sand
My plans for constructing a small building for the storage of my lawn and garden equipment are progressing ever so slowly. My aim is to mix the concrete on site with my small mixer and with the help of my older bro, to pour a concrete pad on which to erect said building. The aforementioned bro has been out of town last week and will be leaving again next week, hence the delay.
The four elements necessary for the concrete mixture are cement, sand, gravel and water. The water is readily available, cement can be purchased at Lowe’s, gravel is on site but the big need was sand. Not wanting to have some hauled in, I had three other possibilities – from the stump peninsula, from a spit of sand on the other side of the pond and the last resort was from a spot in the front yard.
When found, the sand would have to be moved from where it was to where it needed to be. This would require the use of the small trailer that came with the lawn tractor. I had not used this device since it came into my possession and when I drug it out of storage, both tires were flat. Fortunately, with some effort, I was able to get them re-inflated and I set out to find the sand I needed.
The sand from stump peninsula was found to be mixed with too much dirt, clay and organic matter but the sand from the spit on MIL’s side of the pond was perfect. The first load was gathered, brought back and dumped into the earthen basin I had previously dug out and formed near the building site – and then lined with plastic to keep it from mixing with the dirt.
The most difficult part of getting the sand was due to the fact that I could only get to within about 50 feet of the source. Then it had to be hauled back up an embankment to the trailer. I used buckets for the transporting – larger ones in the trailer and a couple of smaller ones to haul it up the hill and fill the larger. The sand then was taken back to my place and dumped into the basin.
My day had been busy with the digging of the basin, re-inflating the trailer tires – one of which was tubeless and broken loose from the rim, a real pain – and then hauling four loads of sand. I used the small amount of energy I had left to stow all tools and such and drag my ancient frame back into the house. As is my custom, I promptly collapsed in the floor – to straighten out the old back.
Eventually transmigrating to the recliner, I slowly got my physical act back together again. On the next day I did some sitting with young ones and later hauled three more loads of sand to complete the amount that I thought was needed for the project. Then the next day oozed by into the recesses of time with miscellaneous activities. Next morn, I crept slowly around the “maison”, trying to recover.
At times I seem to forget that I’m not as young as I used to be but God is still good, all the time. ec
The four elements necessary for the concrete mixture are cement, sand, gravel and water. The water is readily available, cement can be purchased at Lowe’s, gravel is on site but the big need was sand. Not wanting to have some hauled in, I had three other possibilities – from the stump peninsula, from a spit of sand on the other side of the pond and the last resort was from a spot in the front yard.
When found, the sand would have to be moved from where it was to where it needed to be. This would require the use of the small trailer that came with the lawn tractor. I had not used this device since it came into my possession and when I drug it out of storage, both tires were flat. Fortunately, with some effort, I was able to get them re-inflated and I set out to find the sand I needed.
The sand from stump peninsula was found to be mixed with too much dirt, clay and organic matter but the sand from the spit on MIL’s side of the pond was perfect. The first load was gathered, brought back and dumped into the earthen basin I had previously dug out and formed near the building site – and then lined with plastic to keep it from mixing with the dirt.
The most difficult part of getting the sand was due to the fact that I could only get to within about 50 feet of the source. Then it had to be hauled back up an embankment to the trailer. I used buckets for the transporting – larger ones in the trailer and a couple of smaller ones to haul it up the hill and fill the larger. The sand then was taken back to my place and dumped into the basin.
My day had been busy with the digging of the basin, re-inflating the trailer tires – one of which was tubeless and broken loose from the rim, a real pain – and then hauling four loads of sand. I used the small amount of energy I had left to stow all tools and such and drag my ancient frame back into the house. As is my custom, I promptly collapsed in the floor – to straighten out the old back.
Eventually transmigrating to the recliner, I slowly got my physical act back together again. On the next day I did some sitting with young ones and later hauled three more loads of sand to complete the amount that I thought was needed for the project. Then the next day oozed by into the recesses of time with miscellaneous activities. Next morn, I crept slowly around the “maison”, trying to recover.
At times I seem to forget that I’m not as young as I used to be but God is still good, all the time. ec
posted by mreddie | 5:18 PM
2 Comments:
And all that digging was hard work...rest up!
ancient one - I've done less taxing odds and ends this week and am somewhat rested from my labors. :) ec
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