Monday, February 18, 2013

Neighborhood Demolition: Part IV

Just when I was sure there wasn't a thing left to demolish or repair, guess what!

It's a good story, which is why I made it into a Vision and Verb post for today:  Seeing is Believing!

Those weed-control tarps saved someone's ass day, trust me. 

Ironically, of all those hundreds of images I had processed and collaged over 9 months last year, the only ones I didn't get to were these from early December that somehow got lost in the holiday hubbub.  Until I found out how important they were for Hoomer!

Pay attention to those worteldoek (weed-control tarps) above.  They were CLEARLY laid down on the ground, side by side, before all the dirt was piled on top.  Those images are proof that Hoomer did it!   However, when the environmental agency got his bill, they said he'd have to prove it...by digging through the dirt to show them.  But I'm spoiling my story....

  Hoomer told me they dumped 4234 cubic meters of dirt to shore up the ground.
It's below sea level, collecting water that messed up the sewage and drainage systems, 
which is why the apartments had to be torn down in the first place.

4234 m³ at 16 m³/truckload = 265 truckloads of dirt.  WOWSER.

 Many times they came and unloaded just under our balcony.
Lucky me, right?

See the tarps?  YUP.  He did it.

14 comments:

  1. Hoomer told me, that his shovel almost drowned in the water and the sand. Each time he tried to get a smooth surface, he had to kind of 'dig himself out'.
    So lucky that you took these pictures to show them that the tarp is used.
    A great project and great pictures.
    Now we wait for the grass to be put in.
    when the surface turns green, they should believe him........

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    1. When you stop to think about it, we really have had great conversations with Hoomer/Jeroen via e-mails and in person throughout this entire project. I wonder how often that happens with him on his other sites? :) It's definitely been an education. I love that you and I are excited about the same things. HA! It doesn't take much, does it! Thank you.

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  2. I love following this entire journey!

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    1. Thank you, dear Lady. It's been fun to have you along for the ride. The thing is, you have seen it with your own eyes. :)

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  3. I think I visited/revisited most (or all) of your older posts that I missed out on due to a broken wrist, holiday madness and a whirlwind trip to Cuba followed by getting sick with a miserable cold on my return. SO... can you say FAR BEHIND everywhere?! I do really miss following along on your many adventures with Astrid and viewing your lovely collages. As you already know (I think) I enjoyed the tale of the tarps on V&V and seeing more of the photos of the last stage of the deconstruction and building up of the earth here today was a nice finish to that story!

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    1. I would NEVER EVER have expected you to catch up on everything, Victoria, after all that you have been through. Sometimes we just can't do everything and you know I would have understood. So, all that much more I thank you for back-tracking to get to this point. You are indeed caught up!

      And while I'm at it, I still can't believe you really went to Cuba. I bet you can't either. Talk about a trip of a lifetime!

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  4. What a wonderful (and useful!) documentary

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  5. We don't have as big of a project outside our door, just a sidewalk.. But it reminds me of the project... Laughing with Ruth, Holy Mud! And what an adventure your camera takes. :-)

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    1. Whether big or small, every little detail seems to matter, Jen, right?! :) Thank you.

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  6. ...so your photographs saved the day!! Horray! :)

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