Progress? Report

They're here!


They finally began digging up our street Wednesday. Not with the big trenching machine that throws dust 40 feet in the air, but with "smaller" backhoes. The result is the same, however; there would be no driving on our street. We had to leave the cars parked out overnight wherever we could find a place. I listened all night long for the sound of a car alarm, knowing I could not do anything about it if I heard it. The car was too far away, and while I might get up and run around the house in my unawares if there was an intrusion alarm, I draw the line at running up the street! And all the neighbors said, "Amen."

They promised us we would have access to our driveway Thursday night, but if it rained heavily - as was predicted - they wouldn't make any progress up the street and it might stay blocked. Well, the rain didn't come Thursday - but ( you knew there was going to be a but, didn't you?) when Mom got home after meeting me for lunch there were fire trucks and Gas Company trucks and red warning tape all over the place! They hit a gas main!

They turned off the gas for the house and dug another big hole directly in front of the house and parked their trucks in our drive and otherwise impeded our return until finally, about 9pm the Gas Company turned our gas back on, lit the pilot light on the water heater and went away. I drove around the barricades and put our cars in the garage. Yes! Today the rains came and they are not working (and might not tomorrow) so our neighbors up from us are blocked out probably for the weekend, but we are not.

Here are more pix of the ditch-digging. I wished several times that the boys could see all the machinery up close. Really up close, like in the driveway!