The roughed in driveway with bank run ready to spread
Well, a lot has happened in a short time – the problem being that this work is exhausting and there’s been no energy left to write! Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t know how others build and blog at the same time. They must be super human! I’ll try to catch up as quickly as I can, but don’t worry – you won’t miss a thing!
The start of the ‘real’ work on the project was the driveway. While I thought I could get away without too much work on it, it turned out that removing the few stumps in the way involved a lot more work than was expected. Stumps leave pretty good holes – at least mine did – which then required smoothing out and the laying down of natural sandy gravel, called bank run (I never knew there were so many choices of gravel!). Bank run is generally laid down as a base during construction to make it more solid and to help with drainage in inclement weather. Otherwise, it could be a muddy mess – not something heavy trucks and equipment want to deal with. Many folks will finish a driveway off (post construction) with crushed rock/stone or pea gravel, but that just seems like wasted money to me. Especially in an area where plowing of snow occurs. Too often, gravel gets pushed away in winter, which then requires additional gravel to be added come spring/summer. An added cost to home ownership that I hope to keep to a minimum, if possible. Besides, this type of gravel will eventually allow my driveway to look more natural within the context of the land – as if it’s been there for ages. Simple – natural – functional. What more could a wee elf want? ;-D
Close-up view of bank run
The end of the driveway nearest the site
It sure is nice to have a driveway to pull into now. Makes it really feel like my new elf home is just a hop, skip, and jump away from becoming a reality!
VT Elf House 