Playing in the Dirt

I've been accused of drumming up projects just so I have the chance to play in the dirt. There is truth in that. Regardless whether the job needs to be done or not, my playing in the dirt usually has good end. 

It's been a bit since I've sat behind this four cylinder, especially while dragging the can. A little free time and a semi-cool day made for a great opportunity to level out some ground.

Once we moved the fence, Grandpa's old stack yard stood out. He hauled a bunch of dirt in here to make for a level spot to stack little square bales. With the fence now down below, the dirt ridge was pretty apparent. So the idea/plan was to take this dirt and put it at the crossroads. 

We just dove in, getting a feel for the scraper and the ground. 

She loaded up pretty nice and full. 

Then we'd haul the load about 75 yards to the dump site. 

We've filled this ravine in before. The more we fill in, the less of a corner we have down to the barn. 

Once you find where a load should go, just stand the can up and dump it. Hydraulics are beautiful. 

Every project goes through an ugly-duckling stage. 

You just have to persevere through it. 

Occasionally the scraper would close right on some rocks, preventing the door from latching and spilling half the load. 

Pretty good. There comes a time when a guy needs to call it good and shift gears. So we ditched the can and used the dozer to polish up the site. 

I'm a back-drag guy. 

Just put the blade in float, and putts backwards. I'd make a mess trying this last part with the front of the blade. Back-dragging is a blessing. 

At the dump site. We leveled out our tailings and track-packed them down. 

Making a transition down to the field gate and putting a berm up top so Mom can stay on the road when rounding the corner. 

Muy bien. 

I do like dirt. And I like it better when it's in the right place. We'll all sleep better now, knowing there are no abrupt edges next to our new fence. I will, anyway. Probably more from the shower after wearing all that dust and dirt. Fun stuff, though. I love working hard to have a little fun. Dirt has to be my play-dough of choice. Thankfully, our ranch has plenty of. Keep on ranching in a free world!