On the Mark: Gettin' Down-n-Dirty

Yep, D-I-R-T-Y!

The spring and summer of 2016 were...well, dirty! With a combination goal of making our new home more "ours," and in preparation for Hallie's wedding reception on our front lawn, I found myself reverting to my childhood. I kept digging in the dirt again and again and again.

It started with our greatest need. Because of the increasing slope of our driveway, there's a 30-inch dropoff on the east side of it. Needless to say, that's a pretty steep step for the grandkids let alone an aging 50+ year old like myself.

Lori and I responded to a Craigslist ad for free railroad ties. We drove to the house, dug them out of the ground, lugged them to my truck and lifted them into the bed. Once we got home the work began.

There was already a cement slab in the grass (for some reason) so I dug out a foundation between it and the side of the driveway so the bottom or fifth stair would be the slab itself. Along the way, I came across a lot of stone including one rock the size of a small duffel bag. (It now sits in the front flower bed.) As I started to lay out and design the 8-foot long outdoor staircase I soon realized I needed more railroad ties so I went and bought a few more of them.I used a circular saw to cut the side pieces, drilled 1/2-inch holes and used 18-inch pieces of rebar and a sledge hammer to hold the framing together and secure it all to the ground.

Before...

After stacking and securing all the stairs, the entire framework was in place. Kyler grabbed his shovel and together we scooped dirt back into the framework until it was packed down and filled. Then we jumped into my truck for a drive to the back pasture where there's a big pile of native rock someone had obviously formed years earlier to clear the field. We sorted through the rocks and picked out those of proper size to add to the steps. We added the rock, swept and sprayed away the excess dirt and the outdoor staircase was ready for use.

...and after

Since I was already coated from head-to-toe in dirt, I decided to build a second such set of stairs off the back deck to replace the six cinder blocks that previously served the same purpose. Though just two steps, this project would be much prettier but just as efficient and effective. The previous homeowner left behind two eight-foot planks which appear to be leftovers from the raised garden. The result was great.

...but much more attractive

Just two steps...

Other down-n-dirty outdoor projects included hauling in dirty to form two rock-lined flower beds. (Boy do the deer LOVE flowers--even those plants the nursery said deer didn't like.) Kyler and I put in a couple of horseshoe pits. Our last project is what we call the "Parowan Pit." I'm guessing the old, rusted metal ring was some sort of feeder back on the family farm in Parowan, Utah. We dug the hole, dropped the ring into place and it now stands ready for use as a fire pit and ultimate smores zone.