Day 20 Tuesday, August 21, 2001

Got up around 8:30. Greased the machine and replaced the broken "c" clips on the outriggers. Added 5 gallons of diesel and started digging. I needed to remove the excess fill so I can start on the next footing trench. The weather is perfect, cloudy and reasonably cool. Did you know that if you dig a hole, which contained perfectly lined up shale and packed dirt, when you pile up that unpacked and not at all lined up shale you end up with A RIDICULOUS AMOUNT OF MATERIAL. And no where to store it.

I dug with the machine and then with the air hammer for a few hours. When I was on the machine I was getting a whiff of diesel every now and then. I may need to check for fuel leaks. Diesel doesn't explode like gasoline so I'm not too worried. As I dig, I periodically climb down and check my depth. On one such occasion, I saw a puddle and active leak under the machine. Uh oh. I shut it down and it slowly stops. Bummer, that means it is a pressurized leak. I see that the tank is all wet with fuel and remove the hood to have a closer look. The fuel return line from the injection pump has come off from the neck of the fuel tank. When the engine is running, fuel not needed by the injectors is rerouted back into the tank, or in this case onto the outside of the tank. I repair it and break for lunch. I call the well guy just for laughs. No answer, I leave a message.

After lunch I continue digging, mostly by hand with the air hammer. Its slow and tiring. I quit at 7:30. My back is complaining and I'm hungry.

11 hours, cloudy and 78