After a couple of hours on Sunday, the Digger Man ran out of diesel and went home. Personally, I think it was more likely that he wanted to go and thaw out, cos it was a bit chilly and it hardly stopped snowing all the time he was working. As soon as he'd gone, that's when it did stop. Monday morning was fun; a guy came to buy some of the lambs, so they had to be caught and penned up in the hurdles, which we first had to drag across the fields of snow. We got the girl lambs caught first, with the aid of some feed in their trough, which we moved into the hurdled off area. That was easy enough but keeping the little critters in, that was another story! Every time a lump of snow fell from a tree at the end of the field, they all took flight and barged the weak point in the hurdles, almost succeeding in breaking free on one attempt. While I kept an eye on them, Mrs BC went and caught the boy lambs up in another field, using the same sneaky technique. By this time, the Digger Man had arrived, and work was under way, and then Tony the Shearer, whom we shall now refer to as Tony the Lamb Buyer, turned up an hour or so late, much to his usual form! With the sheep all wormed, injected and treated for things they haven't got but might get when they leave the sanctury of the farm for pastures new, they were loaded into his trailer and the deal was done. Tony set off down the slippery snow covered icy hill, and we went to see what the Digger Man had managed to do in his next two hours. Oh. My. Goodness. That's a mighty large hole in the garden. And that's an even mightier pile of spoil we've now got to re-home. Did I mention that the plan with this shed is to have an inspection pit in it? Always wanted one, and never had the chance to be able to 'make' one before. Seeing as it was partly the Man from Muckle Flugga's idea to get the mini digger in, it's also down to him to beg / borrow / steal (no, don't really mean 'steal', not as in 'break the law') or acquire some sort of machine to shift the mountain of spoil, cos none of us are relishing the thought of moving it with a wheel barrow!
Just a wee scoop to see if we'd hit the soak away from the gutters round the house. No, is the answer, nor did we find any oil or gold or anything interesting.
Nearly deep enough, but needs to be a little longer and wider......
"What, about this big for the pit?"
Er, yeah, ok then, that's probably big enough now! Thought we'd better cover it up before the cats, dogs and small sheep fell into it.
Thats it, dig a huge hole and then clear off!
Well, that's the first stage done and dusted with snow. Next up (after moving the mountain out of the way) we need to get some shuttering up and investigate the best option for the base. Do we mix it ourselves? It's not much bigger than the previous Cubbie Shed base which Mrs BC and I mixed up and laid a few years back, or do we try and get a ready mix company with a small enough lorry to deliver the gloop straight in? At this time of year, it's gonna be tricky getting lorries and big loads up the hill, down the drive and back up the drive again.
8 comments:
That's one nice hole in the ground. Don't think you'll be able to do to much in the pit with a bath tub in there unless that's for draining oil into then it's a good idea.
Would concrete be able to be poured in such coldish temperatures? If so then getting the truck of mix would be a good idea vs you na dMrs BC trying to mix it yerselves. Cold weather and mixing would get ya knackered fairly quick I would think. Just a thought....
Hey Bodge, you can get magic stuff to add to concrete that makes it set more quickly in these cold temps. I didn't think it would work but used it on the last shed and it was fine. Stick a tarp and some straw over it too, just for extra warmth. The trouble with ready mix is getting the truck back up the drive, they always seem to get stuck and then wreck the place! 'Sides, we need some good hard exercise to burn off all the Xmas calories!
Yeah there is some stuff for that, remember hearing about it the two looooooooong months I drove concrete trucks. Makes it set super fast. Was thinking more about the moisture due to the snow/ice/what have you.
Narrow roads/lanes would be a chore trying to get a truck up; can't have them wrecking the place while building!
I once had a place with a pit, good idea. Take it your water table isn't too close to the surface , which is a good thing. If you form a nice lip for floor boards to drop into place, it would be nice and flush and ever so neat. Looking good.
Looks like things are progressing nicely on the expansion of Cubbies Towers into a true tourist destination. So the new foundation is for the "Haunted Cubbies" ride? Or is it the maintenance pit for the "Aqua Cub" attraction?
That's the kind of thing I was thinking Larry, seen the local farms have pits with floorboards over them.
Bodge, the truck drivers always get stuck here, something to do with either not being very good drivers, or the trucks being a few inches too wide and the wheels get on the grass and then.....spinny spinny churcn up the drive time!
Darrell, might give you a job as 'Ideas Man' - I like the haunted Cubbie rides theme. Also thinking that if I set up a thing like a spit for roasting pigs - we could either use it to roast pigs, or Cubbie could be tied to it and I could work standing up, rather than hunched over, which hurts my back. What a plan!
An inspection pit ! Now, there's posh ....
A spit, or "rotisserie" arrangement could be handy on a lightweight bike like Cubby. Just empty the gas tank first.
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