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September 30 — The Backlog of Backfill

September 30, 2008 Greg Traverso Uncategorized

Hello fellow diggers,

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The Recent News section has been idle for a while, but we haven’t. Here’s something to catch you part way up on the construction hootenanny around here. I’ll try to catch you all the way up tomorrow.

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We\'ve been using the water from the dam for our construction. As you can see, between our use and evaporation, the Grand Coulee Dam is shrinking up some. We\'ve been using the water from the dam for our construction. As you can see, between our use and evaporation, the Grand Coulee Dam is shrinking up some.
We pump it into this tank on the Bedford truck, We pump it into this tank on the Bedford truck,
then transport it to the building site, where Gilbert or Benson siphon it through the hose...that\'s Gilbert swinging the end of the hose rapidly. That get\'s the water most of the way home. The rest is mouth work. then transport it to the building site, where Gilbert or Benson siphon it through the hose...that\'s Gilbert swinging the end of the hose rapidly. That get\'s the water most of the way home. The rest is mouth work.
These two drums get filled. It takes both of them to \"water\" the curing concrete, three time a day. These two drums get filled. It takes both of them to \"water\" the curing concrete, three time a day.
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Benson, watering away on the now much taller foundation walls, since the completed excavation of the soil. Benson, watering away on the now much taller foundation walls, since the completed excavation of the soil.
Our neat and empty vaults. Our neat and empty vaults.
The clean, beautiful irony is that after having done all the emptying work, we begin immediately to undo it, that is to fill it in again, with rocks and murram that won\'t expand and contract and wreck the building. The clean, beautiful irony is that after having done all the emptying work, we begin immediately to undo it, that is to fill it in again, with rocks and murram that won\'t expand and contract and wreck the building.
So our job is to make all of this work disappear under the concrete slab, sealed like a Ptolemy\'s tomb, to hold its secrets unseen forever. So our job is to make all of this work disappear under the concrete slab, sealed like a Ptolemy\'s tomb, to hold its secrets unseen forever.
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These little holes, which will be below the level of the slab, are to let air expel in case of an earthquake or the like, so the foundation walls don\'t blow out. These little holes, which will be below the level of the slab, are to let air expel in case of an earthquake or the like, so the foundation walls don\'t blow out.
That\'s Isaiah, the construction foreman, neck-deep in the main compartment. That\'s Isaiah, the construction foreman, neck-deep in the main compartment.
We dug up these uber tubers from very deep in the hard ground. Nobody really knew what they were, but the general feeling was that they were probably poisonous. Don\'t worry Ed, I didn\'t try any of them. We dug up these uber tubers from very deep in the hard ground. Nobody really knew what they were, but the general feeling was that they were probably poisonous. Don\'t worry Ed, I didn\'t try any of them.
This area, the future outdoor dining area, will get about two feet of dirt removed and then backfilled. This part isn\'t part od the slab. This area, the future outdoor dining area, will get about two feet of dirt removed and then backfilled. This part isn\'t part od the slab.
Ditto with this section. The outdoor pot washing and cleaning area. Ditto with this section. The outdoor pot washing and cleaning area.
This woman, having carried this heavy sack from Kinani, a few miles away, stops by to sell us the sukuma wiki (sort of like kale) and cabbage we need for lunch. This woman, having carried this heavy sack from Kinani, a few miles away, stops by to sell us the sukuma wiki (sort of like kale) and cabbage we need for lunch.
The last of the excavation. The last of the excavation.
The beginning of the back fill. The beginning of the back fill.
Toss in a bunch of hard core, Toss in a bunch of hard core,
and then stand each stone on its end and position them one by one so there is as little space between them as possible, and then stand each stone on its end and position them one by one so there is as little space between them as possible,
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until the whole area is covered with a roughly even layer with smaller stones jammed into the smaller spaces, until the whole area is covered with a roughly even layer with smaller stones jammed into the smaller spaces,
and then beat the chimichangas out of it with sledge hammers until it\'s a tightly packed layer of rubble. I have some photos of the sledge hammer work which I\'ll include in the next installment. and then beat the chimichangas out of it with sledge hammers until it\'s a tightly packed layer of rubble. I have some photos of the sledge hammer work which I\'ll include in the next installment.
Another of our bridge creations. Another of our bridge creations.
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Wait ’til you see the vibrating compactor.

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From all of us to each of you, with love,

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David

Comments(6)

  1. Peggy says
    September 30, 2008 at 10:21 pm

    Hi David —
    What solid looking walls! I can’t believe all the steps you and the men have had to take to get just to the slab. Looks like an incredibly permanent place on this earth.

    Is this all the result of modern engineering or ancient native know-how?
    Digging it,
    Peggy

  2. Linda says
    October 1, 2008 at 9:09 am

    impressive! Exciting to see your progress.

  3. Pat Shepherd says
    October 1, 2008 at 10:20 am

    Good Morning David,
    How incredible! You must feel like a conductor of a symphony of organized labor! Truly remarkable for a scholar such as you were most of your life! It simply is your diligent work guide by the Holy Spirit! I’m so pround of you my brother in Christ!!!
    God Bless and all associated with this “most worthy” undertaking.
    Hugs, Love and Prayers,
    Pat’ rick

  4. david says
    October 1, 2008 at 10:54 pm

    Hi Peggy,

    Yea, lots of steps to get solid footing. The know how is both old and sort of new. It’s just a matter of getting all the black soil out. In villages, people can’t usually afford to build like this, and they build simple, less permanent structures. But anyone who builds with concrete or stone has to do this or use a series of lots of pillars to support the foundation.

    Makes me appreciate good ole Stockton dirt.

    David

  5. david says
    October 1, 2008 at 10:57 pm

    Thanks Linda, for your prayers and support.

    David

  6. david says
    October 1, 2008 at 11:02 pm

    Hello Pat’rick,

    The organized part may be in doubt at times, but the labor part is indisputable. Guys are working very hard. And I find that being the boss on a construction site suits me just fine. It’s exciting and satisfying and provides an immediate sense of satisfaction at the end of the day. Thanks for your unbounded support. All your friends here miss you. Yesterday someone asked me how the “big mzungu” was doing.

    Keep up the prayers and send my love to the Thursday morning group.

    See you soon, brother,

    David

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