This was the view out our side bedroom window on Wednesday morning, just after dawn.
We’re having our driveway paved. Concrete guy David, the same concrete guy who did the basement slabs and drive at our old house, is doing this one, too. He started early Monday, skipped Tuesday (except for a predawn visit to get some of his tools) and then returned Wednesday morning while it was still dark. He and his workers prepared the forms, and a truck showed up around 7:30. Needless to say, we did not sleep through this.
The odd pattern in the photo at the top right is the reflection of my iPhone in its case. It took me a few moments to figure that out. I could have opened the window, but that would have drawn attention to the fact that I was standing in my sleeping shorts in front of an almost full-length window. The woman in the yellow shirt standing at the rear of the truck is the driver.
David told me he is 53 years old, but in concrete years he is 93. Two of his workers are also of a certain age, although probably not as old as me. I was surprised that the third in his crew is a young man. I wonder if he will continue in this line of work. It seems to take a toll on those who do it.
David and his crew finished to within about 15 feet of the street on Wednesday. They plan to return early Thursday. Fortunately for us, they will be at the bottom of the driveway, so we might be able to sleep a little later. Leah, unfortunately, will have to feed the cats earlier than normal because the commotion scares them away.
The driveway from the large pad outside the garage to the road is about 300 feet long. So far it has taken seven truckloads of concrete, each about nine cubic yards. David hopes it will take only one more truckload to complete the driveway to the road. I hope so, too. Each truckload costs more than $1,000.
That looks like so much hard work. I can’t imagine doing so much physical labor like that on a daily basis. It does take its toll. It sure is going to be nice and quiet when it’s done.
Yikes! A 300′ driveway. If it were here, I’d have to worry about shoveling it, but you (probably) get less snow there.
I still can’t get over how red your soil is. Just to the north of where I live, the geology changes abruptly . I live on soils derived from metamorphic schist and gneiss, so my soil is grey-brown. The the north, the soils are derived from sandstones and shales that are deep maroon, but the soils derived from those rocks aren’t as orange-red as yours are.
Robin — We can’t use the driveway yet — it will be Sunday before we can — but we are loving being able to walk down the drive without stirring clouds of dust or turning an ankle.
Regarding commenting on your blog, I tried again just now. I write my comment, enter my info (name and URL), and then “publish.” The comment disappears and the empty comment box comes back.
Scott — We sometimes get a good snow, maybe eight inches, but it’s rare. It’s usually a light dusting or maybe an inch or so. It usually doesn’t stay on the ground long, although there are exceptions. There’s no way I’ll ever shovel our drive. If 4-wheel-drive won’t do it, we’ll just have to stay at home
The sandstone beneath our land is a mix of the same color that you see in the dirt and lighter shades. The soil expert who tested the property said the red indicates good flow of water through the soil. The soil here is very hard, although it’s not pure clay. I often watch home construction shows like This Old House. When they dig a planting hole with a shovel, I just shake my head. It takes a pick to dig a hole here. I can hardly imagine soil soft enough to dig with just a shovel.
Mark: Sorry to tell you, but the soil in my garden is deep, rich, very easily worked loam. I love to run my hands through it when I plant. The only impediments are occasional rocks, but I’ve removed all of them shovel-deep from my garden proper during the 28 years I have lived here.
I’m shaking my head.