June 5, 2008

  • Step Construction:  Part 1

    About a month ago I promised to post photographs of the construction of the steps to the lake.  (Last Sunday afternoon we went swimming and the steps were a definite improvement in our lake access.)

    So, here begins Part 1 of what were two interesting days at our house, which is shown in its newly painted glory on not-so-lovely trash day below.

    This is what the shoreline looked like before the construction project.  Kissa doesn't mind climbing on those rocks, but those of us without a cat's coordination can just not do it.

    First, the limestone steps had to be unloaded from the very strong truck.  The plywood is across the sidewalk to protect it from the weight of the backhoe.  The backhoe operator was amazing.  He handled those huge rocks as delicately as one might handle a ladybug.

    Of course, gravel was needed to create a foundation for the steps.

    As you can see by the ruts on the right-hand side of the photo below, our neighbor was kind enough to let the backhoe use her yard to access the lake since the equipment couldn't leap over our retaining walls.  Unfortunately, a month later The Professor still has to remind the landscape company that they really didn't repair the hillside properly yet.  (Soil was lain and grass seed was planted, but backhoe ruts remain.)

    And so, let me conclude today with a photo of the backhoe removing some of the lake's embankment in preparation to prepare the base of the new steps.  (By the way, the backhoe operator was amused that I wanted to photograph him at work.)