A Bigger Barrel of Fish

Earlier this spring I got the bright idea to try to improve upon an idea and device that is pretty common in gardening circles but, to my thinking, has not been realized to its fullest potential.

 

Now, my bright ideas don't always prove to be practical, nor are they ever simple, but I was reasonably sure I could make this one work so I pulled together some materials and started making sawdust. Eventually the pieces started coming together in the rough shape of a barrel, but probably not one that would hold a lot of water.

The (almost) finished product. Can you guess what it is?

Here's a clue. I put it down by the compost bins that I built last year to hold the piles of leaves and grass that come out of our yard. The kids lend a helping hand.

I had to wait a month or so before I could say whether my super-sized compost barrel was going to work, but so far so good. I've kept it loaded with a fair pile of yard waste and the kids have kept it charged with kitchen compost and it looks like some good stuff is starting to pile up underneath. It gets a bit difficult to turn when the contents are wet and heavy, and I made the opening a little too large, but I'm pretty pleased otherwise. So far the kids have refrained from using it as a carnival ride.