Tag Archives: backhoe

Dino Construction Company – Brachiosaurus Backhoe – Boom

The Kids Discuss the finer points of Boom and Spike

I was sent four Dino Construction Company toys from Educational Insights to play with and review. I saw them at Toy Fair and had to check them out in our home.

When I was a kid I loved the Fisher-Price Adventure people, these were fantastic toys to play with. I would play with them down at my grandparent’s house on the Cape. I’d play with them on the beach for hours. They had no electronics and there was not story behind the toys, they were just fun and I used my imagination playing with them. This is what I want for my kids and I look for toys that will force them to use their imagination to play. If they can use their imagination they can play anything anywhere. Continue reading Dino Construction Company – Brachiosaurus Backhoe – Boom

Backyard Clean Up Day #2

Today when I got home from work my dad headed off to pick up the backhoe for the backyard. Yesterday we both took the day off and today we began to get into the preparation for tomorrows all day fence installation. We have 15 6X8 Spruce Stockade fence panels and 16 posts. Why will this take all day and possibly into Sunday? Well this fence is going to be special. First we are digging a 6 inch trench then we are layering in some stone dust. After that we will put in 18 inch high concrete slabs. These will be placed end to end across the entire 120 foot span of fence. We have a backhoe to dig the trench and move the slabs. I didn’t get pictures of that today because I was busy helping to move the slabs but I promise to get someone to take the videos tomorrow. The slabs were moved by wrapping a chain around the slab lengthwise and hooking it under a piece of rebar that was on one side, the other side has a hole, we stuck a lag bolt in the other side for the chain to catch. Then this was hoisted off the pile by the backhoe and then moved to location. We haven’t actually laid any of the slabs in place yet, but rather made a barrier to keep the people in the back from parking right on top of the equipment so we cannot work tomorrow. The was a car out there all day that never moved and it threw a lot of the plans off.

So when I got home, my sister Tara and I set up a temporary fence for the dogs so they could have some backyard to play in this weekend. No way they are staying in the house in this heat. Then dad got back with the backhoe and we each took turns training on how to use it by trying to remove the stump from the half dead tree from Wednesday’s photos. The stump proved a very worthy foe. It was not easily removed.

Uncle Paul D. came by just as we were rigging up the chain hoist for the concrete slabs. That was an adventure, trying to move 300lbs+ slabs with some heavy chain and the front end loader of the backhoe. After we made a good territorial marker we put the equipment to bed and had dinner. Then Dad and I went to Home Depot to pick up the fence that we will need to install on top of the concrete slabs. This should give us about 7 feet of fenced privacy. Can’t wait to be able to use the backyard in peace again.

Here are the photos of progress so far. North Attleboro, Backyard Cleanup ’05

I’ll have video too. Maybe up on Sunday.