Unbased first published on 09/16/2015
New roads. I wrote about new woods road last week. A road through hard to traverse woods where timbering left tree tops and big ruts impeding my travel through to more remote areas of my land. Last Sunday, when I wrote, Hott and Miller were scheduled to begin work next morning.
They came. First Julian Hott showed up towing his Cat D3 dozer, off loaded it and drove to road’s beginning. Gerald Hott, who I think I met first day of first grade at Wardensville Elementary School sixty five years ago, arrived next with first load of shale. Not long after Julian guided Gerald to dump and began spreading shale, Gerald’s Son-in Law, Tony Benjamin, drove in with second load.
Work commenced in earnest. Julian trenched first drain crossing and Gerald hauled shale to fill it back up to original ground level. Looks great. Now all I need is rain enough to give it a test. Actually Spring thaw will be final exam. When no new deep crossing ruts are cut in early 2016, I’ll be happy. Where no cut and fill was called for, Julian bumped big knobby surface rocks out of the way, and backfilled holes with smaller ones. It was fun watching them do all the work so I stuck around just to grin. Road ended just across my “Spring Drain”, a swampy drain for several seeping springs and for Spring time runoff of surface water. If I can cross it next year, I’ll do mental happy backflips. Never before in my life have we been able to get a tractor across that drain before dry late Summer or early Fall.
About four hours and less money than I’d planned got the job done. Julian chained his dozer down, Gerald left chomping on his gnat chasing cigar and I think Tony breathed easier having only two old men to keep an eye on instead of three.
While sitting at Big House’s front window writing this morning, I’ve begun planning what may be my next road project. Big House’s lane from Highway to house. One hundred yards of straight road needs pavement.
A couple of years ago I had the Moorefield Examiner driveway and parking area paved.
Solid black top where I’ve worked over gravel and potholes for thirty five years. Road paving money always seemed to be spent on new computers or a new employee or whatever.
Finally, I saw a little extra money I might use, so I called up a contractor and got prices for both Examiner lot and for Big House’s lane. Couldn’t afford both. Examiner won. Fork lift operations and snow removal took precedence over farm tractors and my old Jeep.
But now Big House is back on the table again. Simple road, but I think with a change I’d not contemplated before. Sitting here this morning I’ve seen several cars headed North stop at my mailbox to turn around, head back toward town. Maybe they absent mindedly ran by Warden Lake Road Industrial Park access road or intersection of State Routes 55 and 259. Maybe they had forgotten their wallet in the dresser drawer or the pot of water they left on stove top. Whatever the reason, they turned.
A good place to turn. Good sight distances both directions with nothing to impede view except my mailbox. All my life I watched vehicles turn there. Many simply turn and go away, but a few come in to visit. Always there is the little pity pat of wondering what visitor will bring.
At any rate, Big House’s lane paving is back on the table with possible addition of a larger entrance out at 259. Since everybody turns there anyway, might as well make it a bit easier and safer.
Trouble is, the saved money I might use for road, might also be used for new downstairs bath laundry room at Big House. What to do? What to do? Perhaps do nothing except procrastinate.
