day2-007

Raising Camp Dularge – Day 2

I wasn’t there to welcome and supervise the crew for the first half of the day, because I had an important job to do!

On the way in from that important job, I got a call from Bayou Fabio asking a question I did not want to hear,

“Hey, why’s the cypress house leaning?  It looks like it’s leaning to me.”    He was not joking.

As I docked the boat, the house did appear to be leaning toward the back of the property.  It was, I think, an optical illusion.  But Bayou Fabio still swears the house is leaning.  He’ll probably bug me about it until one of us passes on to the bayou in the sky.

Camp Dularge

This is my first view from the truck.  See how the ground slopes?  Does it look like it’s leaning to you?  If so, call Fabio and y’all talk about it because I can’t bare the thought!

Today, the holes were augered and the pilings were dropped down . . .Pilings in holes

into the holes, and rebar was set through them.  The white pipe is water supply.

Cement augered

Around back, the holes had been augered in the pre-existing slab to hold the row of pilings that will be the back porch.  Yippee!!!  Camp Dularge will have a back porch!

Camp Dularge Back View

You can see the Bobcat working underneath, augering more holes.

And you talk about a mess?  Man, what a mess.  I didn’t stay long because the beautiful yard is ruined.  There was gumbo mud everywhere, and grass scraped up, and the best of all was the front yard . . .

Camp Dularge Debris

and this pile of cement block debris lying right next to my ailing azalea bush.  Oh my.  How will I ever make this yard look presentable again?

Bees take 10

Then I caught these workers taking 10!

Back porch pilings

This is how things looked at the end of the day from the back.  All the pilings were in their holes, they were bolted to the house to hold them upright awaiting cement, and the new pilings were placed in the old slab.

Camp Dularge front

As the sun set on Camp Dularge at the end of Day 2, things were looking a little better.  The workers tried to clean up the chaos before they left.

Does she look like she’s leaning?

PS Everyone, please go back to A Christmas Past and post your holiday story to have you name entered to win a photo print.

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9 Comments

  1. Is that cool or what?
    It looks level. When you’re able to get inside, roll some marbles around. Actually, I like Steffi’s suggestion!
    I bet you’re gettin’ excited. Just think, you’ll never have to worry about curtains again.

  2. Think of what an interesting view you will have from up there. It’s going to be different, certainly, but it will be a new perspective on the place you love.

    Bushes and trees and grass grow back, BW. Your house won’t if it gets flooded. I know it’s hard to see the yard so messed up, but nature recovers itself very well. Manmade things can’t do that.

  3. Vance – She’s still lying in the ditch. They sneaked in early Saturday morning and got all the heavy equipment out before I could ask them to dig me another hole for her out back. Sniff, sniff.

    Granny Sue – You are so right about things recovering, plus they did a pretty good job of leveling out some of the mess. The next step is going to be another mess–sewage treatment plant and drain field! I guess I need to post photos of the “camps” across the bayou that have been up on pilings since their construction in the 80’s!!! It’s not a new thing, and the view from up there is really neat!