I arrived at our favorite owl’s nest at the crack of dawn and only had to wait for half an hour before mom showed up with breakfast. She posed on the perch for a few seconds before going inside to feed her owlet(s). As soon as I got the shot, it was back to the house for a 9 am rendezvous with the team that is preparing our stormwater management plan. A large excavator was used to dig ten-foot deep test holes to determine the viability and location of dry wells that will capture rainwater and release it slowly (after filtering through the ground) back to the river. After two such holes, it became apparent the soil would not support proper drainage in either location. The alternative we are now considering is called a rain garden, a large depression (bowl) in the ground that can hold water temporarily on the surface. Having rented the excavator for half a day and only spent an hour digging holes, I had the operator remove three large stumps to give us a head start on the garden.