New Renovations......

Today!!!!

So, things are starting to happen again.... we're about 2 weeks away from having a driveway (and more importantly a gate!!!)... and when Pete comes to rip out the current driveway - he's going to be bringing in some granite crush to put in an enclosed area around the trampoline.... (because the trampoline is too big to move to mow - and too big to mow underneath)... he's also going to drop off a load of top soil.... so hopefully we'll be able to start working on getting lawn again.....

Mom and Dad went out this morning and bought some sleepers so that we could make the surrounds... once they'd brought them back, Dad headed home to get a pick so that we could dig some trenches to sink the sleepers into...

While he was gone, Mom and I got talking... and I said that I'd rather have done it with blocks than wood.... (fear of the wood rotting was playing on my mind - as well as aesthetics....)

Dad agreed with me when he got back, so while Mom headed to the dentist - Dad and I went down to the local Brick Supply place and checked out the options..... We came home with these sandstone blocks......

the "before" shot....

The line for where we wanted the bricks.....

Bricks out of the van and laid on the ground ready to be put in their place....

Dad busily working....

the trench... and it got deeper towards the end so that it was as level as possible.... (our land still slopes a little - but nothing nearly as bad as it used to)

a different angle on the trench....

Levelling and straightening...

The top layer going on, Mom checking with the level to make sure they're definitely straight...

The finished product....

Well, finished as far as we can go for now.... we got Weed Mesh to put on the ground before the granite goes down.... and then once the granite is down - we'll flatten it - and then get the trampoline in place.....

Once again, I'm left saying that my parents ROCK!!!!! I'm so glad that we did this instead of the sleepers... and the sleepers are going to come to good use as a sandpit - but that will happen once we have our driveway and GATE..... OMG... a GATE!!! (a sliding gate - which requires concreting... hence the driveway is happening now... but it'll be wide enough to park 3 cars on it right up against the house and then hopefully 2-3 cars behind those still within the yard.... it's not a nice road to park on)