging sheetrock; and that's it. We have boxes and boxes of them; Father in law was also a contractor for a long time. We try not to do those projects very often these days. I get carried away with the red dot and spend far too much time making perfectly smooth walls. Our home has plaster over gypsum panels and the guy did some of the best smooth plaster I've ever seen in my life. Every wall is perfectly plumb. I, of course, have to match it any time we open up a wall or replace a ceiling light fixture.

Goodness I'm chatty today. Moving along, I took some photos of my clover seeds sprouting when I went to release the flock and do my afternoon watering. I'm very excited about this project; I used my hula hoe to cultivate several inches down into the hard packed dirt, raked out all of the clumps and used a broadcast hand spreader to sow the seed. I've been shopping for a tiller but while I wait for the frugal part of me to give in, I slave through projects with the tools I have in the shed. Lets hope they fill in before the purslane starts to emerge!