Eating is an agricultural act - Wendell Berry

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

putits the 'oles

i.e., 'oles podunga...
a commonly heard phrase out here at pR.
which usually involves a sharp rotating tool impinging through a softer (comparatively) medium - like wood, earth, cement.
even a single hole will merit this phrase - holes podunga!

this sharp rotating tool is what this post is about - an auger.
it augers well that the readers are confused by the noun auger.

auger is a more engineering title of a drill-bit (the ones that get attached to a drill to make holes in the wall, etc.)

last week, we used an earth auger to drill a 2 feet deep hole in the ground. this was part of the foundation of the nursery that we are building. thats another story coming up later.
1. here it is in full display (notice the lazy elegance a la VVS).


2. it takes two people to maneuver (rotate) the auger. the helical screw will drive vertically downwards. it is advised to soften the earth with water before attempting.


3. here is a closer look as it moves downwards. the removed the earth moves upwards along the screw.


4. here is a better view of the auger after being pulled out. the hole is deeper by that much earth.



5. here is how the hole looks from the top. it is one smooth operator.


6. here is karpagam taking a shot at it. without being sexist here, it does take some strength (especially in the spine) to rotate the auger.


as we work with such simple tools and involve ourselves with each activity, it is such a phenomenal learning experience.

7 comments:

Preeti Aghalayam aka kbpm said...

are you saying we are spineless? :-)

Vanessa said...

@kbpm :)

csm, I was expecting DDLJ like lush green fields' snaps. :)
Guess this is all the hard work behind those. Nice to read about your experiences there. Keep writing.

Ludwig said...

> it augers well that the readers
> are confused by the noun auger.

Hah! Not civil engineers!

csm said...

@kenny - helically challenged is the right word.

@v - tx. DDLJ look is just 3 years away.

@l - even if you were not civil (most of he time), you would have caught the auger.

Preeti Aghalayam aka kbpm said...

he is most uncivil. disregard him. now i am vertically and helically challenged? ouch.

Preeti Aghalayam aka kbpm said...

i swear i was not searching for this:

http://scienceblogs.com/casaubonsbook/2010/02/she_farms.php

Anonymous said...

where was i? hmm, cruising kerala waters, i'm afraid. sorry.
great story and great photos. i found myself wishing karpagam won't push her lungs that hard
-dv