Dirt

What is soil?
 Imagine this...think of a stony outcrop.  Watch those rocks for several thousand years.  During this time they are effected by elements (rain & snow).  They freeze, they thaw and the wind will blow.  They begin to break down into smaller pieces of various sizes and textures.  As more time passes, plants begins to grow on these fine particles.  The plants lose their leaves in this pile.  Earthworms crawl through it, leaving organic matter behind.  The elements continue.  During this cycle, the rocks have broken down and turned into soil.  Pretty cool isn't it?  I learned this in school.

By definition, soil is the combination of weathered rocks and decaying plants.  There are four components of soil.  Mineral matter, organic matter, air and water.  About 45% of soil is sand, silt and clay.  There are equal parts of air and water... composed of about 25% each.  The remaining 5% is organic matter.

Plants need both air and water near their roots to survive.  This amount of pore space changes constantly.  Actual amounts of air and water will vary depending on how much water has been added to the soil by irrigation or rain.

Mineral matter can be further broken down by size.  Sand is the largest, silt is the next largest and clay is the smallest.  Soil texture refers to the amounts of each of the three particle sizes in soil samples.  This is important because particle sizes affect how much water your soil can hold, and how often you need to water or add fertilizers.

Why am I busting out this wealth of knowledge you ask?
First let me say that today... all I thought about, looked at and touched was dirt.
Second... I'd prefer to show you.

My momma helped me shovel everything into the big ol' dumpster today.

After an exhausting day of shoveling... we can finally say:

THE DIRT PILE IS GONE.