Have I mentioned I love Freecycle?

I am picking up bales of straw tomorrow for the garden...for free.  WIN!  I also plan to get more cardboard from work and pretty much layer things straw-cardboard-straw-cardboard-straw and then re-cover with a roll of black weed-blocking sheeting -- the kind that people put down under mulch to keep weeds from sprouting through but that is perforated to allow water flow.  Then I figure I'm probably done until early spring. 

Come to think of it, I might get a bunch more bales in order to cover over where I plan to scatter wildflower seeds come spring.  The folks I'm getting the straw from have about 50 bales they want to get rid of, and I am more than happy to help them. ;-)