The terrace in my abandoned garden is falling apart everywhere. As I needed a flat surface for a workbench to continue the roof repair, it was time to tear it up and build a temporary new one.

Everyone called me crazy when I adopted this neglected land. Most of the time, I don’t blame them. I’ve spent dozens of hours here. And I’ll be spending a lot more.

Starting with an empty lot would probably be a lot easier. I would not be carrying discarded wood beams, trash, and random stuff around as much. I wouldn’t have to remove the old terrace, fix the roof, or do any of these things. But there also wouldn’t be material to reuse, a roof worth fixing, or any of the adventures I’ve had.

To continue the roof repair, I needed a flat, reliable surface for the work bench (or so I thought…).

When I inspected the land for the first time, you could still walk on this terrace. But after years and years of being abandoned, even my light steps were too much. Holes started appearing everywhere, and every step was a risk. No way, I’d rest a workbench on here.

These pallets turned a quick project into a big deal. It dawned on me that I’d have to deal with them all. Every single one of these will have to be carried to the car, heaved into the trunk, and driven away.

The pallets underneath the boards were not the only surprise. There were different mushrooms, spiders, and all kinds of other critters underneath. An afternoon later, the terrace was cleared from pallets and boards.

But there was still a lot of work ahead of me–and not just the giant stack of trash. Just like seemingly everything, the cement blocks were heavy. Very heavy. But they still made the perfect temporary flat surface.

I’m amazed how much animals carried underneath the pallets. There was so much debris. The blocks were spaced just a little less than a block apart, so I had to move them all. With every block, I got a little better at getting them out of the hard ground.

If only I’d known that I’d have to redo everything I’d done on the roof so far… But the flat surface will be handy for future projects, and now the hazard of a terrace is gone.

With no good place to put the dirt, I decided to start my first garden bed. It’s never too early to start growing soil. Soon, I’ll have to get some compost locally.

Being tiny and rather light isn’t always a benefit. I’m getting stronger fast but that won’t make me much heavier. Working alone, especially as a tiny person, isn’t always easy. But I love it. Spending hours in the garden, working hard, has done wonders for my mental health.

Seeing projects come together lifts me up. But even the setbacks and failures don’t get me down. With a good audio book on my ears, almost any task seems doable. And while it’s still hard to imagine what this land will look like when I’m done with it, everything is slowly coming together. I’ve barely started but things are taking shape.

This might look nothing like a garden bed now but that’s okay. It’ll get there.

Fall is pushing out a summer that never really arrived, and the last trees are shedding their seeds. My plum cherries will be ripe soon. Fall will bring hazelnuts and walnuts, too. Despite the looming winter, I’m excited for it all. I’m even considering adding the land next to this. Yes, crazy, I know.

So long, and thanks for being here!