Home adventure: jackhammers and chain link

I've never liked chain link fences, but up to this point, it has always been just a question of aesthetics. Now, it's personal. Now, it's war.

It started when I dismantled the fence in the front yard and Tim and I dug out the posts...including a section of edging bricks cemented together and sandwiched around not only bottom of the chain link, but also cemented to the post.

I mean, look at that! Who does that?! That's about six feet of concrete and brick.

Then, in the backyard, Tim and I dug out two plugs of concrete that might have once held posts that held a clothesline or something. Huge holes, lots of digging. 

Tim's shirt is totally appropriate. CrossFit's focus on functional strength has proven necessary to yard work thus far. Or maybe, yard work is itself a form of CrossFit!

Earlier this week, I clipped away a thorn bush in the back yard to reveal random pieces of chain link laying half-buried in the ground. I dug those out, along with a few other posts and chunks of concrete that used to hold them, and added them to the growing pile of chain link and concrete bits.

Still left in the front yard were two posts that were cemented in such a way that they were attached to the sidewalks, so I borrowed a friend's jackhammer. After a good 20-30 minutes on each post, I had broken up enough of the concrete to be able to dislodge the posts. And the fact that there was so much concrete in each hole made me seriously wonder if people think they're actually installing the Eiffel Tower as opposed to a flimsy metal tube!

That's the pile of concrete (about half of it) that I removed from ONE of the holes!

Finally, having removed the remaining posts, I loaded the PILE into my truck and drove it to the dump! Gone! Out of my life!

At this point, since I had my friend's jackhammer, I decided it was time to get rid of some crazy asphalt on the driveway. The plan has been to widen the front yard by doing away with this haphazard chunk of paving and I figured today was the day (in spite of the 105-degree heat).

It kind of looks like someone's buddy just had a little extra asphalt one weekend or something.

Anyway, things were going great! I was feeling tough working a jackhammer through pavement...(and don't worry, I wore protective goggles and sunscreen and made sure to stay well-hydrated in the heat). Most of it was coming apart pretty easily. I spent a little more time on some of the pieces because I plan to use whatever I can as a crushed rock base to a flagstone path in the front yard. So, a third of the way up the drive, I came across what has brought about my declaration of war on chain link.

What. Is. That? What could possibly be the point to laying a piece of chain link flat and pouring concrete over it? I have no idea how big this piece is. So, now, Instead of having just a partially broken driveway, I have a partially broken driveway with a big piece of random chain link sticking up out of it, with floating chunks of concrete in it!

Sigh.

Also, in my digging around the yard in preparation to jackhammer the drive, I discovered four...yes four...older concrete plugs for chain link posts. We've got our work cut out for us, that's for sure! But, hopefully, the results in the front yard will be worth it! Pictures soon....promise!