I got outside as soon as it was light and was busy painting the house foundation. It looked pretty cruddy with so much dirt gone and bare concrete showing. The front and sides are now done and I just have some touch-up to do on the back and around the gas meter, etc.
The ground around here has a real high clay content, so on my way home from work tonight, I'll get the first few hundred pounds of sand. We want a nice thick layer so it'll work it's way into the clay over time.
I've got a loose timetable set in my mind for each stage to be completed. If all goes well, we can get the topsoil delivered early next week and have the mulch delivered next weekend.
After several years of working on this project in fits and starts, it's finally coming together and the end is in sight. WOOHOO!