If you can't get out and ride,, get out and dig!!!

[cowpuc]

 

Earlier this year Michigan got hit by over 6 inches of rain in under 24 hours of time. We are on the west coast of Michigan and, while we did not sustain the damages that the east coast of Michigan did when some of their dam's failed (search youtube for dam's breaking in Midland Michigan if you want to see some REAL crisis!!), we did in fact suffer from the loss of several houses in our area and anyone who had a basement had issues (over 40 houses in one subdivision).. Thankfully my daughter had dug a small trench in our backyard and stuck a sump in it (see make shift sump housing in video) when we moved in while I was still in my body cast from breaking my back or we would have gotten water in our basement too. That small trench was overcome several times during the 500 year flood on that fateful day earlier this year though which prompted this project as preparations for any future 500 year floods that Murphy may decide we had earned.. I decided to record and post here on Youtube my headway on this project with the hopes that maybe some of this series would help some other lost soul out there floating around and trying to deal with flood waters as a 1 man operation.. I am now starting on week 5 of this process as I can physically only do a little at a time but it is progressing nicely for 1 old geezer and a shovel IMHO. If you can't get out and ride,, get out and dig - hopefully you will find just being able to get outside and do something as refreshing as I am = seize the day and not your chain saw!! Godspeed, Puc

 

[cowpuc]

One of the things that criss crossing America and Canada on a motorcycle thru the years has taught me is that the infamous Murphy and his endless supply of treachery is not necessarily limited to odd failures of the mechanical type.. Weather anomalies are also well within Murphies reach as pointed out in this next installment of my French Drain series.

 

[Condor]

You da man Puc. It would have taken me a month to dig that trench,,,,

[slowrollwv]

Puc it makes me tired just watching the vid,

[cowpuc]

 

I discovered very early in life that while being the adventurous type, I was not cut out for sleeping on a park bench or living full time in a tent. Besides that, I had my doubts as to whether or not my future wife or my future children would appreciate having to bathe in the middle of the night in the sprinklers at the Village Library or Old Kent Bank like I did a numerous times after leaving home at 15 to live on the street.. Those early adventurous years did in fact teach me a couple great things about being an American though, one being that American freedom is all about being able to take advantage of being a do-it-yourselver (in America,, no one is gonna do it for you,, may as well grab yourself by your bootstraps and get er done) and the other is that with minimal tools and a small amount of creativity a person really can accomplish some awesome tasks. This video is about one of those minimal little tools that I purchased long ago to assist me in building my first home.. A home that, later in the years as I matured (took a while,, I did not marry till I was 24 but when I did I had a home all built/bought and paid for to raise my family in), would find even my children learning about digging in sand and using this little gadget as we added on a huge garage and expanded our home.. It has been many many years since I had held my little Line Level that had served me so well during those years and I smiled greatly as I found this little jewel of a tool right where I had left it many years ago. I was also well pleased to find out that even though its time/value of usage had long since been replaced by the current digital world that I find myself still trying to understand, it still functioned with the regal precision that it always held.. Ladies and Gentlemen,, introducing the return of the mighty Line Level!!

[cowpuc]

You da man Puc. It would have taken me a month to dig that trench,,,,

 

I am entering into week 5 of this project Jack!! What use to take me minutes now takes me hours brother!! Tell you one thing for absolute sure,, this getting old business is not for those who are into instant gratification,, slow - easy - patience is the name of the game IMHO.. I may be getting old but by cracky,, those ol lop eared varmint and going out without a fight !!

[cowpuc]

Puc it makes me tired just watching the vid,

 

Take 5 scoops,, take a 5 minute break,, take 5 more scoops,, take a 10 minute break,, take 5 more scoops,, go in and take a 2 hour nap

[slowrollwv]

Take 5 scoops,, take a 5 minute break,, take 5 more scoops,, take a 10 minute break,, take 5 more scoops,, go in and take a 2 hour nap [/QUOT

 

That sounds about right. That is what I did yesterday doing the tires on the bike. It was about 94* here and it took me all day to change my tires. I put Shinko 777 HD's on it and a new HID headlight. Finished it all up today. :Laugh: