Creating a Lake

[EddieWalker]

Got ten pipes in the yesterday and the other ten in today. I filled them up with mud out of the pond and let it overflow to help build up the base of the pipes. I don't know if it will matter or not. My thinking is that the dirt inside the pipe will bond with the ground below it and create suction to lock it into place. We are going to wait a few weeks and then Karen is going to start planting flowers.



Eddie

 

[Depmandog]

Interesting idea. I wonder if your native wildlife will commandeer the planters as nests? Ducks, geese...Snakes - eek!

Hopefully nothing will want to nibble on your flowers and it will be as beautiful as you hoped! I think it will be a perfect spot for a wedding. Congregations on the upcoming nuptials!

Oh, and tell your girl to look closely before tending to the flowers...don't want her getting nipped by a sunning snake!

 

[bindian]

It's begun. First thing we did was have a friend come over and take a few pics of us where the wedding is going to be. When I built the pond, I created a peninsula for a gazebo. I've been wanting to build this from the very beginning, but kept putting it off for other projects. Now that we have decided to get married there, it's become a big priority to get it done. The before pics.

Eddie

Eddie,
Some things we think about building in our minds wait until the situation is right in God's eye. It is part of his plan for you and Karen. God was waiting for Karen before you could build the gazebo. Congratulations again!
hugs, Brandi

 

[J F]

Ya got Oscar fitted for a tux yet?

 

[Tororider]

Ya got Oscar fitted for a tux yet?

I had asked on Facebook if he had trained Oscar to bring in the rings.

 

[gsganzer]

Congrats Eddie! She's definitely a keeper and you two make a great couple. Shellie and I will have to get together with you sometime, when we're out that way.

I'm looking forward to the report on your RSA trip.
BTW, best of luck on getting the bushbuck and nyala. They're two of my favorite animals.

 

[EddieWalker]

We'd love to figure out a way to get Oscar into the ceremony, but he is so flighty and unpredictable. If he panics, which happens all the time, he runs straight ahead and through anything or anybody in his way. The only time he has cut me is when this happened and I was in front of him. His tusk caught the side of my calf as he ran away. It just takes a second and he's not even aware of it.

Gordon, you and Shelly are on the invitation list. The wedding is set for Saturday, August the 9th at 10am. Then those who don't like the heat can take off and those who want to hang out can join us for a BBQ and floating on rafts party.

We bought our tickets over the weekend to SA and will be leaving a couple days after the wedding. That's how we decided on the wedding date. I've been watching a few videos and now I'm thinking I want to ad a lechwe to my list. How much longer until you leave for NZ?

Eddie

 

[EddieWalker]

Saturday was beautiful here. Temps hit 80 and we where very productive. One of the consequences to raising the water level 2ft with the concrete dam is that the peninsula will lose a lot of land when full. To make up for this, I got out the laser level and figured where the water line is going to be, and where I wanted the pad to be above the water line for the gazebo. Then I set my dad to work bringing dirt from the ditches I've dug to get more water into the lake when it rains. He figures he has hauled over a hundred yards of dirt so far.



Eddie

 

[Iowachild]

Saturday was beautiful here. Temps hit 80 and we where very productive.

Wow, 80 degrees,:drool: right now I would be happy if we hit normal, today that is 39, actual high temperature today 14.. Much of this winter the actual high temperature each day has been lower than the normal low temperature.

Beautiful piece of land you have there!:thumbsup:

 

[GolfAddict]

Who is he dumping out of the bucket in that middle picture?

 

[EddieWalker]

Weather has slowed things down a bit. Dad continued to add dirt to the peninsula when he could, but it was slow going. It's not really dry enough to work like I want, but the forecast is for thunderstorms on Saturday. I got off early today and spent a few hours on the dozer trying to get the shape where I want it. I'm going to take the day off tomorrow and get the footings poured before the storm hits, otherwise there is no telling how long it will be. I can frame in the mud, but I can't move dirt when it's all sloppy.



Eddie

 

[Green Power]

Always enjoy the updates Eddie. Nice pictures, it looks like your dozer is a worker.

 

[Western]

Looking great Eddie:thumbsup: Sure changing since I was able to visit you , the lake looks much better since then. That dozer has proven to be a handy tool.

 

[EddieWalker]

Thanks Dennis. I sure hope its always changing around here. If I didn't have projects and things to do, I'd lose my mind!!!

I went to Lowes last night and picked up a pallet of 60 pound sacks of concrete for the footings. I drilled the holes and set the C channel in them with four sacks of concrete, then set the forms and got four of them poured before the rains hit. I also used up every sack of concrete, so I need to get some more tomorrow to finish off the footings for the logs to rest on.

Each hole is 12 inches wide and 3ft deep. The C channel is 3 inches wide and five feet long. The forms are made from some plastic paneling type stuff that they use in mobile home showers and tub areas. Supposed to be water proof, but all I care is it bends real easy. I ripped it to 6 inches so I could get 8 forms out of one sheet. I then used some half inch wood screws to hold it together. Each footing gets 2 pieces of rebar that are five feet long and bent into a kind of circle. One goes in after a layer of concrete is poured, then the other goes in a few inches from the top.



Eddie

 

[Western]

If you got any of the rains like we did yesterday evening, it is probably a muddy mess there today! Is that an electric mixer? back saver for sure.

 

[EddieWalker]

We received half an inch during the night, which is just enough to make a mess of everything. I used up a full pallet of 60 pounds sacks of concrete Saturday, and bought another 20 for today. I used 17 of them for a total of 74 sixty pounds sacks, or 4,440 pounds of concrete!!

The mud made it miserable. Temps where about 60 degrees with a cold wind blowing, but it was all about slipping and sliding in the mud. Probably one of the most painful days I've had in awhile. At least it's done and now I can start working on the logs. I'll deal with the dirt once it dries out.



Eddie

 

[PAGUY]

Eddie - You are a better man then me. I couldn't work in mud like that no matter how important it was to do the deed.:thumbdown:

 

[Western]

Thank goodness for the hot tub!:laughing: A couple of days and it will be dry with the winds we've had.

How do you like that mixer? My brother bought a gas one and told me he would sell it to me when after he built his house, well he didn't:laughing: I have never used an electric one, but several gas ones, but electric is cheaper to purchase for as little as I'd use it.