Now that I've got my camper repair project behind me, I've started doing work around the garage again. I'm having to take it easy though, as my shoulders are still on the mend. I had to have a few more trees cut down this spring. A couple of big oaks close to the construction area that didn't survive the experience, and a few more on the undeveloped acreage we bought next door just before Christmas last year.
This one was the most worrisome to bring down, being only about 15 feet away from the garage. I should have cut it down last year when we had all the other trees taken down, but I thought it was far enough away. That was before we knew what we would have to do with the electric service to the house, and the septic drain field lines. That poor tree ended up having two trenches dug right at its base.I wish I could have gotten some pictures or a video of it coming down, but I was on the tractor pulling on it, and my tree cutter was of course operating the saw, so you'll just have to imagine what it looked like. It fell where I'm standing when I took this picture.
This is what that tree looked like when we were digging the trench for the new electric service. You can see the old field lines crossing the trench, but what you can't see is the old septic system D-box just to the left of the trench. The tree had rooted into it pretty good, and was using it as a major source of water. When the new field lines were put in, another trench was dug just about the same distance to the left of the tree. There was an even bigger oak just about where the trench turns to the right that was cut down. You can see its stump just beyond the dirt pile.
This one next to the trailer probably didn't like all the dirt work that was done around it. The level pad behind the trailer was constructed just prior to starting on the garage last year. It took an unbelievable amount of fill to construct that. Plus, all those heavy trucks had to drive right next to it, which probably compacted the soil around it a bit. It browned up during our annual dry spell last year, but I waited until after all the other trees leafed out this spring to make sure it was dead. Those two trees are now firewood.
The slope downhill from the garage has a thin stand of fescue on it now, it hasn't warmed up enough for the bermuda seed I put on it to sprout yet, but it should wake up soon. As sunny as this slope is now, bermuda grass should grow well here.
Now that I've got some extra room in the garage lower bay, it's time to start moving out of the red barn behind the house so I can have it taken apart and moved on to the level pad next to the trailer. The barn has served me well since I built it three years ago, now we get to see if my "build it so it can be easily taken apart" plans work out.
Gotta get the junk out first, and there was a lot of junk. Packed to the rafters you might say. I've already moved 11 cabinets out, and it still looks like this. Of all the cabinets and shelving in here, the only thing I've had to lay out cash for is the open warehouse shelving. The metal cabinets were all salvaged from work (heck yeah I'll take those!) The wooden shelves were old bookshelves removed out of the house (I guess I payed for those indirectly), and the warehouse shelving I bought from a customer when they were disposing of them.
I put a couple of them on the patio to hold paint and yard supplies.
Three of the nicest gray cabinets will stay in the garage until I can get some permanent cabinetry made. One will be used for car stuff, one for truck stuff, and one for camper stuff.
The remaining 6 black cabinets and open shelving will be put here temporarily while the barn is moved, then they'll go back in the barn.
I have done some work on the garage itself, though it's relatively minor. We're using the garage like it's an enclosed patio, and having some ventilation without letting the bugs in is a good thing. I put a storm door over the solid door in the upper bay a few weeks ago, and we really like it. It has a roll-screen that comes down as you lower the upper window pane, Clever design. You don't have to look through a screen when the glass is up.
I'm also considering getting a retractable walk-through screen
like this for the upper bay garage doors. That looks pretty slick.
:):)
