Bright and Early ~~ May 26, 2010

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The plan is to get out there and get it all done before ten am, when the sun hits. That never happens. But we got out fairly early anyhow, and began unloading the blocks we would need to set under the joints of the track that the pool wall sits inside.

There Michael is, holding up the door and seeing that the tire is flat, yet again.





We dig down in the sand bed to see how much we've got to work with; about 4 inches in the center and 2 inches around the perimeter.





We begin placing stones. They have to be level, both from front to back, and from side to side. Not only that, but the pool must be completely level in it's circumference. So you find the lowest spot and place the stone level, then you dig the rest down to meet it. Never build up to level what you are constructing. The soil will move away from the point of pressure.





By the time we'd worked for a while, we began wishing we had more sand. It would reduce our time out there a lot. I asked Michael how much he felt would be worth. We both came up with the amount of 50 dollars.

Within an hour we had this sand, delivered, for just over 50 dollars. What a great thing!





But putting it in the center was a bad idea. If I had a surveyor's site to find level, we'd have been OK, but I didn't think it through. I usually level the whole place by driving a center post, attaching a straight board to it with a level riding on top, and taking it around and around, leveling as we go. Now that was impossible.

Leveling them all was now rather tedious. We began from the lowest block and worked our way out from each side of it, measuring for level from the block previous, and hoped it would come out well by the time we were through.

I'm so thankful that it did.





And friends arrived just in time to help us with the last pavers and then put the wall into the track. We could not have done it without them. Well, I suppose we could have, but it would have added another week to the project.





Here's how the wall goes into the tracks which are placed on the leveled pavers.





Beginning to spread the sand. This was too much. The guy had been very kind and given us extra sand for free. I wish he hadn't. With the sand we already had down, I think 1.5 scoops would have been plenty, and he brought 2.5 scoops.





Water..... water...... gasp.... water....





Bolting the ends together was difficult. Being a used pool, the pieces were rusty and some of them bent. Getting them to move and slide into position took a lot of muscle. WD-40 became our very best friend.





This is one of those cheap WalMart pools they used to sell. It comes with one hole and a very limited filtering system. We will not use it, but install the better filtering system we already had that you see behind the pool. Better, but more work.





There I am, taking more photos of the beautiful sky the Lord has given us.





Extra sand went outside.





It was really hot in there.





Make sure you cover the bolts with duct tape to protect the liner.





We took breaks. We are fans of fans.





When we could take it no longer, we went in for relaxing, dinner, games, and just visiting. Ahhhhhhhhh....

~Faith

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