Back in the Trenches

It's really hot here. Or at least it feels that way after spending all day out in the yard digging trenches and gluing pipe together.

Noel began the day by breaking the sod on the lawn in a line, while I glued the pipe together for that run of sprinklers.

While I made an emergency run to the hardware store for some more glue and a fitting, Noel dug along the fence and finished this bit at the back corner.

Then there was no other option: we had to dig the trench deeper. It needs to be about 12 inches deep to accommodate the pipe and sprinkler height. We've been dumping the soil we dig out into the sifter to get rocks out of it as we go.

The day was hot and exhausting for the dogs, who found shady spots and crashed. Goldie liked lying under the Cecile Brunner rose, until the sun moved and shone right on her.

While Noel dug, I glued and fitted out all the laterals for the lawn sprinklers. These blue swing arms will move if the sprinkler heads are hit hard, flexing rather than breaking. They also let me install sprinkler heads more precisely than an exact connection would.

We ran out of steam and decided to continue next weekend, and also to rent a trencher. Because this is hard work. Thank goodness it doesn't rain here, so there's no chance of all the work we did this weekend being wrecked.

Technorati Tags: heat, irrigation, landscaping, plumbing

posted by ayse on 06/18/06