What a day yesterday!

Once the gravel was delivered and there were four huge piles of it on the driveway, we looked at each other and gulped. We started in with our shovels and outlined the parking area and we worked hard, but it soon became evident that, though we still think we’re about thirty, we’re not. So Don called a guy who had been recommended to us and he said he’d come by between 2 and 3.

We came in the house and took a break for a couple of hours but, as it was a day where we were stuck at the cottage (our cars were parked across the street at our neighbors and we had to wait for Emilio) we went back out and did some more shoveling. Finally, Emilio arrived and he and Don worked for about 3 hours. By that time, my back was complaining, as was my right hand, so I came inside. Emilio was great and we tipped him generously. He saved our butts.

Because of the uphill nature of our driveway, along with the catalpa tree right next to it, it is impossible for large trucks to get in there and slowly release the gravel as they would on a standard flat driveway. The truck driver could only back up to the top of the driveway and release a big pile of gravel and then slowly drive down, releasing a few more piles. He mentioned something about the downward slope and the danger of the truck tipping over. Yikes!

That means we have to do the work. The last time we did this was about 12 or 13 years ago, not long after we moved in. We were younger then! Hopefully, we won’t have to do it again for a long time.

We also couldn’t afford to have someone roll it down, so we have to tamp it down ourselves, partly by driving up and down repeatedly and also by good, old-fashioned stomping (courtesy of me.) It’s never simple around here.

As you can see, we’ve redefined the parking area. It’s much more like it was when we first moved in, maybe even a bit bigger, but time and erosion wore away the gravel and grass grew and it became much less defined. We also covered the area near to the corral where there were ruts and built up the side nearest the big garden bed so that we have better water drainage in the winter. Fingers crossed.

Don was very achy at the end of the day (he did way too much, but he said he couldn’t let Emilio do everything by himself.)  I was actually a bit worried about him. But he’s much better this morning and aside from cleaning out the gutters one more time before we leave, that’s the last of the physical labor. Oh, and I have to mow the front lawn towards the end of the week. I mowed the back forty and the corral over the weekend.

All day long we kept saying, “A week from today we’ll be in Paris!”

The rose as it looked yesterday. So beautiful!

Our big maple and its yellow leaves. It is full-on Autumn here and leaves are everywhere. I wanted to get the gravel done now before a freeze hit, causing the catalpa to dump all of its giant leaves on the driveway, which would have been a major hassle.

I was on a roll yesterday. Even with all the work on the driveway, I cleaned both bathrooms and did two loads of laundry!

Today: things around the house that need to be attended to, lists, and rest.

Happy Tuesday.