The Earth Shook

The earth shook.  Well, the earth actually moved but it was not all that dramatic.

 

I was working on another project that had been facing me for years.  The brick walkway in front of our house has been settling ever since Glenn laid it many years ago.

 

The worst of the settling was just below the first step to the house. 

 

With every rain, a puddle would gather just below that step.  At first, the puddle was small.  Over the years, the puddle just kept getting bigger as more of the bricks dropped. This was not an issue during most of the year, but during the freezing temps of winter that first step down was like stepping onto a mini ice-skating rink.  I do not skate, ice or otherwise.

 

Glenn had just ordered and received a dump truck load of small gravel/fines for another project.  This was adequate material that was needed to raise and level that sunken section of walkway.

 

Glenn was too busy building fences and such, so I took the initiative to fix our walkway.

 

I broke the tip off my garden trowel trying to pry out the first brick - ugh.  I really like that trowel, too.  The remaining bricks, about 150 or so (it is amazing the number of bricks contained in small area) came out more easily with just a gently tug.  I pulled and piled the bricks one by one until I felt I had retreated beyond the ‘bad’ section.

 

Next, I lugged 5 gallon buckets filled, actually half-filled, with the gravel.  I would shovel, carry, dump, shovel, carry, and dump until I felt I had enough extra base material bult-up.

 

I started to replace the bricks.  Again, an amazing revelation…I can remove 150 bricks but for some reason I cannot put back 150 bricks into the same area - what gives?

 

I shifted to the edge where the bricks meet the soil of a perennial flower bed.  The earth started to move next to where I was digging and it was not moving because of anything I was doing. 

Do you see the toad?  Now you know why I thought it was a chunk of earth.

 

Quite suddenly, a chunk of dirt hopped up and into the adjacent salvia.  That dirt was not dirt, but a fairly good-sized toad which I evidently disturbed. Surprised me!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am on break now.  I may not even return to the task at hand until tomorrow or the next day.  But, I am confident my walkway will get fixed…soon…I hope!