I planted trees, today, and found out 1) what was backfilled into the yard, and 2) how wonderful the original soil had been.

We'd tilled the garden a few weeks ago, and hit clay and gravel after three inches. From what I can tell, there's just enough dirt to keep grass alive. This is in the backyard, where the ground was disturbed pretty much everywhere as the house was constructed and the basement was dug. Since we're fairly close to the river, I expected SOME clay, although not quite so close to the surface. When I planted trees in the backyard, however, I found broken glass, garbage, and more gravel. The front half of the property was able to be left as is, and the dirt there is rich, black, crumbly and goes at least two feet down (a cow pasture was there for the last 100+ years, before that it was riverside forest and home to various tribes being shoved westward). Where did all that lovely nutrient-loaded soil run off to, and why was it replaced with clay, gravel, broken glass and cigarette butts?

Rather than have the garden in the front yard, and risk feeding random thieving passersby instead of us, I'll just have to amend the ever-loving fuck out of it and count my blessings that I have access to dirt and that some of it was moved to build a house for my family. But, DAMN IT, what might have been...

In other news, drug commmericals are starting to sound like car commercials. The fast-talking part is ALWAYS where they tell you it's not such a great deal after all the hyping they just did. They're using doctor's office scenarios now to make it sound better, but if my doctor ever spoke to me that way, I'd laugh and walk out.