Eat my dust!

We have a lot of catching up to do...


First of all, we are on vacation or staycation, rather. Secondly, Tuesday was my birthday (Happy Birthday to me!). And last but not least, on Tuesday they started on our driveway!!! Can I get a 'WoooHooo?' 


Well, the driveway bears more of a resemblance to a powdery dust bowl, but it slinks nicely around the hill. Four-wheel drive is certainly a requirement to get up that thing at this point. Tires sink right into the dust, which seriously is the consistency of flour.

The middle of our driveway heading up the hill.

Dust bowl 2010!

Noel's kayaking kokapeli was black before driving up the driveway.

Since we have been on staycation all week, we have been able to watch the daily progress (or destruction...ha!). Overseeing this part of the process is helpful because we have been able to tell the dozer operator exactly which areas to clear. It's kind of therapeutic sitting on our 'pondering log' (a girthy remnant from the logging endeavor that is just perfect for our two butts) watching the dozer wrestle with the stumps. The dozer dude told us that we've got some pretty tough stumps. I smiled and said, 'Thank you.' One bulldozer is doing the work, operated by a 74-year old retiree, who has worked in the dozing business all his life. We have experience on our side! He's a nice old man, but he's been getting his lunch everyday at one of the diners in Lynchburg on the square. The food's so terrible, he may just peel over if he doesn't change dining venues.


So far the driveway has been cut and the building site semi-cleared. At the building site, the dozer dude has uprooted numerous, massive stumps and pushed over quite a few trees. The dozer got a bit of help from a backhoe today. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...oops...I mean like a building site. The problem that literally sits in front of us now is what we are going to do with the arbor carnage. The land is so incredibly dry so getting a burn permit is out of the question. (We don't need a Tennessee rendition of some California wildfires.) Two options: wait until it rains enough to completely saturate the land and get a burn permit OR use a giant wood chipper to mulch the trees and haul off the stumps. Since Mother Nature is ignoring our rain dances, we're opting for the second option. 

Before (October 19, 2010)

After (October 21, 2010)

Noel comparing his stump to these.

We met with Indy today for about an hour to chit-chat about the task at hand. He keeps reassuring me that my Civic will be able to get up this driveway with no problem once we have gravel. I'm holding him to it! According to Indy, the next step is to clear the debris, dig the trenches and the footers, get a water tap (please cross your fingers that we don't need a pump), and get the electrical company out there to get some temporary power up in that joint. The same dozer and backhoe (who you callin' a ho?!) dudes dig the footers. Indy digs the trenches for the electricity and water. Well, well we may have footers in a couple of weeks!!

Parting shot: Molly (neighbor doggie extraordinaire) with a light dusting of...well..dust