September 4, 2014
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Getting There

Sorry for the absence, it has been a very intense few days.

As I wrote on Saturday, the excavate accidentally tore a big hole in the tarp. I had to figure out how to repair and to also raise it up higher to allow them room to work. I had already started on the raising part last Friday when I asked my arbourist to come this weekend. I had really hoped he would have come Saturday AM and the tarp would not have been damaged. But he did not, nor was he able to come Sunday or Monday. But he was able to come Tuesday AM, but this meant I had to delay the diggers as I had taken the tarp down Monday in preparation for the arbourist to raise the main cable. This delay was not popular but necessary. We lifted the south side of the main line by about 8 or so ft. I also had him raise the hold down line attached to the Street Cam tree by about 6 ft. I quickly put the still damaged tarp back up just before noon on Tuesday so that they could take away 3 loads.

During the day I had a conversation with the tarp manufacturer (Fraser Valley Tarp) and the tarp either had to come down and go to their shop (a muti-day delay) or I could repair on site using a peel and stick 12″ tape. So I had two 50ft rolls couriered out that afternoon. Only problem is that the tarp really needs to be on a flat surface where you can use a roller to apply pressure. It also need to be dry.

Well, I did not have a flat surface, I did not have the ability to roll it, and it certainly was not dry. I told Diamond, that Tuesday night I would take the tarp down, repair it, and then re-raise it and try to get it even higher this time. Of course my bad juju cloud I have been suffering with lately meant this was the one day this week it was going to rain. I to0k the tarp down (which still had the hole up in the air but reachable) at about 6:30 last night and had about 1-1/2 hours of light sprinkles. I would wipe the area with a paper towel and then try to dry it with a heat gun. But then little rivers of water would come from the uphill portion of the tarp and I would have to start again. So I figured out I would make a dam of wet paper towel above the area I was working on to keep the riverlets from intruding. It was still very slow going and daylight faded fast. I continued till 8:45 using flashlight and did the best I could but then the sky opened up and it started pouring. I was only 30% done. So I phoned Diamond and said sorry, but they would not be able to start at 7 AM today and not to come till 10:30 AM. I was back on the job site at 5:40 AM and had the tarp repaired at around 9 AM. By 10 I had the tarp up and the first truck arrived moments later.

It was a good dig day with lots being accomplished. There was 3 rock truck and 4 dump truck loads taken away. I even stepped in between one of the loads and dug away at the hard packed stuff to make a pile of loose fill to speed loading on the next two trucks.

It is still look good for finishing by end of week or Monday. One thing I recently realized was that I was not prepared for the installation of the concrete storm sumps. I will just have to do this with my small tractor as I have contacted an engineer but they have not started yet. I am also going to ask the Geotech to come have a look at the soil composition. Everyone thinks the concrete lock blocks are overkill because the ground is so hard and packed. Very unlikely there could ever be a cave in. But the Geotech has teh last word.