A House Built Upon Rock

Everywhere we turn in our yard there are rocks; many of them are unwanted rocks or the wrong size of rocks. Seems we are always gathering rocks or buying more rocks.  Today I spent the better part of my day moving this pile of gravel or baby rock as I like to call it.

We had ordered it before thinking about the fact that Val would not be able to move it due to a heart and shoulder issue he is having; no lifting for a while.  And of course we ordered two yards instead of one.  So he supervised and I shoveled.  It was a slow process.  I think it was harder for him to watch me then it was for me to actually do the work.  I move slow and my idea of a full wheelbarrow I’m sure was different than his but he never said otherwise.  He patiently watched and never once complained about my numerous breaks.

I’ve discovered that when I am anxiously engaged in work of this sort I tend to do a lot of reflecting.  As I shoveled what seemed to be endless loads of gravel I remembered another time I was doing the same thing.  I had borrowed my dad’s truck to get a load of gravel. We love gravel, it covers a myriad of sins in ones yard and looks good.  At the time I didn’t realize how much or how heavy a yard or more of gravel would be.  After they loaded the gravel in the truck I slowly drove it home knowing that I had definitely exceeded the weight limit the truck could handle.  Once I got home I knew I had to get that truck unloaded before my dad saw how much gravel I’d put in his truck.  Val was at work so the task was mine.  I was much younger then ……….. 35 years younger in fact and 7 or 8 months pregnant!!  But the job got done slowly back then and slowly today. 

I’m not afraid of hard work.  It reminds me that I have muscles that need more attention plus I love to see the end results.  Something else worth noting; the wheelbarrow in the picture, it has been with us more than 35 years.  I used it to unload my dad’s truck.  It is a bit rough around the edges, shiny paint gone and a few tiny holes.  But it has a solid wheel and it is still up for any job.

I love things like that!

Results of today’s work.

P Dog run and area by the swing done!