The Trenches

Since the beginning of December we have been digging at the barn.  First it was ditching for water for the pasture, then I offered Calvin $150 for a ditch to the last pen, so we could lose the hoses and have spickets at each stock tank and  not so much freeze worry.  I put a deadline on the finish date (with -15%per day late penalty) of 12.31.2009,  and told  him several times that the digging was tough and needed spread out over several days.  Calvin dug for a couple of days in the filled in easy stuff, then layed off for the remaining time thinking all the rest of the digging was going to be that easy.  He started digging on the 12.29.2009, and when it was obvious that he wasn't going to finish anytime soon, let alone by the deadline. He walked away with the excuse of "I'm just saving the family money" and "I'll still help you finish it, I just don't want you to have to pay me (I think I was truly hearing - don't pester me about the deadline and I sick of doing this - it ain't worth it)."

Jim finally got the ditch dug thru the inguenuity of the desparate and the thinking of a tractor man.  He went to one of his welding guys and had them weld a 3/4" diameter spike extension 18-22" (onto one of the teeth of the gannon's ripper (he bought an extra one from AV Turf & Tractor-Jim favorite store).  The guy called him crazy and almost wouldn't do it mumbling about liability/crashing the tractor.  He made it and Jim stuck that tractor in A-1, and away he went.  Trench got dug, and now we lay the pipe.

Back to the story, its mid-January now and rain is coming, duh!!!  Jim has been busting his ass getting the pipe layed and the drain pipe for the horse laundry run, and the boys aren't as helpful as I'd like.  In fact right now they are watching the movie and not helping Jim.  I asked them to go help, and Calvin is putting his shoes on. 

I am sure that my wonderful husband will finish the project and we will living like normal horse people and be reasonably hose-dragging free.  If it snows, mayhaps the hoses won't freeze.