Two Men, some beer, and a backhoe...continued

What started out as a small project to smooth out the dirt on this side of the garage turned into a huge project and a few thousand dollars. Just like everything else in construction.

Backhoe man started talking to us about a drive up to the walkout. I really wanted a drive because I've been hauling stuff through the house into the basement, and the few times I've been able to pull up to the walkout, it was a bit scary. And we also wanted a parking area behind the garage. (Note: The trees above will be relevant later in this post)

So the money pit begins....(note how high the dirt is on our siding in the above picture..it needs lowered about six inches...ten if we want a drive or a patio)

little bitty gravel for the concrete approach to the drive, and bigger gravel for the parking area.

We now have ample parking for company.

And this is smoothed out...which was the original project. (these are the same trees I talked about earlier. This is the other side of the house)


and we have a road from the driveway to the walk out basement. It will get covered in gravel...I think. Sometimes I just go with the flow and don't ask what the plan is.

Either way...I can drive right up to the walkout basement now. We still need to work on lowering the dirt here though.

but first, the approach to the garage, which was not in our plans, is being poured. We were just going to have gravel...

but backhoe man likes things to be perfect.

And the one hour it rained all week that week, was of course right after we poured concrete.

So, while concrete was being poured, backhoe man kept telling me what a better job he could do if I'd let him yank those trees, that they are in his way. The trees I told you to note for later in the above pics. I've been fighting having those trees yanked since we bought the land. I do not like taking out trees, no matter.... He said we could actually landscape that area. The trees that are there are volunteer something, mulberry and a hazelnut. You know I didn't tell him he's right, but he was right. So I gave him permission to yank the trees. The biggest one, the hazelnut...was HOLLOW in the center. It probably would have come down on our garage someday!

so now the trees are gone, it's very bare (and sad) but Dave promised me we'd buy some evergreens this fall. I wanted evergreens because I'd like a clothesline on this side of the house, out of the view of company, and evergreens would hide the view. Don't want company seeing my underwear! Nor do I want mulberries on my clothes.

to be continued again......

Cindy