Hello,
.
All the holes we dig here take a lot of work to fill back in. Usually with lots of rocks and sledgehammering and so on. But this one twisted us around in new ways. A different kind of baptism.
This excavation for a quarried stone stand for two 1500 liter water tanks near the kitchen seemed harmless enough. 12' by 9' by 5' and down to the murram. But it has been raining here now almost everyday and water has been trickling in from several small underground rivulets
which find their way through tiny self-made gaps in the joint mortar.
They're like post-op bleeders, small but important. Eric, our water guy, thinks that in the rainy season the underground water flow, following the contour of the land, comes under the patio of the kitchen/administration building and carries on from there. We may, if the dowsing is conclusive, dig a shallow well in this aquatic path to collect the water for our use and retard its potentially harmful downward travels.
In any case we couldn't back fill this site in the normal crushed hardcore and murram fashion, since the water would too easily find its way through. So we needed to fill it entirely with very compacted murram and persuade it to an easier path. But because of the heavy rains and in spite of repeated pumping efforts, we couldn't get it dry enough.
What we needed was a temporary truce. Stop the flow long enough to get the mud out and back fill with 8"layers of murram, compacted with our new vibrating compactor.
If I weren't such a knucklehead, I would have bought one two years ago, instead of trying to find one for hire when we needed it.
Other work continued on as usual. Joyce still came to cook lunch for us.
The houses were getting their security windows.
And the T&G siding and flooring were sliding into place.
.
The combination water tank stand and clothes washing sink was growing,
and getting smooth, luscious curves.
The facia boards came early so we could get them up and put in the guttering asap.
We had a one night break in the rain, so today was our chance. We bailed the last bits of water from the hole we had dug in the low point and made concrete patches backed by plastic barriers over the leakers.
And then made bigger and bigger efforts to staunch the flow...just temporarily...so we could get the murram in and compacted,
until we had lined the entire length with overlapping heavy polythene sheeting. As I learned from my friend, Chris, you can lead a horse to water, but the water is still going to do whatever it pleases. We worked for a couple of hours trying to tip the balance and wound just getting tipsy.The murram we were putting down was too wet and the compactor was bogging down after a single pass, and we had to stop and hack and scrape the bottom clean. We probably needed about 500 passes to get the job done.
We brushed used motor oil on the compacting blade after every cleaning which helped a little.
And we hacked and scraped some more.
.
Then we got the bright idea to put some of the polythene sheeting on top of the murram and run the compactor over it. That was a big improvement, though a little tricky. And eventually we were able to raise the level of the compacted murram enough to gain some breathing room. While we were compacting the guys were filling the Bedford with the next load of murram, and we finally got down to some dried stuff and could skip the sheeting.
.
It started to rain about 4pm. Our guttering is up on the kitchen building, but an order of joints and connectors that was fabricated incorrectly has prevented us from being able to tie it in with the underground piping system to the storage tanks. That should be remedied next week.
I got wet a little in it,
and collected, in about ten steps, some of the fly paper soil on my shoes.
The collection barrel under the gutter's flow floated shoes better suited for today's work.
But we did manage to find some drier murram in our big pile, and get almost all the hole filled and compacted, and safe for now from subterranean subterfuge. It was a long, tiring, muddy, and, I guess you could say, a Holy Thursday.
.
What I wanted when I got home was a Demerol drip and a squad of skilled, empathic Swedish masseuses. What I got was a shower with hot water, dinner, a smile from Emily Moses, and a long talk with my nearest distant friend. On that night when bread and trust were broken, when friends slept and great heart faltered, I was safe and fed and loved and sure of tomorrow, that we could call it Good.
.
Some payment has been made. And soon, Easter.
.
So long for now.
.
David
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Paula Machado says
April 2, 2010 at 11:43 pmDear David,
Great to hear from you at RR.
What a gorgeous slide show!
Holy cow! Phew… an amazing feat.
It reminds me of a quote from a dear friend from the sixties:
” Never mistake a rut for a deep groove.” ha ha.
Job done!
Your ” stone baptismal” is such a clever analogy.
Rest up some and do make it a wonderful Easter Sunday.
Your friend,
Paula
Pat says
April 3, 2010 at 11:14 amHappy Holy Thursday Brother,
The pictures along with your narrative tells the story so well! I feel what your day was like. thanks for sharing it with us all! As we-ve said often, nothing is ever easy in Kenya! You accomplished SO MUCH since my last visit. One can see it all coming together. You’re certainly on the downside of your journey. You’re diliiigence is truly inspiring!! I know you have lots to still do but sit down along the roadside of your journey this EASTER and rest! God is our provider and I join you in an Easter prayer of thankgiving to Jesus for the salvation he brought to this world! It is all good Brother. Tuesday it will all start up again but you’ll be refreshed. Hugs, Prayers and Love from us all! Lish, Pat, Joey, Uncle Kayla and Ali Bear!!! P.S. I huged Boo Boo and Bubba and sweet Emily yesterday and reminded them of their dear PAPA’s Love!
david says
April 8, 2010 at 12:05 amChris, April 2nd, 2010
“Ah, the vagaries—and insistency of water. How long the drought has been, and now, all of a sudden you’re forced (led?) to discover all its subterranean wanderings. All of this must have been—and likely, still is—harrowing. I can sense it even here, in this blog where you so often understate real emergencies. I hope those Swedish masseuses had the suppleness and acumen that you have had in dealing with this seeping water. I don’t know how you decipher among possible strategies for such unforeseeable events. Thank God for your native pluck and ingenuity. Reminds me of late-game situations, when you have to throw the playbook out, and it’s the one with the most intuitive guile and steeliness who wins the day.
“I keep reading through my journal from a year ago. Walking with you and B. and Debi in the Good Friday procession in Nairobi…Easter at Joel’s church. A table and a couple of Tuskers between us then…
“Be well. Take the kind of good care of yourself that you’re giving to the unexpected seep beside the walls…
“Love you, brother,
Chris
david says
April 13, 2010 at 5:47 amHello Paula, Pat and Chris,
I’ve tried to post replies here to your comments here a number of times and have been foiled. The screening mechanism saw me as an undesirable, I guess. Pretty advanced software! In any case I’m trying again and think I might hit pay dirt this time.
Thanks for your kind words, your hugs..for me and Boo Boo and Bubba, and your encouragement and your prayers. We feel all of them here and are buoyed up by your spirits expressed in your words.
We will keep you posted on our progress and our trials, and know that you are with us through it all.
Bless all of you,
David
Gigi says
April 13, 2010 at 9:35 amDear David…. I so enjoyed looking at the fotos of the orphange and the countryside and the progress. I am truly in awe, and almost moved beyond words. I see the draw and why your determination. Incredible.
Take care of yourself…. Gigi
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