The Duck Mansion didn't get completed last weekend. We had an art show to attend Saturday. Oh, the price of having talented children! Sunday a good friend came to visit...and so the time goes. Today marked a construction milestone: the Mansion floor is finished!

This floor represents about two square yards of compacted dirt. That's a lot of dirt!

We have a mound of dirt left over from the first addition to the house. Michael hauled dirt from the mound with our 1949 Ford tractor.

The tractor lacks traction, so Michael shoveled the dirt into the front end loader. Beats hauling dirt by wheelbarrow any day

Once he dumped the dirt in the Mansion, I raked it out. As a final touch, I compacted it with Irene's lawn tractor.

Raising the level of the floor will help keep the Mansion dry. Making the floor of dirt will allow moisture created by our livestock to leach away. We will probably store straw in here, which should give a little added insulation and make it easier to keep clean straw on the floor. I love my ducks, but they are messy!

As I was raking dirt around for hours, I thought about my grandfather, who built his home in New Mexico from adobe. It had a dirt floor too. My dad told me that my grandfather would have been pleased to know I had argued before the United States Supreme Court, but would be immensely proud that I own a farm. I now feel I share a dirt bond with my abuelo.