Armed with pick axe, shovel, rake, and line levels, we go to prep the chosen yurt site and come to discover there is no way we could possibly move the baked-clay soil from the high point of the slope to the lowest with only hand tools.

Off to the big city one more time to rent a rototiller (and pick up a futon), then spend the rest of the arid 90-degree afternoon cracking into the solid ancient earth under blue skies and big fluffy white clouds.

The back-breaking fun continues all day Thursday with the end result of a relatively level 20′ pad with 8″ drainage easement on the high side. (We’ve effectively overcome any altitude sickness at this point by drinking copious amounts of water.)

It really is incredible to see what you are capable of when you set your mind to it!!