We have spent the last several days digging, pulling lines, and measuring. We finally got it all done, including digging the trench for the drain line to the septic tank.

 By the time we were digging the eighth  hole for the pillars under the house, we were ranting about the ridiculous overkill (not our doing…regulations, you know). We have moved an unimaginable amount of dirt in the last week, especially for two people.

We couldn’t have done it without the trackhoe…at least not before the year was out. Alabama clay is a misnomer, as it has all been baked into rock. We talked alot about all the people over the generations who have worked with hand tools to carve out their homestead, and we are grateful for the technology of tractors. We had so much fun with the trackhoe, that when we finished we had two hours of run time (out of 16) and we tried to think of more things to dig. I thought about that apple tree we never planted and Roy said I could go ahead an dig a hole for it. He later declared it “quite a hole for that skinny little thing”, but I had fun digging it.

Yesterday, we were ready for the man helping us with the concrete to come. He finished this afternoon and declared it ready for inspection.

We were forecast for rain starting today, but thankfully we dodged it for now. We dread the thought of redigging any of it and also the delays it will mean. If what we have done passes inspection, we may be able to pour the concrete as early as Monday afternoon. Hooray for progress!