I consider the start of this project the clearing of the property. Of course, with my family that isn't as easy as it sounds. The first thing to go was "the shed". Dad built this using two 24' shipping containers placed 24' apart then building a sheet metal roof over both. A couple of wall on each end and we had a usable garage/storage area. One container had my old Chrysler in it, the other one and the shed was full of auction "finds"(a find was typically a pallet of stuff that nobody else would take and Dad could buy it for a buck or two). Once I had them emptied out I had a destruction party where a bunch of my friends came over and we tore the roof off. The best part of that was driving the Cat through the back wall. This picture is the aftermath.
Soon after that w
e took down a large fir tree that was going to be right in the middle of the driveway. It was one of the hardest trees I've ever pulled down, well rooted. I actually had to dig out all the way around it and then cut a root that was 14" in diameter and acting like a vertical piling. I counted the rings after I cut it up and found it was 172 years old. Good thing I took it down though because it had a rotted center.
e took down a large fir tree that was going to be right in the middle of the driveway. It was one of the hardest trees I've ever pulled down, well rooted. I actually had to dig out all the way around it and then cut a root that was 14" in diameter and acting like a vertical piling. I counted the rings after I cut it up and found it was 172 years old. Good thing I took it down though because it had a rotted center. Unfortunately I had to take down 3 more large firs. One was dead, one was right where my master bath was going to be and one was standing all alone but too close to where the house would be for comfort. When I dropped it I found that it would have fallen right through the living room so I'm glad I took it down. Here is a picture of the tree that would have been in my master bath. The trailer is sitting on the concrete pad of the former shed floor.
For those of you who wonder why it took so long to get started here is a picture of one of
the scrap trailers loads that I hauled away. I think I've taken about 7 of these loads plus another 2 or 3 pickup loads so far (yes there is more). That does not include the equal number of runs to the garbage dump. There is about 5,000 pounds of scrap sitting there worth about $130.00. I most likely spent that much on gas getting loaded and to the scrap yard!!!There was of course a lot of stuff that happened in this phase that I didn't mention (tractors and cranes pulled out of the brush, steel beams moved etc) but that gives you a little idea of the start.
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