Monday, April 30, 2007

Now this here is a sandbox.

They kept trying to escape, and I kept pushing them back in.
Okay, maybe I didn't dig down quite two feet deep like I have been telling folks, but that has to one of the deepest hand-dug home-made sandboxes in the county. And the picture doesn't even do it justice. It started out with me just trying to dig enough to make the box level on a slight slope, but then you start thinking, as I was explaining to some people today, about how there are few things sadder than digging to the bottom of your sandbox. I realized if I could do something to lessen the possibility that my kids would experience that disappointment, I would, and I started digging a little deeper. I am thinking that the sand will be to my kids like the sea is to Ahab, this dark mystery of life that they know they can never fathom, but which compels them to keep trying. Maybe I'll dig one section down to like four feet and put some treasure down there, though that wouldn't parallel the Moby Dick metaphor.

Again, as I was saying today, there is one thing worse than digging to the bottom of your sandbox, and that is striking a gas line and blowing yourself up. In the photo there is J, standing and jumping on the possible gas line that I encountered during the dig. Notice that I didn't let it put the project behind one bit. When you are 8" into the earth and going strong, you don't let things like that bother you. If it does actually turn out to be a gas line, we'll shut off the gas and go solar or something.
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14 comments:

Unknown said...

When I was younger, we had a plastic sandbox shaped like a turtle. It was very easy to dig to the bottom of it. I wouldn't say life was a constant disappointment, but it is possible that is a pretty close estimate. :D

sarahjane said...

that's one heck of a sand box you've got there.

countvonsexy said...

You know. If you wanted to make a little money on the side, you could rent out the sandbox as a time share. I'd be VERY interested...

Kristina said...

When we lived in South Carolina, my dad built me a sandbox with a cover, but whenever you lifted the cover about a million crickets leapt out of it. Naturally I was terrified... and never used that sandbox.

Mr. Hill said...

That's funny. It probably broke your dad's heart. You should tell him you're sorry about that.

And David, your money's no good here, you know that.

Mindstroller said...

heres to hoping that ISNT a gas line!

LetsGoThrow said...

I'm not sure I would have believed unless I'd actually seen it, but I think that you and J's matching work- "grass" skirt made the whole project a little more special.

Zan said...

That's pretty awesome though. I never had a sandbox. I think the most I've ever had was a tire swing and we didn't even put it up. The people who lived there before us did. My parents took it down about a year after we moved into our old house. Though, we did dig holes in the "hills" behind the garage and wanted to keep going because we found broken pieces of pottery. My parents, however, were entirely against that idea.

Anyway, I hope that it doesn't end up being a gas line.

mbh said...

i just had a turtle shaped sandbox that my neighbors cat peed in on more than one occasion. i'm pretty sure that the cat is dead now. :)

Sarah said...

Wow. I had a green turtle-shaped sandbox too. Except my brother used to dig holes in the sand, pour water in it, and then put a tadpole in there. Then the water would evaporate and there went the tadpoles. I suppose you could have called it a graveyard.

There was always treasure in our box, even though it wasn't the cool kind.

countvonsexy said...

Gosh darn it. Yet ANOTHER thing I'm going to have to cross off my "Reason To Live" list and put on my "Reasons NOT to live" list...

Mr. Hill said...

Wait, I thought people said "you're money is no good here" when they meant that you could stuff on the house, a good thing. Maybe I got that wrong.

Mindstroller said...

Mr Hill, i think your next project should be a two and a half story high fort like the one my dad built way back in west lafayette. It had a rope climb, draw bridge and trap doors.

It was probably completely illegal to have such a tall construction right on the edge of our neighbors yard... but damn was it cool!

Michelle said...

Good spot for the sandbox - it looks good! How did it turn out with the gas?