The main supply line for the irrigation system was located. This line was put in during the house construction when the other water lines were put in place.
Trenches are continuing to be filled with pipe. Some of the valves are installed and they actually tested some of the lines that are in place. Susan says they are about half completed on the installation.
Ok, let's do the math. There are now three people who know what they are doing that have worked several days to put in the irrigation system. They are nowhere near being finished with this phase of the project. Now let's say it was me alone, who would have to learn this as I go, and let X equal the amount of time it would take, that would put completion of this phase around next May were it left up to me. This is much more complicated than I anticipated (which also means mine wouldn't have worked very well). Things are coming along and the weather is still cooperating. Leryl, I have a new appreciation for what you accomplished with your project.
Irrigation pipe is being put in the trenches. They have a lot to install......
but they've also placed a lot of it.
We decided to put in a water feature. Not really..... we went camping over the weekend. This is the North Santiam River at Lyons. The weather man missed the forecast two days in a row. Instead of rain and cool temperatures, we had sunny warm weather. It was very nice and relaxing.
Doug spent a long day digging trenches for irrigation. I believe they are all completed now so pipe should start going in them and then they can be covered back up again. Weather is supposed to cool off so work conditions will be a little better for them.
Susan planted flags all over the yard yesterday. She was marking irrigation lines I'm told.
Today they came and started trenching lines for the irrigation. They also brought in more boulders, although they are smaller than the first ones.
Tavish has been doing his part by digging in all that new loose dirt. Cute now but it won't be when there are plants.
Friday the initial shaping of the project was completed. There is plenty of dirt now behind all those boulders. Our curvy path extends now through the north end of our landscaping to the loggia.
Also on the south end of the house dirt fills the area behind the boulders. The piles below will be for raised garden beds.
The bocce ball court has gravel in place for the base.
On the south edge of the lawn, this area was leveled for horse shoe pits. Bobby will be very happy and a frequent visitor once this is completed. Diana and I went shopping today to look at flag poles and fountains. Next week will get more interesting. They are pressing to beat the weather now. Fall is coming.
Ok, so I think while we weren't paying attention, a volcano erupted and dropped a bunch of basaltic boulders in our yard. This particular one landed in the middle of the bocce ball court. It just happened to land in a spot to hold down the landscape fabric.
Oddly, they have landed in a pattern that will give some terracing to the north end of the house.
And also the south end of the house.
This is actually the same picture as one above but here's a second look anyway.
We have a curvy path that works its way down the north end of the landscaping. Ok, so I look at the plans and then look at all the boulders and I can't quite make the link between the two. I'm trusting the design Susan has put in place. By the way, her company is Creative Concepts and she has been here while the track hoe is working to make sure everything is placed where it's supposed to be. So far, so good.
It seems ironic that when you clean up a piece of dirt you remove all the rocks, and then when you want to dress up a piece of dirt you haul in a bunch of rocks. Oh well, these will be used to divide different levels on the north end of the house.
The walkway was cut coming out from the man cave to the back yard.
It doesn't look like it now but this will be our bocce ball court.
After a year of construction I think we are just destined to have a track hoe in our yard as a permanent fixture. It would make a very large planter. Dirt is being moved here on the south end of our house. I'll try to keep the shadow out of future pictures. Thanks for checking back in.
Landscaping work is starting so we have some 'before' pictures above. It will be fun to see how this all goes together.
The ground was marked with paint and then the digging and shaping was started.