What would I do without Craigslist?

I'm still cleaning out the lower barn. A lot of bulk has been trash, metal, or tires, all of which I could take care of at the Solid Waste Transfer station. Some is wood, which can be stacked elsewhere.

But what to do with six buckets of coal?

Craiglist. And who knew someone would drive all this way for six buckets of coal? I was swamped with responses within just a few hours.

The barn is full of nooks and crannies like this one below. A recycling mug that's been out there for years. Wash or toss? A duck candle holder. Huh. Wedges, which I'm sure Mark will want when he comes to claim the last of his stuff. Rubber gloves that will likely disintegrate when I touch them. It's all quite depressing, going through stuff another human squirreled away.



But then something makes you smile. I was grabbing a wedge (to use to pry open a five-gallon bucket to see if it was yet another bucket full of coal. It was), and a little wren burst out of this nest over my hand. I hadn't even seen it there.



So this particular nook of clutter will remain unmolested for awhile longer until the little ones feather out and fly away.

Out of sadness, the sweetest things emerge.

By the time I finished this, the buckets of coal were gone. Adios, coal. Thank-you, Craigslist.