PIle Of Dirt

We're no strangers to dirt in the house. After all, we raised two kids and had lots of dogs.

But THIS is something new.

That's a giant pile of soil, right in the middle of what will eventually be the new dining room.

No, the construction crew isn't planning on putting in any raised planting beds. The dirt came out of a trench (you might be able to see the plywood covering the trench).

This trench is one of the genuine surprises of this project. We knew a new wall would be appearing to define the new (and smaller ) living room/front room/library/music room (name still undecided). We've even seen the wall already: it arrived early in the project in two pre-fab parts (they will flank a new set of double glass doors).

But what we didn't realize was that this wall has to be firmly rooted in good old Bay Farm Island fill land. Our crews have cut through the foundation slab, and then spent several hours digging out that pile of dirt (and a bunch of tree roots). Next, they will sink re-bar into the soil and use it to tie the new wall down.

This ought to be one sturdy wall. I know which doorway I'm grabbing during the next earthquake.