I moved about 8000 pounds of gravel today with a shovel, only a ton to
go ;-)

The frustrating thing is about 1500 pounds of it is going to the pad
where I park my trailer. I just misjudged when we split the load.
There is already 2 1/2 yards back there.
My underground project is pretty much done and I really only need a
couple of more wheel barrow loads to wrap it up. When I am done with
this, I still have about 2-3 yards of backfill to do and I still have
to spread the parking pad. I thought about hiring a Mexican from up
the street but I actually feel pretty good and it keeps me young.
I may take that $100 and go out to dinner with my baby. ;-)

My truck driver was interesting. She was a cute little 20 something
girl but she had a few too many tattoos for my taste.
She did OK with the truck tho.

My excavator guy was real good. He has an excavation company but he
moonlights as a middle school teacher. He said he dusted off his
teacher's certificate when the construction business went in the tank
and now he is trapped by the insurance. They have a "free" platinum
plan and it will be ridiculous expensive for him to actually replace
in. He is working as little as he can there to stay insured.
It is really a thing of beauty watching a guy who knows how to operate
tho. I had a pretty good sized citrus tree that was why we were there
in the first place and I wasn't sure he was going to get it out with
that little machine (Bobcat 325 excavator).
http://www.ritchiespecs.com/specification?type=&category=Mini+Excavator&make=B obcat&model=325&modelid=92954
I left about 6 feet of trunk to grab "a holt" of. He pulled the
machine up off the tracks on the far side and it didn't wiggle. I told
him I would just cut it off at the ground but he wouldn't have it. He
sat there picking it out one root at a time for about a half hour and
then he popped it right out. The SOB with the roots was so big I
couldn't budge the stump with my pickup. I had to cut the trunk off to
drag it to the street.
I also had to whack several limbs off a sea grape to get the truck
back there so I have another pretty good load for the "stick man"
(horticulture pickup)