The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow

 The nice weather was spent doing outdoor projects. Lots of planting and watering, along with moving cinderblocks, one at a time, uphill.

You may recall the new stairway to my She Shed. You can see the naked rockface. I decided we needed a retaining wall. I had seen some cinderblocks on marketplace, several piles for $10.

 Close by, so I convinced the sleeping man that we had to get up and be there by 10 am. We loaded the back of the truck twice. I know we could have taken the trailer and done it all in one trip, but I am so glad we didn't. I doubt we could have made it on the narrow twisty road and then backed the trailer in the barn. It was tight with the truck.

It was a piece of property that had just sold and the new owner will be building houses on the 11 acres. The barn was in pretty bad shape and I was a little worried about being in it. Looked like a good wind could take it down. While loading the second load of blocks, I found other things that were interesting in that barn.

I messaged the woman who had met us there and asked about the big barn door and some pallets and other things. We were back at the barn the next dat at 9 am! HeWho admitted he felt better getting up earlier. Well, duh! For $25 she told me to take anything left that was not structural that I might want. I did. I scored that barn door and we had to dismantel a big gate I wanted for the wood, three wood pallets, a big folding table and this huge sheet of metal. It was pretty heavy and about 9X6'.

I plan to make an outdoor table for HeWho likes to grill and smoke. Probably using the folding table. I have no idea how we will cut this metal down. I am sure I can do a little research, though.

So, we started on the wall and realized we would need more cinderblocks and concrete mix, along with the rebar. Might as well do it right. I had bought some cinder blocks last year that were different and would have looked unslightly. I have about 14 that I had used by the carport to keep the roacks and gravel contained. 

HeWho like to run errands was off to the builder supply to obtain more blocks and the concrete mix and rebar. While he was gone I pulled all the blocks I had so carefully put in and leveled, then filled with soil and planted periennial plants in. I carefully removed the plants and put them in pots. I then cleaned them out and lugged them up the incline. I had 5 left when I finally thought to use the handtruck! Every muscle in my body was screaming by then. The next day I lugged down the thinner blocks and shoveled rock to inside the carport to fill in washouts and put the new blocks in. I had 3 left last night when I finally decided I could no longer move.

HeWho grilled and I made a couple of baked potatoes and some pasta salad and we were showered and in bed while it was still light out.

I was relieved to find it raining when I woke this morning. The temperature was in the 50's and with the rain it was too chilly to work outside. I spent this day doing some laundry and baking cookies, now that I have an oven. The sun will come out tomorrow, so they say. I will be there moving more blocks, then raking and shoveling dirt from above into the void behind the retaining wall.