DRIVEWAY IMPROVEMENT

To the right of our driveway has existed a strip of river rock, about two-and-a-half feet wide, ever since I moved into the house nearly nine years ago. The rocks were initially installed, no doubt, to provide landscape beauty. But it hasn’t been all that easy to maintain.

Weeds must continually be sprayed because to pluck weeds from a bed of rocks is not easy. Plus, the neighbor has a huge tree, which provides great shade during the summer but, when autumn comes and leaves fall, rocks are not the best surface to rake and to sweep.

So, I decided to get rid of the rocks and replace them with something flat, something low maintenance. Many hours of raking and many milligrams of Ibuprofen resulted in the eventual removal of the rocks. Craigslist got me several people who were willing to haul them all away for free just so that they could have the rocks for free.

The rocks are now gone, the new surface was completed today, and I think I’ll take a break from household projects for a while.

This is how the strip beside the driveway has looked, probably since the house was built in 1969.

The neighbor's tree is leafless now, but when the leaves fall, they cover our driveway.

Less than half the rocks have been raked and piled and, thanks to Craigslist, were later hauled away by someone who wanted them.

More rocks raked and a second pile started.

Eventually, all the rocks were gone.

Some of the rocks were reinstalled for base, then covered with sand, tamped down and finally covered with red pavers.

Job completed, except for . . .

. . . 600 milligrams of Ibuprofen and 15 minutes in the hot tub.