A "Gas" Explosion

A work in progress

No gardening project is as easy as it sounds.  I simply wanted to extend a small privacy fence by ten feet.  I bought the cedar planks and posts at the lumber yard.  Hired a carpenter to cut and install.  But as the carpenter started digging the first post hole, he screamed, "GAS!"  I ran over to see what had happened (being really brave or really stupid). As the white, frosty smoke rose from the hole, I realized it was not propane, but freon leaking from the air conditioner pipes.  Less than a foot from the surface!

I thought I knew where all the utility lines were.  And over the years, I have an intimate knowledge of the irrigation pipe placement, having cut many while planting.  But in my rush,  I never thought about the freon lines.  Let this be a lesson to us all.  Map out ALL utility lines at some point or have a professional marking service do this for you.  In the Hamptons, you can call Precision Mark-Outs.

Patched and redirected pipes

The carpenter was sent home and the air conditioning service called in.  They thought it would be a simple patch job.  However, I explained that, for aesthetic reasons, the post had to remain where planned while the pipes had to be redirected.  As they went to get their shovels,  I heard one serviceman grumble to his colleague,  "You ready to do some landscaping today?"