Daunting

... a Bronze Aged Tool ...
originally from Asia Minor and Greece

Re-landscaping the area around the stream that flooded out the culvert was a top priority for me today. The culver over-ran its capacity, the ditch in the road had to take the overflow, a huge crack in the road appeared – all of that was a big problem took charge of. Now re-landscaping that area is a small problem in comparison, but still, one that looked daunting to me. I only needed a rake, a shovel, a couple of wheel-barrows, a mattock (a tool for grubbing in hard soils and rocky terrain ) and volunteer labour.

My fear was that the hot sun would harden up this area and I would never get it graded so that the lawn-mower can get at the weeds that are bound to grow there. To help me, Dave Wood brought over his truck this morning at 9 am. He and I worked he had to leave for an afternoon appointment, Dave using the mattock and me raking the stones out to the road while he continued working the soil.

... blocks now hidden deep under the road ...
only brief glimpses of the lego-like tops
are visible as  you walk the road

With the pick-up truck Dave went after some backfill that the CPR had loosened about 100 metres down the road. The down-size of that pile of earth is that it was full of fist-sized and larger rocks. After one load, Dave settled on using three truck loads of fill from the good earth up by my house, easier to dig and no boulders.

I was beside myself this morning. I could not figure out how I was going to deal with that mess.

Between Glen’s instructions and Dave’s man-power I am ¼ of the way towards completion of the task.  As well, I have regained my mo-jo. Added bonuses to me are the charlie-horses in my legs tonight. I expect they will be stretched out with tomorrow’s raking.

The fact is – a joy to be alive and have the energy to work the earth like that.

Dave?

He made it to the top of my list of help dropped in from the heavens during the 100 best days of my life.

Arta