Bobcat: When Digging By Hand is Out of the Question

After we had cut the drive way and cleared the timbers it was time to get serious about a foundation. Using all I could remember from 8th grade Geometry, we measured (13 or 14 times) to get the footprint and commenced the digging...by hand...for about 10 minutes.  At that point, staring my own limitations squarely in the face and having to decide if I was as strong and determined at I thought I was I did the only thing a man could do in that situation.

I told the family to load up in the truck.  We were going for ice cream.  We came back the next weekend with a Bobcat.  Listen folks, I'm serious about doing this project.  But I want to be able to walk when it's done.  The ground here literally sparks when you hit it with a pick ax.  I'm not kidding.  It laughs at you and spits sparks in your face.  Most of the holes were about 30 inches deep.  Some were shallower.  A few were deeper.  Basically, I went until the Bobcat locked up and then assumed if that massive machine couldn't dig any deeper we were into solid bedrock and had gone far enough.

If you are wondering about renting a Bobcat or digging by hand, let me just tell you.  Don't be ridiculous.  Rent the machine.  Trust me.  Do it.