Wednesday 28 September 2016

Between the Hedges


Hello again! I've finally gathered myself for a new post, one I've been postponing, nearly as distasteful as the previous one on the spider was, though with the same components of interest- if you're into that sort of thing.
And as a reward, I have some artwork to share with you- finally.

As you may know from past posts, concentrating on anything requiring focus and quietude is nearly impossible from the roadwork that has continued in and around here since the beginning of May.
Sewer Pipes stacked next door

Since the 2nd of September the amount of work on our section has escalated.
"Green" pipes (as explained by a friendly worker) or as the artist in me would call "Turquoise" are for sewage and Blue pipes are for water.

Here a worker moves a water pipe passing by our driveway entrance,
a window on the roadwork between our hedges

The Bulldozer rests his weary bucket on a dump truck's bucket

another bucket, this one with a fork for lifting, comes into view

and the clanging and banging begins

The house vibrates as these Caterpillar machines roll by

Getting a grip on the dump truck bucket the caterpillar drags it along
as another loud tractor rolls by- what fun! (not)

The caterpillar spins on a centre axis to reverse the direction he wants to go in.
(I've never seen one actually do anything but go forwards and backwards, though of course they must be able to turn a long curve hence the 2 tracks)

That evening, our view by the setting sun

We do get reprieves from the noise levels as work carries on in another section over the next day or two, but by the 6th, I am awoken by THE DIGGING OF THE TRENCH.

The grinding of the motor, and the pounding into the earth goes on for hours

as a huge trench is dug deeper and deeper outside our driveway

and where can all that earth go

but alongside our driveway-
all to lay our water and sewer pipes

and our driveway eventually becomes impossible to access

as one worker

after another goes by

goes by

Eventually the pipes are laid and the hole is filled in,
including a gentle clean up of the earth that blocks the driveway

I wander out to inspect our water access

and get a good look at the new manhole that has been installed

getting some context for its placement

I gather up my courage to wander out into the road

and capture this crazy picture
of the tunnelling that continues further up the street 

Here comes Donny, one of the foremen, who has helped to make things as easy as possible for residents and workers alike, in this arduous process

But, wait, what's this? The water main below us has broken under all the vibrating and flooded our neighbour's basement, making a muddy river of the road. I fill pots with water just before we lose pressure (and my camera's battery charge) after the water source is shut off.
That's how we spend the night.

Some of the workers consult at the back of their pick up well after dark, a terribly long day for these hard-working men who showed up back the next morning at 7am as usual.

By the 8th we were attached to a "temporary" water line: free water!
which the foreman kindly arranged to have connect into our water softener and filter so that we wouldn't have to endure chlorinated water for the next month or so.

And as promised:

a little doll in pen and ink

I am pleased I am making again, very much with Wally's encouragement.

A pleasant wind down to September as our temperatures gradually cool here in the Annapolis Valley.

Kindness First

   

1 comments:

barbara@sparrowavenue said...

Well I certainly can't complain about all the noise of renovating going on next door and next door on the other side, after that post! But that was the beginning of the month; surely they are almost finished?

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