Birth of The Project

I have been toying with the idea of vermicomposting for a long time, but hadn't cooked up enough courage to deal with worms until recently. But after my experience as a (reluctant) worm rescuer, the idea of a vermi-compost bin grew and gnawed (now why did I use this word) within me. I had read and seen of home-made compost bins (too small) and commercial compost bins (too expensive). I toyed with getting semi-commercial ones. You know, the ones that are designed and modified at home, but sold with a profit margin. Somehow I could not get used to the idea of sticking my hands into the bottom of a rubbish bin full of compost, not knowing whether any worms are going to fall onto my hands. I tried to sell myself the idea, even consulting members of GCS who have bought that design, but could not get over the goosebumps. Days grew into weeks, weeks into months. And somehow, it all resulted in The Project.

Worms

With the huge amount of rain that we have been getting here in the central-north area, my earthworms are literally getting washed out of the ground and planters. In the mornings I see them hiding below my garden slippers and in leftover wet patches on the ground. Having seen their predecessors in dried format (coming back after work), I was moved to "rescue" them. With trowels in both hands, I try to gently pick them up and drop them back to soil safety. After much trial and error (and half-shrieks, hops, skips and goose-pimples on my side; not to mention lots of dodging, speed crawling, wriggling, writhing, and the occasional mash-up on the worms' side), I now am semi-comfortable with them. Semi. Really.