Thursday 5-7 Replacing Landscaping Timbers

Smile and be happy

What did we do today? We spent day working on replacing the landscaping timbers with blocks. We started at 8:30 in the morning and worked until 2:00. 

For breakfast we had hash-browns and breakfast sausage patties.

First was to remove a few old landscaping timbers. Larry used a crowbar and hammer. The timbers were difficult to to remove because they weren't rotted out and there were some long iron stakes in the timbers. Before he could remove the timber he had to saw the timbers where the stakes were. Next step was to push the gravel back from where the wall is going to be. Then Larry tacked the gravel back with landscape fabric and big staples. Now we moved on to digging out the trench for the blocks. The area were we started is going to be three blocks high. We strung a string to show us how deep the trench has to be. We dug the trench and then removed the extra dirt and gravel. Once this was done we started to lay the blocks. As we were laying the blocks Larry made sure they were level using both a level and the string. Some of the blocks were more difficult to level because of the ground. While Larry was laying the first layer of block I went behind him and filled the block in with gravel. After doing the first layer we put the second layer of block in. The first block on the second layer had to be cut in half for it to fit. Larry had never cut down a block before so he watched a YouTube video on how to split the block in half. It was the perfect time to stop for luch.

Sawing the landscape timbers

Old timbers after they were removed

Leveling the blocks

Two layers of the wall

The project at the end of the day

The blocks we are using for the wall

During our lunch break I worked on my daily challenges and The Event: Two Game Tango Mini with 3 games of Free Cell and 3 games of Pyramid. It took me 17 minutes and 39 seconds. I ended up coming in 17th place in my group. 

After lunch we went back to work on the wall. Larry used a chisel to split the block. He had to chisel a line completely around the block and keep chiseling around that line until the block broke in half. Now we're back in business. We laid the second layer of block. Then he added more gravel behind the block. When the second level was done we did the third. The wall looks great. 

After calling it a day I took a two hours nap. When I woke up it was time for dinner so I barbecued hamburgers. While I was barbecuing a racoon came walking across the yard. So cool.

My friend returns

In the evening we finished watching Eureka. It is a cute series about a make believe town with the smartest scientists in it. Then we started watching The Lost Sea Expedition series. It's a four part series about a man, a mule and America. The series is about a man that travels from Canada to Mexico in 14 months and his adventures. Then I finished the first season of Land Girls and was going to start the second season but it  wasn't available. It is a very good series about four women and their lives during World War II in Britain. Then I started watching Rake, which is an Australian comedy drama. It's a criminal lawyer Cleaver Greene. While watching television I did my 26,000 steps.