First we need to get rid of these honesuckle stumps. That's better. In the meantime, I'm assembling the new ties, with steps from Ted and Alices' yard to ours. Ron does the backfilling. Eight more ties, brought up AT ONE TIME by the mule. Will this wall never be done?

Carefully cut around the existing window well and around the gas line.

Now we can start the real digging. Andy in the hole and Rick operating the excavator. The "mule" in the operation: it gets loaded up, tiptoes down to the front yard, and puts the dirt in a temporary pile. Next, with a running start, make a mountain out of a molehill.

To haul the excess dirt away, you need a big (red) truck. You make a ramp before loading to increase your reach. Load up, and off we go.

Keep it neat. The walls are holding well. Note the blocking boards for the footers. Note too the new helper. Whoa! What's this? A cisterne...and a cavein. Clean it out by hand. Blocking nearly done. On hold 'til Monday, wating for an inspector's okay.

At the same time, Steve, our neighbor up the hill, drops his last maple tree, into BOTH our yards.