Composter's Delight

This summer we started a lovely vegetable garden.  We kind of got a late start on it, but I built a raised bed in early July while I was stuck home nursing our ungrateful cat, Harvey, back to health after an unfortunate incident involving a hair elastic and his small intestine.  Anyway, back to the garden: it went pretty well, though the spot I chose was probably a little too shady.  So now we have tons of green tomatoes on the vine that apparently think we have a big Indian summer coming in late October.

We'll retool next spring, though, with some additional boxes in the sun, and I expect to have a more bountiful harvest next year.  One thing we'll need for our soil is compost, and lots of it.  But where to keep/make it?  One thing I didn't want was a compost heap.  Nobody has ever used "heap" as a compliment.  Look at the definition:

heap /hēp/ noun

1.  an untidy collection of things piled up haphazardly.

"she rushed out, leaving her clothes in a heap on the floor"

So heaps are for slobs, and, apparently, women who go streaking.  While I'm all for the latter, I don't see how "an untidy collection of [compost] piled up haphazardly" in my yard is going to entice lady-streakers.  So I felt compelled to build a "bin," if you will, for our composting needs.

I looked around online to see how other people made them, and came across this plan from This Old House.  I wasn't really crazy about the top/roof or the lack of lateral support for the side walls, though, so I kind of improvised after I put the sides together.

When I was assembling it today, we told Ella and Josie that it was a "timeout box."  Of course, that just made them want to get in it and dance.

Once we finally got them out of there, I installed the bin behind the barn.

Of course, once Erin has the camera out, I just can't resist "getting in the frame."

 "Let me be your tour guide to this bin's features."

Note how the front slats slide out in two sections; also note the bald spot on the top of my head!

I am a very strong man!

Sheepishly putting it back together.

The flip top will allow for easy adding of trash (or whatever you throw in a compost bin-- I honestly have no idea), and the removable front slats will allow for easy turning and removal of the compost in the spring.