The fence earned its keep this morning. Our neighbor’s cattle showed up on the property next to us, and walked along a few of the edges of our fence seeking a way in, and they were foiled. When they arrived at our neighbor’s yard, they were noticed and herded back and hopefully the fence breach was fixed. Not holding our breath about that part. It was really wonderful to see them not in our yard!!!
Six of them roamed along the fence, munching grass and looking through the fencing. It made me smile.
The new roof looks great and it’s so quiet when it rains. It started raining a bunch the day after they completed the roof and continued for most of the subsequent week, off and on. We really need the rain so sitting on the porch being nice and dry and watching it pour felt really nice.
This looks massively better than funky steel roofing.
Weather gods tested the new roof and pronounced it good.
The stairs project has begun. The first step entailed digging eight post holes, four for the upper platform and four more for the next platform down the hill. Then they set the first four posts and let the concrete cure overnight.
Next was to build a box attached to the four posts, and create the top platform.
The first platform has been constructed and partially covered with boards.
They left part of the platform open so they could attach the stairs going down to the next platform.
Two of the posts for the lower platform have been set and braced using adjacent trees.
Then those posts were set in an epoxy foam product which is lighter than concrete but serves the same purpose. Much easier than trying to take wheelbarrow full of concrete down a slope which is slightly steeper than a normal flight of stairs, not to mention being bumpy and slick with grass.
The next day they put in the stair stringers and a few of the actual steps.
They will finish adding all the stairs and then build the second platform, and continue in this fashion, down the hill.
It’s going to get hot again this next week, starting around the middle of the week but by then they will be in the shade and feeling the breeze which flows through the trees, following the flow of water.
Yesterday a local contractor with a Bobcat smoothed out the damage done in our front yard by various digging projects, moving rocks and smoothing things out. Today he delivered a dump truck of topsoil and is smoothing it out.
Mishkin was appalled. The parrots thought the truck was cool.
He is spreading the contents of the truck out all over the area from which he removed rocks and smoothed out the ground, yesterday. We will buy some grass seeds this week and that will be the foundation of the lawn around the front and side of the house.
Tomorrow he is bringing another truckload of topsoil and we will use that in raise beds in the garden, which we will have to build first.
This last week we also got the propane tank set, and are now able to use the gas range and the on-demand water heater. Those are also really good improvements.
Impressive! I look forward to seeing the final product. That looks like a steep hill from the pictures.