Lyn, glad you found it of some value, TY. I'm sure it's very different in rocky CO than swampy AL, but decomposition is universal, and I'm all about doing things the easiest way possible. It's a hobby afterall, and I try to remember my original goal of making the yard easier, not harder.
Sounds like your biggest hurdle is finding something to rot. Maybe some fast-growing seed stuff, like sunflowers, Zinnias, basil, vines like morning glory and hyacinth bean vine, sweet potato vines, watermelon/pumpkin vines, could give more easy fodder to compost. Some are even beneficial to the soil if leguminous, like sweet peas. Sometimes I let weeds get bigger if they are of a type that come up easily and aren't ready to make flowers yet, just to have more 'stuff' to compost/mulch with.
Wood debris can be put under 'dirt' to eliminate its' ability to be kindling. If you have somewhere to do that, maybe around the edges of your planting area, it will still rot that way. Someone who has done more of this would be best to elaborate...
- T
