Worms Hate Me.
Thursday, June 16, 2005So last night after work I decide that since it was a nice day, I was going to go to work on the garden area we're thinking about having behind our house. Seemed like a pretty simple yet, physical task.
To get the garden area ready to be useful, about two to three inches of the top needed to be skimmed off. A while back it had been covered with a layer of sand in an attempt to kill off any weeds that were back there. Apparently it worked for about a year or so.
A week ago some building mates and I hacked (we're talking machete here) down all the tall weeds and junk and got it presentable. One of the bigger problems was a few plants that resembled rhubarb, but wasn't. We hacked it down and chopped it off a couple inches below the surface but a week later new leaves were sprouting up.
So I decide to have at it and dig that out, as well as starting to remove the top layer. In the process I think I displaced about 82 worms. So, I dig out the first couple just fine, but when I moved to the back of the area I dig down about 5 inches and hit what I thought was a big rock. I start digging around it and find out it's a couple feet across. I start digging the other way and it just keeps going, and going... After I realized it was rather smooth it dawned on me.
It's a sidewalk.
I walk straight out from the back of the building to where it would meet the main sidewalk in the front and hit the ground with the shovel. Sure enough, 1/2 an inch below the moss and grass is more sidewalk.
This building is over one hundred yeas old (built in 1880 according to city records), so suddenly I start feeling like an archeologist, digging out some lost path long forgotten. It would be interesting if I can find the a seal on the sidewalk anywhere telling when they might have made it, but I haven't dug that far. Maybe Sunday I can dig a little more and get it all cleared off.
Having a path through garden area might be fun! I'll have to take some pictures.
posted by Chief Slacker @ 9:59 AM,
6 Comments:
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At Thu Jun 16, 11:25:00 AM,
Marie said...
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Eww, I have this image of dozens of worms just squirming about. :) But how cool that you found a sidewalk from way back in the day! You should definitely post pics, especially if you find some cool markings or signage.
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At Thu Jun 16, 12:06:00 PM,
Leesa said...
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We lived in a house in a historic area of Ft.Worth years ago and were cleaning up a VERY overgrown scary garden/lawn area and also found old brick sidewalks. It was pretty cool, but hard work.
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At Thu Jun 16, 12:13:00 PM,
Chief Slacker said...
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Marie- yeah I'm going to start a pics blog to post stuff to. I'm going to put up the interior of my condo prior to moving in first and more pics on out. Once I get it cleaned up I'll have some "in progress" and finished pics.
Leesa-Our is jsut plain ol concrete, but a fun discovery non the less! -
At Thu Jun 16, 07:12:00 PM,
Carrie said...
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how cool is that?? and think of all the landscaping money you're saving!
can't wait to see pics! -
At Thu Jun 16, 07:20:00 PM,
said...
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Dude...you have a lot of cougars that comment on your posts.
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At Fri Jun 17, 08:53:00 AM,
Chief Slacker said...
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Carrie - Yeah, the only thing I'm worried about is the fact that it's really low, might have some pooling issues when it rains.
Cap B - Yup. Glad they're not pink panthers :O)