New Driveway Completed

[Jim Becker]

Some of you know that one project related to our anticipated home addition (http://toscax.us/blog/addition.htm) is the "addition" of a new driveway...one that 1) is safer for ingress/egress due to traffic and 2) allows us to more completely enjoy our property. I'm happy to say that at about 6pm tonight, all the dirty work was completed and we have our new driveway. The only work left is a bit of paving that must be done where it meets the road to satisfy state requirements...that will happen in a few weeks after the stone settles. Here's a little look at the final results as I will not have time to update the BLOG for a couple weeks.

Here is the view now as you enter the property...we were blessed with a really natural route and only had to sacrifice 4 trees for the pathway. (Not including the 15 that had to come down on the SE corner along the road for sight-line)

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...and after you round the left hand bend at the top of the rise...this is what you see. Once the addition is (funded and) built, our new front door will be facing back in this direction.

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This is the view going back the other direction as well as of the new guest parking area.

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When you've had your fill of the people and place...this is the view on the way out...and trust me, you can now see traffic coming from both directions with equal clarity...for at least 300' in either direction. 'Major improvement in safety as there is a relatively blind curve just north of our original driveway (that we share with a very nice neighbor) that can make left turns quite a process during peek traffic times.

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Of course, now that the contractor is done with the excavation and stone work, "someone" has a whole lot of new landscaping to deal with. 'Gonna be burning a lot of diesel and getting major dirty for that! (But not until after my vacation...should I survive it since it's going to be a driving trip with 2 kids. Thank goodness for portable DVD players... ;) )

[Don Baer]

wow jim, that last picture looks like your spinning on the edge of the vortex. Could that be your stubby calling you.

:D

[Jim O'Dell]

Really neat looking property, Jim. I'm sure the safety factor of the new entrance will be well worth the effort involved in it's creation.
I do have one question...after watching 2 episodes of Star Trek TNG this evening (nothing on TV), just what is that that is materializing on the road on that last shot. Best raise the shields and charge the weapons fast. :D :D Jim.

[Jim Becker]

The "swirlies" are just a relatively ineffective attempt at, umm...privacy in a public venue.

[Wes Bischel]

Jim,
Looks great - nice country lane effect. I'm sure the safety aspect is appreciated especially with the girls on board!

Wes

[Art Mulder]

(But not until after my vacation...should I survive it since it's going to be a driving trip with 2 kids. Thank goodness for portable DVD players... )

Oh c'mon Jim, you don't need that! I've got four kids aged 9 and down, and we've gone on 4-7hr drives with no worries and no DVD player. I'd go longer, but we just haven't had to, yet. We bring a good assortment of books, including activing books. We bring some good games (battleship, etc) and then of course there is music and books on tape. (our kids love the Narnia series on CD - they average 3 full CD's per book.)

And you also just need to stop ever 2-3 hrs to take a break and get out of the car. Try to get them to do a run-around the parking lot before you get back into the car also.

have a great time!

[Craig Feuerzeig]

That would be some place... too bad it's only a dream sequence.:D

[Karl Laustrup]

One more step in the process almost complete Jim. Thanks for the pics as I have a little better idea of the area you're in. Your neighbors accross the road seem to be a wee bit out of sorts though. ;) :D

Are you going to pave the entire driveway?

Karl

[Mark Singer]

Jim,
It looks great! The propert looks fantastic! Just beautiful, natural.....a great place to live!

[Eddie Watkins]

Jim,
I agree, it looks great and the gravel seems to fit much better than concrete would for a nice serene country look. Beautiful place and job well done.

Eddie

[Jerry Olexa]

Jim very nice land....Heavily wooded, private...Beautiful setting...Glad your road addition went so well. Enjoy your great property!!

[Chris Padilla]

Cool stuff, Jim! Property like that out here is a king's ransom...but I'm still searching for it. :)

[Jim Becker]

Property like that out here is a king's ransom...but I'm still searching for it.

The property...or the King's ransom? :D (Personally, I'd really like the Prize Patrol to show up or a winning Power-Ball ticket to turn up on the kitchen counter... ;)

[Bruce Page]

Beautiful country Jim. It looks like you live in the middle of a park. :)

[Jim Becker]

Beautiful country Jim. It looks like you live in the middle of a park.
I often describe the front of our property in just those terms--park-like...grass and trees throughout the entire 410' frontage...and with the house shoved over right on the north west side, the whole 4 acres is either that way or "wild". Nice an peaceful if you can ignore the traffic noise, especially the stone trucks that rip up and down the busy state highway. :o

[Chris Padilla]

Nice an peaceful if you can ignore the traffic noise, especially the stone trucks that rip up and down the busy state highway. :o

Well, if those stone trucks drop enough of their cargo, a project for the future could be a stone wall to help with the noise!

[Chris Padilla]

The property...or the King's ransom? :D

:D :D How about property included with the King's ransom...or maybe the property has the King's ransom on it??? ;)

[Bart Leetch]

With those kind of effects if visiters tell anyone about it you'll have to kill them. I don't know if I want to come visit or not. You'd probably just cut my tongue out. Then I'd have to type all my messages.:D

[John Scarpa]

Jim, That is one beautiful property. Drvieway looks good too!

[Gary Herrmann]

Great looking spot, Jim. I'd like to have something like that myself someday. I've got an acre now and when we put down new mulch, it takes 20 yards to cover all the beds. I can't even fathom what she might do if she had 4 acres to play with.

Then again, I'd have a nice big shop tho...

[Ernie Nyvall]

Looks like they did a good clean job on keeping the rock in the road with well defined edges. Congrats on the new driveway.

You have a real nice place there Jim.

Ernie

[Terry Hatfield]

Jim,

Sure is a beautiful piece of property you have there. Love the rocks!!!!

t

[Mark Rios]

Jim, that's just wonderful. Very picturesque!

One thing missing though, if I may say. Let's see.........two little girls on their bikes? That's a mighty fine bikin' path you made 'em there. :D :D :D

[Jim Becker]

They don't have bikes yet, Mark. Now that we have the driveway, perhaps we can consider getting some. Otherwise, it would have been necessary to load them on a vehicle and transporting them to a park a few miles away just to ride safely.

[Art Mulder]

They don't have bikes yet, Mark. Now that we have the driveway, perhaps we can consider getting some.

If you pave it, get rollerblades... ;)