The excavator scraped the topsoil for the building pad and piled it off in a corner. When we do the finish grading, we will spread this topsoil around the areas where we will replant with native grasses and plants. With any luck, seeds in the topsoil will also sprout so we can return our land to a natural landscape.
	The building pad has been leveled and tamped. We cut dirt from the high north side and used it to fill in the lower south side of the pad. Then, using a transit, we determined the zero point which is the finished floor height, then staked out the corners of the house and marked the perimeter with string. Next we used a white powder to mark a line where the footings will be dug.
	We rented a trencher and dug the trenches for the footings and stem walls. We used the transit to dig the trenches to the proper depth. We'll clean up and finish digging the trenches to the correct depth with shovels.
	This photo was taken just before Steven tipped the trencher into the hole and broke his nose. (just kidding!)