Staycation and the mini Grand Canyon

I was always fascinated by the children's book "Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel"

This week found us in our own little picture book with the role of the Steam Shovel being played by Komatsu.

Like some prehistoric beast that likes to eat dirt this wonder chewed and spit out the seemingly endless hunks of clay revealing artifacts hidden below the soil for years. To me this was an archaeological adventure. What would we find? Jimmy Hoffa's grave, a rare dinosaur, or up through the ground came a bubblin' crude. Oil that is, black gold, Texas tea. OK so my hopes of becoming a Beverly Hillbilly were dashed when the precious artifacts were nothing but some old fence post, some old bricks and rotting tree roots. But the real prize was that we did not hit an underground river, well or septic system.

Flash back . . . .

Our "development" was once a golf course with majestic trees and water hazards and tributaries feeding into a larger creek. At the time these homes were built there was no consideration for environmental impact or the small guppy's ability to procreate and mingle with his friends. Instead the fertile soil was stripped and sold leaving orange clay and the once babbling brooks were filled with construction waste and dirt. When we bought this home we had no idea that on rainy days our backyard would transform into some sort of wild water ride for the dogs and squirrels. Rapids and ponds transformed the green grass into the Colorado River (ok, so I am embellishing just a bit).

Today . . .

With the huge hill of earth and the canyon that will be formed into our basement addition we had our own little "Staycation". Let's call it the Bombeck Mini Canyon. Standing at the edge of the 10Ft. cliff we snap pictures and ooh and aahhh over the ribbon of gray clay that streaks through the wall of earth.

This "Staycation" was short lived as just as quickly the footers were poured and the forms for the walls raised and filled. Standing at the window looking out to what once was a backyard I see the sun rising over the orange hill of clay casting it's rays into the cold metal forms and pause to think about that first cup of coffee while sitting in the breakfast nook with a good book.