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When a friend asked, "Would you like a load of horse manure brought to your house and dumped for free?," the only possible answer, of course, was "Yes!" He had connections with a horse stable owner south of Jacksonville. The owner of the stables had to find a way each week to clear out the soiled sawdust and was willing to pay the expense to have the manure brought to anyone that would accept it.
I was not quite prepared when I saw a dump truck about the size of the mammoth trucks used in strip mining pause in front of my house, loaded to the hilt with steaming manure. Still, I felt I couldn't pass up this great gift. I had cleared all the potted bargain plants out of the driveway in anticipation of the delivery. The truck driver had to be cautious not to hit the overhead electric lines when he angled the truck bed up and let the poop fall where it may.
For a few days, the odor was definitely noticeable. I had neighbors casually asking, "Do you have a horse?", apparently so unfamiliar with the sight of 25 cubic yards of horse manure that they had no comprehension nor frame of reference for recognizing it as it sat towering about half-way up the height of my 2-story house.
Fortunately, the smell went away much sooner than I expected, or perhaps we all just became inured to the redolent aroma and didn't notice it anymore. I've made several attempts, spending a few hours whenever time allows, to haul it by the wheelbarrow load and spread it around in the garden. But still, most of it continues to sit like a newly formed mountain range in my driveway. I seem to have correctly sensed that this neighborhood, though it is only about 5 miles from downtown Jacksonville, has a "live and let live attitude," or perhaps they all are just very afraid of the crazy plant man on the corner.
