Quiet Week...Kinda...

And so it begins! We had planned on the new wiring and furnace coming this week, but the electrician moved his office and had lost our phone number so he is only just getting the permit this week and (hopefully) will start work next week. Irving as well hopes to start on Monday, but the electrician can't have anyone else working while they are here. Aarrrrgghhhh! "the best laid plans of mice and men..." And of course I anticipate the roofer calling to say the skylights have arrived and he'll want to start next week as well!
So, given there was not much happening, we gave John Morrison (met him during the winter here - he was a regular visitor to remove snow from the driveway) a call to come out and see what he thought about cleaning out a blocked culvert and removing the last of the dump in the back ravine. "no problem, when?" We thought it would be some time next month, maybe August...he came on Tuesday with a giant digger (gotta get me one of those!) on a flatbed truck and an accompanying dump truck...ready to go!


Now there was one slight problem with the culvert...overhead phone and power lines, but his skill was evidenced not only by avoiding them also by the way he came within inches of the culvert with each scoop.

Keeping an eye on the lines!

Then to the back and this is when I left the scene! There are few double black diamond ski hills as steep as this and yet John had the digger right on the edge reaching far down into it to retrieve the garbage. I think this is why he leaves the side door open, in the event of the need to jump!


While waiting for the dump truck to unload and return, John suggested that since the equipment was here, why not do the other work we had intended for the late summer or fall? (I thought this job was for late summer!?) Apparently there is an economic factor of getting the equipment once rather than multiple times, makes sense in a way...sorta like buying twice as much when there is a sale, not accounting for cash flow?
Anyway, we agreed with him and continued to drive the monster around picking up brush, an old doghouse (no dog inside!), tearing up the cement pad (remains of one of the garages), digging up sod and earth that will become the parking zone. But wait! There's more! a load of topsoil for the section of driveway we planned to close off! 'Course we can't seed it yet as we have no access to outdoor water yet...hopefully there will be no high winds or rain anytime soon!

Even Bijou is getting used to all the heavy trucks!

So for comparison...
Before...

...and after!


before....


...and after



There is still a need for fresh gravel (fall) and gardens and trees (next spring?). I had to content my gardening needs with 2 flower boxes, and a patio tomato plant! But cutting around all the trees and bushes takes a lot of time!

Some minor injuries are Jim's bloody eye (broken blood vessel) from lifting and my multiple black fly bites that swell to the size of golf balls - even though I'm a big fan of deet!

No...I didn't slug him!