Following a site visit with Eric Peterson, deputy adminstrator for Randall's Island Park, and Debbie Unger, turf manager, we arrived early one chilly morning to layout the footprint for the sculpture.
Ghost House would need a total of 23 concrete footings for all the necessary posts. In preparation for excavation we used mason's line and spray paint to locate each footing for augering.
Debbie's crew arrived in the afternoon to drill the holes with the Bobcat auger. I asked the operator how long he thought drilling might take. Reply: "Maybe 45 minutes."
…Unfortunately Debbie's warning that things sometimes get complicated digging on the island proved 100% true in this case. Hiding below the surface was an absurd amount of bricks, concrete and granite…ugh.
We drilled as much as we could without breaking the auger bit, but more powerful equipment would be required. Above, Debbie watches warily as the bobcat crunches away at some brick.