We Bought Some Dirt

 Technically not dirt, but crushed asphalt and some gravel with fines.  

10 yards of 23a gravel

20 yards of crushed asphalt

The crushed asphalt is for the driveway extension we put in last year that goes in front of the horse barn and DH's shop.  What we had bought last year was just a guesstimate of how much we would need for the driveway and the approach to the concrete pad at the 'front' door of DH's shop.  It, as we had suspected, wasn't enough once it all packed down and settled over many months.  So this spring we ordered another 20 yards in order to fill in the low spots plus widen the driveway extension about two feet. 

low area in front of the shop added to, 

plus the extra width on the south side of the driveway extension

The 23a is for gate pads in the horse pastures.  Having a nice packed gravel pad (which is why we got the gravel with limestone fines) keeps the mud away from the heavily trafficked gate areas.  

Having gone through three winters and springs now with horses at this little place here, I was so tired of dealing with the boot sucking mud of the thaws as well as the punched-up-with-hooves-then-frozen-solid-and-rough-enough to-bust-an-ankle-on soupy to rock hard mud during the warm-frozen-warm-frozen cycles of the winter months.  It wasn't just hard on my ankles (and the horses' ankles!), but at times it was potentially treacherous for the less well-seasoned person that might be needing to bring horses in or out for me.

So, gate pads.  Not just a frivolous extra, but a realistic health and safety improvement.

Working around our work schedules, other previous commitments, and the weather, we've been able to get one pasture gate area done since the gravel was delivered on Tuesday.

For each gate, DH first has to smooth out the area on each side of the gate and also get the soil down to the depth we want it (in order for the pad to be thick enough to not just get punched into the mud by hooves yet not be so tall that it impedes the swing of the gate).

Then he adds the gravel, a tractor loader bucket at a time, spreading it across the area he prepped.  Once it is spread, he drives the tractor back and forth several times, packing it as much as he can with the weight of the tractor.

In process

Gate #1 done!  Now for the horses and the weather to pack it down tight like cement.

I tell you, having a gravel gate pad is the cat's pajamas.  I feel like I've made it in life!  By the time we have all six gates done my head's going to be so big I'm probably going to have to get a bigger riding helmet, LOL.

Although probably not very many people would be impressed if I just answered their "what did you spend your tax return money on?" questions with "We bought some dirt!"