This is NOT good!

Well, it's been raining here. Raining and raining and... you get the point! Tuesday was a very busy, and rainy day. Before noon, I had visits from 3 different contractors. My landscaper came by with plans and quotes for a variety of (expensive) things, including some new landscaping at the front of the property to make it more presentable as people drive in. He also had quotes for installing metal edging to keep the grass from taking over all my planting beds, as well as a catch basin and drain to keep the mulch where is should be instead of floating on down the road. I am starting my own river here.



Grass clippings, supposedly mulched, have made "sand" bars in the lawn.

Lake Lisa next to my studio.

Next came the termite guy to do his annual check. Good news: no termites. Bad news: moisture and standing water under the house that needs vapor barrier put down to prevent the termites from being attracted to the water. Sigh.

Finally, a repeat visit by my dozer crew who have already seen the disappearing road where we got the buggy stuck. Stud Muffin got home just in time to help show them the completely missing section of road where the creek ate it.

As we walked down the road (and I use the term loosely since the road is very loose,) even more road bed had fallen in. Now we have about half a road, just the left side, since the right side has flowed into the field below. And the missing creek crossing? Arg! This is what it looked like after the previous rain:



Just above this crack is where the culvert is, down about five feet. You could only just see a couple of the ribs of black plastic under the dirt. Now look at it!



The dozer guys figured out that what happened is that the culvert got clogged with branches, leaves and "stuff" (technical redneck dozer term.) The water rose up out of the creek completely and washed away, not only the soil on top of the culvert, but caused the cave in at the other crossing too.

Studly trying to unclog the culvert with a "reeeeeally beeeeg stick!" Yeah... it didn't work. I will have to climb down there and do it manually.

I just got a call from the boys last night to say that in order to fix the creek, we first have to fix the road erosion and cut back the banks of the road to a gentler slope, so that they can get the trucks of rock and the bulldozers down there. Then they need to take out the 3 foot diameter culvert and install a whopping 4 foot one, blah, blah, blah.

About this time, I think either my brain went numb (always possible) or I suffered from traumatic deafness (more likely.) I came to with a start when I heard the guy say, " An I figure, that if the price of rock donnet go up, we can get the job done for 12,000."

12,000 what?? Cookies, kumquats, truckloads of elves? 12,000 dollars?? Are you sh*ttin' me?!? There aren't enough soda cans in the whole frickin' world to make that kind of money!! Wait, let me check under the sofa cushions and in my empty pocketbooks.

Stud Muffin and I are still working on a plan for this. Work can't start for another few weeks at best, because it is too wet and, well, I haven't got that kind of money lying around. I think Studly and I are up to plan G or H at this point. I suggested selling one of my kidneys... or maybe one of my kids! (Hi girls!)

{Edit: Unfortunately, this is not a job we can do ourselves. I don't have a bulldozer and can't drive one, and this job requires precision cutting into the dirt, 1500+ feet of ditches dug, plus 10 -12 truckloads of large chunky rock, at 80,000 lbs a truckload. Even just fixing the road, which is a must, will be about $7000. The money is gong to have to be found somehow. "Kidney! Kidney! Get your fresh kidney here!"}

On the bright side, in spite of the rain and lack of sun, my garden is mostly looking good. Steve the shed is still wearing his Easter finery.



And the peas have sprouted!
Peas in the garlic bed.

Little peas all in a row.


But since every silver lining has a cloud (or something like that,) this is what happens when your little seedlings don't want to grow up and enter the real world, also known as transplant shock!



Poor little cabbages! I still have a few more seedlings, though!

So, you win some (the peas) and you lose some (the road and the cabbages) It is supposed to be nicer this weekend, and the rest of the little plants have been living on the porch getting used to nighttime temperatures. I plan to transplant some of the crazy squash and cucumbers before they become a tangled mess in the pots. Hope all of you having a good evening. I'm going to go check on what body parts are going for on Ebay.