The End of Digging

Well, if you dig long enough, you find the bottom. Of what I’m not so sure, but I believe we’re there. This is really part 2 of the last entry. So I’ll let it go at that. Here goes.

We set a layer of hard core down in one area where the trench had to be deeper than most places to get to the murram

$And then beat the \"hard\" out of it with sledge hammers and covered it with a layer of compressed murram so we could pour the footings on top of it safely.$ And then beat the \"hard\" out of it with sledge hammers and covered it with a layer of compressed murram so we could pour the footings on top of it safely.

$Our first real orphans. Last night, Gilbert brought the mother hen, who was \"brooding, into his house for warmth. During the night he heard a big chicken ruckus but didn\'t find anything when he got up. In the morning the hen was dead. A small wound at her neck. Snake was what Gilbert figured.$ Our first real orphans. Last night, Gilbert brought the mother hen, who was \"brooding, into his house for warmth. During the night he heard a big chicken ruckus but didn\'t find anything when he got up. In the morning the hen was dead. A small wound at her neck. Snake was what Gilbert figured.

If you look hard, you can see broken egg shells. Our other batch of chicks are there with their live mother.

Benson and George laying the rebar in the trenches.

$It\'s all wired together and reinforces the concrete.$ It\'s all wired together and reinforces the concrete.

$It\'s changed colors since you last saw it. Rusted, to no ill effect in the last days\' rains.$ It\'s changed colors since you last saw it. Rusted, to no ill effect in the last days\' rains.

$This one of the guy\'s feet who was pushing the truck. He\'s not wearing shoes.$ This one of the guy\'s feet who was pushing the truck. He\'s not wearing shoes.

$I picked up some lumber from Judy\'s for tomorrow\'s work. The pouring of the footings.$ I picked up some lumber from Judy\'s for tomorrow\'s work. The pouring of the footings.

I’ll be back in a day or two with the next thrilling installment. Take a sedative if the anticipation becomes too much.

Yours for removed dirt,

David

Comments(10)

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Janine Reimann says
September 12, 2008 at 10:20 am

David –

I love your writing! Who needs an engineer if you can have a poetry teacher managing a construction site! I cant wait for the next story. If you keep going like this I might consider going back to school learning something my current collegues (all engineers and scientists) would call useless. They just cant see the beauty!

: ) Janine
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Chris says
September 12, 2008 at 1:17 pm

This is reading like a novel now. Just when you left us thrilled with the beautiful grid of trenches, piled stone and earth — and some sahib’s canvas caravan — before we can even anticipate them…here come these beautiful poles (which I am not so secretly lusting after). I’ll trade you. You bring back one of those with you, and I’ll bring you a not-so-straight, but also beautiful, madrone pole from Rocky Creek.

Hey, play along. I sent you an invitation to a little salon. If you want to find out where Debi and I are now, you have to play a little hide-and-seek.

And here’s how much I want one of those poles. I’ll even throw in a Rocky Creek footbridge for Isaiah into the bargain.
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Matt and Jody Madion says
September 12, 2008 at 6:10 pm

DAVID,
AMAZING PROGRESS IN THE TWO YEARS SINCE WE VISITED. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!

MATT MADION
TRAVERSE CITY,MICHIGAN
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martin says
September 12, 2008 at 7:25 pm

hmm, all of a sudden i am craving pecan saundies.

martin
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Jamie Welsh says
September 13, 2008 at 1:27 pm

I am so excitedat the progress, i want to go and see it first hand so bad. I just have to keep saving!! I love you guys so much and am always praying for the project!!!

Jamie
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david says
September 13, 2008 at 11:17 pm

Hi Janine,

Tell your colleagues I’ll write each of them a poem if they’ll engineer us out of some of our water problems. And to answer your rhetorical question, the only people who probably need an engineer are the poor souls laboring under a former free-spirited literature teacher- turned anal retentive sight level checker and concrete composition inspector.

But I love you taste in writing and am nominating you for a spot as New York Times Literary Critic!

I miss you and Migdalia and still benefit from the planning work you did during your working stay here last year.

See you soon, keep the City sunny until then, as Miggy says, tippy top love to you both,

David
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david says
September 13, 2008 at 11:22 pm

Dear Chris,

The poles are going up Monday, and I didn’t buy a spare, but I’ll send one along to Myanmar, or the Caucuses, or Lamu or wherever you and Debi will be when it catches up to you.

I tried to play along but took a wrong cyber turn and landed in 2007. I’ll renew my efforts.

I hope the madrone pole will awaiting me at Uncle Jim’s.

Love from this side,

David
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david says
September 13, 2008 at 11:25 pm

Hi Matt and Jodi,

Thanks for the good words. Don’t be strangers…you’re always welcome here, and two years is far too long not to visit your friends. See you soon,

David
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david says
September 13, 2008 at 11:26 pm

Martin,

As long as it’s not McVittie’s Hob Nobs.

David
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david says
September 13, 2008 at 11:28 pm

Jamie,

Your unmatched energy comes across even in your emails. Can’t wait to see you and TJ. Either here or there. Love to Aunt Rosie and all the family.

Your proud uncle,

David

PS Did you guys get the kayaks?

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Comments(10)

Janine Reimann says

Chris says

Matt and Jody Madion says

martin says

Jamie Welsh says

david says

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