Getting Dirty…

Tuesday morning, it did not look “sunny and warmer.” It was cool and looked like it was going to rain at any moment. Maybe “waiting one day to let things dry out a bit” was a mistake.

Sure enough, it started raining about 11:30 AM. I know because I ran through the rain to shut my sunroof. I didn’t feel like driving home for lunch, so I went to the Newburgh Grille and got a bowl of bean and ham soup and a patty melt. Both were excellent.

The rain did stop after 1:00 PM.

I drove home after work and the standing water in the ruts from Sunday’s rain had increased, rather than decreased as I had hoped. But I had run out of time…

So I changed clothes and put on my walking shoes (Crocs are slippery when wet). I got in (not easy) and familiarized myself with everything. Then I fired it up.

I was as rusty as I had feared regarding running a Bobcat. I kept looking at the garage, hoping to see Jake in there again so he could take over, LOL! And, another fear I had about the amount of dirt came true: I didn’t have enough!

I drove back to the edge of Jake’s patio and dumped a load while slowly backing up. Then I repeated the process. I didn’t do the one rut along the sidewalk, because I would have wasted a lot of precious dirt. I got the front all filled in and still had a little left. So, I drove over the dirt I had put down and dumped that in the ruts between the patio and the hammock trees. I almost got stuck both going in and getting out, so I gave up on spreading more there.

I back bladed the driveway to try to get as much dirt as I could (both for fill and so my driveway doesn’t turn to a sea of mud). I quit when I started getting more gravel than dirt. I will have to try to get the rest with a transfer shovel and my wheelbarrow.

So, I parked the Bobcat and got out for the last time (I was in and out for bathroom breaks, checking on soil conditions, etc.). My neighbor came over and we chatted for a while. He was offended when I said I was going to rent a rototiller to finish the job and insisted I borrow his. So, I will! I topped off the gas tank, but ended up with a half-gallon or more of leftover diesel that I doubt I will ever use.

I was back inside and had everything locked up a little after 7:00 PM. Of course, I tracked wet dirt across the kitchen floor, in spite of wiping my feet on the mats.

I changed clothes and I couldn’t believe how sore my thighs were. Jake had mentioned that and I assumed it was from entering and exiting the Bobcat. But now that it happened to me, I decided it was the constant heel-and-toe movements to operate the bucket that causes it.

And, he did it for a day! Sorry, Dude!

I warmed up the rest of the steak and ate that with some potato salad for a late dinner. I watched a little TV, but went to sleep before 10:00 PM.