Strip the Topsoil

On this date we begin the process of construction by stripping off the topsoil and piling it in a certain area for future use. We are on a knolltop where the topsoil is historically thin due to erosion. On the downslopes to the north and south there is a substantially thick layer of organic material to a depth of 12".

That's Chico on his bulldozer.

So we do have certain amount of rich earth which can be redistributed later, after construction, for a seeded lawn, ground cover and / or flower beds. Debbie is already at it with her notebook and pencil, writing down ideas she picks up from various gardening books, her like-minded lady friends and of course - that old stand-by - trial and error. She can barely identify six or seven varieties or species now, but look out later on down the road, when she will have a master list of local gardening lore to draw upon.
Debbie is starting certain local plants; some from seeds and some from cuttings which she will nurture to good health and stamina for tranplantation to our own grounds and gardens in Estate Concordia.
But I get ahead of myself, - so let me stick to the here and now - for now. Once the property is stripped of it's garnish of trees, bushes, topsoil and the like, the excavation will commence for the lower level cistern and studio apartment floor, which share the same depth of cut into the hillside. The spoils of this excavation are to fill in the void in our front yard, or the side facing north, where the swimming pool will be.
In these parts, not necessarily exclusively on our property, there is a certain amount of stone in the ground which has been described as two distinct indigenous sorts. There is what is known as Rotten Rock, a crumbling form with granite beginnings, transformed by several past and present earth tremors or earth quakes. The Rotten Rock can be hammered on with a backhoe's bucket and broken apart with ease, relative to the other rock form we find here.
There are as many as 100 tremors per year here, although relatively minor disturbances, St. Croix is an "upthrust" land mass, unlike most Caribbean islands, which are volcanic in their individual formation histories. Two of the Caribbean islands which most bring this "volcanic origin" concept to light are St. Lucia, and it's two volcanic peaks, and Montserrat with the current eruption of the Soufriere Hills Volcano on that Island, which has obliterated most of the Island with lava flows and volcanic ash.
The second type of rock found under the surface of the topsoil is what is known as Blue Bitch granite. Large pieces of this rock are found, sometimes as giant bouders on top of the soil, where erosion has exposed them. The boulders you can't see are the biggest problem facing any excavation; believe me, this rock species was named Blue Bitch Granite for good reason! How hard is this stuff, you ask? These blue bitch granite rocks are so hard, when you chip away at them with chisels you can only remove chips the size of your big toe nail! Lots of dust and mica chips flying, but very little progress. We hope to get lucky and miss the big ones where our studio apartment and the cistern have to be carved out, keep your fingers crossed for us.