The Backyard......started

With the realization that summer is passing too quickly, and our trip to Thailand is on the horizon, we had to get started on the backyard irrigation/landscape project......

I ended up with a 4 day weekend for 4th of July - YEA!!!

What better time to get going on this HUGE project!!!

Mel went over all the plans to make sure everything was accounted for and he made a supply list of what we needed to at least get us started.    A trip to Lowe's for basic pipes and fittings....

This is only about half of the pipe needed!
Bags and bags of fittings.....

Can't even get to the bike!!!!

Lines were drawn where the trenches would be dug

Then came the trencher......

3 days of trenching.....Mel thought we could get it done in 2 days, but the trencher was big and the spaces to get in around everything was small.   We also were having to worry about our septic leach field.  We were not 100% sure exactly where it was or how deep the pipes were, so the last day of trenching was slow going so I could watch the boom dig in case we ran into something.

Pretty much the entire yard has been dug up!!!!!

What a mess!!!!

We finished digging the evening of the 4th.  I know the neighbors where soo tired of hearing that machine.  Soo were we!!!!

Afrer a shower and some dinner, I heard the fireworks starting out back.  I ran out back and we can see the local parks fireworks right from our backyard!!!!

How cool is that!!???

It was fun to just chill and watch.  They went on for quite awhile.

The next day was back at it......since we were digging in very close quarters, some of the ditches were getting filled in with dirt as the trench next to it or crossing it was dug.     I became very proficient at clearing ditches..... You would never guess how hard it is to stand in a 6" wide ditch that is about 20" deep and shovel dirt out.....for hours!!!!!

I cleared the ditches as Mel measured, cut, glued and laid the pipe.  We were trying to get the high pressure system in as quickly as we could so we could turn the water back on for the plants.  They had not had water for almost a week and it has been HOT!!!!

Why do we always pick the hottest  times of the year for these projects???!!!!

First pipe in the ground!!!!

  This is not one of the high pressure lines, but our poor orange tree took quite a beating with the trencher cutting thru roots.  We wanted to get this pipe in so we could get the roots buried as quick as possible.

One of the manifolds in near the tomato garden.  

There will be a hose bib on the right and 3 valves on the left that will control 3 different sections of the yard.

I had to go back to work on Monday, so I didn't get to be here when the water was turned back on.   There were 2 small leaks that had to be fixed, but other than that, all is GOOD!!!!

It will be a somewhat slow process of getting all the pipe laid and the ditches filled, but we will get thru it.........

I know it will be soo nice when it is all done and we won't have to haul hoses around to water everything.

OK, so that will fill you in on our little world, hope you are having fun in yours!!!

Until next  time.     :-)