SATURDAY WORK & PLAY

Kurt is still breaking up granite to lay the 1st course of block for the Great Wall of Placerville (our retaining wall). He's hoping this is the last bit of rock and that the rest will be smooth sailing. I won't hold my breath. We must be wise to build our house upon a rock!!!

This afternoon we saw the most charming movie. "Up" was definitely one of the best movies I've seen this year. I laughed, I cried, and then I laughed some more. It had all the elements of a perfect movie (comedy, action, drama and romance), not to mention a wonderfully, wholesome message of true love. I'll be buying this when it's released on DVD.

Great Wall of Placerville Continued

- GOAT EXPANSION

Kurt has this week off and is busy fencing in additional area for Rusty and Rolly. He spent all day pounding fence posts into the rock-hard ground, pre-drilling each hole with a hammer drill. He's pretty wiped out tonight.

This is the area Kurt first fenced when the goats arrived 9 weeks ago. The brush was chest high. They have completely cleared everything and are ready to move on to greener pastures.

Kurt pounded 50 more fence posts today and will put about 400 feet of fence up tomorrow.

By tomorrow night Rusty and Rolly will have almost 1 full acre to enjoy!

- THE GREAT WALL OF PLACERVILLE

Kurt spent most of the day working on the retaining wall on the side yard. Here he is on the track loader clearing more dirt and rock so he can continue the base course for the wall.

He bought this track loader when we began construction on the house, thinking he'd sell it when the house was completed. He hasn't been able to part with it. I guess that's a good thing, he's been able to use it a lot for moving dirt and rock and lifting things (including a piano!)

Widening the cut in the bank to make room for the wall (and hitting a lot of granite as he goes).

1/4 of the way finished with the bottom course. He's looking forward to just stacking block when this part is done! He's also looking forward to some cooler weather. It's been SO hot this week!

- MORE LANDSCAPING

Kurt and I found a great deal on some plants at Home Depot yesterday. We hadn't planned to spend this morning putting in another drip system and planting another area in front of the house, but we couldn't pass this deal up (and we're leaving on Sunday night to go camping for a few days). So, we planted 4 Green Beauty Boxwoods against the house, 7 Africanus Blue Agapanthus in the middle of the bed, and 18 Blue Salvias in the front. It looks nice. So much better than the bare dirt we've been staring at all summer. Maybe if we keep planting 32 square feet a week, we'll have everything landscaped in 12 years?????

Kurt digging the holes.

Planting the Agapanthus.
Hey Mom C..... does this wheelbarrow look familiar?

Kurt taught me how to do the drip system. It was pretty fun. Way easier than I thought it'd be.

- IT'S A HOT ONE!!

Temperatures were in the triple digits today. It's supposed to get even hotter tomorrow and Thursday. The heat doesn't really bother me. I prefer warm weather over cold any day. It obviously didn't bother Kurt either. He worked on the retaining wall most of the morning before work. He's having to break up the rock to lay the first row of blocks. Hard work for such a hot day! What a trooper.