Tapping the Bank for Taplin Earthworks

Now I want to be clear; this is meant with the best intentions and good humour, but I see a nice, leisurely tropical holiday in the Taplin family's future this winter. Unfortunately, I see Ruth's Ridge funding a lot of it. Man, the fun I have paying these guys to mess up my yard.

They showed up this morning tout en force: tandem truck, trackhoe, skid steer loader, Evan, Matt & George. And they'll be on-site again tomorrow for awhile. Then there's the septic system and the driveway yet to come. Maybe I'll have to actually finish the basement and set up the "Taplin Tomb" so they can stay over for all the other geo-mulching schemes I come up with.

Kidding aside, thanks to George, we now have a Snappy on our well, a water line connecting it to the basement, and conduit laid in for the power supply. Also, the Taplins collectively worked to backfill "the ugliest hole they ever dug" and, tomorrow, will trench in the Hydro line from the pole to where it will enter the house, complete the backfill of the garage pad area and the house perimeter. But they really do good work, and they consider the best interests of their customers.

And, of course, they'll leave it to me figure out what to do with the 70 or so truckloads of sand they'll leave out in the field.

I've really enjoyed getting to know George. We share similar views on the intrusion of government into all aspects of citizens' lives, on the subtle and not-so-subtle ways that ongoing legislation tends to convey the message that we are incapable of minding our own affairs without the omnipresence and enforcement of Big-Brother.



On other fronts, while I played gopher today, the Brothers Rempel continued to truss up the main floor. By week's end, we'll likely have some sheeting down as well.

Before heading out to the site this morning, I picked up a packer at Moxley's, a Winnipeg rental institution. I've been a customer there since the early '70s. Mr. Moxley, the founder, is still in occasionally, but his son, David. is the face of the place now. Then on to Prime Fasteners to drop Davis' Paslode Impulse Nailer off for repair. Then next door to Nedco to pick up the 43 meters of SE 2/0 cable for our underground Hydro supply. Finally, to Emco to pick up the pipe and Snappy for the well.

Unfortunately, we discovered that the shipper had loaded the wrong water pipe in my trailer despite having notated the information before heading to the warehouse. So, back to Winnipeg to drop off the pipe and on to pick up somemore Platon waterproof wrapping for the basement.

I returned just before 1 p.m. and just as the temperatures began to soar and the wind dropped. Everyone continued to work, but the pace was moderated by the heat By 6, we'd had enough. More backfilling and trussing tomorrow.

Thanks for lending me your fellas, Marie.