Lest you think I’ve brought you here under false pretenses, let me be right up front about the title. I’m not sure it was two tons (4000 lbs.) It might have been more. It was probably slightly less.

And I didn’t lift it all at one time. But, I absolutely picked them all up.

The rocks are free. . .delivery costs extra

It’s hard to tell, but this picture has 60 loose rocks. (Not counting the ones in the walls to the left.) Some of the rocks are very large. . Two-man rocks they are called. They get their name because it generally takes two men to lift them. Others are one-man rocks. And others are just large rocks.

It’s said that chopping wood heats you twice; once when you chop it and again when you burn it.

This saying has nothing to do with rocks.

Those rocks will eventually be organized into two more rock walls. A series of steps will go from the sidewalk up past the existing walls. And the new walls will extend to the right.

When I first estimated the amount of rocks I would need, I was assuming one wall. I guessed I would need 60. Now that I need two walls, I figure I need more rocks. And I realize my original estimate was low. I probably need another 100 rocks.

You can buy rocks, you know. But, regardless of the price, nothing beats free. My rocks are not free. I just don’t have to pay for them. My rocks come from my neighbor’s yard.

The Utah soil grows rocks

My neighbor recently built a new house. He’s landscaping his yard. He’s starting with building a wall. In the meantime he has a big pile of dirt in his yard. . .dirt and rocks. And he told me I can have all I want. They aren’t free. I just don’t have pay him for them. Instead, I have to get haul them from his yard to my yard.

His house is only a block away and fortunately it’s level with my house. I’ll have many weeks to gather my rocks. Even with that I will run out of effort before my neighbor runs out of rocks.

When I’m done, I will likely have 160 rocks, in addition to about 75 bricks. The rocks are on average about 50 lbs. One hundred and sixty rocks at 50 lbs each is 8000 lbs, four tons. I tried to get my son to move the rocks. I was even willing to pay him. Apparently he wasn’t interested in hauling rocks.

There’s a famous saying in software:

How does a project become a year late?

One day at a time.

How do you move 3000 lbs (or 8000 lbs) of rocks?

One rock at a time.

It’s going to be a long summer.

Stay safe

Rodney M Bliss is an author, columnist and IT Consultant. His blog updates every weekday. He lives in Pleasant Grove, UT with his lovely wife, thirteen children and grandchildren. Order Miscellany II, an anthology including his latest short story, “The Mercy System” here

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