Saturday, June 2, 2012

1000 shovels of dirt


i shoveled 1000 shovels of dirt today.

i know.

i counted them!!!!!!!


i had 3 yards of dirt delivered this morning at 8:30 am. i worked my butt off all day long & i used math!!!!!! (guess those math classes back in school a hundred years ago WERE worth somethin'!!!!!)


when the guy dumped it in the driveway, it didn't look like very much dirt! i was thinking i should have got more. (boy am i glad i didn't!!!!!!!!!!)


(look at that beautiful grass in the front yard!!!!!! it needs mowing again, but that's gonna have to wait til monday or tuesday night. we might not be having "stamp night with doris" this week! we might be having "mowing night with nellie". (that's the mower's name - i thought i had named her lucy, but i went back in my posts & checked & her name's nellie!!!)

anyways..............

there were 2 piles.

i used 1 pile. (oooops! forgot to take a picture before it got dark!!) they were about the same size piles, so let's say each pile was 1/2 a yard.

there are 500 shovels of dirt in 1.5 yards of dirt! i know. i counted them!!!!

it took 15 wheelbarrows (the regular regulation sized contractor size wheelbarrow) to fill the flower bed.

i know....i counted them!!

each load had 25 shovels full in them.

i know....i counted them!!!

(oooops! forgot to take a picture of the loaded wheelbarrow!!!) and i shoveled those 25 shovels-full TWICE! once to get them IN the wheelbarrow & once to get them OUT!!! (i did dump a little over the edge of the bed a few times, but that scraped up the edge & i didn't want to do that too much. i like it rustic, but didn't want it to be messed up!)



then i decided i didn't want to have to mow or weed-eat behind the bed & it would look really cool with an oleander behind it, so i put down landscape fabric - multi layers - & filled it in with dirt. that took 5 loads, each with 25 shovels in. (yes, i know.....i counted them!!!!)

so....................

15 loads for the bed
+5 loads for the back corner
= 20 loads
x 25 shovels in
= 500 shovels
x2 to get the shovels out

= 1000 shovels of dirt~!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


i'm tired!!!!

but the flower "bed" is BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!










i'll show you close ups of the flowers tomorrow. i've gotta trim that landscape fabric around the bed & i have 2 irises that i want to plant next to the bed so that they look like "nightstands" & i have a project in the works in the garage.....i'll show you that later!!!!!

i'm going to the boonies (magnolia) tomorrow to visit my best friend cindy -- we're gonna spend the afternoon laying in the pool. no dirt, no shovels, no wheelbarrows.

thank you, God, for a day of rest & thank you for my flower bed filled with dirt & flowers that You made & thank you for giving me the strength to build the bed & haul all 1000 shovels of dirt!!!!


and thank you for my friend laurie (who designed this AWESOME blog!!!!) and her 2 precious kids who spent the afternoon & evening with me!!!!! they did a fantastic job watching me work!!!!! & then we went swimming in the bahamas (judy's pool) & grilled bbq'd chicken & hot dogs!!!

it was a FANTASTIC day!!!!!!! and now i'm going to bed!!!!
linking to http://savvysouthernstyle.blogspot.com/




7 comments:

L.Wilson said...

I really did feel bad just watching you do the work, but I could tell there were gears turning in your head and I didn't want to interfere with your thinking, haha! What fun we had, thanks for entertaining us!

L.Wilson said...

Ooooohh, and I LOVE the nighttime picture of the flower bed!!! Soooo pretty!

Anonymous said...

such a bummer that you did this on a weekend.... how much was the dirt?? I think i need to build up my garden--not getting growth except from sunflowers....which i really cant EAT. ha. are you avail for more shovelling?? hee hee
nb

dorothy erdely said...

nb: well, when else am i gonna do it??? i'm a workin' girl, remember!!!! i don't get to just sit around all day with my feet up eating bon bons like you!!!!!!!!!!

the dirt was from 529 topsoil & was $34/yard. min. 3 yards for "free" delivery total was $110.42 with "tax & shipping"!!!!

sure, i'll help you shovel. but 1st you've gotta come help me get the other pile out of my driveway before the homeowner's assoc. get's ticked off & sends me a letter!!!!!

i swear those old biddies have nothing better to do!!!! i got 2 letters about the flower pots in my front flowerbed.....for pete's sake - they've got flowers in them & they've been there for 22 years!!! (not the same flowers, all that time, mind you!!) what's the deal all of a sudden??? nothing better to pick on in this PERFECT neighborhood?!?!?!!!!???

Anonymous said...

No one could SEE your flower pots until the trees left.... and thanks for the dirt info.... will they deliver any day?? that place by the church?? maybe i will stop in tomorrow and get a phone number... i dont get the car until after Ruth gets home from school... (nb)

Comeca Jones said...

What a cute idea!!

L.Wilson said...

Thanks for not making me another mysterious mound in your backyard for just watching you shovel!