We're slowly getting organized...

We arrived back from the farm late last night.   Lots of news to tell you, but having had 3 days away from work there is a bunch of catching up to do. Also, I need to get my head  / all the news in order.


But I thought I'd tell you that I reckon RMan is amazing.  If he needs to buy something, he ask everyone he meets if they know of anyone who is selling  whatever he's looking for.


And that is just what he did.  He needed something - urgently.


We have so much stuff that we have to schlep from our town garden , and so much stuff which we are going to have to schlep for life on the farm, like compost, pine poles, etc.


So, everyone got asked (even the most unlikely people) if they know of anyone who has a trailer, and if they would like to sell it.


Sooner or later you have to hit pay dirt!

And we did :)

But, not only did we get a stunning 2.4 mtr (almost 8 feet / 2 mtr3 of loading space) long trailer for ZAR peanuts, but it is a very special trailer.  It comes with a completely removable tailgate (hopefully making the removal of sand, stone and compost a breeze), and it even has provision for a lid (which we will have to have made, as the original one was rusted through).


Happy days - and it has been put to work already.  Last time we went to the farm it took the recycled balustrade parts and one of the water tanks.

Oh, I almost forgot, the water tanks.


When we went to pick up the trailer there were two tanks lying to one side. They got included in the deal :)  The 2 X 1000lt (300gal) tanks had been used for storing (cooking) oil at a bakery.


What a state they were in... (if you're of a queasy nature, skip the next few photo's)

Old, sticky, thick, congealed oil lined the base, sides and inner roof of the containers. That entailed RMan having to devise a method of scraping out the mess...

He took a wooden pole and inserted a thin metal plate at one end - almost like you'd do if making an arrow.  This he would use to scrape at the oil at the bottom of the tanks.

Then a dose of vinegar and bicarbonate was initially used to "loosen" the congealed oil, and with the aid of his tool he scraped and dragged, swished and scrubbed...

... until the oil was broken down enough to ooze the thick sludge out via the bottom tap...

... into a bucket.  Revolting work, I can tell you.

Two days of (at times) back-breaking work resulted in...

... Ta! da!

... a spotlessly clean water tank.  Recycled goods, cleaned in an environmentally friendly way, and thus suitable for storing water for human consumption, if necessary, but definitely good enough to hold water my veggie patch :)

It doesn't even smell of oil!

Clever RMan - I'm very proud of you.

Now, all we have to do is get our rain water gutters up... :)