More trenches, and then fewer trenches.

We have a yard again, instead of a maze-like collection of trenches. We still don't have gas or hot water, however. Which actually hasn't been all that bad, largely because our lovely across-the-street neighbors, Ody & Michelle, have kindly let us use their shower. And it's been an excuse to go out to dinner a lot! Last night, for example, we went to the Cheesecake Factory, and shared a couple of appetizers and a salad. Their avocado-roll appetizer is one of the best things EVER- that tamarind sauce is amazing.

Oh, right, you want to hear about the progress on the house!
Sam says that digging these trenches for the drainage has been frustrating, but satisfying. Frustrating because our yard appears to be solid rock (sandstone, actually), but satisfying because, one way or another, the machine wins! Here you can see the rock:



Sam has devised an elaborate double-level drainage system, which will ensure that we never have flooding problems again. There is one (lower) drainage pipe for ground water, and another (higher) drainage pipe for surface water. We also have drained the area where we're going to put an orange tree- you can see that here:



All of this water will run to pipes that will run the length of the house, and then out to the curb. Sam spent most of yesterday finishing digging that trench.





And Sioux helped!



Occasionally, he just had to sledgehammer the rock...



But mostly he did it with the machine.



Everything descends 1/8th of an inch per foot- Sam has some nifty tools to measure that stuff. And after placing all the pipes, wrapping them in special paper, surrounded by gravel, they started filling in the trenches again!

Before...



And after. You can see where the white pipes stick up- that's where the edge of the new patio will be, where the french drains will go.



So now, our yard (mostly) looks like a yard again!



Next steps (happening as I write): filling in that final trench and then digging holes for the foundation footings. And then we pour the foundation! Stay tuned...