Removing a cement pad

This has been an exhausting weekend. I bought hollies last week at McLean Nurseries, so now I need to prepare the back of the yard to plant them. This means removing the cement pad that a previous owner put in, I think for a fountain that never worked. It was about 4'x8', and maybe 5" deep, with a border of cinderblocks. I really wish we had removed two years ago, when it was exposed. A layer of dirt and rubble has accumulated over it that I had to shovel away. Then I went to United Rentals to rent a jackhammer.


This was my progress after a Saturday:



Daniel helped get me started, and helped for a couple hours between World Cup games on Sunday. After two days, here is the resulting hole, and pile of cement chunks (the city doesn't come get them until Thursday, so I can't put them on the curb until Wednesday).




And one more pile of rubble:


In breaking up the pad, we found some nice pavers and buckets of nice stones.


I ended the evening by making this cake.

Let me just say, though, that I do not like doing all this labor myself. You know who you are....