Excavation, grading, and other related site work can sometimes be like sculpting — carving away material, building up material, liberating a vision, reimagining environs, transforming possibility into reality. It’s truly the art of dirt work.

The Art of Dirt Work (Photo: R.P. Murphy)
The Art of Dirt Work (Photo: R.P. Murphy)

Occasionally, I’m fortunate enough to be one of the operators sculpting concept into actuality, imagination into existence. Often instead I’m standing and pacing and siting and gesticulating and interrupting the hard work of another operator, tweaking and revising, recalibrating my original idea(s) as circumstances warrant.

The Art of Dirt Work (Photo: R.P. Murphy)
The Art of Dirt Work (Photo: R.P. Murphy)

Last week was challenging for me. While I prefer to be on site, observing, directing, reevaluating, making field decisions as the site evolves, I was unable to be present for the site work. In fact, while Bob, Scott, and Phil were practicing the art of dirt work around Rosslyn’s icehouse I was over 2,000 miles away. With only telephone, video, and photos connecting me to their progress, I was forced to let go, to trust their judgment, to rely on the whole team to help catalyze the plan.

And you know what? It looks like everything worked out great!

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