Excavation Days

Date: June - July 2024

 Perhaps I'll let the date stamped pictures do the talking on the excavation experience. TIP: I maximize the player, turn up the volume and RIP THE KNOB OFF for a full immersive experience of the YouTube videos below. For images I use the right-click "open image in another tab" when I want to see more detail.

Wednesday June 12, 2024  - Creamy

Thursday June 13, 2024  - Lumpy

 - Resistance!

- And Water (dripping in the grey area)

!

Friday June 14, 2024  - A bit off track

 

My idea of moving the dirt with the truck instead of the skid steer was a bust. Unloaded the truck there before using wrapping a chain around the front axle and using the Trackhoe to extract it.

- Better Definition of the Strong Part

Monday June 17, 2024 - If I had a Hammer...

 

- That Took a Day?

 

Tuesday June 18, 2024 - I'd Hammer it in the Morning, 

 

- I'd Hammer it in the Evening

 

Thursday June 20, 2024 - Let's Wear Out Trackhoe Teeth

 

Thursday June 27, 2024 - That's Some Good Driveway Material Being Produced

 - Break Time! What might be found in an old wood pile

Tuesday July 2, 2024 - Drip Drip Drip Makes Soup

 

Friday July 5, 2024 - Something Tells Me I Can Get By With Less Root Cellar 

  

Tuesday July 9, 2024 -Mud Pies with a Rhythm 

Friday July 12, 2024 - Last Day of Four Week Rock Hammer Rental

And I got nothing to show for it (and no pictures taken neither). However we wrapped up the big Trackhoe work on Wednesday and switched up Ryan onto his "Little Hoe" for some trenching duties covered in the next post. 

Wednesday July 17, 2024 - Spread the Wealth

As they wrapped up, they used the skid steer to distribute the remaining spoils around the property. We put a big pile up the hill on the way to the art studio to use as backfill against the putative building (pushing it down the hill is considerably easier than up).  

 

We found any number of places stash dirt & rocks to improve the gradient. This hillside used to be too steep to mow, much less back a truck down:

 

Note: The pics below taken much  later, hence the weed growth --- uncut because there are still rocks on the surface discouraging running over it with the mower. 

We filled the hole where a barn used to be located:

When I do get around to picking up those surface rocks, I've been using them to make the driveway at the culvert wider so the next dump truck doesn't have to slide in.

Made the driveway wider where the dump truck slid off in 2006:

Old fence line gradient reduced:

And reduced the driveway shoulder embankment gradient to extend what can be cut with riding mower instead of weed wacker.