Thanks for the compliment, Jim.
At the end of the loader rental, I think it was definitely worth it...although I'm glad to get out of the machine! 40 operating ours in a week's time is a lot of windshield time.
Speaking of windshields...if you ever find yourself in one of these pieces of equipment, WEAR YOUR SEATBELT! Once I had finished digging out the pond, I switched gears (literally) to moving the berm of dirt that came out of the small pond near the house. I made countless trips back and forth from the berm to the dam of the new pond, and on one of those trips hit a depression in the pasture that caused the loader to buck forward. Instead of dropping the bucket, I hit the brakes, and my forehead made contact with the windshield. The only suffering I'm doing is paying the $500 for the glass and $300 to install it. So, even on flat ground, you never know. Protect your body, wear your seatbelt. Protect your wallet, wear your seatbelt.
Anyway, I parked my truck at the dam end so that the scale is a little more visible. If I am to go deeper, I need an excavator because the blue clay is harder than...well, you know. The picture doesn't do it justice, and I haven't pulled any measurements yet, but we're headed in the right direction. Now, for some rain!
Next, I'll start carving in some ledges and adding cover.
