After two days and realizing that the hired help couldn't dig deep enough because the ground was already frozen not too far down, I had to have the hole dug by a company out of North Pole because they still had frost buckets on their machines.  Big machine = big hole.  big hole = big building.

My nephew came up from Talkeetna and built the building in the photo over the hole, framed with extra space around the hole to support the building.

That next spring the hole filled with water (as the privies normally did because this is lowland/wetland area).  Plans were in drawn and materials were purchased to reinforce the walls.  Consideration was even given to the possibility of enclosing the hole or building an actual concrete and wood privey as a permanent solution. As the hole drained, the walls began to cave in.  House beams 10" x 10" x 30' long from the frame on the other part of the On Deck area were used and put under the building with the help of neighbors.

The hopes were that the beams would relieve the walls from the weight of the building on the edges, which would slow or stop the walls from falling in long enough for the soil to dry out and a permenant solution be put into place.  That didn't happen though.  Instead the beams held up the building, but the ground benath revealed a larger hole every day.  It was not only creating a horrible eyesore, but was becomeing dangerous.

Winter was almost upon us, so i hired a general contractor to fabricate a pony-wall to support the building.  Compost units come is a wide variety and with the right choice can truly be a permenant solution for households supporting only a few people or a family for short periods of time. 

With the building moved onto a pony-wall built to the height specifications of the chosen compost unit, and the large hole filled in I needed a temporary arrangement to accomodate those daily needs (ya know what i mean) thus the Port-A-Potty from Horizon Services. It was at this time that my landlord finally contacted me from Australia and i filled him in on the poop-scoop.  He agreed to pay for the hole that was dug in terms of allowing me two months without rent.  Nothing more.  The rest came out of my pocket. AND - it looks attrocious.

The Composting Unit chosen to fit my needs will be a permenant solution.  It's non electric and waterless. Rated for 3 people for daily use (that's average and semi standard) and can be upgraded to solar powered and / or battery powered at a later date, and is fairly priced.  However... the building needs to be finished to accomotate it properly.  The combined cost of finishing the building and the cost of the unit come to approx. $2500.  Do-able, but not so high onthe priority list for big bucks projects. 

As a Full-time to time-and-a-half student for nine straight semesters, and normal old-truck obligations, this project has been on the back burner ever since. Thus, it's On Deck!

Yes, this was the short version of the long story.