On the level

We are just waiting for yet more stone to arrive. I've lost count of how many truckloads we've had delivered so far, but we will tally them up when we get our next bill. We are lucky that the quarry is across the river and close by, and they deliver so quickly to us. We've had loads of larger stone delivered for the lower and upper roads, and finer stone for the finishing base. We've had stone delivered for the base in the large shed. Today we ordered more stone for the shed, and more stone for where the lower road joins in with the original cabin road. The original cabin road is more like a path now, and there is a sharp corner where it joins the new road that needs to be a bit rounder and wider so that we can actually get the truck around it. Then we will be able to use our new roadway! We tried driving it, but get stuck at the corner, or have to pull in and back all the way down to the cabin.  I'm getting pretty good at backing up the truck these days, although I could use a booster seat sometimes to see over the tailgate!

Once the final stone was laid on the upper road, Rob was back out with his level to measure the grade.  Being a bit of a MacGyver (remember that TV show?) he rigged up a way to measure it of course. 

(And just as an aside, we were in Vancouver many years ago when they were taping a MacGyver show, with our nephew Zack who was maybe 3 years old and they came out and asked if he wanted to meet the actor, but he said no so we didn't get to meet him either. At the time I thought it would have been fun! Oh well, I have my own MacGyver anyway.)

So the road measured out o.k.  There is still one little steep bit, but now that we have driven it a few times we think it will be just fine. They worked really hard to make it a bit less steep, by regrading, dropping it down, and adding more fill. Where the hill ends there is a rather good curve, so we wanted to make sure we got it right. I guess we will know for sure once winter arrives!

If I was impressed by Rob's level device for the road, I was equally impressed by his level device for measuring the levels of the floor in the sheds. When I first saw it I thought it was an odd chair setup, but of course, it turned out it wasn't a chair after all. And here I thought he was sitting down on the job... although it didn't look that sturdy. Handy place for his glasses though!

While sitting out on the porch, keeping on ear out for the sound of a truck arriving with our stone, I heard lots of splashing in the river in front of the house. I popped Jet in his crate, and ran down with my camera. I was thrilled to see that two of the mergansers were out, but as soon as they heard the click of my camera they got nervous, and flew up the river. There was a group of three hanging out earlier last month, and if these are two from the same group ones, they have grown quite a bit and their feathers are filling in with more colours.  They are such beautiful birds.

This week when I was out walking Jet I saw a lot of movement in the bush, and out popped the bobbing heads of a group of wild turkeys. I didn't think I needed the excitement of Jet seeing them, so turned around and came home at a good pace. I went back out with my camera, but they were long gone, I could only hear them somewhere in the bush. I saw them again yesterday briefly down the road, but they were off into the bush in a few short seconds.  No doubt we will run into them again at some point, so hopefully I will get a photo. I don't usually have my camera with me if I am walking Jet, as he is not one to be calm and quiet when he spots wildlife.  (Yes, he knows all too well that he is not the gentle giant that Zuni was!)  But he is getting better about the chipmunks dashing around, and the sounds of the herons and gulls and mergansers in the river so hopefully walking him and taking photos will someday be an option....