The Latest..and Last…Fall Project

I will call this my project, but here’s how it came together:
1.  I found plans for this footbridge.
2.  Papa Jim found the 2X12.
3.  Papa Jim bought the wood.
4.  Papa Jim designed and cut out the stringers (the curved sides).
5.  Papa Jim brought it over and helped me cut and fasten the cross supports.  And he lent me the handiest little tool, called an impact drill. It’s a drill that pounds and drills at the same time.  It’s awesome.
6.  I cut the Trex boards (left over from a deck project) and fastened then onto the stringers to make the bridge. 
7.  I put the bridge over my newly created dry creek bed. 

I certainly don’t have a “before” picture because this project started off as a bit of weeding.  But there were a few rocks in the way, so I moved them over to get all the weeds from the demonic St. Johns Wort that had been invading my yard.  So I moved more rocks.  And got rid of more weeds.  And suddenly a dry creek bed that had barely been visible was being moved, rock by rock.  I spent 10 minutes to 2 hours a day for 3 months working on this.  (And it’s technically in my neighbor’s yard, but she can’t see it from her place and she likes how it’s turning out.)

Once I moved all the rocks and weeded out all the roots, I put a 30 year weed barrier down and then moved all the rocks back.  And had enough left over to put rocks down near the driveway, which has only ever had enough dirt there to grow weeds and moss.
Then I had an island between the two dry creek beds that was less than attractive.  So I moved 8 rose bushes to the backyard, moved around a few other plants, bought a bunch of really great plants at end-of-season sales, and had the most fun arranging new flora.  Then Dwayne helped me bark the area and Jim built me a  bridge.   Oh, and the roofers replaced the old shake roof over the mailboxes with the same shingles  as our house.  It was a nice touch.
I increased the curb appeal—at least for me—about 200%.  I LOVE it.

Now, when I back badly out of our driveway, I will just hit rocks. 


The dry creek bed is probably the border between our properties.  Theirs is the one with the fern.






Part of our family traditions is that we kiss on bridges.  Kyla and Piper were excited to give kisses on this new bridge Mama finished while they were in preschool.


Final Cost:  $52 on weed barrier (with enough left over for another project)
+ Less than $150 on plants…lots of plants, all 50-75% off
+ $27 for bark
+ about $30 for wood for the bridge (Trex was free)
+ hundreds of hours of soul-enhancing labor—it made me so happy!

= Priceless