24.07.2025 Putting your foot down.

 ~o~

  Thursday 24th 65F/18.3C [7.00] Overcast, with a mixed forecast. Sunshine and showers. Possibly thundery. Clearing slowly.

 Up at 6.15 after waking earlier and dozing. 

 7.40-8.10 A shorter walk in light traffic. Dry, mild and humid. 

 12.30 74F/23.3C Mostly hot sunshine. I have scraped an area of granite chippings. To clear down to the self-stabilizing gravel beneath. There followed a sweaty excavation of minimum dimensions. To allow the foundation block to be safely lowered. 

 The stainless steel adapter plate provides a useful handhold. For supporting the block as it is carefully lowered. To avoid dislodging any gravel. I dug with a spade at first but then resorted to smaller tools. To ensure the hole grew no larger as it deepened. I used my gloved hand to remove the loosened gravel. Which was placed on the scrap plywood nearby. To ensure the granite stayed as clean as possible. 

 Replacing the granite chippings will raise the ground surface level. So I want to leave some of the concrete block protruding. I'll leave the backfilling until the second block is leveled. It might be useful to use post hole concrete as the backfill. To expand the footprint and increase the resistance against wind lift. The rough surface of the excavation adds tremendously to friction against the concrete in the hole. 

 After lunch I shall move onto digging a hole for the next block. On the same side of the carport. The laser level will be useful to match the block heights accurately. The holes for the two blocks, on the other side, cannot be dug yet. Not until the carport roof has been moved across. Their siting presently lies under the carport roof. I have scrap plywood tracks for the temporary rollers. Which allows easy, lateral movement of the heavy, carport roof.

 14.30 73F/23C. Overcast and getting darker. Dripping with sweat! Second hole almost to depth. Using the first drops of rain as an excuse to come in for a rest. It didn't come to anything. The gravel is still dry.

 16.00 76F/24.4C Dry and sunny. Heavy thundery showers just beyond my location to east and west. Cloudbursts have caused local flooding not far away. I am going back out with the laser level.

 16.40 Now level and the correct distance from each other and parallel with the shed alongside. 

 Dinner was a salmon pasty, peas, tomatoes and mashed potatoes. 

  ~o~