Saturday, 22 September 2012
This morning, Owen and I went to another one of Lowe’s Build and Grow workshops. This was our first time going there since May, but I decided to forego their summer workshops that featured nothing but DreamWorks film tie-ins.
As we approached the store this morning, we saw, parked at the other end of the lot, a fire truck. Owen asked why it was there (he thinks I know these things), and I told him I didn’t know. We guessed that maybe there had been a small fire or an accident.
Then we went inside, and Owen began work on today’s project, which was a fire truck. While he worked on it, it dawned on me that the fire truck parked outside must be part of today’s event. When I told Owen this, he instantly remarked that it’s too bad they didn’t have an ice cream truck here back in May, when the workshop project was an ice cream truck kit.
I liked today’s project, by the way. It wasn’t ridiculously simple – like the racecar he made last spring that had a grand total of five pieces. And it wasn’t useless, like the mini-chalkboard he also made last spring. Apart from one wheel that was incredibly difficult to nail to the axle (we bent five nails in the process of trying), Owen built the whole thing himself and earned his sixth iron-on patch for his apron.
Then we went outside and toured the fire truck. With other kids climbingall over it, Owen went inside and out, exploring all the gadgetry andexpressing constant amazement at the size of the vehicle. He requested I take the picture you see to the right. Owen is seated on the engine’s read bumper and holding up his latest creation.
Sunday, 23 September 2012
Well, as I announced last week, our sprinkler system has been extricated from our property.
Yesterday, Owen and I went around the yard removing the heads. I 
unscrewed them from the tubing, and Owen filled in the foot-deep holes with soil. Then I pulled up on the few exposed tubes, and cut small trenches through yard until I could unscrew them. When there was nothing to unscrew, I took my handsaw and sawed the tubes off, reburying the remaining piece as deeply as I could. Then I pulled out the soaker tubes from the flower beds. This was quite fun, really. I just got a good hold of the tube and walked away from the bed, forcing the tubes out of their shallow graves.
This morning, I disconnected the system from the water main and dug up the mainframe. Pulling the huge box out of the ground was tougher than I estimated. I kept thinking it was cemented in place in some way. So I kept digging and digging. Finally, it began to shake free and I pulled it straight up.
I filled in the resulting hole with spare soil we have in another flower bed that we plan to dismantle one of these years. I then smoothed out hte ground, pulled out oodles of ivy roots, and re-sculpted the flower beds on either side of the new space. Before, the bricks around the bed led up to the sprinkler system and then just stopped. Now they curve right up to the house. I curved them in such a way as to ensure the space between the two beds is wider than my lawnmower. This will ensure I can easily get in there and mow it once there’s some grass there. I used a few of the flat bricks, which before were in front of the mainframe, to line the space directly adjacent to the house. My reasons for this were because I did not want grass growing right up next to the house, and the gas meter is right above this space, so I don’t want to have to ram the mower into the meter every time I mow. Jennifer said this was a good idea.
While working on this project, Owen reminded me that I would not have to hire someone to come and blow out the system at the end of the season this year. I agree son: pulling out the sprinkler system has already saved me fifty bucks. Woo hoo! Now to hop over to Craig’s List and sell the parts for more money…