XBradTC

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XBradTC

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Rock Star

For a former grunt, I really, really hate manual labor.  Seriously, some days, I drive the golf cart to the mailbox.  But just because I hate manual labor doesn’t mean I don’t’ do manual labor. So, my mom’s place is part of an HOA that has landscapers to take care of the outside of the…

For a former grunt, I really, really hate manual labor.  Seriously, some days, I drive the golf cart to the mailbox.  But just because I hate manual labor doesn’t mean I don’t’ do manual labor.

So, my mom’s place is part of an HOA that has landscapers to take care of the outside of the homes. Except the front courtyard. That’s on the homeowners. And being in the desert,  most folks put in crushed rock, rather than grass. So that’s why my mom has. But that was put in about 8 years ago, and over the years, blowing dirt, dust and sand has accumulated on the rocks and above the plastic weed barrier. So, now weeds are growing there. So guess who got volunteered to clean the rocks, replace the plastic barrier, and wash the rocks.

Here’s a guided tour of the work in progress.

And a few pics.

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It gets pretty hot here in the desert, so I’m only good for about 2 hours of work a day. I figure probably two more days of this. Of course, that’s only half the courtyard. The other half will have to wait a while…

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  1. LT Rusty

    As a former resident of those parts, I can only borrow a quote from Clinton: I feel your pain.

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  2. Jeff Gauch

    I have found that manual labor often can be avoided simply by changing your terms. In this case they’re not weeds, it’s xeriscaping.

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  3. xbradtc

    If it weren’t for the enervating heat, bugs, sweat, dirt and physical pain in my lower back, I’d be pretty enthusiastic about this project. And to be honest, I really like a tidy courtyard. The results aren’t as good as I might expect from professional landscapers, but far better than I first expected. There was a pretty steep learning curve at first. You’d be surprised how hard it is to figure out how to clean rocks.

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  4. dwas

    More beer helps..

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  5. xbradtc

    Oh, yeah, cuz there’s NOTHING like hard labor with a hangover!

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