the brown road in our backyard

This is the road in our "backyard."

This is what it looks like from my bedroom: a nice big wall of brown dirt. 

Sadly, it previously looked like this. So idyllic, beautiful, and peaceful.

Back in June the National Guard bulldozed the hill and proceeded to make a red road out of it. It is their land so of course they can do what they want with it. But in June we and our neighbors had no idea what was going on. Finally in July I made some phone calls and was put in touch with the officer or General who was in charge. The new road was a part of their Golden Coyote exercises. Apparently they needed practice with their big equipment, plus there's a land owner at the top of the new road that had a special deal with the National Guard to put in a road for their access. However, the guardsmen only finished the road to 30%! The General assured me that they would hire a contractor to finish the road.

The summer passed and the fall was half over before any sign of finishing began. But finally on October 21 the contractor showed up and started moving dirt.

There had been three levels of red dirt and in addition, that culvert absolutely dumped water into our neighbor's yard during the one gully washer storm we had. The first thing the guy in the tractor began to do was dig out the middle of the road. At first I had no idea what they were doing but that didn't stop me from sending far too many photos to my family. 

By the end of the day they had pulled the old culvert out.  

By the following week the road was all smooth, which was a very great improvement to the messy three levels of dirt. My brother wondered what they were going to do over the storm flooding issue since there was no culvert anymore.

See what I mean about improvement?!

At the end of the week they proceeded to dig up the nice smooth mound and put in another culvert! This time they dug down further, all the way to the surrounding ground. The previous culvert had been halfway up the hill.

 Next they had to smooth everything out again, but then they started adding brown dirt along the sides, starting up at the top of the road. They also dug up a square hole just below the culvert and dropped a grate of large rocks into it. I supposed that since they can't connect the culvert to the sewer, this new rock grate drain is the next best thing. I'm sure our neighbor will still get water in her yard though. That hole will just fill up with water and overflow into her yard! 

Two weeks in to this renovation the big equipment started moving the brown dirt over the red right behind our house. I was hoping this was because it was better for planting grass in but there's no sign of that so far.

It was November 3rd, and a beautiful day. We've had amazing weather this fall. This day was like 75 degrees. Anyway, the kids and I sat outside after school and lunch and watched them work. 

Ezra especially thought it was fun as he sat in the sandbox with his toy tractors.☺ 

I waited a couple weeks hoping they'd do more work after they leveled the brown dirt out, but nothing more has been done. I think they added gravel on top though. 

South of the new road is some of the contractor's (?) equipment just sitting there though... 

I was hoping they'd spread or spray grass seed, hay, and netting over the dirt, but nothing so far. Perhaps it's too late in the season. I hope they'll come back and plant stuff in the spring or else it'll just be a giant weed patch. We used to have such a lovely area of field grass. :( But at least I can still climb up here and take pictures of the sunset!

A closer look at that culvert and drainage grate. 

This is the view we have now from the corner of our yard. Pretty beautiful culvert right? 

So, to recap, this is our current view. Our house and our neighbor's is situated at the low point so it's kind of like living in a bowl surrounded by a wall of dirt. 

But at least it's not three levels of red dirt anymore!

However, it used to look like this. So sad :(

dungeon: part 6, furnace, insulation

It's been almost another two months since my last dungeon post and it's high time for an update. I guess I've been too busy having a newborn to get this done!

In my last post in May, we had just passed our electrical inspection. Since then, we've got a lot done. It's helped that we are working in the evening after kid bedtime since we've finished watching Battlestar (sad face). So, Terry's put up all the insulation and we've had the new furnace put in.

Two days after Ezra was born, Terry was outside digging a trench for the gas line to go in. He wasn't feeling well at all because of a sinus and ear infection he didn't know he had, but that didn't stop him. 

Plus Terry is motivated by our neighbors who have been busily working on their enormous addition. I keep telling him that they are hiring it done so he shouldn't compare. I guess I shouldn't complain that we're moving along. :)

Here is the neighbor's huge addition to give more room for their family of six kids.

Once Terry got the line dug, the gas company came and installed this beauty.

Here is an old photo before we started all the construction (we have come so far!). To the far left you can see the old gray furnace. It was a good furnace but the heating bill was super expensive. Plus, it could not heat the dungeon. We considered putting in a gas fireplace, but thought if we were going to spend that much (it was a lot!), that we might as well go a little higher and invest in a gas furnace.

In this old photo you can see all the old silver insulated ducting in the ceiling (plus, I've gotten rid of nearly half of those tubs since I've sold almost all of Evie's old baby things)

Here is the new furnace! It's smaller than the old one and they replaced all that insulated ducting. They also added two vents to heat and cool the dungeon. We don't even need the AC for the dungeon though. We have those vents all blocked up.

Here is the new ducting. They also added an air return. And the white PVC piping is for venting.

The view from the other side. 

While we were waiting for the guys to install the furnace, Terry got all the insulation on the walls. And you can see that he's started hanging drywall too. Actually, he's nearly finished with the drywall (only has the hall left to do) but I'll wait to do another post until he's completely done. We are coming so close to being able to move down there! Yay!

the forking

Fairly early on August 29, one week after school began, Terry exited our house to begin a run and discovered an interesting phenomenon had occurred to our cars and lawn the night before. Either some person(s) defaced our cars and lawn OR there has been sufficient billions of years for this random mutation of window paint and forking to have taken place. Frankly, I think people were responsible. 

Forks in our lawn!

Forks up the deck stairs... 

Forks down the driveway, not to mention the cruel window paint! 

"May the forks be with you!" Ha! As if we're fork pantheists around here.

There were even forks under the windshield wipers and car bra.

We know who it was. And I will even be so bold as to name names. NATASHA!!! JAZMIN!!! EMMA!!! 

Saturday night Jazmin let it slip to me that she and Emma were staying the night with Natasha, who lives only about a mile from us. The last time they had slept over they ended up at our front door with silly string, which they sprayed on us upon the threshold. A lengthy water fight ensued after we endured this offensive action. When I learned that Jazmin and Emma were again going to Natasha's I informed Jazmin that they should not dare to inflict more silly string upon us, innocent as we are. She ensured me they wouldn't...but then we woke up to this!!! The horror!

Most would say the second sleepover, after the events of the first, is more than mere coincidence and corroborates their involvement in this newest contemptible exploit against us. However, I have more evidence. Our neighbor witnessed two girls in a white Jeep at our house that morning (Jazmin drives a white Jeep!). In addition, when I opened Evie's curtains that morning, I beheld with my own eyes Jazmin and Emma driving by very slowly and taking photos of our yard before speeding guiltily away. Furthermore, at youth group last week Natasha drew the exact likeness of the same angry face on my name tag as was painted on my window!!! Bam. Nail in the coffin.

Photographic evidence of our neighbor's presence across the street.

Terry, Noah, and Ezra were pretty happy with their likenesses painted on the Envoy windows. Er, I mean they were posing with the evidence for future examination... Well, I guess Ezra was more interested in putting his fork in the Envoy's tire tread.

Evie and Samuel loved their paintings as well, but as you can see, I was rather downcast about my angry face depiction. 

Evie the princess. 

Samuel with his crazy Harry-Potter-stand-up-and-never-lay-flat hair. 

Next we had the kids collect the forks for DNA testing.

Terry was terribly upset by the incident. 

Look how it addled his brain became. He couldn't handle the emotional pain that was inflicted by with such a malicious act. 

Noah won the most forks...but he forgot to wear gloves to protect the evidence.  

Looks like they all forgot gloves. 

But perhaps the very worst aspect of this entire crime was my own unjust painting. I am sure I have never made such a face in my whole life, especially to Natasha, Jazmin, or Emma. What did I ever do to them to earn such a horrible depiction. I am scarred from this terrible, hurtful representation. 

I will point out again, Natasha drew this exact same face on my name tag. Coincidence? I THINK NOT!!!

I had so many desperate feelings, words were not enough. I needed Noah to snap pictures to fully represent my heartbreak. 

I will never be the same.