01 July, 2014

how it's going

SLOWLY and PAINFULLY!  This has become a bit of a bigger job than I had envisioned when we started.
 These photos are in order, and while none of them are from the same angle, you can kind of see the progress we are making...kind of.  The big rock sticking out at a strange angle just to the left of the tree stump just got bigger and bigger the more we tried to excavate around it.  You can see what we did with it in the picture at the bottom.
 We have moved bucket after bucket of soil out to this area of the yard which has a really funny double slope angle and could never be mowed because of it.  This photo was taken on Friday of last week and is a tiny amount compared with what we've since moved.  I've put wildflower seeds into part of it, but when we finish I want to put some more all over it.
 We've made a hell of a mess and moved many many stones.  My plan is to put most of these back into the wall and make it a stone wall.
 But this is what has been slowing us down.  This mass of tree roots. Tree roots with pebbles and rocks mixed in, the roots grown tight around them.  It's not like we can even bring in a chain saw as there's too many rocks and clay earth all around the roots.  That little trowel does most of the work, chipping and digging away to move as many rocks as possible, then Kit comes in with the axes, mattock and crowbar.
 We may have cheered when we got this piece out!
 And yesterday Remi joined our little chain gang (Ella helps to dig things out and carry buckets), and we managed to uncover that massive rock and tip it forward (and there it will have to stay as it's way too big to move anywhere else) which made the decision for me that I'm doing a stone wall not a purpose built retaining wall!
 Unfortunately Remi ripped his hands to shreds using the mattock (he has so many blisters it looks like he's put his hands on something hot) so it will be back to just Kit, Ella and I (and our aching shoulders, backs and hands) to keep going today!

2 comments:

  1. thats a mammoth effort. Love going back to the befores! You have done so much. Took E and O bushwalking yesterday! Fun fun.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh wow! what a huge job! That is one large rock, but it will make a great feature.

    mu m xx

    ReplyDelete

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