Yesterday was as hard a day as I can remember. I created a concrete pad for the patio wall using 25 80-lb bags of concrete which works out to 1 ton plus water. The last five bags I was having arm cramps--my left arm was so bad my fingers were curling up and I really couldn't get them to straighten out. Drank some extra-thick gatorade (I have the mix because it costs so much less to make your own) and that seemed to help.

i have pictures but they aren't very spectacular. 25 bags isn't much--way less than recommended, but I'm building this on the old gravel and sand bed of the swimming pool so it is well-draining very compacted subgrade so frost heave shouldn't be much of a problem (the patio stone I laid last year went nowhere over the winter).

The old tee-shirt i wore went in the trash immediately afterward. it was funny--I told Lucy iwas going to throw it away and she said something like "Somewhere outside i hope!" It was so hot the sweat had to take a number and wait its turn before pouring out. I think the 24th bag I didn't add water--just stood over it and dripped ! :-P

Anyway, today was a bit easier as all I did was collect rocks to use for the wall and lay out the first course of cinder block interior wall to see just how many I need. Tomorrow I'm going to dig out the fire pit area (I filled it with stone dust to make laying the patio easier and so we could use it for fires) and then mortar in the first course of cinder blocks. I'd like to do all three layers but I'm not sure how long its going to take. I've never mortared in cinder blocks before and, of course, my first wall is a curved one so nothing lines up easily.

I love my Fit (car) but it has been a bit of a problem getting all this dead weight home. I suppose I could push it a bit further but cinder blocks and bags of mortar/concrete are heavy so I just make more trips (two today). This is the first new car I've ever owned (not leased) so want it to stay in good shape. i did rent the Home Depot truck for twenty of the bags of concrete.

There is a light at the end of the tunnel...

Oh, I did plant a Korean spice viburnum (anticipating next spring!) and four pink knockout roses (sale at Home Depot--$3.99 each, couldn't resist buying from the 'enemy') today as well.

Why did the previous owners backfill with stone?