Due to some unseasonably warm weather (and even a cold day, today), the boys have been working in earnest at their dig site. The initial hole gained a roof and a new trench/tunnel was dug, connecting to the original site. Today an "escape hatch" was added, just in case any part of the entrance should collapse while they're in the main room. The boys love it underground and swear that it's quite warm and cozy (they now understand why some animals burrow!).

The view up & out

Connecting the initial dig site to the new trench/tunnel

The new entrance

Diving into the tunnel

Demonstrating the new "escape hatch"

Peeking out from the hatch

One day last summer, the boys announced that they were bored (as usual), so my husband jokingly told them to go dig a hole. Naturally, they headed out to our back field and did exactly that. Six months later, they're still digging...

Note the walls, reinforced with sheet metal (they also lay metal over the top when not digging, to protect the "mine" from rain and snow):

Dominic showing me the start of the tunnel:

A neighbor boy digging a second hole (they hope to connect this to the original tunnel). This has turned into a project for all the neighborhood kids and their friends...

An overview of the project - it's much larger and deeper than it looks and they're very proud of it. All I can think about is how expensive it will be to eventually fill!

Meanwhile, Maddie busied herself by collecting worms for "when we have chickens again..." (Note the worms in one hand and candy in the other, LOL.) She really wanted to bring them in the house, but I persuaded her to leave them outside since they were still hibernating.

And Elon, who started the whole project, came down with the flu again today and missed out on all the digging fun.

He's been alternately vomiting and sleeping all day, poor guy...Mocha's been watching over him though: